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desiree333's avatar

What Causes Deja-Vu?

Asked by desiree333 (3241points) January 13th, 2009

I always get deja-vu, and sometimes I even like kinda know what is going to happen. What causes me to get deja-vu? Are people who get it a little bit physcic or something?

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15 Answers

Mamradpivo's avatar

I think it’s caused by a glitch in the matrix.

cage's avatar

right this has come up a few times.
Think of your mind as 3 boxes.
The first box is your body, it receives info and out puts actions.
Box 2 is your short term memory.
Box 3 is your long term memory.
Box 1 receives a message, and passes it onto box 2. Here, box 2 asks box 3 if this has happened before and how it should tell box 1 to react.
A cross over in the synapses in your brain causes a small malfunction. (this happens between box 2 and 3)
Box 3 tells 2 that strangely this exact thing has happened before, and so box 2 receives this and tells box 1 the same thing. Box 1 acts out on the info stored in box 2.

It’s sad, coz i always wanted deja-vu to be like, you dream it, then it happens.

desiree333's avatar

wow that is so interesting

cage's avatar

mm, we talked about it in PE.
It’s similar to when you;re learning new things. Like a new sport.
Say you’re learning Netball, and you usually play basketball, you’ll encounter similar stuff and your long term memories of netball help your short term to work better.

laureth's avatar

Whoa, I feel like I’ve experienced this before—it must be déjà vu!

Blondesjon's avatar

@Mamradpivo and laureth…Both my answers have been taken. This has happened before.

seVen's avatar

It’s your subconscience re-collecting your dream/s you once had.

robmandu's avatar

How come, on those rare occurrences when it happens, I’m able to predict immediate events, even what other people will say?

In other words, it’s not just a feeling… but awareness of what is to come.

augustlan's avatar

@robmandu That is exactly how I experience deja vu, and why I persist in believing it is not a mis-fire of the brain, but something else entirely. I’ll be having a conversation and know exactly what will be said next, and after that and so on. I am powerless to change what I will say, too! Or doing some every day thing, and suddenly I know that the books are going to fall over – hitting the cat – causing the cat to yelp etc., before it happens. It is very surreal, and kind of freaks me the hell out!

robmandu's avatar

Dunno about you… mine are always sourced from dreams. Usually months or even years prior.

But… I never remember my dreams the next day. Last nite, nope… don’t remember any dreams.

So the déjà vu, when it occurs, puts me in a weird funk because all of a sudden the current events trigger the dream memory. And then while trying to process the dream memory, events unfold around me at about the same pace, usually lagged by just a few seconds.

So, I know what’s gonna happen… but no where near in advance to do anything meaningful to change it. And certainly never about anything important or life changing.

Meh.

cage's avatar

@augustlan @robmandu hey guys, I wish it were like that too, but sadly the best (at the moment) explanation is the one I gave. Modern science doesn’t know how telepathy works or anything like that.
And @robmandu you say that they come from dreams. This is what I used to think, but sadly it isn’t true. I know how that feels because that’s exactly how I feel it (dreams possibly YEARS before) and you think you remember the dreams too right? No. the dream is the long term memory getting confused and telling you you have sen it before, this is where the dream originates; right there and then.
I also experience the ‘long laggy’ deja-vu effect you have. And you do go “how this is a long one” but you don;t know what’s going to happen.

I’m sorry, because I wish there was something more to it. But sadly what I said it the truth.

robmandu's avatar

I hear ya, Joe.

It’s not all that cut & dried for me, though. There are exceptions. There have been a few occasions where I have remembered the dream upon waking and thought it weird (like, huh, in the dream I have two kids and I’m doing what with that diaper???) and told it to someone.

Later, when the déjà vu happens, the person I told the dream to originally is present and can confirm my recollection of the dream.

I don’t put stock in telepathy or anything of the sort. Just thought it interesting is all.

cage's avatar

lol that’s awesome :)
I’m gonna write down all the dreams I have now.

desiree333's avatar

@robmandu, and augustian I have the same kind of deja-vu too. I know whats going to happen, not just a sense of feeling like hwatevers happening has happened before. I have both types of deja vu though, knowing whtas going to happen next and having a sense of familiarness.

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