"Nostalgia and the Chaos Era" – Prospectus by Willi Paul, Mythologist, Planetshifter.com

Are you nostalgic for a time when:

+ rain was plentiful year after year?
+ zoos were fun and kid friendly?
+ we won the war?
+ Ted Nugent played your high school?
+ the corner church gave us spiritual guidance and hope?
+ others made the sacrifices instead of us?
+ you got 75% off at Nordstrom's Winter Sale?
+ traditions were accepted and practiced by friends and family?
+ the rugged individual could make it on his own?

Are you nostalgic for a time before your neighbors put their fence up?

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Definition (W. Paul):

Nostalgia is a simplified recollection of a pleasant experience at the expense of reason. Suspended or reversed reality. It is a day dream, like a time-out. Nostalgia is a personal experience, subject to age and mental health. Nostalgia is the "good old days."

One - What can trigger a nostalgic experience?

Perhaps a TV show or a Season; a sports event; a song or advertising

How does one distinguish between a fond memory and nostalgia?

Nostalgia is a withdrawal from the present; a self-indulgent escape to some alt-reality

A fond memory passes quickly but we stay in the moment

Two - What role does nostalgia play in the creative process, if at all?

Nostalgia could be as a reference, like using a restore point in your computer

Can we share / co-create our nostalgia with others?

No, it is only an individual experience

Is nostalgia a universal experience?

While there may be common places, dates and feelings associated with a nostalgia episode, each of us has our own unique nostalgia.

Three – What is nostalgia's impact on alchemy?

Nostalgia can act as an "alchemy shut-off valve", like throwing a wet blanket on a fire

Nostalgia cannot replace or "reverse" the creative force of alchemy

Four – Is our nostalgia of being in Nature the strongest in our experiences?

Many would say yes and can recall a family trip to a National Park as a youth

But can nostalgia save the planet? Can you recall that "save the tress" protest in Eugene last year?

Five - How does nostalgia work with the old vs new mythology?

Nostalgia seems to trigger old myths but not sponsor new ones

Nostalgia is seen to lock-down the old archetypes and entrench us in time-worn behaviors

Six – Can there be nostalgia with so little success and history to date in Permaculture and Transition?

Very little nostalgia, but other channels are supporting the values and dissemination of the work, like the Internet

Seven – Technology and Stultification?

Can super computers, smart phones and robots create and disperse nostalgia on a consumer or global level?

Are corporations like Google and Amazon influencing us to spend money through nostalgic-fueled branding and buying practices?

Doesn't nostalgia only promote the same old song and dance?