Is nostalgia good or bad for us?

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1:01listening to old tunes or flipping through cherished books can bring on a certain sense of solace? The reality is your past is intricately woven into your present. It shapes who you are and influences the person you go on to become. With its comforting embrace of fond memories, nostalgia seems to breathe new life into past moments, often giving us a boost when we really need it. What actually happens in our brains when we get nostalgic then? Well, back in 2015, researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University decided to peek into this phenomenon using functional MRI scans. Their findings revealed that viewing images associated with the past, triggers activity in our memory and reward circuits, possibly linked to the release of pleasure hormone dopamine. And surprisingly, nostalgia can even act as a natural pain killer. That's according to a study conducted by psychologists and neuroscientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

2:03The findings of which were published in the Journal of Neuroscience in 2022. The study found that reminiscing about the past may help alleviate certain everyday forms of pain. Like a headache, participants were shown images while being exposed to varying levels of pain. Through the use of a small heat generator on their forearm, those who were shown childhood images felt less pain than the control group who saw modern day images which didn't lead to any feelings of nostalgia. That suggests that nostalgia triggers certain mechanisms which dull our perception of pain. Isn't nostalgia always good for us then? MedicalnewsToday.com says that nostalgia can also bring on negative emotions at times. While nostalgic depression is not an officially recognized mental health condition, the term is used to describe the elements of sadness people feel when missing parts of their past. For example, we might perceive our past as having been happier than our present is. What's intriguing is that while nostalgic memories are soothing,

3:06they tend to be rose tinted and thus aren't always accurate representations of the past. Christine Bachel is a psychology professor at Lamoying College in the United States, talking to National Geographic for a feature on the stouture in July 2023. She explained that having memories that are better than the actual events serves an evolutionary purpose. Dwelling excessively on the past can actually turn the experience sour and hinder our ability to live in the present. I'm sure at some point you've heard someone being told to stop living in the past, or maybe someone's even said that to you. That suggestion really means focusing more on creating new memories rather than clinging so tightly to past ones. The negative effects of nostalgic depression can include self-deprecation, intense anxiety, a disdain for life, changes in appetite or weight, social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, a loss of motivation and dark thoughts. MedicalnewsToday recommends trying to remember a more realistic view of the past to keep things

4:08in perspective, practicing mindfulness and building human relationships in order to combat nostalgic depression. There you have it! Now you know whether nostalgia is good or bad for us. In under three minutes we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure. And Doug, here we have the Lemo Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their core insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally Doug. Lemo, is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera! They see us! Only pay for what you need at LibertyMutual.com. Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings very underwritten by LibertyMutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

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