by Paul Lines

Created on: October 19, 2006   Last Updated: June 20, 2009

The past is a strange place, prohibited to us in terms of changing the events that took place and yet so often revisited, in some cases parts of the past are almost a daily journey in our memory. This raises the question as to why we have a tendency to dwell on the past. In reality there are a number of reasons for why the human mind has this fixation with events that have occurred during the path from our birth to the present day, some of which are more complex than others.

Perhaps the most important reason for our revisiting the past so often is because of the experience that it records upon our memory. For instance, the past is always there when we think or talk about the happiness that has added to the quality of our life. When we are thinking about holidays or vacations we will often recall those that brought us happiness in the past and look for future ones that will produce the same experience result. Similarly, if we become involved with a conversation where others are talking about everyday family events we can join in by recalling the pleasures of similar times in the past of our own life.

Another reason for our dwelling on the past is the emotional impact that it has had upon our life. For example, love and affection are emotions that we all want to feel and, in the case of many people, the past often contains a treasury chest of these emotional experiences that we can recall when we want to cheer ourselves up, or even use to point others in the direction of positive emotions. In addition, the past allows us to remain connected to others, be they friends, family or relatives. Of particularly importance in this respect are the memories of those who are no longer in our lives. We want to remember the happy experiences and emotions that we had and felt with those who have passed away and this is one area where dwelling on the past provides a welcome bonus. How many times have we been thinking about the past and found a memory of a loved one springs to mind, causing us to smile? That is a real positive benefit of dwelling in the past and one reason why so many elderly people spend so much of their time in this position.

Past experiences of course are not always happy and positive; some in fact are the complete opposite, being part of our life journey that we would not wish to travel again. Although we might like to think that we can block out the bad times from the past this is not the case. Bad experiences as well as good ones remain in our memory bank and that is not a bad thing. The negative memories of the past often act as a warning signal. For example, if we have had a bed relationship experience in our past life, often the memory of this event will resurface if we are considering a new relationship with a person who is likely to bring the same areas of problems.

Equally, there are a number of people who will escape to the past simply because they have a fear of the future. The future is unknown and sometimes, especially when things in the present look difficult and impossible to change, the past provides a welcome escape if only for a moment.

In conclusion therefore, it is clear that we dwell in the past for many reasons. These include wanting to revisit the happiness or sadness of a previous experience, using it as a guide to hopefully help us or others to make the right decision for the future or simply to hide from the fear of the future. However, what is important about dwelling in the past is not to allow it to become a substitute for the present but simply an added benefit of being who we are and as a means of increasing the pleasure, love and happiness we want to experience now and in the future.

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