Similar to the previous theory, this hypothesis is another that involves memory acting incorrectly or using “ higher processing.” When we originally perceive something, our brain places it into our short-term memory. However, this theory doesn’t offer an explanation as to why déjà vu occurs when the person experiencing it doesn’t recognize any of the stimuli involved in the déjà vu. When we remember something, it increases the strength of our neural pathways, meaning we are more likely to recall something which we repeatedly think about. This would also explain why the same déjà vu experiences can recur. A certain sight or smell might trigger our subconscious mind to recall a time when we saw or heard the same thing. This helps to explain déjà vu by showing how stimuli in the environment can easily provoke a memory. A famous psychological experiment, the Grant et al study, shows that our memory is context dependent, meaning that we can recall information better when placed in the same environment in which we studied it. This hypothesis tries to explain the sensation of déjà vu by linking it to our sensory perspectives. This list includes 10 of the most interesting and thought-provoking examples! 10 A ‘Mix-Up’ Of Senses And Memory

Then just as quickly as the bizarre feeling comes, it goes and we’re back to our normal reality.Īlthough an actual cause of déjà vu has yet to be confirmed by science, over 40 theories have been proposed to try to explain it.

For a few seconds, we are convinced that we have lived the moment previously-to the point where it almost feels like we can predict what is going to happen next. Déjà vu is the name given to the unsettling feeling we get when we feel we have been in the exact same situation before.

Deja vu dreams