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Krystine Batcho, Ph.D., who studies nostalgia and is a professor at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, suggests that looking through old personal photos can be a double-edged sword.
"Seeing something beautiful, funny, cute, or important can make us happy by virtue of the qualities of what appears in the image and by reviving the feelings we had when the picture was taken," she writes.
"Research has shown that viewing images associated with specific positive autobiographical memories increased positive mood."
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Furthermore, according to Batcho, a photograph can correct inaccurate details of how someone remembers a person, place, or event.
"Over time and life experiences, our memories can become distorted in both subtle and substantive ways. While many details are not important, there can be instances of pivotal corrections," the professor explains.
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Fast-forward 35 years later, and we are happily married, and have been for nearly 25 years, and we’ve got three kids that we’ve added to the home since then.
Viewing a childhood photo, Batcho says, someone might realize how very young they were when they experienced a transformative event—they might suddenly understand how vulnerable and innocent they had been, which can be inspiring or demoralizing.
"The recognition of who they were then can impact their current self-esteem or change their understanding of how their past contributed to who they have become."
"Such insights can prompt positive or negative responses. Feelings of guilt or resentment can be generated or diminished, relationships can be strengthened or injured, and personal growth can be encouraged or hindered," Batcho says.
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Images from our past can change how we feel about our current self or the situation we're in.
For example, if photos portray our past as substantially better than our present, they can make us feel disappointed, sad, or ashamed of the path we've followed.
On the flip side, if we view our present in a favorable light relative to our past, we might feel proud or grateful for our progress.
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"Whether positive or negative, old photos often make us nostalgic for meaningful portions of our lives," Batcho concludes.
She says bittersweet nostalgia has been associated with a heightened sense of coherence and self-continuity, as the connection between past and present is strengthened.
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Nostalgia can motivate us to reconnect with those who were once an important part of our lives, but whom we have lost track of.
Batcho calls it a social-cognitive-emotional experience.
"The sadness of loss can enhance our appreciation of loved ones in our present and encourage reaching out to others—those in our past as well as in our present," she says.