Nostalgia and Autobiography: The Past in the Present

Abstract

This paper explores the meaning of nostalgia as a personal experience that is undergone by many and that is a significant element in the formation of the autobiographical self. The concept of nostalgia is introduced and considered in terms of its history, cultural origins and emotional and psycho-social content. A small-scale qualitative empirical study conducted by the authors is outlined and the findings explicated and analysed. The dual aspect of nostalgia – that it is both an experience of pleasure and of regret – is very much a central theme of the paper; and from this we argue that nostalgic memories go toward the personal development of our normative evaluations and toward a general appreciation of the unfolding of selfhood in time.