Blog post #5- Why and how do people experience déjà vu?- Round 3 of research

Why and how do people experience déjà vu- my research question for this post is

why it happens and who experiences it the most

To sum up what déjà vu is from my last few posts, it is a feeling that a person has already experienced a moment before, even though it is actually new. After doing some research, I found some answers for why it happens and who experiences it:

While they isn’t an exact specific cause of deja vu, scientists believe this happens because of the way the brain processes memories and information. they shows that déjà vu is most common in teenagers and young adults because their brains are more active in creating and storing memories (1) as they are growing up. But as people age, déjà vu tends to happen less often.

One reason déjà vu may happen is because of a small delay in the brain’s memory system. The brain may process the same moment twice very quickly, making the second experience feel familiar even though it’s happening for the first time (2). For example, someone might walk into a classroom and suddenly feel like they have already lived that exact moment before.

Stress and fatigue can also increase the chances of experiencing déjà vu (3). When people are tired, the brain may not process information carefully, which can create memory confusion. For example, students who are stressed during exams or not sleeping enough may notice déjà vu more often.

Scientists have also connected déjà vu to brain activity in the temporal lobe, the part of the brain involved in memory (4). In rare cases, intense or frequent déjà vu can be linked to neurological conditions such as Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. However, for most people, déjà vu is completely normal and harmless.

My last theory I found, is that déjà vu happens when a current situation is similar to a forgotten memory (5). Even if a person does not consciously remember the original experience, the brain recognizes parts of it, creating a feeling of familiarity. For example, visiting a new place that resembles somewhere seen years ago in a dream, movie, or childhood memory could trigger déjà vu.

1. https://www.britannica.com/science/deja-vu-psychology
2. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know/deja-vu
3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brain-reboot/202312/the-fascinating-science-of-deja-vu
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/temporal-lobe-seizure/symptoms-causes/syc-20378214
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8149215/

Thank you for reading my Blog post 5!

Elizabeth