Neuroscience of Nostalgia
February 23, 2009 10:10 PM Subscribe
So is neuroscience just a synonym for psychology now? Because besides a brief reference to the amygdalaa that article was all psychology.
posted by afu at 10:30 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by afu at 10:30 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
There's nostalgia like oldstalgia.
Ow! Ouch! Hey! OK, I'll stop!
posted by drhydro at 10:34 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Ow! Ouch! Hey! OK, I'll stop!
posted by drhydro at 10:34 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
This makes me wistful for old school Metafilter (*sigh*). That article could have been a Psychology Today article.
posted by benzenedream at 10:50 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by benzenedream at 10:50 PM on February 23, 2009
the new metafilter is probably pretty self-similar to the old metafilter.
posted by localhuman at 11:25 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by localhuman at 11:25 PM on February 23, 2009
The bad parts of memory only remain useful so long as they help you avoid the bad things they are about. Ten years down the line, your bad memories of the late 90's probably aren't going to help you avoid any bad investments. So you probably won't bother to remember those parts so well. Whereas good memories make you feel good and therefore serve a purpose still.
posted by LogicalDash at 12:06 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by LogicalDash at 12:06 AM on February 24, 2009
LogicalDash: Ten years down the line, your bad memories of the late 90's probably aren't going to help you avoid any bad investments.
You're right. Neandertal Neandertalensis made a few bad investments in the market and fell into some poor stock day-trading to make up the losses. That's why Homo Sapiens are still around. Whew!
No, really. I agree. The "bad" of memory fades in proportion to how useful it may be given the current environment. Strange example you picked... I just can't help myself sometimes.
posted by Avelwood at 2:25 AM on February 24, 2009
You're right. Neandertal Neandertalensis made a few bad investments in the market and fell into some poor stock day-trading to make up the losses. That's why Homo Sapiens are still around. Whew!
No, really. I agree. The "bad" of memory fades in proportion to how useful it may be given the current environment. Strange example you picked... I just can't help myself sometimes.
posted by Avelwood at 2:25 AM on February 24, 2009
A few links to psych abstracts, sweeping generalizations, and pop culture references. Am I reading Psychology Today, or what? Where's the neuroscience?
posted by wastelands at 3:49 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by wastelands at 3:49 AM on February 24, 2009
80s comedies, Commodore 64 games, Lucas... yes, I see.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:09 AM on February 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Rhomboid at 5:09 AM on February 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
This abstract has a little more about the actual neuroscience of nostalgia. The whole article is probably only accessible if you have a subscription or university access. Sorry.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 7:20 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by solipsophistocracy at 7:20 AM on February 24, 2009
This article made me nostalgic for a time back in the 90s when I was really nostalgic about the 70s. Good times.
posted by effwerd at 8:18 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by effwerd at 8:18 AM on February 24, 2009
Whose Tab is that? Elvis's, or Darth's? And if they fought over it, who would win?
posted by Xoebe at 9:40 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by Xoebe at 9:40 AM on February 24, 2009
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
posted by lalochezia at 10:36 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by lalochezia at 10:36 AM on February 24, 2009
I used to think the show McGyver was great, but watching it again as an adult I wish I had kept it as a fond childhood memory....
...my mind just drew a blank, I'm not sure where I was going with that.
posted by samsara at 12:42 PM on February 24, 2009
...my mind just drew a blank, I'm not sure where I was going with that.
posted by samsara at 12:42 PM on February 24, 2009
Dance music is pretty much all about striking a balance between nostalgia and innovation. That's why new remixes of the same songs over and over again. And I totally identify with the fake nostalgia, and I have it in a more extreme case than he did. There's an entire genre of music that I had just never heard in the mid 90s. Not particular songs, not particular artists, but an entire movement -- UK Breakbeat Hardcore. But after 'catching up' in the early 2000s, I get the same nostalgia rush from hearing those old samples that I would have had I actually heard them when they were new. Definitely a weird feeling the first time I noticed it.
posted by empath at 3:30 PM on February 24, 2009
posted by empath at 3:30 PM on February 24, 2009
Nostalgia: What a concept. There are certain sorts of musical passages that I strongly identify as musical illustrations of nostalgia. Or even certain intonations of speech which express nostalgia.
Isao Tomita did an album of Holst's "The Planets" (Tomita is one of the finest sythesizer artists ever). In the beginning of the album, he uses sythesized sound to express speech. No words are spoken, just the nuanced tones of speech. Yet, to me, it has always been perfectly clear that the speaker is talking about a fond memory of the past.
Fashion nostalgia: In the last few years, I've noticed the young ladies are again dressing like they did in my youth. Tight hip-hugging jeans. W00t! How funny this is, that it makes me feel great and enjoy the sight, considering that I've little interest in females (the hair on the boys these days is looking mighty fine, though).
posted by Goofyy at 12:46 AM on February 25, 2009
Isao Tomita did an album of Holst's "The Planets" (Tomita is one of the finest sythesizer artists ever). In the beginning of the album, he uses sythesized sound to express speech. No words are spoken, just the nuanced tones of speech. Yet, to me, it has always been perfectly clear that the speaker is talking about a fond memory of the past.
Fashion nostalgia: In the last few years, I've noticed the young ladies are again dressing like they did in my youth. Tight hip-hugging jeans. W00t! How funny this is, that it makes me feel great and enjoy the sight, considering that I've little interest in females (the hair on the boys these days is looking mighty fine, though).
posted by Goofyy at 12:46 AM on February 25, 2009
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posted by grounded at 10:30 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]