The Science Behind
Deja Vu Why Does it Happen to You?
by Kyle Banker Design: Isabella M. Lozano
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ntroduction Have you ever walked into a restaurant in Key Biscayne for the first time that you swore you had already visited? What about having a conversation about the emerging University of Miami football team that you felt sounded familiar? You suddenly feel convinced that you have been in this situation, but you are unsure why. When you tell your friends, “I swear we have done this before,” they will likely give a confused look and respond, “What are you talking about?” From this, you feel bewildered and wonder why you had an eerie sensation as if that experience had previously occurred. This typical and trending feeling across college students is known as déjà vu, or “already seen” in French. Almost two out of three people worldwide have experienced déjà vu, with rates being the highest among people between the ages of 15 and 25. As a college student, and someone that falls between the prevalent age range, it is likely that you have had this experience throughout your time at the University of Miami. However, it is still somewhat misunderstood why déjà vu happens and what triggers this experience in our brain. As a result, let us understand why we thought we already talked about Sebastian the Ibis at Smoothie King or how we listened to the same song in the car while driving past the exact same Publix. After this article, you will understand why déjà vu exists and its role at the University of Miami. What is Déjà Vu? The expression “déjà vu” originated from the French
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philosopher Émile Boirac in 1876, where Boirac had a similar experience as one you may have in a few weeks. After using the term in his book L’Avenir des sciences psychiques in 1917, the concept of déjà vu has since been applied internationally. In the present day, we use the following universal definition to describe déjà vu: “any subjectively inappropriate impression of familiarity of the present experience with an undefined past.” To expand on this definition, there is no issue with your brain if you occasionally experience déjà vu. Most individuals experiencing these illusions are entirely healthy; only in rare cases does déjà vu indicate a neurological disorder. According to multiple studies done in the past few decades, people who report experiencing déjà vu experience it about once a year. The frequency of déjà vu is also experienced equally by both men and women, and its occurrence has been found to decrease with age. Another interesting finding is that those who are more educated or have higher socioeconomic status are more likely to experience déjà vu. Despite many studies involving déjà vu, it is very difficult to study the phenomenon as the feeling occurs randomly. Some scientists have even tried using hypnosis or virtual reality as a method of influence; unfortunately, these researchers did not achieve obtainable results. This fleeting and unpredictable time block makes déjà vu a very intriguing area of research. While we cannot understand everything about this feeling, scientists have generated strong reasoning behind its occurrence through neuroscience and psychology. Explanation Through Neuroscience & Psychology Scientists have found that feelings of exhaustion and stress tend to
