Chapter 1
From disease to cure
Chapter 2
The brain on memory lane
Chapter 3
The triggers of comfort
Chapter 4
The power of looking back
YOUR GOAL
Master of The science of nostalgia
Ch 1 · From disease to cure
futura The Science of Nostalgia
What they called a deadly Swiss disease is the medicine that keeps our minds resilient.
futura In the early 20th century, psychoanalysts reframed nostalgia as a mental state rather than a physical illness.
futura Early doctors treated homesickness as a physical disease, using painful remedies like leeches and hot iron.
BETA
futura Match sensory triggers to faded photos to discover how nostalgia reconstructs our past.
Fun Fact
Swiss cow songs: In the 1700s, playing a specific cow-herding song called 'Kuhreihen' was banned because it made Swiss soldiers dangerously homesick.
Glossary
nostalgia (noun)
A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. In 1688, Swiss physician Johannes Hofer coined the term to describe a fatal malady affecting homesick soldiers.
A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. In 1688, Swiss physician Johannes Hofer coined the term to describe a fatal malady affecting homesick soldiers.