The Cause of the Dj Vu Phenomenon - Research Paper Example

Déjà vu Name Institution Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Research question 3 Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Literature Review 4 Findings and Analysis 8 Conclusion 13 Position as a writer 14 References 15 Research question Since it was first studied, déjà vu has continued to elicit every kind of contrasting reactions concerning its causes from researcher, other scholars and the general public. At some point in time one has experiences that he has heard particular words said before in the same way, in the same setting and a particular song sang before in the same manner and in the same setting. This recollection and recognition between events that are familiar is what conjures up the whole debate of what is referred to as déjà vu. It make someone wonder if this experience is particular to certain individuals or is it experienced by everyone and what could be the cause of the déjà vu phenomenon. Abstract Déjà Vu is a feeling that someone is re-experiencing some particular event from the past in the present. Déjà Vu can be experienced by anyone at one moment or the next. Déjà vu is an issue that is challenging to discuss since it occurs in brief, on in certain people, unannounced and has no physical manifestations or witness other than the person experiencing it. As a result of this challenge there can no definite explanations and firm research concerning the déjà vu phenomenon. Studies on déjà vu have to rely on personal recollections and descriptions for the data. In this paper the possible plausible explanations of déjà vu have been discussed following several studies that have been conducted. The intriguing topic of déjà will be explored at length drawing the relevant conclusions from the findings. Introduction For almost two centuries different personalities in a variety of fields have tried to come up with credible reasons for déjà vu experience. Philosophers, paranormal experts, physicists and psychologists have all come up with numerous theories inn an effort to explain the déjà vu phenomenon. Badke (2004) notes that as the years went by, many scientists overlooked déjà vu completely owing to its frequent association with experiences in the past life and alien abductions. Apparently these associations created a stigma for déjà vu. However in recent times there has been resurgence in experiments aiming at providing possible and plausible explanations for this unique phenomenon. Some of the efforts of the various personalities that have contributed to studies in déjà vu have been described in this paper (Brown, 2004). Literature Review According to Neppe (1983), déjà vu is a very common phenomenon. It is estimated that close to one third of all the population has experience of the déjà vu phenomenon that is most common. Owing to the subjective and usually indescribable nature of feelings associated with it, it has proved hard to determine or tell who is actually experiencing déjà vu. In general terms, however, déjà vu is simply any figure of hard-to-explain sometimes of occurrences that are upsetting of recognition that is unexpected, whereby the person involved has a problem in identifying the events antecedents and/or places which appear intensely and strangely familiar. Déjà vu has briefly been described as familiarity without awareness. Whereas the situational cues of a déjà vu tend to be familiar, there is definite absence of awareness concerning the particular source of memory (Neppe, 1983). Three types of déjà vu have been defined in an effort to more clearly delineate between associated but different, experiences that are neurological. These include: déjà senti (already felt), déjà visite (already visited, and déjà vecu (already experienced). The most common experience is déjà vecu and comprises of the sensation of having been in an identical situation, having done something earlier and being aware of what will happen next. The sensations are usually felt through several senses: hearing, seeing, touch, taste and perceptions that are pro-prioceptive. The experience is usually detailed incredibly and often related to activities that are very normal. Whereas the real episode lasts from only several minutes to a fraction of a second, it can usually be remembered in minute detail long after the occurrence of the episode. Whoever experiences has a strong feeling what is currently happening has in the past or before happened in the similar way and identical situation (Kendrick, 2005). Déjà senti can be differentiated from déjà vecu in such a way that the episode of recollection feels more similar to the recovery of information that is long sought. The sensation is one of contentment at having retrieved a memory in spite of the memory not being sought actively. This déjà vu form does not comprise of any feeling of apprehension and the action is quickly clearly from the memory. Déjà vu senti has been associated strongly with the experiences of partial seizure by temporary lobe of patients with epilepsy. These episodes extended nature has permitted for descriptions that are more detailed of the feelings that are associated with an event of déjà senti. It is as if ones dreams has been brought in the reality and set out to play again in detail (Harris & Turkington, 2009). Déjà visite is an event that is rare in which