DÉJÀ VU-“Already seen”
Introduction
I stepped out of the car with an excited smile painted on my face. I straightened my crinkled shirt, adjusting my flyaway hair as my brother pushed me. I glared at him, sticking my tongue out. My mother gave us both the death stare, enough to frighten even the devil. I gulped, straightening my back. We were dining with my mom’s boss and his wife, expected to be on our best behavior. I internally laughed. “Hah, like that’s going to happen”. Big, bold letters lined the front and hedges surrounded the neat, brick walkway. “So nice to try out new restaurants, a break from the fast food the children are always munching on” my mother remarked trying to ease the thick tension. She relayed the booking details to the waiter as we were engulfed in a sophisticated and elegant ambience. Suddenly a strange feeling washed over me. I had definitely been here before. Everything seemed strangely familiar from the framed paintings on the wall to the couple in the corner arguing loudly. What?! The familiarity was overwhelming. My mother had insisted while we were at home that we must go to a new fancier restaurant, a greasy, smelly burger place wouldn’t cut it this time. Why did I feel like I had eaten here before? And why did I seem to recognize everything?
This is déjà vu, a feeling of remembrance without awareness. It is a strange phenomenon that almost 75% of the total population has experienced at least once. But how does it occur? And why? Read on to find out.
What is déjà vu?
Is there more to déjà vu than you think?
Déjà vu is a French word meaning “already seen”. It is an extremely mysterious phenomenon puzzling even the best neuroscientists. It is the overpowering sensation that an event currently happening has already occurred in the past. It is described to be something “unfamiliarly familiar” as you can remember having lived the event but not when, where or how. Many individuals have described déjà vu as something that shouldn’t be familiar at all being familiar. Confusing, right? So, is it magic or some form of voodoo or is there some sort of rationale behind it?
Types of déjà vu
Why are there many types of déjà vu? Déjà vu all falls under one broad category but though it seems strange yes, there are several categories that it can grouped under.
Déjà vu
Deja Deja
Vecu Senti
Deja
Visite
The first classification is
Deja Vecu: is where you have been in an almost identical situation and you seem to know the order of events. The literal French meaning is “already experienced’. This complex form of déjà vu is based off of processes and situations and connected to very normal everyday events. It is felt using primary senses such as taste, smell, hearing, sight etc. This sensation usually lasts for a fraction of a minute to several minutes. It is almost a visual and mental warping where there is an illusion that everything happening now had happening before.
Deja senti: “Already felt”. It is a feeling of recollection after gaining long-sought after information. It is the satisfactory feeling of retrieving memories. You feel as if you have felt a certain feeling caused by a certain event before.
Deja Visite: “already visited”. It is the rarest type of déjà vu where you visit a new place and it seems like you have been there before or strangely familiar. It is based on patterns of the location and environmental factors.
The second classification on déjà vu:
1. Associative déjà vu: It is defined as memory-based déjà vu that are caused by the memory centers of the brain. It is the most common type of déjà vu that stirs the unsettling feeling of having experienced something that you probably haven’t before.
2. Biological déjà vu: While déjà vu is nothing serious often it can be associated with people having temporal lobe epilepsy. So is déjà vu really something to brush off? Don’t worry this is rare however scientists have studied that before seizures a strong sensation of déjà vu is felt that may cause patients to believe an event has actually happened rather than being a feeling that passes.
So, is there more to déjà vu. Yes, it has been told to be extreme in patients suffering from anxiety, depression and several other medical symptoms. Dun dun Dunn. Never fear; déjà vu is entirely common especially in those from the ages of 15-25.
Chapter 2-How does it occur-déjà vu in all its ambiguity
Is déjà vu real?
Déjà vu has proved to be an extremely difficult case to study. The effects last for a short time and are deleterious. There are several explanations for this perplexing phenomenon.
So, exactly how does it happen? Well, there are many theories and possible explanations and hear they are.
