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There are over 40 theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon of déjà vu. Michael Molina explains how neuroimaging and cognitive psychology have narrowed down the theories that could explain that feeling you're having...again.
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Déjà vu is a sense of having already seen something you're currently seeing or experiencing—coupled with knowing you haven’t actually seen it, which is why it catches many people so off guard. It is thought to be the equivalent of a small brain “glitch,” with two streams of thought colliding.
If you travel a lot or regularly remember your dreams, you may be more likely to experience déjà vu than others. Someone who is tired or stressed may be prone to déjà vu feelings, too....
Dr. Michio Kaku explains one theory behind déjà vu and asks, “Is it ever possible on any scale to perhaps flip between different universes?”
That fleeting, eerie sensation—déjà vu—has puzzled psychologists for more than a century. Now, researchers are learning more about the causes of déjà vu, as well as its lesser known opposite, jamais vu, when a previously known thing seems suddenly strange and unfamiliar.
Déjà vu, a sense that one has experienced a situation before. The feeling of déjà vu is often fleeting, lasting only a few seconds or minutes, though individuals’ reactions to the sensation may linger for some time. Most people experience déjà vu on occasion, especially young adults.
The finding that déjà vu is most commonly elicited by scenes (as opposed to just speech or objects) was a particularly useful clue for scientists: a new theoretical approach to autobiographical and event memory emphasises a role of scenes in the ability to recollect past life events.
