#103 High School Reunions and the 5 Surprising Benefits of Nostalgia

Holy Cow!  I recently attended my high school 50th Reunion!  What can you learn from something like this?  Well, this podcast focuses on the five benefits of “nostalgia”, and how it relates to spiritual growth.  I could probably do a 5-hour podcast on the stories we joked about during the reunion, but I want to focus on what something like a reunion can mean for you! Here are five benefits of properly using nostalgia – whether you use these benefits as part of your own high school reunion, or just to view your own life through this helpful lens: 1. Improved mood and happiness. Research has shown that when people experience nostalgia, they tend to focus on positive emotions and memories from the past. This can lift your mood and help you feel happy and content in the present. By evoking positive emotions and memories, nostalgia contributes to a more fulfilling and contented life. 2. Enhanced Resilience: Nostalgia can be a psychological resource for you in challenging or difficult times. When you experience nostalgia and revisit positive memories, you can get an improved sense of comfort, stability and you can be better equipped to cope in the present. 3. Reduce Your Feelings of Loneliness: You'd think it would be the opposite, right? Well, studies have shown that when you are feeling lonely and disconnected from others, that reminiscing about your past experiences and happy relationships can create a sense of social connectedness. This type of nostalgia can remind you of the meaningful relationships you have had. You DO know what to do, and it can foster a sense of belonging and reduce your feelings of loneliness. 4. Increase your optimism for the future: When people reminisce about positive and happy events from the past, they are more likely to view the future with a positive outlook. Such thoughts can help you focus and maintain a hopeful and optimistic attitude towards what lies ahead. 5. Strengthened social bonds: And this ties directly to any type of reunion. I find the same thing with reunions with my West Point classmates. Sharing nostalgic experiences with others can create a sense of collective identity and shared history – or even shared suffering (as in many of my West Point or Army experiences), which fosters closeness and increased intimacy among individuals. I found this particularly true when sharing stories and happy memories with my old high school classmates. So that is the benefit of attending reunions, as seen through the concept of nostalgia. For me, it WAS a spiritual experience. And, I suppose not too surprisingly, I discussed spiritual things with a number of my old friends. We've all been on our own spiritual journeys, and I was a bit surprised that many of us had found something other than strict Catholicism to lend shape and meaning to their lives. In all, the night was way too short and I had a wonderful time. ====================================================================== My podcasts are targeted towards left-brained types like me, whose rigid view of life restricted us from considering things outside of the tightly-organized spiritual paradigm we either grew up with or built for ourselves. Follow my podcasts for discussions about some serious topics like grief, human suffering, prayer, religion, and spiritual practices.  I also cover things that I used to consider craziness or “woo-woo” such as: meditation, manifestation, spiritualism, spiritual awakening, reincarnation, past-life regression, the channeling of spirits and aliens (seriously…), soul groups, astrology, and even Chinese fortune cookies! Mike Home