Nostalgia is one of the most powerful emotions humans obtain. A sentimental longing, and a way to transport us to the past, nostalgia has this unique ability to shape our recollection of memories through evoking our most powerful emotions. It is a sentiment which permeates our lives, shaping our memories, influencing the way we think, and providing us with a sense of purpose, meaning and optimism. In this article, I will explore how nostalgia affects our perception of the past, our thinking in the present, and our behaviours for the future.
Nostalgia’s Distorting Effects on Memory
Nostalgia has this profound distorting effect on our cognitive processing, specifically memory. Memory is malleable and subject to interpretation. When recalling past experiences through a nostalgic lens, we have a tendency to focus on the positive aspects whilst omitting the unpleasant, unimportant, or negative details. Within psychology, this selective memory enhances our contentment and sense of stability. However, it also opens us to reconstructive memory—our recollection of events is not an exact replica of the timeline of events, but rather a reconstruction, portraying the unreliable nature of memory. It is meaningful to obtain emotional past memories, however, when they are prone to distortion, Nostalgia can shape our perception of who we are and how we define ourselves.
The Mind and how it Thinks
Beyond memory, nostalgia further influences the way we think and make decisions. It influences the way our minds undergo cognitive processes to solve a problem, analyse a situation, and/or make decisions. Nostalgia is believed to enhance creativity and imagination, opening our minds to new ideas and possibilities of the future. Referred to as cognitive flexibility, it allows us to approach challenges with a broader perspective, drawing on lessons and experiences stored in our long-term memory to navigate the future.
A Paradox of Emotion and Meaning
Bittersweet “arousing pleasure tinged with sadness and pain” - The Oxford Dictionary.
Nostalgia is exactly that: bittersweet. There is a paradoxical mix of emotions of happiness and sadness. The reminiscing, warming feeling of re-experiencing cherished memories cultivate happiness for the world around us. It bridges the gap between our past, and present self, thus creating a sense of continuity within ourselves. On the other hand, the bitter side of nostalgia comes from our awareness that those moments are just memories and are now gone, and can no longer be relived. Acknowledging this adds to the value of our experiences, subconsciously reminding our mind to live in the moment and cherish the memories that we make.
Optimism “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something” - The Oxford Dictionary.
Though bitter, the nature of nostalgia instils this sense of optimism within us. Research has found that reward centres in our brain, including: the Hippocampus, which is primarily involved in storing long-term memories and making those memories resistant to forgetting, is activated during nostalgic activity (Moawad, 2016). The emotions evoked from the activation of the reward centres in our brain,knowing there is no returning to the past, inspire us to find beauty, meaning, and a positive outlook towards our present life. This explains the common phenomenon of feeling pleasant emotions in simplicity, such as hearing a song you used to listen to, or recalling a memory of someone who left your life. Though it seems negative to reminisce about something so saddening, nostalgia taps into our positive emotions to counteract the negative, bitter emotions, evoking a sense of hope. Almost acting like a compass, nostalgia subconsciously guides our decisions with what we value, and what we perceive as fulfilling from the past experiences stored in our long term memory. This fuels the mind’s motivation in creating new memorable experiences, building meaningful connections, and obtaining a positive outlook on life.
Conclusion
This conflicting idea evokes reminiscence for our past, to then appreciate our present, and envision a future to be fulfilled. Through embracing nostalgia, we find value in our lives, helping us to contribute to our overall well-being. We must cherish the ephemeral nature of nostalgic memories; we must embrace the optimism it brings us, as well as the sense of melancholy it instills in us for our irretrievable past.
Author: Anabelle Poernomo
Design: Jun Monteleone
Sources
The Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. (2023). Bittersweet. Optimism.
University of Southampton. (2023). What Nostalgia Is and What It Does
Seeker. (25th December, 2013). Why Does Nostalgia Feel So Nice?.
Moawad, H. Neurology Live. (13th October, 2016). The Brain and Nostalgia
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