a person may visit a place that is new and suddenly feels that the place is familiar. It is closely associated with spatial dimensions whereas déjà vecu is related to processes and situations. Hickman (2009) says experiences of déjà vu can be one among the three forms of déjà vu that have been described or may be an integrated version with an effect of combined déjà vu. There are numerous possible explanations for what real happens during déjà vu. One of those possibilities is simply the occasional mismatch that is made by the brain in its attempt that is continuous to create pictures that are whole sensical from small pieces of information. Analyzing memory as a hologram, only bits of sensory information are required for the brain to come up with entire images that are three dimensional (Badke, 2004). When a sensory input is received by the brain (sound, smell, sight) that is similar strikingly to such a detail that has been experienced in the past, the whole image of memory is brought forth. The brain takes the past to be the present following one tiny bit of sensory information. It is this mismatch between the present and the past sensory information that occasions the sense of unease and disconcertment that is associated with a déjà vu that is passing. This particular theory provides an explanation that is satisfactory of déjà vu physical effects. These, in many ways appear to be identical to the effects of mismatch between corollary discharge and sensory input to the brain. Kendrick (2005) notes that it however, does not appear to give answers that are sufficient to déjà vu individual accounts, where the memory image that is pulled out is not necessarily that of an event from the past. Another déjà vu explanation is that there exists a small malfunctioning between the short-term and long-term brain’s memory circuit. In a way that is not elaborate, particular information shortcuts its way from the short to long term memory storage in this way it bypasses the mechanisms that are usually used for memory transfer. The fine details relating to this shortcut are not to the present well understood. When this recent information piece is drawn up, the individual thinks that the piece is emanating from long term storage and therefore must have come from a distant past. A theory that is similar suggests that the error occurs in the timing of the cognitive and perceptive processes. Sensory information is rerouted along the way to memory storage, and therefore not perceived immediately (Badke, 2004). The delay that is short results in the sensation of remembering and experiencing something simultaneously which is a feeling that is unsettling. Another possible explanation is that déjà vu is in real sense the process of memory connection remembering, of following the synapses and impulses. All the neurobiological explanation for déjà vu seem intriguing and plausible and more likely there is some combination or overlap that explain experiences that are different that are called déjà vu. Other déjà vu explanations have been provided by psychoanalysts, like the manifestation of fulfillment of a wish. In this case, déjà vu is the repetition of experience in the past that has an ending that is more positive (Sparks, 2007). The parapsychology realm proposes that déjà vu is a chance for reincarnates to get a sneak peak into the life that is past. Many of the scientists scoff these ‘magical’ explanations for events that are neurological citing that claiming that they contravene many laws of nature. Some, nevertheless, pinpoints the recent findings in physics, whereby the possibility of particles that are able that can travel backwards in time, multiple universe and time loops. They say that these may provide reason for ways that are non-traditional of seeing causality and for the possibility of neurological time travel. According to Sparks (2007), this translates to the fact that understanding of déjà vu as means of seeing into the future or past cannot be so dismissed immediately. It certainly creates food for thought for the debate that is rising. It is vital to note the degree of consciousness involved in episode of déjà vu. There are threads that are common that run through many experiences déjà vu. When one is in the midst of a déjà vu occurrence, one is conscious that everything conforms to the memory of it. And one knows exactly what happening around him when it occurs. This translates to the fact that entire brain participation is not necessary for the production of a déjà vu experience (Badke, 2004). Findings and Analysis In the recent times as more scientists plunged into the study of the déjà vu phenomenon, several theories have emerged, suggesting that it may not be merely a glitch in the brain memory system on an individual. New report from Colorado State University published by a psychologist gives a description of recent findings concerning déjà vu and more so the similarities that exist between individual understanding of human recognition memory and déjà vu. Recognition memory is the memory type that permits one to realize that what is currently being experienced has sometime been experienced before, like when we recognize a friend on the street or make out a familiar song over the radio. The brain according to research fluctuates between two different types of memory recognitions: familiarity and recollection. Recognition