The feeling of déjà vu, which literally translates from French to “already seen,” is one of the strangest sensations many report experiencing. Some call it a “glitch in The Matrix,” while others swear it’s a spiritual omen. But neurologists and other science-based researchers have a different explanation for the phenomenon.
From experience, I’d say the best way to describe it is as if someone is speaking and you think, “I’ve heard this before.” Or you’ve walked into a room and thought “this has already happened.” Sometimes it feels hazy, and one might question if perhaps they’d experienced it psychically in a dream. Usually, the feeling passes in mere seconds.
Incongruence of thought
From a neurological standpoint, researchers have a few theories. In the article, “That Strange Feeling of Déjà Vu Explained,” the Cleveland Clinic shares that the sensation is quite common. They cite the National Library of Medicine, which speculates that 97 percent of people have experienced the feeling at least once (and 67 percent “experience it regularly”).
The Cleveland Clinic quotes Dr. Jean Khoury, MD, a neurologist who notes that we’re often aware that the sensation is “off,” “There’s usually an incongruence between having this sense of familiarity but also knowing that the situation shouldn’t feel familiar.”
Cross-wiring in the mind
But what is actually happening to create this feeling? Khoury continues, “Déjà vu is caused by dysfunctional connections between the parts of your brain that play a role in memory recollection and familiarity. It’s a misfire that blurs the line between memory and new experience.”
The Cleveland Clinic goes on to break it down in layman’s terms: “In other words, it happens when there’s a miscommunication between two parts of your brain: the one responsible for memories (your temporal lobe) and the one responsible for taking in new information (your hippocampus).”
Theories as to ‘why’
Why it might happen is a different story. Dr. Khoury explains it could be an issue with the hippocampus itself and how it relates to other parts of the brain. “Memories and new experiences get wrapped up in each other. It’s a disruption of the recognition and memory systems that gives you that false sense of familiarity.”
A popular YouTube site called History of Simple Things explains a theory as to why some people never experience it. In a video titled “Why déjà vu never happens to some people,” they note that the experience “isn’t the same for everyone. Some experience it as a fleeting glance, almost imperceptible. For others, it can last a few seconds and feel almost dreamlike, like stepping into an alternate reality.
And while it’s usually harmless, some researchers have observed that frequent déjà vu can sometimes be linked to temporal lobe epilepsy, a condition where electrical activity in the brain is disrupted. But for most of us, it’s a harmless quirk of our mental wiring.”
A reminder to pay attention
But it’s worth mentioning that, from a psychological standpoint, it can serve as a reminder to pay attention to the present moment. (Some would argue that this is spiritual intervention from the subconscious.) “It might help us pay attention, make decisions, or reinforce learning. That fleeting sense of familiarity could trigger us to notice patterns, recall past experiences, or evaluate new situations with a subtle layer of insight. In other words, déjà vu could be a tiny nudge from your subconscious.”
Some don’t experience it at all
As to those who don’t experience it? One way of looking at it is that their brains are doing a good job of keeping all the lobes working in conjunction, at least in terms of memory processing. “Déjà vu is often caused by tiny timing errors, mislabeling of memories, or brief delays in processing. If those systems run more smoothly, if the brain’s library files memories perfectly, there’s no confusion and, therefore, no déjà vu. In a strange way, people who never feel déjà vu might not be missing something mystical. Their brains might just be running with fewer glitches.”
The clip ends with a reminder that the human brain is a fascinating wonderland. “At the end of the day, déjà vu reminds us that life isn’t always linear. Time, memory, and perception are more intertwined than we might think. What feels like a glitch is really just a window into the mysterious workings of the human brain. A reminder that even in the everyday, our minds are doing something extraordinary.”
Dr. Caroline Estevez, PsyD, a psychologist at Soba Treatment Center in New Jersey, tells Upworthy that past theories seem to align. “Most research supports the idea of déjà vu occurring due to a temporary malfunction within some part of the memory processing circuitry in the medial temporal lobe, specifically in the areas responsible for detecting familiarity, even though the actual experience never previously happened.
Studies have shown that déjà vu occurs most frequently among young adult populations and individuals with enhanced memory abilities, indicating that déjà vu could possibly represent an active, healthy memory-monitoring process versus a defective one. In current research, a lack of déjà vu does not represent a cognitive or psychological deficit. An individual who has never experienced déjà vu may just have variations in how frequently their brain sends out these memory-related signals or the ability to notice them.”
