Why do We Feel Nostalgic about the Past?
What exactly is nostalgia?
Have you ever heard an old Bollywood song, maybe playing softly at a tea stall or randomly on the FM and felt an unexpected wave of emotion? Suddenly, you're no longer in the present. You're transported to a time when life felt simpler… maybe a school trip, a college fest, or lazy Sunday mornings at home. It wasn’t a perfect time, but something about it feels safe, familiar, and deeply comforting. That’s nostalgia, a quiet reminder of the moments that shaped us.
Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past, often involving the recollection of happy or significant events. This natural and common emotion can be triggered by familiar sights, sounds, or smells. It is also prompted by thoughts about the past, feelings of loneliness, disconnectedness or meaninglessness. While often associated with positive emotions, it can also involve a bittersweet mix of joy and sadness. It is sweet because we are remembering the good times of our lives and it is bitter because we are sure that it is almost impossible to regain those moments.
Why do we feel it?
Nostalgia helps us in maintaining our sense of self or our identity. It helps us in uniting the idea of who we are now and who we were in the past. Change is inevitable and people change incredibly over time in ways that we have never imagined. Nostalgia serves as a source of motivation to help us remember who we once were and who we feel we have become today. This comparison would help us reconnect with our authentic self and it also serves as a space for reflection which helps us realize how far we have grown as a person.
Additionally, nostalgia can help us feel less isolated. It reminds us of the voices of our grandparents, our school pals, or our siblings with whom we once shared secrets. The memories hold warmth even though they are no longer physically present. They serve as a reminder that we have been cherished, helped, and included in something significant.
When life feels uncertain or overwhelming, it’s human nature to reach back into our memories and hold onto something familiar. Our minds softly return to those times when life feels uncertain or burdensome, not to escape the present but to find strength in them. Those joyful days turn into tiny sources of strength. They serve as a reminder that we have survived storms in the past and that we are capable of doing so again. It provides solace when we are going through any kind of personal crisis.
In the end, nostalgia is not about living in the past, it's about remembering what mattered, what shaped us, and what made us feel alive. It’s a gentle reminder that even though time moves forward, the people, places, and feelings that touched our hearts never really leave us. They stay with us in the songs we hum, the smells that linger, and the stories we tell. As we move through life, it’s okay to revisit those moments. Not to stay there, but to carry the comfort, the strength, and the joy they gave us into the present. Because sometimes, looking back is what helps us move forward with a little more hope and a deeper sense of who we are.
Written By- Ms. Malavika Prasad Menon - Psychotherapist (Mindmaris Counsellors India Pvt)
