30 Reasons We All Experience Deja Vu

1. To process memories

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We have so many things happening constantly every day that become memories, images, anecdotes, everyday things, and also monumental movements that are constantly going into our brains. These all have to be processed and they are stored by our brain in the short-term memory region. Sometimes during this process it skews our memories and triggers it so we think 'huh, I feel like I've done this before'.

2. You are preparing yourself

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Our brain is constantly active and always preparing us for the next thing. So we are subconsciously assessing everything, how it will pan out, and what we can expect.  It's how it helps up navigate situations and prepare for danger. So sometimes, our brain predicts imagery of what it expects to happen so that when it does actually happen it feels as though we've already had the exact same experiences one before!

3. We're remembering somewhere familiar

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Think about where we've been and what we've done, it's such a huge and vast archive of experiences that are held up in our brains even if we don't even realize that we remember these things! They may be stored in the depths so that when we visit somewhere familiar or do something similar it then reactivates this memory which has been stored, producing the feeling that we've got deja vu!

4. Recalling dreams

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Similarly, when we have dreamed it almost feels like it does when we have experienced something in real life. We produce similar emotions in our sleep and so sometimes it is hard to separate dreams from reality. Particularly when we feel Deja Vu. We may get this experience because our brain is recalling a dream. We may not even realize that we had this dream and so we cannot tell that it is actually just a memory of a dream that we once had.

5. Repressed memories

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Sometimes deja vu can also be caused by repressed memories. Sometimes our brain represses memories so that we can no longer remember them, even if they are somewhere in our brain. This can be a defense mechanism, to preserve your emotions from having to deal with certain traumas. But sometimes these memories may come back to us in strange ways creating a feeling of deja vu, for example.

6. Stress

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Another factor that has been associated with deja vu is stress! When somebody is under stress several things are happening to their body, your body releases certain hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that can affect our brain's function including processing and memory. When you are stressed you are not likely to experience deja vu for these reasons!

7. Overactive neurons

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Another reason we may experience deja vu is because of overactive neurons. The nerves in your brain all communicate together with signals - electrical and chemical. But sometimes these neurons can be slightly disrupted due to a variety of factors, internal or external. When these neurons are disrupted it can sometimes mean that we experience the strange phenomena of deja vu.

8. Sleep deprivation

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Another factor that can also play a part in deja vu is when we are sleep deprived. When we do not have enough sleep we do not have the ability to properly consolidate memories properly because this happens whilst we are sleeping - the important processing happens. So when we're sleep deprived this is impaired. It can cause confusion between new and old memories which can lead to deja vu.

9. You're brain's out of sync

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Deja vu happens to us all from time to time and sometimes it's because our brain is a little bit out of sync. It's such a complex mechanism and it's always active that of course, sometimes there's a little hiccup in the extraordinarily complex network of neurons. The communication between these may have a small disruption in flow which can cause deja vu.

10. Emotional triggers

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We can never underestimate the power of emotions and the huge and intense effect that can have on us physically. They can massively impact our memory and perception. For example, when we come across a situation that triggers certain emotions our brain can form comparisons to past experiences that produced similar feelings which can lead to that oh-so-familiar feeling.

11. Delays in processing

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Sometimes due to a variety of reasons our brain can have a processing delay. This can be one of the factors that can lead us to getting deja vu. With our brains working 24/7, sometimes it just cannot process quickly enough because we are experiencing things at such a fast rate. For this reason, sometimes it's just a little bit slow. So this means by the time we do process the memory, we are aware it's already happened before which of course then produced the feeling!

12. Genetics!

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Some people are just genetically more likely to experience deja vu than others. Some people are more susceptible to experiencing the unusual phenomena, and it can then be passed down through genetics. So sometimes it's not a case of us having an unusual brain or strange processing rhythms, it's simply just because it runs in the family and you inherited it!

13. You are hyper-aware

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Sometimes our brain is in a state of hyper-awareness, and when this happens it is more likely that we can experience deja vu than at other times of normal brain function. This is because when we are hyper-aware we are super sensitive and switched on to everything happening around us. It can mean that the brain is less focused on the present moment and more focused on past experiences.

14. A lapse of attention

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Another of the most common reasons you may find yourself having deja vu is simply due to a lapse in attention. Sometimes we start to daydream, our attention shifts away from what is currently happening around us and it can create a gap in the processing of the image/ memory so our brain can skip details of the present. Your brain may then attempt to fill these details in using previous experiences which can create deja vu.

15. Imbalances of serotonin

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Serotonin is otherwise known as 'the molecule of happiness' as it is crucial in regulating our mood and emotions. Serotonin plays an important role in the functions of the brain meaning that when these levels are imbalanced the brain may experience strange phenomena including deja vu.  It is not exactly understood why the correlation produces deja vu, but it has been undeniably linked.