• A split second delay in the transfer of information from one side of the brain to the other. One side of the brain gets information twice (directly and once from the in-charge side) causing a relay or looping of info. In turn, it feels as if the event has happened before or twice.
• A mismatch between the sensory inputs. Déjà vu may be a malfunctioning between the long- and short-term circuits in the brain. The information our brain takes in about its surroundings may "shortcut" its way straight to long-term memory, bypassing typical storage transfer mechanisms, so when we have a moment of déjà vu, it feels as though we're experiencing something from our distant past or something that is older because it gets transported to the memory storage of long term memory.
This theory proves that déjà vu is not real but a fantastical image our brain conquers. We feel as if it actually happened and that sense of familiarity is so real that it causes us to believe that we have lived that moment before. The power of the brain and its ability to manipulate thoughts and moments will never cease to amaze me.
• Now this possible cause will put all the science people out there at ease. Déjà vu occurrences are said to occur a lot with people suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy in seizure moments yet that doesn’t mean you have this form of epilepsy as there are many other causes and reasons. Temporal lobe is the part of the brain that controls short term memories and emotions so when that part malfunctions an eerie and fleeting sense of déjà vu occurs.
• There is a strange theory that states déjà vu is caused by the occurrence and aligning of parallel universes. A physicist Michio kaku suggests a theory that déjà vu is caused by the ability to flip from different universes. He and Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg says there are an infinite number of realities parallel to us in the very room we are in yet we cannot “tune into them”. Each of these universes have a difference in energy consisting of trillions and trillions of atoms yet we cannot coexist with them as they are all existing in different frequencies. Thus, they and many others believe déjà vu is when you vibrate in unison with another parallel universe.
Do you believe it? Some do and some believe it is purely caused by the brain. However, all these theories point away from the possibility that déjà vu is an actual happening of that moment before.
• Another theory is having dreamt about a certain situation yet forgetting it until you are faced with one very similar.
• Another illusion is the fact that maybe one eye sends the information and dispatches it faster than the other. However this theory has been dismissed as blind people too suffer with déjà vu but usually much less.
Is it real? No, more something conjured up by the depths of our brain. Some believe in several theories, which one do you think rings true.
Chapter 3- Tales of déjà vu
Here is the proof that déjà vu exists
Shocking tales about people who have experienced déjà vu are heard showing people that déjà vu does occur and the sensation of déjà vu is not only familiar but almost spooky.
1. Now some of these stories you may think are exaggerated or fake yet you cannot say the same about this one as it is a legitimate news headline.
The headline reads “Terrifying time loop, man stuck in déjà vu”.
The article states that a 23-yr old British man had chronic déjà vu triggered by anxiety. He was constantly under the illusion that his mind was playing tricks on him. The man was traumatized and extremely frightened, his condition so persistent that he avoided doing activities like watching TV and reading the news because he already knew it all.
He said he was always reliving experiences and couldn’t tell if something was real or a déjà vu moment. There was a moment in which he had gone to get a haircut. As he entered the salon, he had a déjà vu moment as if he had just got a haircut. Then he had déjà vu of the déjà vu. His doctor says he was trapped in a terrifying 8 year time loop that led him to insanity.
2. Several people state that they have dreams and only weeks later the dreams happen in real life as a feeling of premonition almost which creates a strong déjà vu sensation. They also say the real life moment is almost exactly the way they dreamt it. It is eerily weird how people say that they can now due to déjà vu theories predict the future.
Conclusion
I conclude by saying that déjà vu is such an interesting phenomenon that still stuns people. There is almost no lasting proof which makes it such an unpredictably vast topic to analyze. I thoroughly enjoyed researching on a subject so practical in all our lives that leaves all of us incredibly puzzled and realizing the phenomenal rational or science behind it. Now we know the culprit! It is our very own brain yet there are several theories that aren’t fully proved yet. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed/learnt.
