The internet is a glorious place.
I have for the last few weeks, been on a section of TikTok that is simply focused on episodes of The Price is Right from the ‘70s and ‘80s. It is a wonderfully nostalgic and warm place to be. What is strange is the sense of longing and connection that I feel to a time that I have never experienced myself.
At first, I thought it was nostalgia, as I watched Christina guess the price of her showcase - noodles & mushrooms, lounge chair, beds and of course, a new Porsche, a showcase worth over $25,000 in 1984 - but quick research shows that I was wrong.
Nostalgia is a term that was coined by a Swiss doctor in the 17th century to describe the homesickness experienced by mercenaries fighting far from home, from the Greek ‘nostos’ – the desire to return home –and ‘algos’, meaning pain. This is appropriate for wistfulness, longing, or a wish to relive things we have experienced. It is worth noting that nostalgia is good for us, it helps combat loneliness and anxiety.
However, longing for things that we have no experience of is very different. It has its own name, ‘anemoia’- pronounced ana-moya - which is derived from the Greek ‘ánemos; “wind” and nóos, “mind”. The term was coined by a researcher who sought to find words for so far nameless emotions or feelings we experienced.
Many people have sought to find a reason why we experience anemoia. The thoughts that come to me are perhaps a response to the dystopian times that we have experienced in the last decade. The rise of far-right politics, Donald Trump, the ongoing climate crisis, and a global pandemic have left many of us looking to simpler, easier times.
Using anemoia to distract from the harsh realities we face, is a sensible way to protect our mental health. Perhaps my Price is Right rabbit hole, is a protection reflex brought to me by the internet, helping distract me from the harsh climate of moral panic that exists around the trans community.
Whatever the reason, I am happy to have the benefits of anemoia, and will allow my mind to wander when presented with the opportunity, as we can all do to take breaks from the world around us every now and then.
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