How Does Nostalgia Affect Our Psychology?
If we look at the emergence of the concept of nostalgia; From the 17th century to the 20th century, "nostalgia" was seen as a "disease". A Swiss doctor named Johannes Hofer used this concept to describe the longing of soldiers working away from home. Symptoms of people suffering from this disease; They were homesickness, anxiety, crying spells, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, and eating disorders. By the 19th century, nostalgia had become a more general concept rather than being attributed only to a certain population (soldiers, sailors, workers living far from home). It has begun to be seen as a condition with symptoms similar to depression experienced by individuals who leave home and miss their homes. Nowadays, with the studies conducted over the years, nostalgia has a more positive meaning and is seen as an important resource for psychological health. It has been observed that nostalgic narratives improve both the person's self-love and sense of social connectedness, as they preserve, value, and share the memories of both oneself and the environment. In addition, it has been seen that nostalgia can be used to cope with the feelings of anxiety and loneliness that people experience. Thus, in general, nostalgic memories; We can say that preserving and preserving old, beautiful, and valuable memories, remembering them from time to time and making them happy, sharing them with relatives, and remembering them strengthens and positively affects the person's perception of the meaning of life.
Arş. Gör. İrem UYAR
References
Routledge, C., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Juhl, J. (2013). Nostalgia as a resource for psychological health and well‐being. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(11), 808-818.
Kelley, N. J., Davis, W. E., Dang, J., Liu, L., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (2022). Nostalgia confers psychological well-being by increasing authenticity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 102, 104379.
McCann, W. H. (1941). Nostalgia: A review of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 38, 165–182.
Routledge C., Arndt, J., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Hart, C., Juhl, J., Vingerhoets, A. J., & Scholtz, W. (2011). The past makes the present meaningful: Nostalgia as an existential resource. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 638–652.
Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. D. (2006). Nostalgia: Content, triggers, functions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 975–993.
