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The Benefits of Nostalgia

   Medically reviewed by Scientific Advisory Board — By John DiPrete on
   September 16, 2018

   If unpleasant or obsessional, past memories can hurt — but nostalgia is
   good for you. The benefits of this internal psychological state are
   touted in various academic studies exploring the art and practice of
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   lend a gratifying sense of continuity in our lives.

   Nostalgia can take on many different forms. Watching an old
   black-and-white movie can trigger a cultural nostalgia for a lost
   period in time. Often that longing can predate one’s own date of birth:
   fondness for a time only your parents may have known and talked about.
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   The mental journey back through time adds a fourth dimension to the
   present. If mindfulness is the focal point of the Eternal Now,
   nostalgia forms a special continuum to the timeless past, expanding our
   concept of the self. The future may be vague, inchoate and
   unpredictable; but the past represents a finished whole that cannot be
   harmed or tampered with.

   Documented reasons why nostalgia (when used intelligently) can be good
   for us:

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   as telling stories and sharing wisdom from a bygone time.

   According to Dena Kemmet, “an additional function of nostalgia may be
   its motivating potential. Nostalgia may boost optimism, spark
   inspiration, and foster creativity.”

   According to Dr. Clay Routledge, Social Psychologist and Associate
   Professor of Psychology at North Dakota State University,nostalgia
   “increases positive mood, self-esteem, feelings of social
   connectedness, optimism about the future, and perceptions of meaning in
   life. Furthermore, nostalgia motivates people to focus on cultivating
   meaningful relationships and pursue important life goals. In addition,
   as people get older, nostalgia makes them feel youthful and energetic.
   Nostalgia also reduces existential fears about death.”

   The emotion of nostalgia can be evoked from a familiar scent, an old
   photograph, or a cherished song. Often it occurs during periods of
   sadness or transition, but it can appear anytime — affecting the young
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   and more adaptable to life‘s vicissitudes.

   The healthy use of nostalgia is not about retreating into the past. On
   the contrary, exploring the treasures of our “mental” time capsules can
   propel us toward the future, with a restored sense of enthusiasm and
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   correlated with increased resilience and self-confidence.

   For some, nostalgia can come to resemble a spiritual meditation.
   Indeed, the past is more venerated in places where the future is more
   fleeting — where constant change is often expected and demanded. The
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   turmoil.

   The judicious use of nostalgia offers each one of us who feels stranded
   in the present an anchor to the past.