WHAT IS NOSTALGIA?
written by SAMANTHA LAW
edited by MACUETA LIU
artwork by HANNAH WONG
Close your eyes -- you are now in kindergarten -- it’s the first day of school. Your mum hurriedly dressed you in your newly ironed blue uniform. The lavender floral scent imprinted on the clothing; The minty freshness of spring air fills your lungs. When you arrived, your teacher, dressed in a red-black plaid shirt, completed with a pair of jet-black carefully ironed jeans. He, along with a group of fidgeting comrades, traversed the courtyard. You recall the advancing aroma of cedarwood. Yellow tinted lights emblazoned above, light blue painted walls resembled the afternoon sky. You remember your first friend. She had two pigtails, tied up in a bunch by two neon-yellow hair ties; her hair glowed of gold-brown; you remember the hopscotch, and the swings, and the slide, and the dusty, sandy floor. 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours. The bell rang; you merrily ran towards your mum. When you got home, you dozed off, tired from an exhaustingly content day. Snap! You’re back to reality.
Many of us may or may not have experienced nostalgia. But what do we know about nostalgia: what causes it? What is nostalgia? What are its benefits and the doubts?
Nostalgia, as defined by Cambridge Dictionary, is “a feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past”.
You were sitting on your swiveling chair when the clock yelled 5:45 pm. The bright, illuminating light gradually dims as the sun slowly falls. Blankets upon layers of violet, grey dullness paints the sky. Gradually, stars shimmer synonymously with the city lights. Your window is open. The chilling night breeze forced its way into your room. Instantaneously, an icy chill pulls you back to when you were 15 -- it was winter break, you and your friend adventured the dead city. It was 10 pm, you recall, almost time for curfew; lamps ubiquitously stood on the sidewalks, slowly blinking as if saying hello. Everything paused, time froze as if reality was pulling you back.
Nostalgia can be illustrated as small snippets of one's life; all brought back to life. It varies from person to person; some may not have even experienced nostalgia at all, some may. And that is okay. Nostalgia could be viewed as synonymous with reflecting on our past. It doesn't represent a discontent feeling, but dwelling on it may be beneficial.
It begs the question, are all nostalgic thoughts unhealthy?
artwork by HANNAH WONG
”Humans tend to alter memories.” Sometimes we may mix past experiences with expectations or alternatives that could have happened. Sometimes we may forget bits of the memory, resulting in a misconception. Our brain is a phenomenal tool: it is capable of many significant actions. Such as, altering past recollections to protect ourselves. The brain suppresses stressful or fear-related memories. This can be protective in the short term when the feeling is still profound.1However, this can interfere with nostalgia as it may not display the reality of the memory, rather the facade that is shadowing the truth.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, nostalgia was classified as “immigrant psychosis” a form of “melancholia”. As shown in research conducted by Dr. Constantine Sedikies, Tim Wildschut, and other psychologists at the University of Southampton, they found that nostalgia was common around the world. They concluded that the features of nostalgia are universal: “The defining features of nostalgia in England are also the defining features in Africa and South America,” said Dr. Wildschut. From reminiscing about friends and families to particular views, such as sunsets or sunrises. However, many topics revolved around negative connotations, but it reportedly made them feel better afterward.2
“Nostalgic stories often start badly, usually with a problem, but then they tend to end well, thanks to helping with someone close to you,” Dr. Sedikides says. “So you end up with a stronger feeling of belonging and affiliation, and you become more generous towards others."2
It is especially in this unprecedented time where we are prone to nostalgia: the feeling of unfamiliarity and isolation. It is no surprise that many of us feel encaged, like a bunch of mice. We feel trapped, but simultaneously we must stay at home. The dilemma of wanting to see your friends, but also obliged not to. Or perhaps you enjoy staying at home. "More time to catch up on outgoing work," or "plenty of time to try out the new Nintendo game." I have heard these phrases spoken by my friends multiple times. But perhaps it is because of this prolonged wish we cherish our loved ones much more.
As poet and writer, Ranata Suzuki once said “nostalgia is the heart’s way of reminding you of something you once loved. It travels in many forms; on a song, in a scent, or photographs… but no matter how it comes to you it will always have the same bitter-sweet taste.”
Sources:
1"How The Brain Hides Traumatic Memories". Northwestern Medicine, https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/medical-advances/how-the-brain-hides-traumatic-memories.
2Tierney, John. "What Is Nostalgia Good For? Quite A Bit, Research Shows (Published 2013)". Nytimes.Com, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/science/what-is-nostalgia-good-for-quite-a-bit-research-shows.html.