Nostalgia: powerful, poignant — and a painkiller
Unravel the enigmatic nature of nostalgia, a potent force that transcends time and space. Discover its poignant beauty and its surprising role as a psychological salve. Journey into the heart of human emotion, where past, present, and future intertwine.
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is a happy remembrance of the past, yet it also leaves us feeling sad.
- It is a peculiar feeling – slippery and, in many ways, indefinable – but it’s a key aspect to being human.
- According to new research, it might even make being human a bit easier, as well.
Nostalgia
Montaigne once wrote, “Let babes look ahead, old age behind…”
- Nostalgia is the poignant window to what is now gone
- Take a wistful moment to reminisce about all those lives lost, because we now know it is mightily good for you to do so
In search of lost time
Nostalgia plays a foundational role in who we are
- It juxtaposes us as a now against what we once were
- We look back on our previous selves and we feel as if we have changed
- The older we get, the more we realize that life is made of episodes and stages
- Who we are today can feel strangely remote from our childhood
- Hence, there is a disconnect and alienation that comes with nostalgia
The good in nostalgia
When we reflect on our past with the glow of nostalgia, there is a whole host of benefits
- It promotes psychological wellbeing, increases physical comfort, and reduces distress
- A recent study has shown that nostalgia can also make pain more bearable
- The more nostalgic someone is, the less pain they feel
- This is because nostalgia has an analgesic effect
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