#dual processing

Transcript of “What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu?”

Since Emile Boirac introduced déjà vu as a French term meaning “already seen," more than 40 theories attempt to explain this phenomenon. Still, recent advancements in neuroimaging and cognitive psychology narrow down the field of prospects. Let’s walk through three of today’s more prevalent theories…

1. First up is dual processing… this theory asserts that déjà vu occurs when there’s a slight delay in information from one of these pathways. The difference in arrival times causes the brain to interpret the late information as a separate event. When it plays over the already-recorded moment, it feels as if it’s happened before because, in a sense, it has. 

2. Our next theory deals with a confusion of the past rather than a mistake in the present. This is the hologram theory… According to the theory, … memories are stored in the form of holograms, and in holograms, you only need one fragment to see the whole picture… However, … your brain has summoned up [an] old memory without identifying it. This leaves you stuck with familiarity, but no recollection…

3. Our last theory is divided attention, and it states that déjà vu occurs when our brain subliminally takes in an environment while we’re distracted by one particular object. When our attention returns, we feel as if we’ve been here before… because you have, you just weren’t paying attention.