25 Facts About Deja Vu That Might Seem Familiar

Posted by , Updated on March 25, 2024

Deja vu refers to the sensation that an experience has occurred before. Odds are, you’ve encountered it at least once in your life. This peculiar, disconcerting, and occasionally unsettling phenomenon is challenging and nearly impossible to duplicate. Surprisingly, the scientific understanding of deja vu is still largely unknown, with only hypotheses to steer our comprehension. Yet, significant progress has been made in revealing its mysteries. Intrigued to learn more about deja vu? Check out these 25 Facts About Deja Vu That Might Seem Familiar.

25

The term "Deja Vu" is actually a French term meaning, "Already Seen."

deja vuSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201004/the-meaning-deja-vu
24

In certain cases, people who experience deja vu say it resembled a dream they once had.

dreamsSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dream-factory/201410/dream-d-j-vu
23

Because it happens quickly and randomly, deja vu is difficult to understand and study.

researchSource: http://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-and-general-terms/miscellaneous-religion/deja-vu
22

Some psychological studies have shown mundane settings, fatigue, and stressful situations may trigger deja vu.

stressSource: http://discovermagazine.com/2005/sep/psychology-of-deja-vu
21

During his studies of deja vu, Sigmund Freud believed the feeling had to do with the memory of an unconscious dream.

Sigmund_FreudSource: http://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-and-general-terms/miscellaneous-religion/deja-vu
20

Overall, the amount of times someone experiences deja vu decreases after the age of 25.

old manSource: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/frontiers-for-young-minds/what-is-d-233-j-224-vu/
19

Researchers believe deja vu could be directly correlated with dopamine levels in the brain. This also explains why younger people experience deja vu more.

dopamineBruceBlaus, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
18

In a review of years of studies, it seems that after testing electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe, patients were said to experience complex emotions of unreality and deja vu.

temporal lobeSource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2889679/
17

Deja vu could be just your brain failing to create memories correctly, creating a memory twice during your experience.

Brain_memory 2Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/17131/1/What-Causes-Deja-Vu.html
16

One survey found that two-thirds of adults claim to have experienced deja vu at least once.

crowdSource: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/14/science/deja-vu-if-it-all-seems-familiar-there-may-be-a-reason.html?_r=0
15

One theory suggests that deja vu is an experience you had in a parallel universe.

parallel universeSource: https://incrediblediary.com/5-most-epic-survival-movies-of-all-times.html
14

There are two other kinds of deja vu: deja entendu which means, "already heard" and deja vecu which means, "already lived."

two fingersSource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2605/
13

Some people believe deja vu is a type of subconscious sixth sense.

subconsciousSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201207/your-sixth-sense
12

Travelers experience deja vu more than those that don't. It's likely because travelers experience more memorable and notable places.

travelerSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-red-light-district/201609/10-things-know-about-d-j-vu
11

People who suffer "Psychic Seizures" are said to have out of body experiences and deja vu.

seizureSource: https://www.efepa.org/living-with-epilepsy/types-of-seizures/
10

Education and socio-economic status has been directly correlated with the frequency of times someone experience deja vu. Apparently, those with higher education and in a higher socioeconomic status might experience deja vu more often than those in lower brackets.

educationSource: https://books.google.com/books?id=LH15AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=educated+and+of+a+higher+socioeconomic+status+are+more+likely+to+experience+d%C3%A9j%C3%A0+vu.&source=bl&ots=MmY-TuoB9B&sig=rGgfXiaMjiYesI_EEZ_-RwVV-84&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj68f7A9MDXAhUD4YMKHYOYAGMQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=educated%20and%20of%20a%20higher%20socioeconomic%20status%20are%20more%20likely%20to%20experience%20d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20vu.&f=false
9

Deja vu has been attributed by psychoanalysts as just a fantasy or wish fulfillment.

Wish dandilionSource: https://memory.foundation/2012/09/05/was-this-deja-vu/
8

The opposite of deja vu is called "Jaimas vu." Its when someone walks through a familiar setting but it feels totally unfamiliar.

familiarSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fighting-fear/201301/theory-deja-vu-and-jamais-vu
7

Parapsychologists believe deja vu has more to do with a person's past life. When you experience deja vu, its the memory of your former self.

clockSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-babble/201208/the-neuroscience-d-j-vu
6

One possible trigger of deja vu is called "split perception." It occurs when you briefly glance at an object before taking a full look.

prismSource: http://marshlab.psych.duke.edu/publications/Brown%26Marsh2010_PLM.pdf
5

Scientists hypothesized in "The New Scientist" that deja vu could be a memory checker in your brain. If you get deja vu, it means your memory is working properly.

memory scanSource: http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/08/new-theory-on-deja-vu-its-your-memorys-fact-checker.html
4

At Colorado State University, a cognitive scientists tried to induce deja vu by virtual reality. After creating two rooms to enter, patients reported feeling deja vu when entering the second room.

vrSource: http://www.rebelcircus.com/blog/facts-about-deja-vu/
3

One theory posits that deja vu is really just a glitch or momentary break down in reality.

glitchSource: https://incrediblediary.com/5-most-epic-survival-movies-of-all-times.html
2

The amygdala part of our brain, which involves emotion, is said to be a factor in why people experience deja vu.

AmygdalaSource: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-babble/201208/the-neuroscience-d-j-vu
1

Some studies claim deja vu could be part of precognitive dreams, giving us a window into the future.

parapsychologySource: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/deja-vu5.htm


Photos: feature: shutterstock, 25. Sep nabi, Deja vu illustration, CC BY-SA 4.0, 24. MaxPixel.com (Public Domain), 23. Pexels.com (Public Domain), 22. Pexels.com (Public Domain), 21. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 20. MaxPixel.com (Public Domain), 19. BruceBlaus, Dopamine Pathway, CC BY-SA 4.0, 18. Anatomography, Temporal lobe – lateral view, CC BY-SA 1.0, 17. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 16. Espen Sundve via flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0, 15. Lee Davy via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 14. MaxPixel.com (Public Domain), 13. Pexels.com (Public Domain), 12. MaxPixel.com (Public Domain), 11. Scott Air Force Base (Public Domain), 10. Pexels.com (Public Domain), 9. Jessica TamWishCC BY 2.0, 8. Pexels.com (Public Domain), 7. PxHere.com (Public Domain), 6. anonymous, Prisma-goethe, CC BY-SA 3.0, 5. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 4. Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia, Samsung’s Virtual Reality MWC 2016 Press Conference (26666393696), CC BY 2.0, 3. https://flickr.com/people/68716054@N00/ Rosa Menkman], Glitch Art, CC BY 2.0, 2. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 1. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain)