Nostalgia
A Universal Feeling
How many times have you reminisced on a certain memory and it almost felt like you were there again? You could smell, see, and even taste that exact moment. These memories are always triggered by something, but you are not entirely sure what. You are overcome with a longing for that moment in time and the memory is so fond that you can’t help but feeling warm inside. Nostalgia is the sentimental longing felt when reminiscing on the past. It is not a feeling of melancholia but more of a bittersweet sentimentality for what once was. Nostalgia has been widely used to describe many conditions but has just recently been modified to describe a positive experience. The word nostalgia was first coined in the 17th century. The term was used to describe the medical conditions of Swiss mercenaries who longed to return home. Nostalgia soon became a name for a disease who's symptoms included fainting, high fever, stomach pain, and even death. By the late 19th century nostalgia was discarded as a medical condition and recognized as a form of melancholia and a mentally repressive disorder. Now nostalgia has a positive meaning. It is classified as the term to describe the exact feeling felt when thinking of past memories. Nostalgia does have a positive effect on an individual. The Oxford English Dictionary defines nostalgia as sentimental longing for a period of the past. Merriam-Webster Dictionary says is it pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again. The most common synonyms used when referring to nostalgia are sentimentality and yearning. The important things about these definitions are the positive tones they all have. Many people have experienced nostalgia at some point in their life, whether that be a fond memory from childhood or a strong feeling of homesickness. Many of these happy memories even trigger an euphoric feeling that takes you back to that certain
How many times have you reminisced on a certain memory and it almost felt like you were there again? You could smell, see, and even taste that exact moment. These memories are always triggered by something, but you are not entirely sure what. You are overcome with a longing for that moment in time and the memory is so fond that you can’t help but feeling warm inside. Nostalgia is the sentimental longing felt when reminiscing on the past. It is not a feeling of melancholia but more of a bittersweet sentimentality for what once was. Nostalgia has been widely used to describe many conditions but has just recently been modified to describe a positive experience. The word nostalgia was first coined in the 17th century. The term was used to describe the medical conditions of Swiss mercenaries who longed to return home. Nostalgia soon became a name for a disease who's symptoms included fainting, high fever, stomach pain, and even death. By the late 19th century nostalgia was discarded as a medical condition and recognized as a form of melancholia and a mentally repressive disorder. Now nostalgia has a positive meaning. It is classified as the term to describe the exact feeling felt when thinking of past memories. Nostalgia does have a positive effect on an individual. The Oxford English Dictionary defines nostalgia as sentimental longing for a period of the past. Merriam-Webster Dictionary says is it pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again. The most common synonyms used when referring to nostalgia are sentimentality and yearning. The important things about these definitions are the positive tones they all have. Many people have experienced nostalgia at some point in their life, whether that be a fond memory from childhood or a strong feeling of homesickness. Many of these happy memories even trigger an euphoric feeling that takes you back to that certain