- Have you ever been in the middle of doing something,
and suddenly been overcome with the sensation that
you've in that exact place,
doing that exact same thing before?
It can be an odd or even creepy sensation.
Billions of people experience it,
so can it be explained by science
or is it something else?
Well get ready to do the time warp again
because today, I'm going to explain not only
what this amazing phenomenon is,
but why it's fascinated the world over.
Welcome to Facts In Five,
the series that covers the coolest and most interesting
facts on a topic, in five minutes or less.
For today's episode, we are taking on that sensation
that seems inexplicable, it's your first time
doing something but it's like you've been there before,
done that before.
That's right, today's facts in five
is all about exploring the phenomenon of deja vu.
So what is deja vu?
Deja vu in French literally means, "Already seen."
And it's the sensation that what is happening to you
at that very moment, has happened to you before,
perhaps on a day you've forgotten or in a dream,
or if you believe in such things, in a previous life.
While doctors and scientists try to explain the sensation
as a neurological anomaly, other more spiritual people
claim deja vu is you tapping into your experiences,
of either your previous life,
or brace yourself for this one,
it's you temporarily accessing your shared consciousness
of all of the other "yous" in an infinite number
of alternate earths. (fake explosion)
Who experiences deja vu?
Well a study done in 2004, discovered that incredibly
over 65% of the earth's population experiences deja vu.
That's almost two thirds of all of humanity.
While anyone can feed the odd effects,
there seems to be a particular correlation between
individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy,
who experience improper electrical discharges,
and this phenomenon.
Additionally, certain pharmaceuticals
drugs such as Amantadine and Phenylpropanolamine,
can also increase the frequency and intensity
of the feeling that you're repeating a moment
from your life.
Where in the brain does deja vu occur?
Modern science has yet to determine
the exact sequence of events that occurs
in our brains, when we experience deja vu
or what areas are responsible for it.
However, most theories claim that the systems responsible
for memory, specifically within the temporal cortex,
are the prime suspects.
Remembering requires two processes working together
familiarity and recollection.
When these two become out of sync,
we can experience deja vu very intensely.
In other words, if a situation triggers our brains
as something relatively familiar
without us being able to consciously remember
the finer details of the experience,
then we experience deja vu.
So when should deja vu scare us?
Well if you experience something for the first time
but you feel like you've been there or done that before,
then it's not necessarily something
that you need to worry about.
Like I said, deja vu affects billions of people,
however if the feeling nags at you for a long period of time
or continues well after the action is over,
this could be a symptom of a much larger issue.
When deja vu experiences are prolonged,
frequent, or coupled with other issues,
such as hallucinations, it might be time
to schedule a doctor's appointment
because these are signs of psychiatric disorders
or neurological illnesses.
Why does deja vu occur?
There are multiple theories on why deja vu occurs.
The most basic of them being that you're recalling something
from a hazy memory or dream, and simply cannot
put your finger on what's familiar about it.
Additionally, while certain cultures and groups
claim deja vu is evidence of future sight and prophecies,
of course the scientific community rejects those theories,
and instead explains that it's an anomaly of memory
in which an experience is being recalled
but is actually a brand new experience for the person.
Another explanation states that the cause of deja vu
maybe something called cryptomnesia.
Which is when information is forgotten
but still stored in the brain only to reveal itself
as new and original thoughts later on.
There are actually many more theories about deja vu
with more and more coming out all the time.
At the end of the day, it's really up to you.
Is it science or something more?
And now, you're just a little bit smarter.
As always, if you enjoyed this video, give it a like.
And be sure to push the links in the description
which will subscribe you to this channel
as well as my blog channels so you never miss a video.
Thank you guys for watching, and I will see you very soon.
Peace! (robot noise)