Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNostalgia Used to Be Considered a Neurological IllnessExamples of Nostalgia From Popular CultureTypes of NostalgiaBenefits of Being NostalgicCan You Be Too Nostalgic?How to Avoid the Negative Effects of Nostalgia

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Nostalgia Used to Be Considered a Neurological Illness

Examples of Nostalgia From Popular Culture

Types of Nostalgia

Benefits of Being Nostalgic

Can You Be Too Nostalgic?

How to Avoid the Negative Effects of Nostalgia

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Nostalgia can also be thought of as “the memory of happiness,” as it is often associated with happy memories from the past. It can be a source of comfort in times of sadness or distress.

However, nostalgia is not just about happy memories; it can also be about longing for a time when things were simpler, or for a time when we felt more connected to others.

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It was not until the 19th century that nostalgia began to be seen as a positive sentiment, rather than a pathological condition. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, for example, saw nostalgia as a way of reconnecting with our past and understanding our present. For Jung, nostalgia was a way to access the “collective unconscious”—the shared history and experiences that we all have as human beings.

During the First World War, nostalgia was once again associated with illness, as soldiers away at battle longed for the comforts of home.However, after the war ended, nostalgia once again became a positive sentiment.

There are two types of nostalgia: positive and negative.

Nostalgia can also be divided into three different categories: personal, social, and cultural.

Nostalgia has been shown to have a number of benefits. For example, nostalgia has been shown to:

Nostalgia can also have positive effects on physical health. For example, nostalgia has been shown to boost immune function and reduce stress levels.Nostalgia can also help to increase life satisfaction and reduce anxiety.

Can You Be Too Nostalgic?—Negative Effects

However, nostalgia can also have negative effects. For example, nostalgia can:

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There are a few things you can do to avoid the negative effects of nostalgia:

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13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The Atlantic.When Nostalgia Was a Disease.

Battesti M.Nostalgia in the Army (17th-19th Centuries).Front Neurol Neurosci. 2016;38:132-142. doi:10.1159/000442652

Batcho KI.Nostalgia: The bittersweet history of a psychological concept.Hist Psychol. 2013;16(3):165-176. doi:10.1037/a0032427

National Endowment for the Arts.Did You Know…. It’s a Wonderful Life edition.

Biography.10 Things You May Not Know About the Wonder Years.

Whitney Houston.Whitney Houston ‘I Will Always Love You’ #1 In 1992

Abeyta AA, Routledge C, Kaslon S.Combating Loneliness With Nostalgia: Nostalgic Feelings Attenuate Negative Thoughts and Motivations Associated With Loneliness.Front Psychol. 2020;11:1219. Published 2020 Jun 23. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01219

Newman DB, Sachs ME.The Negative Interactive Effects of Nostalgia and Loneliness on Affect in Daily Life.Front Psychol. 2020;11:2185. Published 2020 Sep 2. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02185

Jiang T, Cheung WY, Wildschut T, Sedikides C.Nostalgia, reflection, brooding: Psychological benefits and autobiographical memory functions.Conscious Cogn. 2021;90:103107. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2021.103107

Ismail S, Christopher G, Dodd E, et al.Psychological and Mnemonic Benefits of Nostalgia for People with Dementia.J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;65(4):1327-1344. doi:10.3233/JAD-180075

Batcho KI.Nostalgia: retreat or support in difficult times?.Am J Psychol. 2013;126(3):355-367. doi:10.5406/amerjpsyc.126.3.0355

Newman DB, Sachs ME, Stone AA, Schwarz N.Nostalgia and well-being in daily life: An ecological validity perspective.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2020;118(2):325-347. doi:10.1037/pspp0000236

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