The neuroscience of nostalgia

May 19th, 2026

Written by Allison Fultz

What’s this strange feeling?

It’s a sunny Saturday, and you’re walking into a new bakery for the first time with some friends. You’re excited to try a specialty latte and maybe a pastry if anything looks especially delicious. The second you walk in, you’re hit with the smell of ooey gooey chocolate and… caramel? You’re instantly transported to another time: a time when you were younger, hanging out at grandma’s house and helping her bake her famous chocolate-caramel swirl fudge brownies. First, you feel confused. How did this bakery get grandma’s top-secret recipe? Then, you feel an overwhelming rush of emotions as tears form at the corners of your eyes. You’re happy that you got to make those memories, but sad that you can no longer return to that time in your childhood. You begin to ponder… how and why does a single smell cause such an emotional reaction? Such an intense longing to exist anywhere but now?

This phenomenon is called nostalgia. By definition, nostalgia typically stems from aspects of the environment that remind us of the past, such as sounds and smells. However, it can also arise from purposefully reflecting on a memory. Nostalgia involves many emotions, like happiness and sadness, and often leads to deep internal reflection. Because of its abstract nature, nostalgia is understudied in the world of neuroscience. Regardless, some scientists have attempted to uncover this complicated emotional mystery. In this post we will dive into the research behind nostalgia6. First, we will discuss research on what brain regions are involved in the key elements of nostalgia, such as emotion and memory. Then, we will discuss studies that dive into the beneficial outcomes of nostalgia6. Keep reading to learn how researchers are cracking the case!  

Key elements and brain regions

Given that nostalgia is a complex feeling, it comes as no surprise that it involves a combination of brain regions that perform different functions. In many experiments, scientists measure brain activity (communication between brain cells, or neurons) via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI measures activity by looking for changes in oxygen-rich blood flow: more active brain regions require more blood flow. In one experiment, researchers measured brain activity while participants viewed nostalgic pictures featuring childhood objects. Brain regions involved in both autobiographical memory (memory of life events) and processing rewards were more active3. Think of the neurons in these regions like groups of bees that respond to the environmental cue by locating a certain memory and producing a rewarding response. Little brain bees in a hive, working together to make nostalgia honey!

Scientists have also used different methods to elicit nostalgia. In a handful of studies, nostalgia is triggered by music, which is well-known for its ability to make us feel all the emotions1,5. In one study, participants were introduced to musical excerpts from their childhoods. While participants listened to the nostalgic music, their brain activity was measured using fMRI. Listening to nostalgic music was related to stronger brain activity in regions involved in emotion and internal reflection. Additionally, one of the brain regions with stronger activation is well-known for its ability to take information from the environment and relate it to life events1. 

Combining the results from all of these studies, we can conclude that nostalgia is a complicated emotional experience that can be elicited by various triggers in the environment1,3,5. While brain activity might vary slightly across studies due to differences in experimental design or nostalgia cues, one fundamental conclusion remains. Individual groups of neurons involved in autobiographical memory, reward processing, the regulation of emotions, and internal self-reflection work together to coat the brain’s landscape in a dreamy, nostalgic haze6.  

Beneficial outcomes

You might find yourself questioning why something like nostalgia, so uniquely complex and utterly human, even occurs in the first place. What is the point of reminiscing on the past when we should be focused on the future? Some scientists have found benefits that extend beyond a brief mental vacation. Remarkably, there is evidence that nostalgia might act as a natural pain reliever! In an experiment, researchers showed people nostalgic pictures of childhood scenes and induced pain by delivering heat to the forearm. Participants experiencing nostalgia reported that they were in less pain than participants shown control (non-nostalgic) images. Interestingly, they also found (using fMRI) a relationship between nostalgia’s strength and synchronized activity in brain regions involved in pain modulation8. It is possible that nostalgia bees recruit new groups of bees to make pain relief honey, but more research is needed to be sure! 

Researchers have also found potential medical benefits, including some evidence that nostalgia might be able to modulate the immune system, the body’s defense against foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. Scientists evoked nostalgia in participants using odors linked to personal autobiographical memories. They measured brain activity via fMRI and measured cytokine (involved in inflammation and immune signaling) levels in blood plasma and found, in response to nostalgic odors, more activity in nostalgic brain regions and lower cytokine levels2. This research suggests that nostalgic brain regions might modulate the secretion of cytokines. Interestingly, scientists have also found decreases in stress following the recollection of positive memories4. The next time you are in a high-stress situation, try thinking about your favorite memories. Do you feel any better?

Additionally, experiments have been conducted on the evolutionary benefits of nostalgia. For example, scientists have investigated the ability of nostalgia to enhance our survival instincts. They showed participants nostalgic pictures including childhood objects followed by death-related words and measured brain activity using fMRI. In the nostalgia condition, they found stronger activation in a brain region linked to recognizing environmental threats, suggesting that nostalgia might help cue us in when our survival is on the line7. While these combined studies2,4,7,8 provide fascinating insight into the potential benefits of nostalgia, more research is needed to investigate the mechanisms of action at a cellular level.

In conclusion

Nostalgia is not one singular experience or emotion. It can sneak up on you when you least expect it, like when you smell those brownies at the bakery. It can also be intentional, like when you seek out happy memories of flying kites as a kid for a little dopamine (the happy reward chemical) rush. We have learned that several brain regions with different functions work together to create the nostalgic experience. We have also learned that nostalgia has been implicated in several fascinating beneficial outcomes, introducing new questions for scientists to answer in the future. The next time you experience nostalgia, remember to thank your brain bees for making nostalgia honey! Then, if you’re brave enough, try stubbing your toe or hitting your funny bone. Does it hurt any less?

References

  1. Janata, P. (2009). The Neural Architecture of Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories. Cerebral Cortex, 19(11), 2579–2594. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhp008
  2. Matsunaga, M., Bai, Y., Yamakawa, K., Toyama, A., Kashiwagi, M., Fukuda, K., Oshida, A., Sanada, K., Fukuyama, S., Shinoda, J., Yamada, J., Sadato, N., & Ohira, H. (2013). Brain–Immune Interaction Accompanying Odor-Evoked Autobiographic Memory. PLOS ONE, 8(8), e72523. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072523
  3. Oba, K., Noriuchi, M., Atomi, T., Moriguchi, Y., & Kikuchi, Y. (2016). Memory and reward systems coproduce ‘nostalgic’ experiences in the brain. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(7), 1069–1077. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv073
  4. Speer, M. E., & Delgado, M. R. (2017). Reminiscing about positive memories buffers acute stress responses. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(5), 0093. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0093
  5. Trost, W., Ethofer, T., Zentner, M., & Vuilleumier, P. (2012). Mapping Aesthetic Musical Emotions in the Brain. Cerebral Cortex, 22(12), 2769–2783. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhr353
  6. Yang, Z., Izuma, K., & Cai, H. (2023). Nostalgia in the brain. Current Opinion in Psychology, 49, 101523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101523 
  7. Yang, Z., Sedikides, C., Izuma, K., Wildschut, T., Kashima, E. S., Luo, Y. L. L., Chen, J., & Cai, H. (2021). Nostalgia enhances detection of death threat: Neural and behavioral evidence. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 12662. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91322-z
  8. Zhang, M., Yang, Z., Zhong, J., Zhang, Y., Lin, X., Cai, H., & Kong, Y. (2022). Thalamocortical Mechanisms for Nostalgia-Induced Analgesia. Journal of Neuroscience, 42(14), 2963–2972. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2123-21.2022

No AI was used.

Cover photo by Shlomaster from Pixabay

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