Nostalgia is a core human emotion – one that nearly all people feel. Humans resort back to nostalgia, oftentimes connecting current events to their past, and we find ourselves saying things like “oh, that’s so nostalgic.” But what exactly is nostalgia? 

In psychology, the universal definition and understanding of nostalgia is when one misses or feels affection for the past, especially moments that are sentimental. It’s the feeling you get when you remember something from the past that brings comfort or bittersweet emotions, and could be triggered by nearly anything.

What is nostalgia, psychologically?

Nostalgia is a tool that the brain uses to emotionally regulate stress, loneliness and uncertainty. When experiencing something nostalgic, your brain triggers a release of dopamine, a happy chemical, and oxytocin, the love and comfort chemical. 

The hippocampus, the brain’s main memory center, helps retrieve and organize specific memories from the brain when you think about them. The amygdala, another part of the brain, handles the emotional part of memories, which is why nostalgic memories often feel so emotional, cozy, bittersweet or intense. If you’ve ever cried after looking back on a memory, you have the amygdala to thank for that.

The prefrontal cortex helps us reflect and reinterpret memories and is key in reconstructing the past and shaping how we remember it. Lastly, the default mode network activates when you daydream, self-reflect or reminisce, involving both the past and the future.

Why do we feel and turn to nostalgia?

When life feels chaotic or unpredictable, the brain longs for stability, called homeostasis. The body will desperately do anything to attempt to reach that stability, most commonly by regulating its temperature, blood flow and chemical balances. Another way it can stabilize itself is by pulling memories from easier times. Our brains are not wired to deal with constant change and novelty, so it often defaults to a familiar feeling of the past – and nostalgia provides that safe space.

Nostalgic Triggers

Have you ever tasted something that was so specific and familiar that it vividly took you back to your old childhood kitchen where you first tried it? Or maybe you were just listening to Spotify, and a song came on, causing you to remember that exact time when you first danced to it. It might have felt as though you were reliving that exact moment.

Nostalgia can be brought up through a variety of ways. However, the most common way is through triggers. These triggers vary for every individual, depending on their life experiences and upbringing. Some more common triggers that many people have experienced involve the five senses:

• Sight: old photos, places or seeing familiar faces
• Hearing: music, a familiar voice, specific noises or phrases like “remember when …”
• Smell: a specific comfort food, candle or scent of nature
• Taste: familiar foods, childhood snacks or comfort foods
• Touch: physical sensations like texture, weather or a familiar embrace from a loved one

Other triggers may be associated with certain memories, like important life events, milestones or past experiences.

The good and the bad of nostalgia

Nostalgia is often associated with good feelings – those of happiness and accomplishment. But could too much nostalgia be bad for you? 

Some of the more common benefits of nostalgia usually include lowered stress and anxiety levels. This is primarily due to a feeling of comfort, boosting optimism and strengthening the feeling of connectedness and belonging, either with a specific person, place or other type of thing. 

It is perfectly normal for one to feel affection and attachment towards one’s past, within moderation. However, a major issue that comes out of this is being afraid of new experiences and resistance to change. Change is inevitable, and being open to new experiences allows humans to grow themselves as individuals. 

When the present or future seems overwhelming, we cling to idealized versions of the past and convince ourselves that things were better “back then.” This kind of nostalgic depression distorts reality, making it harder to accept growth, face current struggles or move forward. Instead of reflecting, we start escaping, using memories to avoid the temporary discomfort of now.

Ever heard of escapism? Maybe you are familiar with the term, but unsure of its meaning. The proper definition of escapism is “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities.” Sometimes, the best way to escape the present is to resort back to a familiar and happy moment you have experienced in the past. While escapism is considered a coping mechanism, it could lead to dwelling on the past and not focusing enough on what’s ahead — the present and future. 

The future of nostalgia

Gen Z is starting to experience nostalgia way earlier than other age groups. From the early 2000s and onward, most children and teens have grown up with access to the internet and all its history at once. An effect of this is the use of the term “iPad kid,” which is now often referred to any child who has and is growing up with an iPhone or iPad. 

Having access to so much information so early on from social media and search engines in child development feeds hyper-speed internet culture. For example, trends now move so fast that a trend from months ago already feels like a past era. Fast trend cycles mean that we get nostalgic faster than older generations ever did.

Nostalgia isn’t just daydreaming or fantasizing. It’s the brain’s way of wrapping us in emotional “bubble wrap” when current life or the future feels daunting. Nostalgia can be proof that sometimes looking back can be your first step forward.