For years, nostalgia was seen as little more than “rose-tinted reminiscing”—a sentimental trap that kept people stuck in the past. However, emerging research shows that nostalgia is far more dynamic and future-oriented. We suggest that rather than rejecting change, nostalgia serves as a form of mental time travel, helping individuals manage their experiences in meaningful ways.

In a series studies, nostalgia encourages people to curate their memories, much like an archivist carefully preserving treasured moments that shape personal identity (under review). It also fosters a preference for things that endure, which stand the test of time (under review).

Rather than trapping people to the past, nostalgia acts as a bridge between what was and what could be, guiding individuals forward with a deeper sense of continuity and purpose.