Professor Adrian Vingerhoets - Nostalgia is good for you

Nostalgia, that sentimental longing for the past, was once described as a mentally repressive disorder, but psychologists now say that looking back on past events is good for you. Researchers at the University of Southampton have even developed a Nostalgia Scale, which charts how often you relive past experiences. Nostalgia’s defining features are the same from South America to Africa. People around the world typically reminisce about holidays, weddings, songs, sunsets and lakes. “Nostalgia has been shown to counteract loneliness, boredom and anxiety. One of the most powerful ways of inducing nostalgia is to hear music from a certain time on your life. Professor Vingerhoets has studied the relationship between music and nostalgia. – Source: New York Times