from a recent Study Finds:
According to researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, feeling nostalgic helps people overcome low levels of pain by reducing brain activity.
Their study reveals that yearning for a “simpler time” reduces brain activity and could help people overcome low levels of pain like headaches.
“As a predominantly positive emotion, nostalgia serves various adaptive functions, including a recently revealed analgesic effect,” study co-author professor Huajian Cai says in a statement, per South West News Service. “Human participants’ behavior results showed that the nostalgia paradigm significantly reduced participants’ perception of pain, particularly at low pain intensities.”
Participants were shown a series of 26 nostalgic images while hooked up to an fMRI machine to measure their brain activity. The images featured scenes and items from a so-called “average childhood,” like a popular cartoon TV show, schoolyard games or vintage candy. At the same time, participants were exposed to varying levels of pain using a small heat generator on their right forearm, around 10 centimeters above the wrist.
Another group was exposed to a different series of images showing scenes and items from modern life, which did not invite feelings of nostalgia.
Scientists report that people shown glimpses of childhood lore felt lower levels of pain compared to the control group. Images from the good old days also reduced activity in two parts of the brain, known to be involved in pain perception: the left lingual gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus. Another region, the thalamus, also played a role in relaying nostalgia information to parts of the brain associated with pain perception.
So here you go, some nostalgic images, at least for me, from a 1960s childhood, from BestLife and It’s Rosy. By the time you reach the end, your aches and pains will be a distant memory…
Feel better now?
other image sites:
I’m curious if it will be the same in every culture though. I’m also curious about the type of nostalgic images that were shown in China.
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those are interesting points; I tried to read the original article, but it was behind a paywall. that might contain examples of the images used…
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I can think of a few…bound feet, having one child…
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seems like those would bring back painful memories…
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Thank you, helped my head, after certain stooges being on a total roll tonight!
The study is interesting. It makes sense. Nostalgia does bring warm feelings, though I would think I would need to be really drawn into the pictures to not feel physical pain.
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and I guess you were born too late to be drawn into any of these photos…
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For most of them but not all. 🙂
I remember Etch a Sketch!
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a classic, along with Slinky…
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Yup!
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🎶 it’s slinky, it’s slinky🎶
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I remember fluffer nutter sandwiches! That is that one picture, right? 😋
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you are correct; and I enjoyed those sandwiches as well…
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It makes sense to me that there would be some temporary benefit. When someone posts old photos on Facebook about something from the past, most people gush over that. I remembered just about all of the images. I especially liked the young Dick Clark. I’m glad that was one of the photos because when had the Betty White thing going on and seemingly never aged.
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he never did seem to age…
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Wasn’t Dick Clark known as the world’s oldest teenager?
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Besides, not looking any older, he also seemed to keep the “cool” gene forever too. I”m not sure if I ever had that one, but if I did it left a long time ago. 🤣
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I never had the cool gene…
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yes he was; you’ve got a good memory! I only that because that was the headline that went with the photo I used…
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I so get this, (and every image you posted here) and I do believe it to be true –
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so you must have been pain free all day…
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I suddenly feel amazing! Thanks, Dr. Quincy!
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so glad I could help! 🙂
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Presumably this research was the basis for the slogan on those red hats favoured by supporters of a would-be dictator? I get the point, and as I get older I do find myself thinking back to earlier days, especially childhood. Many of these images aren’t that recognisable to a non-American audience but we all know of the moon landing, of course, and have heard of Barbie dolls! It was good to see Helen Shapiro sneak in there too, even if her record collection looks a little bit rubbishy 😊
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oops, I did it again.
I have to stop being so parochial!
I had no idea who Helen Shapiro, so I just checked her out… she was quite productive
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No problem, it’s entirely right that you go for what you’re familiar with. If I’d done that list it would have been very UK-centric. Helen Shapiro is still going – 75 now, and had most of her big successes in 1961 when she was just 15. I must admit I was surprised to see her in there – I thought you must have included her as you know how much I’m a fan of Cliff Richard (🤮) and she had one of his records on display 😂
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with your powers of obervation, Sherlock Holmes has nothing on you. I didn’t even take the time to look at what records were on display! Glad to hear Helen is still going strong.
By the way, I heard of a new band yesterday, and I’m wondering if you have – The Paper Kites. They have a nice sound to them…
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It just struck me while I was making sure the photo really was Helen. 15yo girls were very much Cliff Richard’s market then!
Australian (I think?) indie band? The only song of theirs I know is Climb On Your Tears, a duet with Aoife O’Donovan, who I like a lot. It’s lovely, so maybe I should follow them more closely…
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Cliff Richard knew his market!
you are correct, they are an Australian band. I’m not sure what song their most known for, but another blogger compared them to The Head and the Heart…
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And they have stayed loyal to him. They are now grannies and still love him. The rest of us…not so much.
I don’t really know them either, just the one song I mentioned which I found from the Aoife O’Donovan link. I can see the comparison but it’s probably true of many indie bands!
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I’m sure Cliff has made a good living catering to that market.
and you are right, there are probably a lot of bands with “that sound”…
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Judging by his homes, he has.
It’s the kind of sound I like, so it’s good to have a lot of choice.
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well done, Cliff!
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All done by committing multiple crimes against good taste in music…
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so I guess crime pays… 🙂
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In his case, yes…
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👍
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‘yearning for a “simpler time” reduces brain activity’ – well, that explains a lot. 😉
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Nostalgic for ironing. I think not! Those images look to be nostalgic for a very limited population. They did not represent things that I could relate to.
