Déjà vu
Déjà vu is a French term that literally means “already seen”.
The fact that déjà vu occurs so randomly and rapidly—and in individuals without a medical condition—makes it difficult to study, and why and how the phenomenon occurs is up to much speculation.
Many of us experience it. How often have you found yourself in a completely new situation, only to have a step by step replay BEFORE the events actually happen? Or, you’ll be chatting with friends or exploring a place you’ve never been when suddenly a feeling washes over you: you’ve experienced this exact moment before. The familiarity is overwhelming, and it shouldn’t be familiar at all. The sensation becomes stronger before ebbing, then completely leaves, all within a matter of seconds. Yet, chances are, you can’t pinpoint exactly when you’d experienced that premonition before.
Most of us can say it has happened more than once. Very few of us can say we have never experienced déjà vu. For many, déjà vu appears to go deeper into our psyche than brain oriented memories do. When you experience déjà vu you certainly can feel an emotional and unquantifiable sensation that is fundamentally different to remembering a lost memory, or sorting out information in your brain of who, where, what, and when an event transpired. Déjà vu just feels profoundly different than anything else we regularly encounter.
Scientific research blames it on an anomaly of memory. Medically it has been linked to a variety of disorders – schizophrenia, epilepsy, anxiety and so on. Certain drugs are believed to increase the occurences of déjà vu.
A study published in the March issue of Clinical Neurophysiology analysed the patterns of electroencephalography (EEG) signals from the rhinal cortices, hippocampus (involved in memory formation), and amygdala (involved in emotion) in epileptic patients for whom déjà vu could be induced by electrical stimulation.
Parapsychologists attribute it to reincarnation and some believe it is related to precognition.
One characteristic is common of all déjà vu experiences: we are completely conscious that they are occurring, implying that participation of the entire brain is not necessary to produce the phenomenon.
There are a ton of theories, and not much formal conclusion.
Though I do not discount or discredit any of the above explanations, I do feel that a different explanation applies to most circumstances. The recent scientific research and other historical studies into the déjà vu phenomenon have my respect, however, in regards to déjà vu, I do not feel that science has the definitive answer to explaining this phenomena.
Others, including myself, believe that ‘deja vu’ comes from spirit (God, Higher Self, Source or whatever you feel comfortable with) as a way of showing us that we are on track – that we are on a good path – the path we would choose for ourself if we could clearly see all of our options – and there are many.
You may have a completely different understanding, and I would love to hear it. It makes for an interesting discussion, and an opportunity to share experiences. Ultimately, it is up to each of us to brainstorm, research and discuss déjà vu until you come up with the answer that makes sense and feels right for you.
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