Nostalgia

Abstract

This article describes the phenomenon of nostalgia, which in some cases may lead to severe psychosomatic symptoms, agitated depression, psychotic and dissociative episodes. The author suggests that these symptoms are associated with loss of Home, being understood as a transitional space between people the environment. Nostalgia, even at the risk of losing one's sanity, recreates the flow with the past; prevents unknown environment from intruding and jeopardizing a sense of self; and precludes unwanted and intolerable knowledge about oneself from occurring in the absence of cultural points of references.