based on recollection happens when one points out an instance when a prevailing situation has occurred previously. For instance, spotting a man who is familiar at a store and realizing that realizing it the same man spotted on the bus before. Recognition based on familiarity happens when the prevailing situation feels familiar but it can not be remembered when it happened before. For instance, the familiar man at the store can be spotted but it can not be remembered the instance where he was seen. Déjà vu is believed to be a form of recognition that is based on familiarity. Badke (2004) argues that during Déjà vu one is convinced that he recognizes the situation but is not sure why he does so. In a study done to test familiarity based recognition participants were provided with a list of names of celebrities. Thereafter they were shown a celebrity photographs collection; some of the photographs did not correspond to the names on the list while others did. The participants were asked to identify the celebrities in the photographs and also indicate how likely it was the name of the celebrity that was on the list provided to them before. The findings were amazing. Even in a situation where the participants were unable to identify a celebrity by photo, they possessed a sense of which names they had earlier studied and which ones they had not studied. In this case they could not identify the source of their familiarity with the celebrity, but deep inside them they new that the celebrity was familiar to them. The experiment was carried out again substituting famous places such as Taj Majal and Stonehenge instead of celebrities, and similar results were obtained. The findings indicate that the participants had a little bit of memory stored, but the information was hazy, and consequently they were not able to link it to the new experience (Badke, 2004). More experiments were carried out to determine what features or elements of situations could spark off feelings of familiarity. Participants were made to study a random list of words. In the course of a word recognition test, some of the words that were in the test resembled the earlier words, but only in sound, for instance eighty sounds similar to lady, nevertheless, the participants reported a familiarity sense for the new words, even in the case when they could not recall the word presented earlier, words that sounded similar were a source of this similarity. Research done earlier has demonstrated that many people develop a sense of familiarity when they are represented with a visual fragment that contains geometric shapes that are isolated from a previous experience. This brings forth a suggestion that familiar geometric shapes may build a sense which portrays the entire new seen to have been viewed earlier. These findings give support to the idea that episodes and events which are experienced by people are stored in the memory as fragments or individual elements of that particular event. Déjà vu may happen when particular aspects of a prevailing situation resemble specific aspects of situations occurring previously; if a lot of overlap is reported between old and new situations, a strong feeling of familiarity is usually reported. As reported by the researchers there are many parallel between the theories of human recognition and explanations for déjà vu. The laboratory methods and familiarity based recognition that are used to study Déjà vu may be used specifically for elucidating the process underlying the experiences of déjà vu. In studies conducted in Stanford University it was found out that the hippocampus made it possible for human beings to recall events. The medial temporary lobe took part in an individual’s conscious memory. In side the medial temporary lobe the amydala, the rhinal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus are found (Andre, 2004). The parahippocampal gyrus made it possible for an individual to establish what is familiar and what is not without the actual retrieval of specific memory to perform the function. It was found out that almost sixty percent of people reported to have experienced déjà vu with the highest rates being reported in youths between the age of 25 and 15. The upper age differs for various researchers but most of them have concluded that the déjà vu experiences come down with the advancement in age. Interestingly there have been higher déjà vu experiences reported among individuals with higher incomes, those having high levels of education and those are in the habit of travelling more. The power to recall dreams and active imaginations has been the common characteristics among individuals who have reported experiences of déjà vu. Some research has also established that the more stressed and tired the person is, the more likely that he will experience déjà vu. On the contrary, however, other researchers have established exactly the opposite. They have reported that the more relaxed and refreshed the person is, the higher the possibility of experiencing déjà vu. It is obvious that the final conclusions about déjà vu are yet to be made (Hollaway, 2006). . In another research, researchers used a mouse that was genetically altered to demonstrate how the dentate gyrus adds up to the type of pattern separation that is involved in telling the difference between the old and the new faces. Research had a strong