Nostalgia is a multifaceted feeling that is inherently human and is experienced regularly by people of all ages and with a wide range of cultural backgrounds. A few times a week, on average, people experience feelings of nostalgia.
A significant number of us are likely to experience an increased level of sentimentality during the final days of December, as we reflect on the things that the year brought and did not bring us. Taking a trip down memory lane can be accomplished in a number of ways, including listening to your favourite music, going at old photographs, or reminiscing about moments that you and your friends have had.
Not only is this kind of introspection quite common, but it also has the potential to be beneficial to us. In addition to being a universal phenomenon, researchers in the field of psychology have discovered that nostalgia is also linked to improved mental health. It is possible that it will serve as a significant psychological benefit in both the present and the future.
Tim Wildschut, a professor of psychology at the University of Southampton, stated that in order to inspire oneself, to pursue meaningful goals, to imbue life with purpose, and to feel connected, one must “dip in nostalgia, you dip into the past.” When that happens, you move on with your life and let it take control of you until the next time.
Meaning, self-continuity, and connection are all vital.
It’s a good thing that nostalgia isn’t what it used to be since it changes throughout time.
Throughout history, ever since Johannes Hofer first used the phrase in his medical dissertation in 1688, nostalgia has been characterised as a psychiatric disease that is experienced by individuals who have a preference for being lost in their past at the expense of what is happening in the present.
Verbon Cheung, a social psychologist at the University of Winchester, explained that the phenomenon might be described as “a yearning for the past that is no longer there.” As the saying goes, it is “bittersweet but more sweet than bitter.”
This yearning was also experienced by humans in the past. The epic poem “Odyssey” written by Homer is the embodiment of the concept of “nostalgia,” which originates from the Greek terms for “homecoming” (nostos) and “pain” (algos for short).
According to archaeological records from previous civilizations, nostalgia may possibly run back further than our history or species could ever have imagined. The inhabitants of what is now Israel kept and refashioned old flint tools even though it would have been easier to make them new from scratch approximately 300,000 to 500,000 years ago, according to a study that was conducted in 2022. This led researchers to speculate that the tools were kept as “memory objects” of their predecessors, which were imbued with emotional significance.
Over the course of the last few decades, research has found three primary roles of nostalgia: the enhancement of social connectivity, the maintenance of self-continuity, and the acquisition of meaning.
Typically, researchers may encourage participants to contemplate and write about nostalgic recollections or listen to music that evokes nostalgia in order to successfully generate feelings of nostalgia. As an alternative, participants in the control group are encouraged to reflect on memories that are less significant or to listen to music that they do not feel any sentimental attachment to.
Research has shown that people tend to experience a greater sense of social connection when they are nostalgic.
As Wildschut put it, “it’s a way of bringing them closer, even though they may be physically distant or perhaps they are no longer here with us for a moment.” This is because when we remember fondly about former moments with loved ones, we are able to draw them closer to us. You are able to bring them into the present through the use of nostalgia. Not only does this make you feel loved, but it also helps you feel connected.
The act of reminiscing helps to improve our sense of self-continuity, which in turn helps to strengthen the story that we tell about our life, which is essential for healthy mental well-being. Cheung is of the opinion that this could be due to the fact that our recollections of the past tend to revolve around ourselves as the protagonists of stories alongside other people whom we hold dear.
Because of this, nostalgia assists us in discovering a deeper significance in our lives. The findings of a study that was conducted in 2019 and on which Wildschut was a co-author revealed that the impacts of nostalgia on social connectivity and self-continuity contribute to the enhancement of the significance of life.
It is interesting to note that simply recalling the past is not sufficient: When compared to brooding, meditation, and rumination, nostalgia is related with a higher level of mental well-being being experienced. The capacity of nostalgia to provide us with a sense of connection with both ourselves and the people we care about is the source of its powerful psychological advantages.
In a sense, it’s as if nostalgia is a resource that we already possess within ourselves,” Cheung explained. It is because of the positive experiences that we have accumulated in the past that we have a favourable perception of ourselves.
People are more prone to experience nostalgia during times of transition or hardship, which may assist regulate our emotions. This may be the reason why people are more inclined to experience nostalgia. For instance, a study conducted in 2022 found that writing about a sentimental experience for a period of two minutes per week served as an excellent psychological buffer during the lockdown that was ordered due to the epidemic.
Nostalgia, in a nutshell, can be a useful tool for coping with uncertain times.
Not only can thinking about happier times help us feel good in the present moment, but it also serves as a source of inspiration and motivation for the future. Anticipating future nostalgia and savouring the present are two ways to do this.
Not only does nostalgia engage the same “memory highway” that transports us backward in time, but it also activates the same highway that “could project into the future,” as Cheung explained.
Studies using brain imaging have shown that the feeling of nostalgia stimulates regions of the brain that are responsible for self-reflection, autobiographical memory, emotion regulation, and reward respectively. To be more specific, there is an increase in activity in the hippocampus, which is a region of the brain that plays a significant role in both remembering the past and picturing the future.
In the process of reminding us of our prior achievements or our capacity to build connections with other people, nostalgia has the potential to motivate us to seek significant goals and friendships. For instance, a research that was published in 2021 and on which Wildschut was a co-author discovered that individuals who had a greater degree of nostalgia were more likely to seek assistance when they were in need of it.
Due to the fact that we are aware of the advantages of nostalgia, we are able to anticipate it and construct a “larger positive memory bank” by actively savouring those moments as they occur, as Cheung explained.
A study that was carried out in 2019 by Cheung and Wildschut found that college students who took the time to appreciate the experiences they had during their last year were more likely to experience feelings of nostalgia between four and nine months later. As a result, this sentimental attachment was linked to a higher level of optimism.
As a result, being present in the here and now prepares us for feelings of nostalgia and well-being in the future.
It is important that you “take another look” at the people you care about the next time you are spending quality time with them. As Cheung put it. Give them one last hug if you can.
