Initial research and compilation by Ms. Victoria Ayre, DAInitial research and compilation by Ms. Victoria Ayre, DA

Déjà vuDéjà vu

Déjà vu or “Already seen”

‘‘Paramnesia’Paramnesia’ -from the Greeks

An individual feels as though an event has already happened or has

happened in the recent past.

The feeling of déjà vudéjà vu is usually accompanied by a compelling sense

of familiarity and a sense of eeriness

The “previous” experience is frequently characterized to real

life.

Émile BoiracÉmile Boirac (1851-1917)(1851-1917)

French psychic researcher

Déjà vuDéjà vu coined after an essay in his book, "L'Avenir des sciences psychiques“ ("The Future of Psychic Sciences“)

Literature in past references déjà déjà vuvu, indicating it is not a new phenomenon

Three Types of Déjà vu

DéjàDéjà vecu vecu (already experienced or lived throughalready experienced or lived through)

Otherwise known as Otherwise known as déjà vudéjà vu, experiences occur , experiences occur more frequently between the ages of 15 and 25more frequently between the ages of 15 and 25

The events are so striking that they are often The events are so striking that they are often remembered for years to comeremembered for years to come

Three Types of Déjà vu

DéjàDéjà senti senti (‘already feltalready felt’)

*Appears in temporal lobe epilepsy attacks*Appears in temporal lobe epilepsy attacks

*Primarily--or even exclusively--a mental *Primarily--or even exclusively--a mental happeninghappening

*There are no precognitive aspects in which the *There are no precognitive aspects in which the person feels he or she knows in advance what person feels he or she knows in advance what will be said or donewill be said or done

*It seldom or never remains in the afflicted *It seldom or never remains in the afflicted person's memory afterwardsperson's memory afterwards

Three Types of Déjà vu

DéjàDéjà visite visite (‘already visitedalready visited’)Seems to occur more rarely and is an Seems to occur more rarely and is an

experience in which a person visits a new experience in which a person visits a new locality and nevertheless feels it to be familiarlocality and nevertheless feels it to be familiar

DéjàDéjà visite visite has to do with geography, with the has to do with geography, with the three spatial dimensions of height, width and three spatial dimensions of height, width and depth, while deja vecu has to do more with depth, while deja vecu has to do more with temporal occurrences and processestemporal occurrences and processes

C.G. JuC.G. Jungng published an account on published an account on DéjàDéjà visite visite in in his account on synchronicity his account on synchronicity

Scientific Research

70% of people report having 70% of people report having experienced experienced déjà vudéjà vu at least once at least once

Experiencing Experiencing déjà vudéjà vu is quite is quite common among adults and common among adults and children alikechildren alike

Difficult to evoke Difficult to evoke déjà vudéjà vu experience in laboratory settingsexperience in laboratory settings

Researchers are using science Researchers are using science to recreate the sensation of to recreate the sensation of déjà déjà vuvu

Subject to psychological and neuropsychological research

Déjà vuDéjà vu is an anomaly of anomaly of memorymemory

Sense of recollection at the time is strong and circumstances of previous experience are uncertain

F i r s t T h e F i r s t T h e o r y…o r y…

S e c o n d T h e S e c o n d T h e o r y…o r y… Vision is being Vision is being exploredexplored

One eye may One eye may record what is record what is seen faster seen faster than the otherthan the other

Creates that Creates that "strong "strong recollection" recollection" sensation upon the sensation upon the "same" scene "same" scene being viewed being viewed milliseconds later milliseconds later by the opposite by the opposite eyeeye

Déjà vuDéjà vu Linked With Disorders Linked With Disorders PharmacologyPharmacology

Reports say that certain drugs increase the certain drugs increase the chances of déjà vuchances of déjà vu occurring in the user. HyperdopaminergicHyperdopaminergic action in the mesial temporal areas of the brain

Memory-based explanationsMemory-based explanationsMemory trace may lead to the sensationMemory trace may lead to the sensation. CryptamnesiaCryptamnesia: information learned is forgotten yet stored in the brain, and occurrence of similarities invokes the contained knowledge, leading to a feeling of familiarity because of the situation, event or emotional/vocal content

