Reluctant to Move On Isn't As Bad As You Think -- Here's Why

People living with dementia tend to forget many things: names of places, names of people, the way home, the day of the week, even their own names. Yet there is often one thing that remains vivid in their memory: the popular songs from a certain chapter of their lives, especially from the ages of 10 to 24.

Whether it’s folk music from the 1950s, blues from the ’60s, rock & roll from the ’70s, or slow rock from the ’80s, listening to old songs can have a calming effect. Their heartbeat slows down, dopamine suddenly kicks in to ease anxiety, and a quiet sense of happiness returns as they remember a youth filled with laughter and lighthearted moments.

In some cases, dementia patients who can no longer move or speak will smile, hum along, or gently sway their bodies to the rhythm of songs that were once famous in their time. Their family members often feel relieved seeing life briefly “return” to their fathers, mothers, grandparents, or elderly loved ones, even if only for a moment.

The truth is, listening to old songs can soothe almost anyone, not just people with dementia. And no, it’s not because today’s musicians are incapable of making good music due to the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The reason is far more psychological: a longing for a period in life when things felt less disappointing.

Still, life cannot be replayed over and over like our favorite song. Some things are meant to remain in the past, partly because they no longer contribute to the long-term well-being of the world around us. After all, human well-being depends heavily on the well-being of nature itself, not only about natural resources, but every living being that exists within it.  

Illustration: Malang City Square

Nature Heals

Most people know Abkhazia for its striking landscape: snow-covered mountains on one side and the shores of the Black Sea on the other. Its geography became one of the foundations of the Abkhaz Indigenous Faith that emerged thousands of years ago and is said to be experiencing a revival today. The ancestral wisdom of the Abkhaz people “discovered” that nature held more than simple beauty.

When a follower of this indigenous faith falls ill, they are encouraged to walk through the forest without looking back. This symbolic ritual is meant to leave behind illness or anything else causing discomfort in body and mind. Walking is already good for one’s health, especially beneath tall trees that release clean air. In many cultures, looking back is a metaphor for dwelling on the past, and the past is not always filled with sweet memories.

Recognizing this hidden blessing, Abkhazia has implemented fairly strict regulations to protect its forests. Although tourists are welcome and tourism continues to grow, some areas are intentionally left without road access. Visitors are even charged relatively expensive entrance fees at certain important sites, such as Lake Ritsa, which is considered sacred by followers of the Indigenous Abkhaz Faith. Not because supernatural beings in the lake are believed to grant wealth or fortune, but because water itself is sacred to human life, something I have often discussed in many articles on this blog.

Don’t Believe What You See on the Surface

Old ways are often associated with being anti-modern, feudal, and resistant to progress. That is what I frequently heard during my college years. Yet the quality of human life today does not necessarily seem better, even though modern civilization is far more advanced than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Ironically, large-scale exploitation of nature has not automatically freed people from anxiety about money and the future.

Communities that preserve the environment through their indigenous faiths and local wisdom deserve support and open-minded understanding. We lose ourselves on the surface when we rush to judge them with negative labels, especially when our supposedly modern worldview has failed to save the natural world from degradation and destruction. (dswas).