16. Dual processing

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Dual processing is when the brain has multiple activities going on at once. So for example, a situation may fire up numerous brain responses meaning that this current experience is being navigated through various cognitive routes. One route may be more direct and fast, meaning that your brain may receive it before the other producing the sensation of deja vu.

17. You're younger

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Anyone at any age can experience deja vu. However, it is much more common in young people and this is one of the largest factors involved: age. Studies show that this is much more likely to happen with younger people and that this may be because their brains are more active, and they are experiencing more things that seem new, therefore this feeling is more likely to be experienced.

18. Recognising patterns

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Our brains are so clever, that they think before something happens. For example, consciously or subconsciously your brain may be recognizing a pattern that is starting to form. So when it registers a pattern forming it then projects the expectation of the next experience based on this pattern which can make you feel as though you've done the exact same thing already.

19. A sign of epilepsy

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In some cases, deja vu can be associated with epilepsy. This is because during an epilepsy seizure abnormal electrical activity occurs within the brain. In some cases, the seizures happen in the part of the brain which is responsible for memory and emotions. So when this part of the brain experiences things that interfere, it can create strange sensations as well as deja vu as a result!

20. Levels of dopamine

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The levels of dopamine in our brain are sensitively regulated as they affect mood, pleasure, movement, and motivation. And so, levels of dopamine can have a huge factor in how we feel and act. Studies have shoes that there are links between the levels of dopamine in our body and how often we experience deja vu although the exact reason is not yet understood properly!

21. Temporal lobe seizures

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Temporal lobe seizures are specific seizure that happens in the location of the brain linked with memory, emotion, language, and senses. It makes sense that this is the area of the brain that is the most linked to deja vu, as it obscures our perception of memory and reality. Although these are not common, it is a potential cause of deja vu in certain people.

22. Alternate realities

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Now there are also fewer physical explanations as to why we experience deja vu. Some people think that there is not a physical, scientific explanation, but rather that it is caused by the experience of alternate realities. Some people believe that there are multiple realities happening at any one time and that deja vu is when we have a glimpse of this and experience the merging of one to another.

23. Memory reconstruction

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Memory reconstruction is an important process that happened in our brains when we remember the past as we do not have concrete memories of the past.  So our brains have to retrieve this memory and try and reconstruct it so that we can remember it. We couldn't possibly have accurate video footage of everything stored in our brains. When our brain accesses and reconstruct these memories it can feel like deja vu.

24. You've lived a past life

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You may have heard the theory that deja vu is a glimpse of your past life. The reason you feel like you've 'been here before' or 'experienced the exact same thing before' some people would say is because you really have. For these believers, deja vu is a glimpse into our past life and the memory we experienced in our previous life, transgressing the boundary into our current life!

25. Mismatch between perception and memory

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Sometimes when we encounter a new situation our brain stores the memory and it draws comparisons to other memories we have stored. These processes often work smoothly and we never even realize that they are happening or feel any different. But sometimes it can cause deja vu, and this can be a symptom of the brain having a mismatch between perception and reality.

26. Information from other people's experiences

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Have you ever found that you're talking about a memory at times and you can't remember if it ever happened to you, or someone you were close to? When our loved ones tell us experiences we connect deeply to them because we form attachments. So sometimes hearing about other people's stories means we cannot distinguish between theirs and ours so when we experience something similar we get deja vu.

27. You're half asleep

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Being half asleep or being in an extremely drowsy state can definitely contribute to the likelihood of experiencing deja vu. It is difficult for your brain to be fully aware of what is happening and whether it is a dream or reality. And so when deja vu happens it can be a result of the combination of these two states, distorting and disrupting our grasp.

28. Fake memories

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Sometimes we have fake memories that did not actually happen. But, watching movies and tv series can give us false memories where we think and feel as though we have experienced things before that we haven't. So when we come to do these things it creates the sense that we have done it already because we don't realize that we're drawing on a memory that wasn't true.

29. Similar experiences

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One of the most obvious and common reasons and explanations for deja vu is simply that we have done, been, or felt something very similar before. Not every experience in our life is completely new. There is a lot of repetition and when we do something that feels super similar, it created the feeling of deja vu - because we really have been here before!

30. Medial temporal lobe activation

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Deja vu has also been associated with the medial temporal lobe part of the brain. This part of the brain is responsible for making sense of and cementing our memories and experiences in our minds. But studies show that a lot of activation in this region can lead to the feeling of familiarity which, of course, can potentially trigger deja vu in some people!