THANK YOU
Bibliography:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/extrasensory-perceptions/question657.htm
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami/findoutmore/yourbrain/whyisyourmemorysoimportant/whatisdejavu/whatcausesdejavu
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160413113530.htm
Introduction
I stepped out of the car with an excited smile painted on my face. I straightened my crinkled shirt, adjusting my flyaway hair as my brother pushed me. I glared at him, sticking my tongue out. My mother gave us both the death stare, enough to frighten even the devil. I gulped, straightening my back. We were dining with my mom’s boss and his wife, expected to be on our best behavior. I internally laughed. “Hah, like that’s going to happen”. Big, bold letters lined the front and hedges surrounded the neat, brick walkway. “So nice to try out new restaurants, a break from the fast food the children are always munching on” my mother remarked trying to ease the thick tension. She relayed the booking details to the waiter as we were engulfed in a sophisticated and elegant ambience. Suddenly a strange feeling washed over me. I had definitely been here before. Everything seemed strangely familiar from the framed paintings on the wall to the couple in the corner arguing loudly. What?! The familiarity was overwhelming. My mother had insisted while we were at home that we must go to a new fancier restaurant, a greasy, smelly burger place wouldn’t cut it this time. Why did I feel like I had eaten here before? And why did I seem to recognize everything?
This is déjà vu, a feeling of remembrance without awareness. It is a strange phenomenon that almost 75% of the total population has experienced at least once. But how does it occur? And why? Read on to find out.
What is déjà vu?
Is there more to déjà vu than you think?
Déjà vu is a French word meaning “already seen”. It is an extremely mysterious phenomenon puzzling even the best neuroscientists. It is the overpowering sensation that an event currently happening has already occurred in the past. It is described to be something “unfamiliarly familiar” as you can remember having lived the event but not when, where or how. Many individuals have described déjà vu as something that shouldn’t be familiar at all being familiar. Confusing, right? So, is it magic or some form of voodoo or is there some sort of rationale behind it?
Types of déjà vu
Why are there many types of déjà vu? Déjà vu all falls under one broad category but though it seems strange yes, there are several categories that it can grouped under.
Déjà vu
Deja Deja
Vecu Senti
Deja
Visite
The first classification is
Deja Vecu: is where you have been in an almost identical situation and you seem to know the order of events. The literal French meaning is “already experienced’. This complex form of déjà vu is based off of processes and situations and connected to very normal everyday events. It is felt using primary senses such as taste, smell, hearing, sight etc. This sensation usually lasts for a fraction of a minute to several minutes. It is almost a visual and mental warping where there is an illusion that everything happening now had happening before.
Deja senti: “Already felt”. It is a feeling of recollection after gaining long-sought after information. It is the satisfactory feeling of retrieving memories. You feel as if you have felt a certain feeling caused by a certain event before.
Deja Visite: “already visited”. It is the rarest type of déjà vu where you visit a new place and it seems like you have been there before or strangely familiar. It is based on patterns of the location and environmental factors.
The second classification on déjà vu:
1. Associative déjà vu: It is defined as memory-based déjà vu that are caused by the memory centers of the brain. It is the most common type of déjà vu that stirs the unsettling feeling of having experienced something that you probably haven’t before.
2. Biological déjà vu: While déjà vu is nothing serious often it can be associated with people having temporal lobe epilepsy. So is déjà vu really something to brush off? Don’t worry this is rare however scientists have studied that before seizures a strong sensation of déjà vu is felt that may cause patients to believe an event has actually happened rather than being a feeling that passes.
So, is there more to déjà vu. Yes, it has been told to be extreme in patients suffering from anxiety, depression and several other medical symptoms. Dun dun Dunn. Never fear; déjà vu is entirely common especially in those from the ages of 15-25.
Chapter 2-How does it occur-déjà vu in all its ambiguity
Is déjà vu real?
Déjà vu has proved to be an extremely difficult case to study. The effects last for a short time and are deleterious. There are several explanations for this perplexing phenomenon.
So, exactly how does it happen? Well, there are many theories and possible explanations and hear they are.
• A split second delay in the transfer of information from one side of the brain to the other. One side of the brain gets information twice (directly and once from the in-charge side) causing a relay or looping of info. In turn, it feels as if the event has happened before or twice.
