We suggested that the core existential functions of nostalgia are (1) enhancement of the self,
through identity solidification and augmentation; (2) support of the cultural worldview,
through meaning regeneration and sustenance; and (3) bolstering of relational bonds though
invigoration of interpersonal connectedness. Although no direct, systematic program of research has scrutinized these notions so far, there is indeed a relevant, albeit scant, literature
to which we now turn