A few weeks ago, while erecting our Christmas tree, listening to Christmas carols, and inhaling the scent of cookies baking in the oven, I was overcome by an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. With everything our minds have been preoccupied with this past year, and with all the challenging issues at home and abroad that will confront us in the coming year, this sensation actually felt tremendously comforting, be it somewhat melancholic. It occurred to me that, perhaps, this is exactly what we as a community and as a nation need right now - enjoy the season, take some time off, and reflect on what has always made us feel safe and comfortable.
While processing this experience I recognized intuitively that in my mind "nostalgia" contains characteristics that are largely positive and beneficial.
The dictionary definition of nostalgia is "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition," sometimes enhanced by a "yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time or situation." However, for centuries, giving into feelings of nostalgia was considered a sign of weakness.
The word originated from the Greek for "homecoming" and "pain." Throughout most of the 19th Century this sensation was considered a potentially debilitating, and sometimes fatal, medical condition, expressing extreme homesickness. (Melissa Dahl, "The Little-Known Medical History of Homesickness," February, 2016). A Swiss medical student, Johannes Hofer, first defined nostalgia in a dissertation he wrote in 1688. He defined it as a mental illness, an affliction of those who had left their home, and which struck them as they recalled fond memories. In some cases they were crippled by the sense of longing these memories brought. His research focused on Swiss mercenaries fighting abroad. Consequently, early on, nostalgia was often referred to as the "Swiss disease." The characteristics Hofer identified and discussed were recognized well before he published his dissertation.
During the Thirty Years War - which ran from 1618 to 1648, involving much of central and southern Europe, Spanish soldiers were discharged from service because they suffered so strongly from it that they were no longer capable of fighting. During the early 1700s, Russian troops were often buried alive if they succumbed to the so-called nostalgia virus. And during the U.S. Civil War, soldiers who grew nostalgic for their homes and families were publicly shamed and ridiculed until they got over it. (Debra Kelly, "When Nostalgia Was Considered A Crippling Mental Illness," June 29, 2014).
These days nostalgia is viewed as an independent, and even positive, emotion many people tend to experience frequently. Led by University of Southampton psychologist Constantine Sedikides, scientists focus on its potentially therapeutic aspects. Research suggests that nostalgia can promote psychological health, including counteracting the effects of loneliness and providing us with a greater sense of continuity and meaning to our lives. It seems to help us maintain a sense of who we are, and how we are connected to other people through our relationships. Participation in religious traditions or cultural norms, especially during the Holiday season, helps us do that. (Krystine Batcho, "Why We Feel Nostalgic During The Holidays," New York, Le Moyne College, December 20, 2011).
This past year has been stressful for many of us. The daily bombardment of controversial input, emanating from a brutal election campaign, caused many relationships to become severely frayed. A post-election article in the Boston Globe stated that the mental health of Americans of all persuasions had been seriously challenged. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and other hot line services reported huge surges in calls for help.
As a result of all that we have been confronted with this past year, many of us have experienced the feeling of being disconnected from reality, and acknowledged that somehow we have been separated from some of our friends and family members. The feeling of nostalgia that may overpower us during this time of the year, if we allow ourselves to embrace it, could help us regain a margin of separation from all that befuddles us, while bringing us mentally back to a time when political and social distractions did not get in the way of our sanity. It can help make us feel grounded again, and provide continuity and context to our lives. If we feel we need it, it may even help give us the strength to move on. We will realize that there will be ample time to confront and assess our challenges after the holidays.
Wishing everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanzaa, all of which this year are celebrated around the same time. They provide a fitting spiritual conclusion to a tumultuous year. I am confident that even those of us who don't subscribe to a religious tradition will still be inspired by the spirit of the season, and feel connected to all who surround us.
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