What causes nostalgia, and why?

[Maia]

There's a particular aisle in the Poundstretcher near where I work that always affects me on a deep emotional level. The combination of smells, made up of a whole load of perfectly mundane things such as soap, shampoo, toilet cleaning products, scented candles, and so on, is perfectly balanced to trigger this reaction, sending me off into memories of people I've known and loved, and of times long gone. So predictable is this that I either deliberately avoid the aisle, or deliberately walk down it, depending on my mood. On those rare occasions when I'm thinking of something else entirely, it hits me like a brick wall.

Clearly there's something physical going on here, something chemical. Quite similar indeed, to the time I stayed in a hotel in Plymouth with my (then) boyfriend and as soon as I walked in I was transported back to holidays with my family at the seaside when I was little. I knew immediately that it was the particular type, or brand, of cleaning product that they'd used on the carpet, which, presumably by pure chance, I hadn't smelt since those long ago holidays. Such a mundane explanation for such a magical, unexpected moment, and yet that knowledge in no way detracted from it, even while it was happening.

What's the advantage of having our brains wired up like this? Not that I'm saying that it's a bad thing. On the contrary, it's actually quite wonderful. Just weird.

[Age]

What causes nostalgia?

Memories, and past experiences, obviously.

Why?

So, you reflect, and learn.

[Impenitent]

aluminum pants reflect better

-Imp

[accelafine]

Smell is considered the most evocative of the senses. Apparently this is because ''the pathways for processing smell in the brain are closely linked to the areas responsible for memory and emotion''.

[Maia]

Smell is considered the most evocative of the senses. Apparently this is because ''the pathways for processing smell in the brain are closely linked to the areas responsible for memory and emotion''.

It's also very ancient, and the dominant sense in many animals, perhaps most.

[LuckyR]

Yes, the olfactory bulb is a part of the limbic system. I agree its likely a remnant from pre-primate days, when it played a protective role.

[mickthinks]

I think you are misusing the word “nostalgia”.

Involuntary memory

[Phil8659]

There's a particular aisle in the Poundstretcher near where I work that always affects me on a deep emotional level. The combination of smells, made up of a whole load of perfectly mundane things such as soap, shampoo, toilet cleaning products, scented candles, and so on, is perfectly balanced to trigger this reaction, sending me off into memories of people I've known and loved, and of times long gone. So predictable is this that I either deliberately avoid the aisle, or deliberately walk down it, depending on my mood. On those rare occasions when I'm thinking of something else entirely, it hits me like a brick wall.

Clearly there's something physical going on here, something chemical. Quite similar indeed, to the time I stayed in a hotel in Plymouth with my (then) boyfriend and as soon as I walked in I was transported back to holidays with my family at the seaside when I was little. I knew immediately that it was the particular type, or brand, of cleaning product that they'd used on the carpet, which, presumably by pure chance, I hadn't smelt since those long ago holidays. Such a mundane explanation for such a magical, unexpected moment, and yet that knowledge in no way detracted from it, even while it was happening.

What's the advantage of having our brains wired up like this? Not that I'm saying that it's a bad thing. On the contrary, it's actually quite wonderful. Just weird.

Some of us, develop an ideal life which is composed of particular elements. When we fail to achieve that life is when being reminded of that failure which hurts the most.

If we build a virtual future we would like to attain to, we hold that as a standard for our life's achievements.

[Walker]

So, you reflect, and learn.

After learning, mirrors reflect your shine.

[Walker]

Nostalgia causes good feelings, even wonderful feelings. Whatever happens, needs to happen, which is why it happens. At the moment you feel nostalgia, you needed to feel good feelings. Specifics of what causes the involuntary need can be identified, upon reflection, when nostalgia unpredictably strikes. Could be that nostalgia needs to join in with the current mood of good feelings, or maybe there's an involuntary, below-the-radar need to create good feelings. Unless one is at war, good feelings are better than bad.