The Science behind a "Déjà Vu"

Do you ever get deja vu??

Well, Deja vu is a French term for something already seen. It is a phenomenon that refers to an eerie feeling of experiencing the present incident as if it has already happened in the past. It was coined by the French philosopher and researcher Émile Boirac in his book "The Future of Psychic Sciences" in 1876.

Many have put forward their own beliefs and theories interpreting deja vu in different ways, while some believe it is connected to parallel worlds, others suggest it maybe related to a person's past life, offering a brief glimpse into their previous existence.

However, science has a very different approach to it. Many neurologists and psychologists suggest deja vu occurs due to a glitch in brain’s information-processing system, where a new experienced is mistaken for a past memory. Some researchers propose that it maybe an effect of sub-conscious memory, preventing an individual from properly relating to the incident. While some other theories indicated about involvement of minor glitch in temporal lobe activity. mismatch within different memories; making them appear like same one, delayed processing time, inattentiveness and sometimes dreams can result in occurrence of his phenomenon.

For instance, you are visiting a new café that you’ve never ever visited before. But as soon as you step inside, the ambience, the aroma of fresh brewing coffee, and even the way the barista greets you feel an odd sense of familiarity. However, you are certain that you've never been there before, yet every detail seems like a memory replaying itself. According to science, this might happen because of the similarity between the layouts of a previously visited café or scent triggers a subconscious recollection from another place you've visited, creating a false sense of familiarity.

Although deja vu is generally harmless, however, frequent occurrence can be an indication of neurological conditions, overthinking and anxiety.

References:

1. Wikipedia. Déjà vu, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu

2. BBC. (April 2024), what is déjà vu and can science explain it? https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdpbwsg#:~:text=D%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20vu%20may%20occur%20when,place%2C%20event%20or%20situation%20before