Is Deja Vu Real or a Mirage?
By Safiya Syed
Human Brain
The human body has five important organs that help us live and breathe, the brain, heart, kidney, and liver, lungs. Out of all of these organs, the most complex is the Brain which has 86 billion nerve cells. Everyone should be able to understand how our brain works because it is the most vital part of the system and is the home to our nervous system, feelings, memories, dreams, and even concepts like Deja vu.
What is Deja Vu?
Deja Vu is the concept of already seeing something before it has happened or reliving a moment that occurred in the past. According to Medical News today “The experience is relatively widespread, too; according to various surveys, almost two-thirds of people have experienced this otherworldly flashback feeling” (Newman). Many psychologists and neurologists have been unable to understand why and how Deja vu occurs, a simple test or a look into the brain wouldn’t be able to tell us. The brain has different ways it deals with traumas or memories. Is the brain playing a trick on our minds and creating these freaky moments or is there real scientific reasoning behind these odd feelings?
I sat down with Shabreen Syed (Bank Of Montreal) to find out what she knew about Deja vu and if she thinks it is real or if it’s a trick of the mind?
Do you know what Deja Vu is?
Shabreen — Not sure, just things people believe in such as a bad omen and all the blind beliefs. Not sure if it’s true or false.
Have you ever experienced the feeling of Deja vu or think you may have and just didn’t know the correct term?
Shabreen — I don’t remember specifically, but even if I did I wouldn’t know if it would be deja vu or just me.
Do you think it is possible to relive a moment from the past? Do you think it is your brain playing trick or has to do with a person’s beliefs?
Shabreen — I think it’s beliefs, It is like everybody has their own views, personally, I don’t believe you can and there is a scientific explanation for it.
How does Deja Vu occur and Why?
Deja vu is a phenomenon that many people believe to be true and to others, there is a scientific explanation to this idea of reliving a moment. Scientists and doctors have been doing studies and research to figure out why someone may experience the feeling of deja vu and there have been many theories. Many doctors have connected Deja vu back to a health condition called Temporal-lobe Epilipsey, where a person may experience seizures by the temporal lobe in the brain and this may lead to people experiencing moments of deja vu before the seizures or during the seizures. There are phycologists who say that the brain creates an illusion that makes a person mistake the present as the past.
To gain a better understanding I talked with Sanya Hussain, a mental health professional at Thresholds.
What are your expert thoughts and idea regarding Deja vu?
Sanya Hussain — I think there is a scientific explanation, It’s when your brain cells move slowly it feels like the moment has repeated itself when it actually hasn’t.
Do you think it is something real or a mirage of the brain or human emotions?
Sanya Hussain — I think it is possible that it is emotional or from your subconscious memory, but then I still think there is a scientific explanation for it, and the brain is giving you an illusion that you have experienced this before.
When you were studying phycology was this idea of Deja Vu ever brought up or Did your professor explain the meaning behind it?
Sanya Hussain — I vaguely remember they spoke of it, but most of my professors also believed there was a scientific and logical explanation to things such as Deja vu.
The Brain helps us function every day but there are moments where we get swept up in our lives that it starts to play tricks on us and we don’t realize it. After doing the research and talking with experts, the concept of Deja vu is a mirage of the brain that reminds of the small memories from our subconscious and our job is to understand what is real and what is not.
