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   Nostalgia

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   Nostalgia
   What is Nostalgia...
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What Nostalgia Is and What It Does

   Hepper, Ritchie, Sedikides, and Wildschut (2012, Emotion) describe
   nostalgia as a complex emotion that involves past-oriented cognition
   and a mixed affective signature. The emotion is often triggered by
   encountering a familiar smell, sound, or keepsake, by engaging in
   conversations, or by feeling lonely. When waxing nostalgic, one
   remembers, thinks about, reminisces about, or dwells on a memory from
   one’s past—typically a fond, personally meaningful memory such as one’s
   childhood or a close relationship. One often views the memory through
   rose-tinted glasses, misses that time or person, longs for it, and may
   even wish to return to the past. As a result, one typically feels
   emotional, most often happy but with a sense of loss and longing; other
   less common feelings include comfort, calm, regret, sadness, pain, or
   an overall sense of bittersweetness.

   Nostalgia confers psychological benefits. When engaging in nostalgic
   reflection, people report a stronger sense of belongingness,
   affiliation, or sociality; they convey higher continuity between their
   past and their present; they describe their lives as more meaningful;
   and they often indicate higher levels of self-esteem and positive mood.
   Although nostalgic engagement (especially when it is carried out
   habitually and excessively) may not be beneficial to all, it is in
   general a resource on which people can capitalize to harness strength—a
   resource that allows them to cope more effectively with the
   vicissitudes of life.

Why Does Nostalgia Feel So Nice?

   "The holidays have a way of bringing up fond memories that can warm
   your heart. But are there any actual health benefits to nostalgia? It's
   more than just a longing for the past, and as Anthony and Laci explain,
   these sentiments can be quite good for us. "

   (D news, 25/12/13)
   Video link to:

    Why Does Nostalgia Feel So Nice?

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