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I’ve got to stop being so U.S.-centric!
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A really enjoyable post Jim, after reading it I showed it to my wife who lives with a lot of pain. Instead of seeking “nostalgic images” from history, I went up into the loft and rooted out some old photo albums from almost 50 years ago ….. university days together, our children as babies, holidays together, Christmas Day meals, birthdays …. It works! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🕉
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what a wonderful trip down memory lane. I’m glad it worked!
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Wait–Etch-a-Sketch is gone? Darn!
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I think etch-a-sketch is still around – I certainly hope so!
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I, for one, disagree with the findings of this Chinese study. While nostalgic images don’t trigger me, I find I’m indifferent to them, sometimes irritated by them even. Indifference is supposed to distract me from my aches and pains? Now positive images from the present make me feel good. Show me those– or pass the Tylenol.
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I guess we all have our ways of coping with pain. glad you found yours. and I agree, upbeat, pleasing images from any time period can have a positive impact on our attitude, and thus our perception of pain…
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Maybe there’s a soothing effect from looking at black and white photos. But I remember a study like this from years ago. And it’s a pleasant memory.
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I totally agree with this one, nostalgia does work, probably for most people. But it would depend on a person’s childhood I guess. I collect old stuff because it does produce a nice warm feeling which takes your mind off the present, which would help with pain too I imagine. But it did say low level pain. Seeing actual objects I think would work even better than pics. I loved super balls! Had an Etch a Sketch too. Nice post JIm.😊😺
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thanks, Steve, for sharing your perspective. I guess anything that helps put us in a positive frame of mind can help reduce our perception of pain. . I really liked my Super Ball as well, and who doesn’t love Etch-a-Skethc!
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That’s for sure, a positive frame of mind makes a big difference when dealing with pain and other illness too.
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agreed!
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Remembering hours of fun with my Easy Bake Oven! I loved making those tiny white or yellow cakes, icing them with chocolate frosting and cutting them into tiny triangles to share with my appreciative little brother…couldn’t believe that they actually baked with just a 100 watt lightbulb (or was it 2 lightbulbs?) Wonder how many fires those things caused?
Google has the answers: The Easy-Bake Oven was introduced in 1963 by Kenner Products, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based toy company. The original Kenner Easy-Bake Oven was heated by two 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, came in a pale yellow or turquoise, and was designed to resemble a conventional oven. The design changed many times over the years.
…the original 1963 version was expensive at $15.95.
inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2006….Shortly after its’ initiation into fame, Hasbro proudly released a new line of Easy-Bake Ovens. Almost immediately, reports began to pile up of injuries the model caused to children. This new version could easily trap small hands and fingers in the oven’s opening, and even inflicted second-and-third degree burns to the mini-chefs.
Altogether, the U.S. CPSC received 77 reports of burns. …a 5-year-old girl had to have part of her finger amputated. Nearly 100 million of those Easy-Bake Ovens were recalled the following year in 2007.
2020: Hasbro announced it will retire the much-loved Easy-Bake Oven this year because federal law will essentially prohibit the toy’s heating element – a 100 watt incandescent bulb. The oven, introduced in 1963, cooked up tiny cakes and cookies thanks to the original bulb’s energy inefficiency.
(unfortunately, Jim, despite enjoying the nostalgia, my eyes still ache from looking at screens all day! time to get up and take my son for a swim!)
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my wife told em she always wanted an easy bake oven and never had the chance to have one. it’s amazing that it lasted for as long as it did, seems it seems like it could be pretty dangerous.
I hope your son had a good swim – best exercise ever!
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It seems to make people feel better even if they have no pain.
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🙂
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My aches and pains are now reduced. Thank you.
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happy to help…
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I feel this way about music! Music really transports me from where I am at the moment to a place in time when I remember listening to that song and how I felt… I can’t smell so I imagine the act of smelling is the exact same.. conjuring up nostalgic memories.. be it good or bad…
Also, so funny, I put etch-a-sketch on my daughter’s Christmas list this year because I wanted her to experience a part of my childhood 🙂
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You are right, songs often transport me back to a time when I first heard a song. ANd Iw ould think they do it more powerfully than images would, so perhaps that’s what the researchers should have been studying to see how to relieve pain!
I hope your daughter enjoyed her Etch-a-Sketch!
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Nope, sorry, my neck is still sore 🙂
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I tried… 🙂
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How did you survive the 60’s with a sandwich like that?
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it was so good!
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You bet I feel better! There is more joy in this post than I can handle. No aches and pains here, only great memories. The good new is that I get to be part of children’s joy every day. What a great post, Jim. Thank you!
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yes, you are surrounded by joy-making machines!
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😀
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👍
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That world of pain has disappeared…
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that’s good to know 🙂
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😃
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👍
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As you would guess I didn’t recognise much…but I do get the premise that happy memories reduce pain 🙂
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I’ll have to remember to not be so U.S. centric!
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Not at all, Jim…The upside is it’s a learning curve…
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👍
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Thanks for the memories Jim. Not sure it lessens any pain, but a lovely escape to better times. 🙂
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that’s a good way to word it, and closer to reality…
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The little girl standing in front of the open refrigerator looks just like me. And the results of indulging then and there have continued to haunt me to this day.
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the fridge is a tough thing to resist…
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