• A mismatch between the sensory inputs. Déjà vu may be a malfunctioning between the long- and short-term circuits in the brain. The information our brain takes in about its surroundings may "shortcut" its way straight to long-term memory, bypassing typical storage transfer mechanisms, so when we have a moment of déjà vu, it feels as though we're experiencing something from our distant past or something that is older because it gets transported to the memory storage of long term memory.
This theory proves that déjà vu is not real but a fantastical image our brain conquers. We feel as if it actually happened and that sense of familiarity is so real that it causes us to believe that we have lived that moment before. The power of the brain and its ability to manipulate thoughts and moments will never cease to amaze me.
• Now this possible cause will put all the science people out there at ease. Déjà vu occurrences are said to occur a lot with people suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy in seizure moments yet that doesn’t mean you have this form of epilepsy as there are many other causes and reasons. Temporal lobe is the part of the brain that controls short term memories and emotions so when that part malfunctions an eerie and fleeting sense of déjà vu occurs.
• There is a strange theory that states déjà vu is caused by the occurrence and aligning of parallel universes. A physicist Michio kaku suggests a theory that déjà vu is caused by the ability to flip from different universes. He and Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg says there are an infinite number of realities parallel to us in the very room we are in yet we cannot “tune into them”. Each of these universes have a difference in energy consisting of trillions and trillions of atoms yet we cannot coexist with them as they are all existing in different frequencies. Thus, they and many others believe déjà vu is when you vibrate in unison with another parallel universe.
Do you believe it? Some do and some believe it is purely caused by the brain. However, all these theories point away from the possibility that déjà vu is an actual happening of that moment before.
• Another theory is having dreamt about a certain situation yet forgetting it until you are faced with one very similar.
• Another illusion is the fact that maybe one eye sends the information and dispatches it faster than the other. However this theory has been dismissed as blind people too suffer with déjà vu but usually much less.
Is it real? No, more something conjured up by the depths of our brain. Some believe in several theories, which one do you think rings true.
Chapter 3- Tales of déjà vu
Here is the proof that déjà vu exists
Shocking tales about people who have experienced déjà vu are heard showing people that déjà vu does occur and the sensation of déjà vu is not only familiar but almost spooky.
1. Now some of these stories you may think are exaggerated or fake yet you cannot say the same about this one as it is a legitimate news headline.
The headline reads “Terrifying time loop, man stuck in déjà vu”.
The article states that a 23-yr old British man had chronic déjà vu triggered by anxiety. He was constantly under the illusion that his mind was playing tricks on him. The man was traumatized and extremely frightened, his condition so persistent that he avoided doing activities like watching TV and reading the news because he already knew it all.
He said he was always reliving experiences and couldn’t tell if something was real or a déjà vu moment. There was a moment in which he had gone to get a haircut. As he entered the salon, he had a déjà vu moment as if he had just got a haircut. Then he had déjà vu of the déjà vu. His doctor says he was trapped in a terrifying 8 year time loop that led him to insanity.
2. Several people state that they have dreams and only weeks later the dreams happen in real life as a feeling of premonition almost which creates a strong déjà vu sensation. They also say the real life moment is almost exactly the way they dreamt it. It is eerily weird how people say that they can now due to déjà vu theories predict the future.
Conclusion
I conclude by saying that déjà vu is such an interesting phenomenon that still stuns people. There is almost no lasting proof which makes it such an unpredictably vast topic to analyze. I thoroughly enjoyed researching on a subject so practical in all our lives that leaves all of us incredibly puzzled and realizing the phenomenal rational or science behind it. Now we know the culprit! It is our very own brain yet there are several theories that aren’t fully proved yet. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed/learnt.
THANK YOU
Bibliography:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/extrasensory-perceptions/question657.htm
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami/findoutmore/yourbrain/whyisyourmemorysoimportant/whatisdejavu/whatcausesdejavu
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160413113530.htm
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