Surely more than once you have had the feeling of be in a situation that you have already experienced, TRUE? Even if you are in a new place and with new people, it is possible that, sometimes, this feeling appears in your mind that makes you believe that you have already been in this situation at another time in your life. This is what is known as “déjà vu,” a French term that literally means “already seen.”
It is a very curious and surprising sensation that floods our mind and, because of this, there are many explanations and theories about it. What is Déjà vu and why does it happen?< But in this PsychologyFor article we are going to discover the scientific explanation of this mental state and, thus, know the processes that occur in your brain.
What is the meaning of déjà vu? When we get the feeling that we have already experienced that situation before. Is about a mental condition which makes us believe that we have already been in that same situation although, in reality, it is totally new for us.
Having “déjà vu” is something very common and common for people. In fact, around 70% of the population He has lived this experience throughout his life. This is a sensation that, in general, is usually brief and very fleeting< It appears spontaneously and there are no specific causes that promote its appearance.
Types of Déjà vu
Experts in cognitive sciences indicate that there are 3 types of déjà vu that are classified according to the characteristics of what we have experienced. They are the following:
Déjà vécu: literally means “already lived”, therefore, it is the sensation that makes us believe that that We have already experienced the entire situation That is, it is the most complete affectation and the one that is most related to the generic term of “déjà vu.”
Let me feel: it is a sensation that makes you believe that you have already had that experience because emotionally you are repeating the same sensations< However, you are not able to remember anything other than the emotion that that situation provokes in you.
Let me visit: It is the third most common type and refers to having the feeling of already know a place even if it’s the first time you’re there. It can be a city, yes, but also a house, an office, a forest, etc. It is a very disconcerting sensation but, also, it is very rare.
In this other article we talk to you about other recognition disorders so that you know everything that can happen when the brain fails.
Why Déjà vu happens
Now that you know what Déjà vu is, let’s understand why it happens through a scientific explanation. As we have already said, it is a sensation that takes place in the brain, therefore, we have to take into account that there is some alteration of the cognitive system that makes us live this experience.
Normally, when our memory remembers something from the past, the brain activates a temporal lobe circuit< This is our organ's way of making memories appear in our mind. But, when we have Déjà vu, what happens is that this circuit is activated at a time when it should not be activated and, therefore, our sensation is that we are having a memory. Discover where memories are stored.
That is, Déjà vu appear a “glitch” in the brain circuit that makes us have the sensation of experiencing a memory when, in reality, we have not experienced it.
Causes of Déjà vu
Why do Déja vu happen? The origin of this “short circuit” is still unknown. It is not known exactly what the causes of Déjà vu are, but experts have detected some common factors in the people who experience it. They are the following:
Live a period of stress.
People with creative and imaginative minds.
Very intelligent people.
It is usually more common between 15 and 25 years of age.
But What happens if you constantly have Déjà vu? You should go to the doctor for an exam. As we have said, this sensation appears due to a failure in the brain lobe and, therefore, if you experience it very constantly, it is important that you go to the doctor
Unscientific theories of having Déjà vu
Now you know what Déjà vu is and why it occurs, but, at PsychologyFor, we also want to discover another type of alternative explanations that has been given to these reactions of the mind. Because it is a “strange” and unusual sensation, many people have wanted to relate these events to paranormal phenomena.
However, as we have indicated, there is a scientific explanation that explains why we have Déjà vu. But we believe it is important collect some of the beliefs What is there in relation to this very curious fact of the human mind.
The theory of the parallel universe
Some people associate experiencing Déjà vu with there being Parallel universes< In fact, physicist Michio Kaku argued that there is a possibility that this fact is caused because the human brain has the ability to be present in several universes.
In these cases, brain waves are compared to radio waves and, therefore, it is considered that we can “vibrate in unison” with a parallel universe that is at another frequency of reality.
Memory of our past lives
There are also other more “mystical” theories that relate Déjà Vu to the lives of our spirit or souls. In these cases, it is believed that These experiences are still memories of other lives that our spiritual entity has had and, therefore, we are incapable of remembering them.
There are many other theories about Déjà Vu, such as, for example, that they are the product of alien abductions. However, at a scientific level we can only be clear that, in reality, what is happening is a brain connection failure. And this makes our mind recreate a new situation as already experienced.
However, since there is no 100% reliable evidence on the subject, it is normal that the debate remains open and that scholars continue researching the topic. And, in terms of the human mind, we still have a long way to go.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is Déjà vu and why does it happen? we recommend that you enter our Cognitive Psychology category.
Bibliography
Brown, A. (2004). The Déjá vu experience. England: Psychology Press.
Cleary, A. M. (2008). Recognition memory, familiarity, and déjà vu experiences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(5), 353-357.
Ratliff, E. (2006). Déjà vu, again and again. New York Times Magazine, 2, 38-43.
