How do you explain deja vu?

Déjà vu is an interesting concept. It is when someone experiences a familiarity with an experience that, to their knowledge, they have never had in their lifetime. There is a lot of information about it on the internet, such as this Wikipedia link, but from what little I’ve read, it’s very difficult to prove as it is virtually impossible to duplicate.

I don’t know how to explain how it happens, if that is what you mean. There are are a lot of theories on that. One is about memories that get passed on through DNA. Another is based upon reincarnation.

As to what I think about it, I’m open to the possibility. I’ve experienced something similar to it, although in reverse.

Let’s say i visit Fluther on the 8th of July and i browse around a bit, until i come to the General section where i see a question titled: ”Will the world stop existing on December 21, 2012?”.
Then, one day later, on the 9th, i am again on Fluther to answer some questions and i check General again.
There, i see a question, titled: ”Will the world stop existing on December 21, 2012?”
The feeling one experiences then, that’s déjà vu.~

I have a feeling I was explaining this exact thing to you before…;)

Deja vu does not happen to me very often at all. But it’s funny that this question should come up as I just experienced it yesterday while watching Office Space. Yesterday was the first time I had ever seen that movie, yet there was one scene in the movie that I felt I had seen before. While I was watching that scene, it was like I could predict what was going to happen next and it seemed very familiar. Then after a few seconds, the feeling started to pass and I realized of course that I had never actually seen that scene before.

That’s how deja vu happens for me. Something happens (it could be in a movie or in real life or anything) and it feels as if I have experienced this exact same thing before, word for word, action for action. But the feeling passes after only a few seconds and I realize that I haven’t actually experienced it before. It’s a very strange phenomenon.

It’s a biochemical condition in the brain that makes you think that you you’ve experienced something before. That’s it. Sorry to disappoint.

@Rarebear It wouldn’t disappoint me at all. Do you have a link to a study or proof? Thanks!

For some reason I have always thought that I must have dreamed whatever it was that I thought was a deja vu.

@Pied_Pfeffer Wilder Penfield did experiments in the ‘50s stimulating the temporal lobe, which caused people to have simulated experiences of memory. Similar experiments have been done. It’s also a sensation that precedes many temporal lobe epilepsy attacks.

Deja vu does not happen to me very often at all. But it’s funny that this question should come up as I just experienced it yesterday while watching Office Space. Yesterday was the first time I had ever seen that movie, yet there was one scene in the movie that I felt I had seen before. While I was watching that scene, it was like I could predict what was going to happen next and it seemed very familiar. Then after a few seconds, the feeling started to pass and I realized of course that I had never actually seen that scene before.

That’s how deja vu happens for me. Something happens (it could be in a movie or in real life or anything) and it feels as if I have experienced this exact same thing before, word for word, action for action. But the feeling passes after only a few seconds and I realize that I haven’t actually experienced it before. It’s a very strange phenomenon.

I ask the question because i too have a viewpoint on what deja vu is. I believe that it is something ive dreamed or invisioned before. I just wanted to see if anyone came up with that same idea. I see that someone did. Interesting. I also read online about the epilepsy theory. Very interesting clinical observation. Thanks for the answers.