a into look
the past
by esraa abuzeid
R
EMEMBER THESE DAYS WHEN YOU USED TO MEET YOUR CLASSMATES AT SCHOOL EVERY DAY AND USED TO GET TOGETHER
IN PLAYING, TALKING, LEARNING, JOKING OR EVEN FIGHTING. REMEMBER YOUR TALKS WITH OLD FRIENDS, THE PIECE OF
MUSIC YOU HEARD AND BECAME A HALLMARK OF YOUR PAST, YOUR PHOTOS OVER THE YEARS, THE PLACES YOU VISITED
LONG TIME AGO AND THE BOOK YOU'VE READ WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG. ALL THESE MEMORIES YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED,
THEY HAVE A CERTAIN SENSE OF HOPE AND A GOOD TASTE OF DAYS YOU CAN'T CLARIFY. AND SINCE WE ARE MADE OF
NOTHING BUT MEMORIES, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL FOR US, SO LET'S TALK IN BRIEF ABOUT WHAT'S CALLED NOSTALGIA.
Over the years, Nostalgia had various meanings, we
can say that it's the emotional and sentimental sense
for the past including persons, places, periods... and
your wish to return back to these days. Literally, it is
a Greek word composed of two parts; "nostos" which
means homecoming and "algos" which means pain.
emotions and memories. Scientists have found a correlation
between hearing a song that you have memories with
and an increase in the activity of the prefrontal cortex
(the front of our brain). Also, taste and smell have a role
due to the information carried in their pathways and end
up in the limbic system that include the hippocampus
and the amygdala. All these parts are involved in storing
Before it was understood right, nostalgia passed through memories (hippocampus) and emotions (amygdala).
a vague journey over time. Between the 17th and 19th
centuries, it was considered as psychopathological disorder, This process results in the release of particular hormones as
known as "Swiss disease" because it was associated with Dopamine, these hormones cause happiness and relaxation
Swiss soldiers "mercenaries" who had a state of nostalgia which explains why we feel good on the top of nostalgia. So can
on hearing specific Swiss milking songs. Its playing was an we utilize these things to improve our mood and boost our self-
act punished by death. It was associated also with children confidence? Or in other words, can nostalgia be beneficial?
who were sent to the countryside to nurse, men and women
who left their country and home to be local servants. "Nostalgia increases feelings of social connectedness
Seasons as autumn are also thought to induce nostalgia. to others, makes people feel loved and valued and
Being perceived as a disease, there were some symptoms increases perceptions of social support when people are
of nostalgia such as loss of appetite, sadness, and lonely" says Clay Routledge, Ph.D., associate professor
melancholy to a little extent. Some believed it can lead to of psychology at North Dakota State University. Indeed,
suicide, hearing voices, or even seeing ghosts of people nostalgia do benefit us by many means, some of them are:
who were missed and hallucinations. The treatment was
strange a little bit, they thought it should be treated by pain •The sense of nostalgia has the ability to
and terror. Soldiers were threatened by getting burnt alive raise and improve mood and reduce stress.
if they became nostalgic! For children, they were allowed •Giving a positive and good feeling about the past experiences.
to see their nurses but spend less time with them. After •Increasing social connections, asking your friendsto
that, in America, they reacted to nostalgic feelings to nurses share their nostalgic memories boosts the group
by bullying and it was something that caused shame. happiness, and strengthen your social ties.
Treatments included leeches, purgatives or only letting •It enhances and improves self-confidence and self-
patients go home. Some of these methods were useful esteem by remembering the difficult problems
and successful, but on the other hand, some weren't. we were in and how we could overcome them.
Nowadays, Nostalgia has a completely different meaning.
It can be considered as a source of positive feelings and
psychological well-being. It may make people more optimistic.
There are some experiments to confirm that, in which some
participants were exposed to nostalgic situations while the
others weren't. The results showed that the group exposed
to nostalgia had a higher level of optimism and better mood,
but the other group showed selfishness and depression.
Several stimuli can produce nostalgia, some are related
to good memories, and others are related to bad ones
such as loneliness. There are connections between stored
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MEDICINE
Thus, who knows? We may find nostalgia being used
in psychological therapy. No surprise if I told you that
nostalgia is used in the field of media and marketing.
It's a very successful method to attract a lot of people to
different subjects especially those who are emotionally
affected. Many companies depend on nostalgia in their
propaganda. Of course, it's used in films and advertisements.
Finally, try to enjoy your life and make it a happy one. Know
that every moment in your present will be part of your history.
So, make it joyful and fruitful to help you in the future.
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