Déjà vu, which literally means “already seen” in French, is a common occurrence for most people. It is the feeling that you have previously experienced an event or conversation etc. that you haven’t before. For example, if you were talking with a friend about their time in China and suddenly certain key words they say make you feel as though this discourse has happened before.

There is a myriad of theories for why déjà vu in fact occurs. Some psychoanalysts have the notion that it is spurred by a person’s wishes or desires. Others believe that mixed signals in the temporal lobe cause the present to be mistaken for the past, therefore giving a false sense of a memory that previously occurred. On the other hand, parapsychologists insist that déjà vu is triggered by past life experiences. Still, there are more theories. More radical conspirators insist that the cause is, in fact, patchy self-memory retrieval after being brainwashed!

Also, sometimes déjà vu can be spurred by medical reasons. For example, during and in between seizures, people who suffer from epilepsy can experience deja vu-like effects resulting from the convulsions of the temporal lobe which is believed to be the source of the mixed signals that non-medical related déjà vu can cause as well. Other scientists are attempting to find a connection between dream studies and déjà vu. It is being tested if it is possible for people to have dreams about something and forget about the dream, then experience something that reminds their brain of it in an awake state.

Jamais vu, which means “never seen” in French, is also linked to déjà vu, but in a quite opposite way. Those who experience Jamais vu feel as though they are experiencing or seeing something for the first time when they have in fact experienced it before. Presque Vu, meaning “almost seen” in French, involves being on the verge of recalling the exact details of something but not being able to remember it exactly. This often occurs when you are trying to recall details from a dream and you feel as though it’s in the back of your brain but it’s kind of fuzzy and you can’t reach it.

If any of these occurs, don’t freak out! It is totally normal and experienced by almost 70% of the population!

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