Deja Vu Essay

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Déjà vu: There May Be a Reason I moved into my new apartment with two of my housemates on a Tuesday afternoon. As we started to move our luggage bags in, I had the eerie feeling that I had experienced this exact same situation before and even knew what we were going to do next. I knew this was impossible because it was only the first day upon my arrival in the United States. I did not pay much attention to the strange sensation I had until I came to learn that this feeling of having been somewhere or done something before is known as “Déjà vu.” It has piqued my interest to learn more about it, as I have came across some other people who have had the same illusion as well. In fact, déjà vu is said to have received much attention from philosophers, physicians, poets, psychologists, scientists, and researchers for over 150 years; it has recently begun to spur more interest and further studies on the possible causes which trigger this odd feeling. Historically, the term “déjà vu” comes from a French term, meaning “already seen.” It is defined as a sudden feeling of familiarity that people have. For instance, in my case, arriving in a new place for the first time and finding it familiar is an example of déjà vu illusion. According to Brown (2004) in his article “The Déjà vu Illusion,” déjà vu is a common sensation for many. Also, Cleary, Ryals, and Nomi (2009), from Colorado State University, claim that most people have experienced this odd feeling at some point in their lifetimes. In light of evidence that the déjà vu phenomenon is widely experienced by the general public, it has provided grounds for researchers to further examine what evokes this anomalous experience encountered by many. In fact, there are a wide variety of approaches used in explaining the déjà vu phenomenon, ranging from scientific explanations such as brain dysfunction and seizure activity in

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