Categorizing Déjà Vu ExperiencesĪlthough a concrete, solid attribution behind déjà vu remains unknown at this time, Psychology Today has pinpointed four different categories of experiences and potential causes. The March 2012 issue of Clinical Neurophysiology stated that parts of the brain associated with emotions and memory development could be triggered into experiencing déjà vu via electrical provocation. Researchers have also noted that complications with the brain’s temporal lobe and rhinal cortex may prompt episodes of déjà vu.
Deja vu psychology definitio full#
This may suggest that experiencing déjà vu does not require the full capacity of one’s brain. Each time a person claims to experience the “already seen” phenomenon, they have full awareness of what is happening. However, despite the theories above, observers of déjà vu have noticed a common thread. In other words, as we experience the sensation of having “already seen” something, the memory is simply “re-routing” to the part of the brain which stores long-term memories. However, there is no way that medically reviewed research can prove this.Īnother conjecture cites déjà vu as a temporary hindrance of long-term memories. Some parapsychologists and spiritualists view the phenomenon as a symptom of recalling happenings from past lives. This theory also states that certain memories from our past surroundings sometimes “leak out” into short-term recollections, therefore tricking our brains into experiencing déjà vu. Other professionals who have studied déjà vu assert that a glitch between short-term and long-term memory may be the cause of feeling as though a present event has been experienced in the past. The brain tends to play tricks on us and experience similar memory issues when tired, so this isn’t a stretch to believe. However, even that glimpse gets stored as a memory, which is why you think you’ve experienced the event when you get that sudden feeling of déjà vu.Īccording to Penn Medicine, the explanation could be as simple as dealing with stress or being tired. The first time you see something, you may only catch it out of the corner of your eye which is why you don’t consciously remember the event. This theory states that déjà vu occurs when you see an event happen twice. A similar situation occurs in those who have experienced epileptic seizures.Īnother hypothesis revolves around the idea of split perception. Some psychoanalysts believe that déjà vu is simply caused by an electrical malfunction that causes the brain to mistake current events for events that occurred in past times. The many hypotheses behind what truly causes déjà vu are enthralling, to say the least. Theories and Speculations Regarding Déjà Vu Hence, there are a multitude of theories on déjà vu with some being based on medically reviewed research and psychological science and some that are not. However, due to the rapid and sporadic occurrences of déjà vu, scientific analyses are challenging. Nevertheless, researchers are still adamant to study déjà vu to understand what causes it. As people age, people are less likely to experience strange feelings of déjà vu, consciousness, premonition, and similar phenomena. It is interesting to note that persons between the ages of 15 and 25 years old are most likely to experience it. It can create such an unusual sensation that the memory stays with a person for years. Déjà vu occurs on an irregular basis and only lasts for a fleeting moment. Get The Support You Need With Online Therapyĭéjà vu” is French for “already seen.” According to Psychology Today, roughly two-thirds of people have or will experience feelings of déjà vu at one point or another.