Do you really know? Why am I experiencing deja vu?
Nov 24, 2025
Déjà vu is a fleeting and unsettling sensation that feels like you've experienced a moment before. It's surprisingly common, with research indicating that most people have felt it at least once. Historical interpretations, from Plato to St Augustine, offer fascinating insights into its origins. Scientifically, it may be linked to memory glitches in the brain. Factors like fatigue and stress can intensify déjà vu, and frequent episodes might warrant a visit to a doctor. Ultimately, it's mostly harmless but intriguingly mysterious!
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What Déjà Vu Feels Like
- Déjà vu is the sensation of having already seen or experienced a present situation despite knowing you haven't.
- The episode notes it can occur in new places like a city street and feels vivid but fleeting.
Déjà Vu Is Almost Universal
- Déjà vu is very common, affecting most people at least once in life according to different studies.
- Psychology Today estimates 60–70% experience it sometimes, while other research suggests over 97% have had it.
Ancient Explanations Persisted
- Philosophers and writers have wrestled with déjà vu since ancient Greece, offering supernatural and reincarnation explanations.
- Plato argued it proved past lives while St Augustine blamed demonic spirits.