Why are taste and smell (and hearing a song from the 90's) such potent triggers for nostolgia? Benefits and Negatives of nostologia?
We've all experienced it, where we get a waft of some odor (whether pleasant or not), or bite into a long lost taste, or hear an old tune, see some forgotton photographs, (but emphasis on the taste and smell), and instantly we are in taken to a different time and place, and we are sometimes flooded with emotions. I think a Swiss man coined the term, "Nostalgia" (lit. Greek for "Home-sicknesses").
How/Why are our senses, particularly smell and taste, so strongly tied to memories??
There is a debate among scholars whether indulging in nostalgic
activities is beneficial for our health. What are the key arguments?
(I've always got warm, fuzzy feelings, and didn't see how it's harmful, but are the negativeness something like that they may have rose-colored glasses on, and think that the present is not as good as it once was?)
(1)1 Comments
Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best
Yes, basically. There is some psych literature on this; we romanticize the past, because of a particular, complex way the brain chooses to behave. In doing so, we typically remember good things from the past and hold on tightly to those things, even though in total one's past could have been more painful than the present, which is sometimes neglected and ignored and thus people hold themselves back and struggle to look forward and be forward-looking. A psychology / museum curator told me this stuff recently. Again sorry for not having sources to provide. Try a Google search or search on PubMed. I would search for both neurology and psych literature.
Terms of Use Privacy policy Contact About Cancellation policy © freshhoot.com2025 All Rights reserved.