Episode 2 — You're Not Stuck in the Past — You're Mining It: The Science of Nostalgia with Dr. Clay Routledge Nostalgia, loneliness, and the shared experiences we've lost — an existential psychologist explains why missing the past is actually good for you

Have you ever been told to stop living in the past? What if that impulse — that pull toward old songs, childhood memories, and the way things used to feel — is actually one of the healthiest things your brain does?

In this episode of The Analog Hour, host Michelle Henery sits down with Dr. Clay Routledge, an existential psychologist and one of the world's leading researchers on nostalgia, to explore why we're so drawn to the past in times of uncertainty, and why instead of it being a weakness, it's a resource.

Clay explains what existential psychology actually is, how our brains use memories to stabilize us when the future feels threatening, and why nostalgia is not a tape recorder — it's a story-making machine designed to help us find meaning, courage, and connection. He shares research showing that nostalgic memories are remarkably similar across cultures, ages, and languages — and nearly all of them are social at their core.

Michelle and Clay dig into why the loss of shared cultural experiences — from trick-or-treating with neighbors you actually knew to watching the same television shows as everyone else — has left us feeling more divided than ever. They explore how Gen Z is leading a surprising hybrid approach, embracing both streaming playlists and vinyl record stores, and what older generations can learn from that balance.

In this episode:

• What existential psychology is and why it matters right now
• How our brains use the past to cope with an uncertain future — and why that's not the same as wanting to go back
• Why nostalgia isn't rosy retrospection — lessons from World War II survivors in Southampton, England
• How pandemic memories are already becoming a source of nostalgic meaning
• The hybrid approach: why Gen Z buys vinyl records without canceling Spotify
• Historical nostalgia — how borrowing other people's memories builds intergenerational connection
• The stunning research finding that less than 3% of users are responsible for toxic online behavior — and most people want a kinder internet

About the guest:

Dr. Clay Routledge is an existential psychologist, behavioral scientist, and leading expert on nostalgia and the human search for meaning. His research explores how people use memories, meaning, and purpose to navigate life's biggest questions. He is the author of Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life and writes the weekly newsletter Flourishing Friday, where he covers the psychology of meaning, connection, and human flourishing.

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