{"id":787,"date":"2021-02-19T04:45:02","date_gmt":"2021-02-19T04:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/docintosh.com\/blog\/?p=787"},"modified":"2021-02-19T05:02:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T05:02:00","slug":"been-there-done-that-or-not-deja-vu-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/docintosh.com\/blog\/been-there-done-that-or-not-deja-vu-explained-2021-19-02\/","title":{"rendered":"Been there, done that- Or not? : D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\n

A known nook in the street of a city you\u2019ve never been to. A familiar-looking stranger on the bus. A recognisable conversation that was never exchanged. Stopping in your tracks you\u2019re left wondering: Haven\u2019t I done this before? <\/em> At some point of time in our lives, we\u2019ve all experienced such fleeting moments when we think we\u2019ve done something or been somewhere before when in fact we haven\u2019t. This eerie sensation that feels like a \u201cglitch in the Matrix<\/em>\u201d is called d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu. For years it was believed to be a paranormal experience, beyond the scope of science. However, scientists and psychologists have unearthed the secret to this trick our brains play on us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


What is D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu is the uncanny sense of familiarity of experiencing something that in actuality has never happened before. It is a French phrase which translates to \u201calready seen\u201d. This unnerving feeling seems difficult to shake off and is surprisingly common. Though there are no conclusive statistics on this, it is estimated that around two-thirds of individuals experience d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu at least once, and it is more likely to be experienced by young adults.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n


The Science Behind\u00a0<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The real question remains, what causes a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu? Experiences of a past life? Premonitions of impending doom? Before you go on to believe that you\u2019re a supernatural with psychic powers, read on to see what scientists and theorists have to say about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu is known to be associated with many explanations on how the brain perceives certain information, some of which are included below
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Split perception:\u00a0
    Often while viewing things, you catch glimpses of certain things from the corner of your eyes and don\u2019t pay much attention to it. However, your brain perceives that information and possibly builds a descriptive image out of this brief sighting. The next time you see the same view while paying complete attention to the same, you get the feeling that you\u2019ve seen this image\/view before but can\u2019t recall when and how, as you weren\u2019t paying full attention the first time around.\u00a0
    <\/li>
  • Brain circuit malfunctions:
    This one is exactly how it sounds – short circuits in your brain! As we all know, certain neural networks exist in our brains, which have a predefined path to process any kind of information, similar to an electric circuit. However, at times these circuits scramble and the present events are perceived as memories. It\u2019s almost like your brain is ‘living in the past\u2019<\/em>.
    Another theory suggests that the paths for short term memory and long term memory get mixed up, and the occurrence of last-second gets stored as a long term memory.\u00a0
    The brain circuit malfunction is known to be the most credible theory and has garnered a lot of attention from the research community owing to its logical and neurology based explanation. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    What are false memories? Is d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu a false memory?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    As the name suggests, false memories are memories of occurrences that never happened. False memories are nothing but fabrications of your mind that trick you into believing you have done something or been somewhere in the past when you haven\u2019t. For example, while cooking you may think, or better yet, be sure that you turned off the gas below the pan only to find out that you\u2019re left with a delicious piece of char. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu isn\u2019t believed to be a kind of false memory. Evidence suggests that false memories employ the hippocampus of the brain, whereas d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu is incepted in the temporal lobe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


    Should you be concerned about d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu occurrences?\u00a0<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu has been firmly attributed with the occurrence of a small temporal lobe seizure- similar to those that occur in epilepsy. They are said to occur before or during epileptic seizures, especially focal seizures. In such situations, they are often accompanied by other symptoms like twitching muscles, hallucinations, involuntary movements, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They\u2019re usually not a cause of worry, however, one may require professional advice if such symptoms occur routinely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With this, we can safely conclude that d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu isn\u2019t a supernatural psychic experience, but a trick our mind plays on us. Truly, the brain is a marvellous spectacle of science. We wonder what other strange phenomena are yet to be unravelled with the genius of our scientific minds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    REFERENCES:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Brown, A.S. The D\u00e9j\u00e0 Vu Illusion. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE. 2004;13(6): 256-259.
    2. Okado, Y et al. Neural activity during encoding predicts false memories created by misinformation. Learning & memory. 2005;12(1): 3-11.
    3. Chauvel. Deja Vu: What It Is, When It May Be Cause for Concern. [Online]. Available from: https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/deja-vu-what-it-is-and-when-it-may-be-cause-for-concern\/ [Accessed 12th February 2021].<\/p>\n\r\n