If you’ve ever had déjà vu, you know it’s about that feeling that what you are doing has already happened. However, there are things your brain is trying to tell you when you experience déjà vu.
While déjà vu, which is French for «already seen,» can make you feel like you’ve met someone or been somewhere before, however, it’s probably all in your head, according to science.
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Scientific American reported in 2014 that the tiny seizures in the brain responsible for memory formation and retrieval could be why something suddenly feels familiareven though you’ve never experienced it before.
Cognitive scientists really know exactly what happens in your brain when you experience déjà vu, neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez, Psy.D. he tells Bustle magazine. «A section of the hippocampus, a small curved part of the brain, activates two different neural circuits that simultaneously absorb your current experience while the second circuit evaluates memories«she says. «This fact gives us the feeling that we have seen or experienced something before». East misfire it’s often not matter of concern; a 2003 study published in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that over 70% of people experience it. However, if you’re wondering what your brain is trying to tell you, this is what déjà vu could communicate.
1. You are not paying attention
Apparently, the more distracted you are, the more likely you are to experience déjà vu. this is called split perception theory; If you’re looking at your phone or distracted by something else, and just look around quickly, your perception can be divided into two parts instead of one, and it makes your hippocampus slightly confused. However, look at things more closely, and the feeling will probably dissipate.
2. The experience really happened
Sometimes when you have déjà vu, you may It’s not really déjà vu. The feeling of familiarity could be happening because actually you have had the same experience in the past but you just don’t remember it. A study published in Current Directions In Psychological Science in 2008 found that déjà vu can often be related to things you have seen and done, even if you don’t remember it. Interestingly, research published in Consciousness & Cognition in 2018 found that space is important when it comes to déjà vu; If one place presents itself in the same way as another location, you may experience déjà vu, even if the two places are nothing alike.
3. You have a «dominant eye»
While you can think of your eyes as pairs with each eye the same, most people they have a dominant eyewhat could contribute to feelings of déjà vu explained Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. «Yes that stronger eye sends information to the subconscious before both eyes focus and register the input as a conscious experience, your brain will tell you, ‘I’ve seen that before.’ And you’ve done it but it was just a nanosecond ago«. Nevertheless, there is no scientific evidence to support this theory at this time.
4. You need more hours of sleep
If you’ve been skimping on sleep and you are having more experiences of déjà vu than is normal for youit is likely that your brain is telling you to close your eyes. According to Penn Medicine, stress, exhaustion and traveling a lot can trigger more frequent experiences of déjà vu. It’s not known why fatigue or stress may cause you to experience déjà vu more often, but it’s possible that tension causes the brain is more prone to fail or make mistakes.
5. Your memory is correcting itself
One of the reasons people experience déjà vu is due to something called memory mismatchaccording to a study published in Frontiers in Neuroscienceand in 2013. The researchers note that brain regions associated with memory conflicts could be behind déjà vuand describe the memory conflict as awareness of a discrepancy in memory signals being corrected. The hippocampus, according to this theory, produces déjà vu because you’re remembering something slightly wrong.
6. It could be a sign of epilepsy
While a bit of déjà vu from time to time is very common, having many similar episodes may be a sign that Something’s wrong. «Deja vu is commonly reported by patients with epilepsy«Hafeez says. For people with the disorder, déjà vu can be caused by focal seizuresthat occur in small parts of the brain Y can induce disorienting feelings and experiences, like tasting something that is not in the mouth. «If it occurs more and more or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as abnormal visual experiences, problems with vision or motor operations such as facial or mouth movements, you can discuss your experience with your doctorHafeez says.
7. The déjà vu happened in a past life
For the most spiritual and believers, if you are one of the people who believe in past lives, Dr. Judith Orloff, author of Second Sight: An Intuitive Psychiatrist where he tells his story and shows you how to tap into your own inner wisdom, he blogged that déjà vu it can happen when you experience something now that has already happened to you in a past life. She uses an example of a woman who met someone and knew right away that she was going to marry that person. The couple felt as if they had known each other their entire lives.
«There are situations that are failures in time, when the rules bend and the mystery takes hold. Enchanted moments that shine. These are déjà-vus. They can take place anywhere, anytime, and with anyone,» Orloff explained. «Your real estate agent could show you a house that feels so familiar and right, you instantly know it’s yours. Or maybe he’s in a restaurant and feels an inexplicable kinship with a woman sitting in the back corner booth. these possibilities pass you by. He pays attention; investigate.»
It is worth noting that a study of déjà vu in Psychological Science in 2018 revealed that, although the people who experienced it felt very strongly that they could predict future events based on it, the feeling seemed to be delusional. It’s common to feel like your déjà vu experience is supernatural, this study says, but it is difficult to prove.
8. You are on the right path in life
Life is basically throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks, and you might not always be sure you’re on the right track. According to a blog by Radhika Mehrotra on Speaking Tree, déjà vu could be your brain’s way of telling you that you’re headed in the right direction. It’s basically a message from your «higher self» telling you to move on. One more time, there’s no scientific evidence for this, but it’s a good thought if you want some peace of mind.
9. You are experiencing the «tuning fork» phenomenon
if you’re like Fox Mulder in X-Files, and you believe in the existence of more than one universe, you may consider your déjà vu to be the result of something called fretboard phenomenon. «The tuning fork phenomenon relates to when the frequencies of a person’s mind temporarily coincide with the frequencies of the minds of other living people or subtle bodies in the afterlife»noted the Spiritual Research Foundation.
Whatever the reason for your mysterious experiences, it’s usually totally normal and you’ll be fine. However, if your déjà vu experience worries you, It can be reassuring to talk to a psychiatrist or a neurologist.