Olfactory reference syndrome was codified as a condition worthy of attention by Pryse-Phillips in his seminal paper published in 1971 (Pryse‐Phillips, 1971). He described 36 patients presenting with the belief that smells emanated from their bodies without the intervention of any external agency, what Pryse-Phillips termed intrinsic hallucinations. This belief was accompanied by a ‘contrite’ reaction manifest as a deep sense of shame, embarrassment and self-abasement and sensitivity to the reaction of people around them. There were also behavioural responses to this belief, including excessive washing, excessive changing of clothing and social withdrawal. This condition was distinguished from olfactory hallucinations in the context of schizophrenia, mood disorder and epilepsy.