Anticipatory Nostalgia: When We Miss The Present
When we talk about nostalgia, we think of that feeling of melancholy felt over a past event. But sometimes we already miss the moment we are living. We even feel a sense of longing for something that hasn’t happened yet. Anticipatory nostalgia is the name this sensation receives.
This concept has generated a great deal of interest, and we are currently studying its functions and the emotional benefits of feeling nostalgia for something that has not yet happened. We will, in the course of this article, tell you about the main findings and conclusions on this feeling so complex.
Nostalgia
Our memories are associated with emotions, and since we are human, we have the ability to intentionally retrieve them. We can travel mentally to relive what has touched us. Thus, nostalgia refers to this desire to relive the past, to return to a time or circumstance that no longer exists.
This emotion so complex involves the ability to remember, consciously, an important event on a personal level. In addition, in its complexity, we find its ambivalent character, because it is not a positive or negative emotion. It can include both joy and sadness. You could say it’s a bittersweet emotion.
Experts know, however, that while it is an ambivalent emotion that can cause some sort of sadness, its effects are beneficial for psychological well-being. Because nostalgia helps us to define ourselves, to reaffirm our feelings, to increase the meaning we give to our life and to protect us from discomfort.
When we feel alone, we tend to recall situations with the people we love. It could be a natural mechanism to overcome the perception of loneliness. Here, nostalgia helps increase the sense of belonging and social connection, allowing us to better manage our psychological state.
In addition, some studies have shown that remembering past moments helps us look to the future with a hint of optimism. Now let’s see what anticipatory nostalgia is.
Anticipated or anticipatory nostalgia
So what happens when parents feel nostalgic thinking about their already grown children? And when do you imagine yourself in 20 years, knowing that you will miss your current life? Or when you finish your studies and know that at some point in your life, for a few minutes, you’ll want to go back to that time?
Experts differentiate between anticipated nostalgia and anticipatory nostalgia. The first refers to knowing that one is going to feel nostalgia about something by looking into the past. In other words, we are aware that we will feel nostalgia in the future.
Usually, knowing that we are going to feel a negative emotion in the future prompts people to try to avoid it. It can happen with guilt, for example.
Anticipatory nostalgia refers to aspects of the present that we miss before we even get lost in the future. To put it another way, you feel the loss before it happens. Nostalgia is therefore experienced at the same time and is based on a projection towards the future, as sometimes happens with fear.
What feelings are associated?
Although more studies are needed about this emotion, we have been able to uncover some emotional aspects that characterized people with more anticipatory nostalgia. We also know a little better what are the events that provoke this emotion vis-à-vis future or present events that have not yet disappeared.
These are events that involve important vital moments. And especially those that relate to personal relationships, successes and the goals we achieve.
These memories and projections of the future generate excitement, optimism and curiosity. They are also linked to a feeling of gratitude for what one has and even a feeling of rage stemming from a loss. When we know something will make us feel nostalgic, we make sure to savor the experiences as they happen.
But this nostalgia is also linked to sadness. While nostalgia is beneficial, feeling it prematurely can interfere with the ability to enjoy the moment. People who feel it are happy with what they are going through, they feel a greater connection but they have a greater inability to let go of the present.
What to learn from these discoveries?
Sometimes we have the experiences of our life in a superficial way. When we least expect it, it is all over and we cannot go back.
So being aware that this moment will be a memory in the future that we will like to relive, even if only for a moment, can help us enjoy the present more. So the next time you catch up with friends, break out some big news, or complete a project you care about, savor the moment.
Get out of yourself for a few moments to fully capture the essence of it all. Your current experiences will be your memories of the future. Live them 100% and in the best possible way, because nothing is everlasting.
Our thoughts Memories are like the waves of the sea, they come and go, capricious and even malicious, they bring us at will a moment of …
