Abbas Abdulrazaq Hashim Kareem

Department of English

“Déjà vu”

1-Introduction 

We will answer the question of why we sometimes feel like we’ve experienced a situation before. “The word déjà vu is French and means, actual, “seen before”. Those who have witnessed the feeling defined it as an astounding sense of familiarity with something that shouldn’t be usual at all” (Kisa et.al.2016, p.47). Déjà vu is a French term that means “already seen.” In fact, the name itself perfectly encapsulates the phenomenon and its details. The phenomenon of déjà vu refers to situations where some people feel as though they have experienced a particular moment or scenario before. And it’s not just a few people who experience déjà vu; in reality, it’s a phenomenon that affects a very large number of individuals. More than two-thirds of humanity has experienced déjà vu. Considering the global population is around 7 billion people, this means that approximately 4.6 billion individuals have encountered this experience at least once in their lives. These individuals perceive certain situations and events as if time is repeating itself, feeling that they have already lived through the same moment before. There are countless philosophies as to why déjà vu happens. Swiss scholar Arthur Funkhouser proposes that there are certain “déjà experiences” and defends that in order to study better the phenomenon, the implication among the experiences need to be recognized.

2-What is the typical age range for experiencing déjà vu?

According to statistics, déjà vu typically does not occur in individuals under the age of 8. This means that anyone younger than this age has likely not experienced it yet. However, as they grow older and approach their twenties, they may notice that the frequency of déjà vu gradually increases. Interestingly, when reaching an older age, such as 70 or 80 years old, they will find that the phenomenon begins to decrease again, returning to a state similar to childhood. This pattern has led some researchers to link déjà vu to human brain development. But Brown, and Alan explained Déjà-vu is a non-cognitive fault in which a situation has the sense of intimacy despite there being no definite antecedent in the past. Incidence of déjà-vu is most when people are in their 20s and almost fade after age 50 (2003)

During childhood, brain growth is relatively limited, but as individuals progress into adolescence and young adulthood, brain development intensifies. However, this growth does not continue indefinitely. At a certain age, brain development slows down and eventually begins to decline. 

But beyond all these observations, why do we even experience déjà vu in the first place? One of the earliest theories proposed to explain this phenomenon is that it is closely associated with epilepsy. People who experience epileptic seizures are considered to be more prone to feeling déjà vu than others.

3- why does déjà vu happen?

The first attempt to understand déjà vu lies in the concept of dual processing. This phenomenon occurs within the human body, specifically in the brain, when two processes happen simultaneously. If there’s a sudden synchronization issue between these two processes, déjà vu may occur. To put it simply, there are different parts of the brain responsible for storing events and memories. One part is responsible for storing short-term or temporary events, which are later transferred to another part of the brain called the hippocampus, responsible for long-term memory storage. Occasionally, a lack of synchronization occurs in the process of storing short-term and long-term memories. This mismatch creates the sensation of déjà vu, making you feel as though you are re-experiencing something from the past. The hippocampus mistakenly registers the event you are currently experiencing as an old event or a long-term memory. Then, a fraction of a second later, it records the same event again in your short-term memory as a short-term experience. This synchronization error causes the brain to feel as though it has lived through the situation before. Essentially, it perceives the current event as an old memory, even though it is entirely new and happening in real-time.

But does the explanation stop there? Not quite. Another significant theory that seeks to explain déjà vu suggests that the phenomenon is entirely based on familiarity. According to this theory, if you’ve ever experienced déjà vu, it could be because there is something in the current situation that you are already familiar with, even if you don’t consciously realize it.

The second explanation is happened because the brain received the same data twice in succession, rather than simultaneously. Due to this mix-up, the brain perceives the second set of data—received from the left eye—as familiar, as though it had been seen before. This is because it was indeed seen moments earlier, when the right eye transmitted the information.

In simple terms, this explanation suggests that déjà vu occurs because the brain receives data from the eyes consecutively instead of simultaneously, as it usually does. The brain treats the first set of data as a memory and the second set as new information, comparing the two and perceiving the second as similar to an old memory. This creates the sensation of familiarity and leads to the thought: “I’m certain I’ve experienced this before!” Although the phenomenon of déjà vu has been explained scientifically to a large extent, there are still some rather strange interpretations floating around that lack any evidence. Let’s be clear: the following explanations have no scientific basis.

Who among us hasn’t heard this one? Some people try to link déjà vu to the time spent as a fetus in the mother’s womb. Some claim that the phenomenon occurs because a fetus sees its entire life play out before its eyes while in the womb. Then, as the person grows older and encounters these events again, they feel a sense of familiarity, having “seen” them before. If you’re someone who has been influenced by this explanation. This explanation is entirely baseless. There is no scientific evidence to support it, nor is there any religious or scriptural proof to validate such claims—no hadith, no Quranic verse, no interpretation, nothing at all.

Another group claims that we actually lived an entirely different life before this one, and we have memories from that life. When we do something in this life that resembles those memories. Of course, such claims and assertions don’t stop there, and there’s plenty more along those lines. 

4- Conclusion 

However, there is absolutely no evidence to support these ideas, and they are not even logically or rationally acceptable. In the end, the burden of proof lies with the one making the claim. Anyone who has an opinion to present must provide evidence.

In reality, despite the widespread rumors about the dangers of déjà vu for those who experience it, scientifically speaking, déjà vu is a completely natural phenomenon. There’s no need for concern, and it is not an indicator of any type of brain disorder, as some believe. The phenomenon has been familiar and prevalent among humans for thousands of years.

5- References 

Altaf, Kisa & Noushad, Shamoon & Ahmed, Sadaf. (2016). Understanding DÉJÀ VU. Annals of Psychophysiology. 3. 47. 10.29052/2412-3188.v3.i1.2016.47-48.

 Brown, Alan S. “A review of the deja vu experience.” Psychological bulletin129.3 (2003): 394