As an emotion that marks the passage of time, nostalgia’s legacy remains shrouded in the strange gloom which describes the feeling itself. The term, originating in the late 17th century, historically meant a feeling of pain associated with separation from home or family. In the centuries that followed, doctors considered nostalgia a medical issue, similar to depression. Now, this sense of homesickness takes on a different, positive meaning, one that comes in waves to every person, driving him or her to a childhood favorite movie or the embrace of their parents. As people look back at their past through rose-colored glasses, nostalgia takes hold.
“Yes [I seek out nostalgia.] I like looking back at past photos or watching shows I really liked, just to get that feeling. It kind of feels weird in my stomach, I’m not sure how to describe it,” magnet junior Mary Washburn said.
Almost everyone experiences nostalgia. This view of the past affects those who currently feel unhappy in their current state to a higher degree than their content counterparts. While all ages can feel nostalgia, the subjects that prompt the emotion may vary; studies show that objects such as toys or pets trigger the emotion in young people while music creates the same effect in older individuals. Overall, nostalgia lends itself to anyone with a past as a shield to their pain and a sword to create it.
The motivators of its strength
The minute moments of a simple day may trigger a sense of nostalgia. As a dull ache or shocking hit to the chest, the emotion can take over a person’s body. Psychologists believe that nostalgia acts as the mind’s coping mechanism against stress and a means to help one harness authenticity. For an emotion with such intense purpose, the heart-wrenching manifestation loses its questionability.
Nostalgia engages several parts of the brain, from those associated with memory to dopamine’s release, across its frontal, limbic, paralimbic and midbrain portions. When a person engages with an item that triggers the emotion — a photo, keepsake or movie, for example — he or she activates this memory portion of the brain. As the person recalls a memory, the brain’s reward center activates and rushes to perceive it positively. This rewarding experience provides a mixture of sadness — a wish to return to the past — and joy at having lived it. This intense mixture combats stress by providing comfort and builds goals by helping people recognize their values.
“For me, nostalgia is caused by music and food. I’ve been feeling it a lot right now because of the holidays, and depending on what is causing the nostalgia sometimes [it makes me feel] emotional, sometimes happy. It helps me connect to my younger self,” junior Caitlin Heeralal said.
Alternative takes on the cause
Science explains this homesick emotion, but historical and alternative beliefs encourage different perceptions. When a Swiss physician first coined the term, he believed that animal spirits vibrated in the brain to cause this feeling. As time went on, people thought that nostalgia existed as a cerebral disease or a form of depression often caught by soldiers at war. In Chinese medicine, however, imbalance in the Po, or the physical part of the soul, can connect with nostalgia. The emotion’s deep, physical and emotional effects on its feeler might influence these takes.
As the holiday season approaches and the world continues to recover from the toll of the pandemic, nostalgia’s intensity appears boundless. While people continue to revel in the safety of an old toy or favorite movie, their pasts inspire their future.
