Have you ever entered a room for the first time and get the feeling that you have already been there? Have you ever had a chat with a friend when you get the feeling that that you have had this exact conversation before? I Or maybe you’re deep in conversation with a friend and you suddenly get the feeling that you’ve had the exact conversation before, even though you know that you haven’t. It all seems strange, like time has turned back on itself and you’re seeing flashes of memories you can’t quite place.
The French phrase “already seen,” or “déjà vu,” refers to the feeling that something is uncannily familiar even though you know it shouldn’t. Emile Boirac, a French scientist who was one of the first to investigate this peculiar occurrence, named it in 1876. The most frequent misuse of déjà vu appears to be in relation to precognitive experiences, which are those in which a person feels as though they know precisely what will happen next, and it does. A key differentiation is that déjà vu occurs during an occurrence rather than before it.
Theories behind déjà vu
There are countless theories as to what déjà vu is and what causes it, and they range from reincarnation to errors in our memory processes.
Divided attention (Cell Phone Theory)
Dr. Alan Brown proposed the following concept, which states that when we are distracted, we subliminally take in our surroundings but may not record it consciously. To test this, a study was done at Duke University in which students were shown photos of various regions at subliminal speeds. The speed of these photos allowed the brain to register the image but not enough time for the learner to be consciously aware of it. The findings of this study revealed that images displayed subliminally had a higher recognition rate than those that were not. This study reveals that deja vu may be associated with the brain automatically processing information from our surroundings, even when we are not consciously aware. This implies that information that we may not be aware of is continuously entering our brains, affecting our memories and experiences.
Dual processing theory:
The experience known as “déjà vu” occurs when the brain perceives a situation more quickly than the conscious mind can process it, giving the impression that it is familiar. This concept was put forth by Robert Efron in 1963 at the Veterans Hospital in Boston. He discovered that the reason for this neurological delay is that information is received twice by the left hemisphere of the brain’s temporal lope, with a little lag between each transmission. The brain may interpret the information as a prior memory if the second transmission is delayed by little, which would explain the unexpected feeling of familiarity.
Memory Mismatch:
As implied by the term, déjà vu is caused by a discrepancy in the brain’s memory system, whereby present events are mistakenly recognised as memories. We have a lot of stored memories, including those that we ddid not experience first hand;including things like events we saw online, in movies, in images, and in books. These subconsciously held memories reside in the depths of our minds, and they cause a déjà vu sensation whenever we encounter something similar of them.
Hologram Theory:
Hermon Sno, a Dutch psychiatrist, proposed that memories function similarly to holograms in that any piece of the whole can be used to reconstruct the full three-dimensional image. But the final picture gets fuzzier the smaller the piece. He claims that déjà vu occurs when our brain reconstructs a full scenario from a piece of a memory from the past, based on some detail in the current environment (a sight, sound, scent, etc.).
This means that our brains hold fragments of our memories and experiences, which are triggered when we encounter a similar situation.
The Biological Context of Déjà Vu
Déjà vu is strongly linked to the temporal lobe and the hippocampus, both of which play important roles in memory processing and spatial recognition.
The parahippocampal gyrus, rhinal cortex, and amygdala are all part of the medial temporal lobe, which is responsible for conscious memory. The parahippocampal gyrus is important for recognising images and environments, while the rhinal cortex helps us distinguish between new experiences and memories. When these areas give contradicting messages to the brain, déjà vu may arise, leading us to believe we have previously encountered a circumstance.
Individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy are more likely to experience déjà vu. Many people get a strong sense of déjà vu right before a seizure, which has given researchers a more dependable technique to explore this occurrence. They discovered specific parts of the brain where these forms of déjà vu impulses arise. However, other experts claim that this type of déjà vu is different from typical experiences; individuals may actually believe they have experienced the same situations before, rather than simply feeling a fleeting sensation of familiarity.
Déjà vu and unconscious mind
The father of psychoanalysis, Freud, hypothesised that suppressed memories or unconscious urges might be the basis of déjà vu. According to Freud, our experiences and perceptions are significantly shaped by our unconscious mind. Individuals may encounter events that elicit repressed emotional responses or memories related with prior experiences or unresolved conflicts. This resurfacing might give the person a sensation of familiarity, as if they have before encountered the circumstance, even if they have not consciously experienced it.
The unconscious mind contains implicit memories, which we may not be conscious of but nevertheless impact our beliefs and behaviours. Déjà vu is a symptom of implicit memories, in which our brain recognises a situation but does not completely comprehend why. The déjà vu feeling may become more intense due to the emotional burden of suppressed memories. When an event elicits intense emotions associated with a repressed memory, the sense of having “been there before” can increase, making the experience more vivid.
Paranormal and Metaphysical Interpretations
Déjà vu has piqued the interest of psychologists and neuroscientists alike, as well as those who seek paranormal and metaphysical explanations.
Many ancient societies held beliefs about the soul’s journey and its relationship with memory. For example, the concept of reincarnation in Buddhism and Hinduism implies that the soul lives multiple lifetimes. Déjà vu can be explained as a recall of past incarnations, stating that specific events have relevance because they are familiar from a previous life.
Not only that , philosophers such as Plato proposed in his Theory of Forms that our material perceptions mirror a greater, unchanging reality. Déjà vu could be seen as a momentary moment in which one recognises a deeper reality, implying a connection to an ideal realm. Similarly, some theories believe that déjà vu arises when people momentarily access memories or experiences from parallel realms. They think that realities coexist, and that déjà vu symbolises the intersection of these realities.
Some people think that déjà vu is a sign, a prediction, that one is headed in the correct direction or is going to experience something important. This viewpoint is consistent with the concepts of fate and destiny, implying that déjà vu could be an indication that a person’s life path is following a preset path.
In conclusion, many people have surely experienced the fascinating and uncommon sensation of deja vu, despite the fact that specialists and scientists remain perplexed by it. More research and analysis are required to completely comprehend the underlying mechanics of deja vu and how they affect memory and awareness.