Neural theoriesNeural theoriesCould be caused by the mis-timing of neuronal mis-timing of neuronal firingfiring. Split second re-start to the neural system

Alternative Alternative Explanations For Déjà Explanations For Déjà

vu vu ParapsychologyParapsychology - cited for - cited for evidence of psychic abilitiesevidence of psychic abilities

DreamsDreams - - déjà vudéjà vu may be may be the memory of dreamsthe memory of dreams

ReincarnationReincarnation - - déjà vudéjà vu may be caused by may be caused by fragments of past life fragments of past life memories being jarred to memories being jarred to the surface of the mind by the surface of the mind by familiar surroundings or familiar surroundings or peoplepeople

Déjà vu and its Déjà vu and its RelativesRelatives1) Jamais vuJamais vu, “never seen” in French

Used to describe any Used to describe any familiar situation which is familiar situation which is not recognized by the not recognized by the observerobserver

Described as opposite of Described as opposite of déjà vudéjà vu

Déjà vu and its Déjà vu and its RelativesRelatives2) Presque vu2) Presque vu, “almost seen” in French

When one cannot recall a familiar word or name or situation, but with effort one eventually recalls the elusive memory

Also called “tip of the tongue”“tip of the tongue”

Sensation of being on the brink of an epiphany

3) L'esprit de l'escalier3) L'esprit de l'escalier, “staircase wit” in French

Remembering something when it is too late

Déjà vuDéjà vu feeling is common among psychiatric patients

Déjà vuDéjà vu feeling also frequently precedes temporal lobe epilepsy attacks

Experiment in 1955

Electrically stimulated the temporal lobes and found that about 8% of his patients experienced “memories”

With this, he assumed he elicited actual memories

However, these could have been the first signs of artificially stimulated déjà vudéjà vu

The Déjà Vu “Feeling”

How does it work?How does it work?There are portions of the brain

that are specialized for the past, the present and the future. The temporal lobes are

concerned with the past, the frontal lobes are concerned with the future, and the underlying, intermediate portions (the limbic system) are concerned with the present.

The structure that overwhelms our consciousness when we are 'in the present’ is the amygdala. It assigns an emotional 'tone' to our perceptions.

The amygdala also recognizes expressions on people's faces.

How does it work?How does it work?• Each instance the self is

able to manifest a new emotional response, but only if circumstances have changed. – Every 25 milliseconds. – The duration of the

'present' in neurological terms is so brief that we don't experience it so much as remember it.

Interesting Facts• The youngest age of déjà vudéjà vu

reported is age 5. This has major theoretical implications for cognitive development.

• There is a complex interchange with age and incidence based on quality of remembering.

Interesting Facts

• There is no single theoretical cause of déjà vudéjà vu that can explain its wide variety of clinical manifestations.

• Most instances of associative déjà vudéjà vu are connected with a predisposing milieu of anxiety and are triggered by restricted paramnesia and reintegration.

Interesting Facts

• There are 21 kinds of déjà vudéjà vu.

• There is also a metaphorical journalistic use of the term.

• The common occurrence of déjà vudéjà vu in the general population stresses the need for the development of specific qualitative features for valuable diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Interesting Facts• There are 7 major phenomenological There are 7 major phenomenological

classifications of the déjà vu experienceclassifications of the déjà vu experience:

–disorder of memory

–disorder of ego state

–ego defense

– temporal perceptual disturbance

– recognition disorder

–manifestation of epileptic firing –subjective paranormal experience

““Right now, I’m having amnesia Right now, I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time, I and déjà vu at the same time, I

think I’ve forgotten this before,” think I’ve forgotten this before,” –Steve Wright–Steve Wright

SourcesSources• http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/5305 • http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~mdlee/dejavu.htm • http://www.pni.org/books/deja_vu_info.html • http://www.shaktitechnology.com/dejavu.htm • http://skepdic.com/dejavu.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j

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