10 Astounding Facts About Nostalgia

Nostalgia is considered to be a strong sense of longing or affection for the past. Whether it’s a childhood memory, a song, or a smell, nostalgia is a part of many people’s lives. Yet most people don’t truly understand it. Why does it happen? Is it a physical feeling, or is it all in our heads? When did it begin? These 10 astounding facts about nostalgia will answer all these questions and more. 10 It’s Not Just About Memories Most people would consider nostalgia to be a connection with good memories of the past. However, it is clear that nostalgia has little to do with memories themselves. The feeling of nostalgia is actually related to emotional states, not memories. Our minds connect different emotions with time periods and places from our past, leading us to miss those experiences from our past. For example, one could remember having played at the park as a child. Though a child may have felt many negative emotions during that trip to the park, the person’s mind will block that out, leaving him with only a happy memory of the experience. The thoughts themselves are a base that the mind can use to link to emotions. But the mind is not as trustworthy a source as it may seem. It changes our memories in a way that makes us feel that the present is never as good as the past. This connection of emotions to memories is what makes a nostalgic recollection different from a regular memory. [1] 9 It Used To Be Considered An Illness Though nostalgia is considered a common feeling, it had a very different meaning in the past. The term was coined in 1688 by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer. In a medical report, he wrote that nostalgia was a deadly […]

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