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In the late 17th century,

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a medical student named Johannes Hofer
noticed a strange illness

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affecting Swiss mercenaries 
serving abroad.

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Its symptoms,

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including fatigue,

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insomnia,

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irregular heartbeat,

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indigestion,

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and fever were so strong,

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the soldiers often had to be discharged.

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As Hofer discovered, the cause was not
some physical disturbance,

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but an intense yearning for their
mountain homeland.

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He dubbed the condition nostalgia,

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from the Greek "nostos" for homecoming

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and "algos" for pain or longing.

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At first, nostalgia was considered
a particularly Swiss affliction.

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Some doctors proposed that
the constant sound of cowbells in the Alps

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caused trauma to the ear drums and brain.

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Commanders even forbade their soldiers
from singing traditional Swiss songs

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for fear that they'd lead to desertion
or suicide.

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But as migration increased worldwide,
nostalgia was observed in various groups.

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It turned out that anyone separated
from their native place for a long time

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was vulnerable to nostalgia.

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And by the early 20th century,

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professionals no longer viewed it
as a neurological disease,

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but as a mental condition 
similar to depression.

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Psychologists of the time speculated

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that it represented difficulties
letting go of childhood,

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or even a longing to return to one's
fetal state.

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But over the next few decades,

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the understanding of nostalgia changed
in two important ways.

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Its meaning expanded from indicating
homesickness

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to a general longing for the past.

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And rather than an awful disease,

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it began to be seen as a poignant
and pleasant experience.

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Perhaps the most famous example of this

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was captured by French author 
Marcel Proust.

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He described how tasting a madeleine cake
he had not eaten since childhood

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triggered a cascade of warm
and powerful sensory associations.

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So what caused such a major
reversal in our view of nostalgia?

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Part of it has to do with science.

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Psychology shifted away from pure theory

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and towards more careful and systematic
empirical observation.

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So professionals realized that many
of the negative symptoms

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may have been simply correlated
with nostalgia

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rather than caused by it.

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And, in fact, despite being a complex
emotional state

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that can include feelings of loss
and sadness,

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nostalgia doesn't generally put people
in a negative mood.

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Instead, by allowing individuals 
to remember personally meaningful

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and rewarding experiences
they shared with others,

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nostalgia can boost 
psychological well-being.

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Studies have shown 
that inducing nostalgia in people

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can help increase their feelings
of self-esteem and social belonging,

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encourage psychological growth,

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and even make them act
more charitably.

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So rather than being a cause
of mental distress,

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nostalgia can be a restorative way
of coping with it.

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For instance, when people experience
negative emotional states,

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they tend to naturally use nostalgia
to reduce distress

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and restore well-being.

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Today, it seems that nostalgia 
is everywhere,

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partially because advertisers 
have discovered how powerful it is

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as a marketing technique.

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It's tempting to think of this as a sign
of us being stuck in the past,

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but that's not really how nostalgia works.

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Instead, nostalgia helps us remember
that our lives can have meaning and value,

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helping us find the confidence
and motivation

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to face the challenges of the future.