belief that a set of neurons called place fire to provide a sort of blueprint for any new space that is encountered. The next time an individual sees the place, the same neurons fire. Consequently one is able to tell if he has been in a place before and there is no need of relearning his way around a turf that is familiar. But if a person enters a place that is very similar to one he has seen before, an overlapping and new set of neurons creates the blueprint. When there is an overlap that is enough between the two sets, an individual is bound to undergo an eerie feeling of déjà vu experience which translates to, ‘already seen’, which is the French expression that was first studied in France but not extensively. In the experiments that involved mice that were genetically engineered to the absence of gene in the dentate gyrus, the researchers were able to establish the signaling pathway underlying the recall of specific places. Sets of mice that were different were put in two similar chambers; one of them gave them a mild foot shock. In three days time the mice began to freeze in fear in both chambers including the one in which they were not affected (Hollaway, 2006). In a period of two weeks, the mice that were normal learned to associate only one of the chambers with the foot shocks whereas recognizing the second chamber as safe. The mice that were genetically engineered have a transient but significant deficit in their ability to distinguish context that are similar. This study demonstrates that, plasticity which is the ability to change in response to experience in dentate gyrus greatly contributed to fine-tuning pattern separation and spatial learning. One finding that is reported is that more political liberal and open-minded an individual is, the more chances of that person experiencing déjà vu. Nevertheless, this translates to the more open-minded a person is, the more likely he is to talk about something potentially viewed as weird as déjà vu (Andre, 2004). According to Michaels (2010), the déjà vu experience incidence relies on déjà vu operational definitions, the instrument used to measure, and the recognition and recall of experience of déjà vu by the subject. By the early 1980s 16 studies of déjà vu existed, but the specific ones using adequate sampling were two of the studies that were carried out by a research Neppe who also utilized adequate screening questionnaires for déjà vu. A study that is more adequate should utilize a huge sample that is randomized for the general population in a prospective study of frequency and incidence in the person. Overall almost seventy percent of the population reported déjà vu. Conclusion Déjà vu experiences since the first time they were reported and studied have continued to elicit every kind of reactions from researchers and the general public. In this paper the various studies that have been conducted on déjà vu experience have been discussed and the possible shortcomings pinpointed. What has been agreed on is that déjà vu experience is a reality that leaves more room for further reaches and discussions to carry out. It could be one of the aspects in life which we know they are there but is difficult to prove. The explanations in this paper will give light to some who have experienced déjà vu and have not asked themselves what is the real cause of the phenomenon. Position as a writer In my own position as the writer I see déjà vu experience as reality in day to day life that has been experienced by high percentage of the population. There are times when I have gone to new places and had a strong feeling deep inside me that I had been there before but I could not place the occasion. I recall incidences that I have heard words that had been said before in the same manner and by the same persons. Although there are many explanations that have been put forth to explain the déjà vu phenomena, a majority of them are plausible although more research could go along way to clarify the missing links. I agree that is no one possible explanation of causes of déjà vu and the experience may vary from one person to the other. I am looking forward to some of the readers being confounded by some of the findings in this paper while others will node in agreement to numerous research and explanations given to explain déjà vu phenomena. I believe there are some who will feel that more research needs to be done before they accept any explanation for déjà vu experiences. References Brown, A. S. (2004). The déjà vu experience. New York: Psychology Press. Michaels, F. (2010). Déjà vu. Hartland: Zebra Books. Neppe, V.M. (1983). The psychology of déjà vu: have I been here before? Witwatersrand: Witwatersrand University Press. Kendrick, R. (2005). Déjà vu. Los Angeles: Vagabond Press. Sparks, B.L. (2007). Déjà Vu: In the Blink of an Eye. Indiana: Author House. Badke, W.B. (2004). Research strategies: finding your way through the information fog. Bloomington: iUniverse. Hollaway, K.J. (2006). New Research on Epilepsy and Behavior. New York: Nova Publishers. Andre, C. (2004). Déjà Vu. Wisconsin: Hard Shell Word Factory. Hickman, F. (2009). Brain sense: the science of the senses and how we process the world around us. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Harris, J. & Turkington, C. (2009). The encyclopedia of the brain and brain disorders. New York: InfoBase Publishing. Read More