But the topic did not reach the realm of science until quite recently. Or maybe it was a temporary hiccup in the otherwise normal operation of human memory.
People thought maybe it stemmed from mental dysfunction or perhaps a type of brain problem. Starting in the late 1800s, many theories began to emerge regarding what might cause déjà vu, which means “already seen” in French. This phenomenon, known as déjà vu, has puzzled philosophers, neurologists and writers for a very long time. Have you ever had that weird feeling that you’ve experienced the same exact situation before, even though that’s impossible? Sometimes it can even seem like you’re reliving something that already happened. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to do people experience déjà vu? – Atharva P., age 10, Bengaluru, India How can someplace you’ve never been feel so familiar?Ĭurious Kids is a series for children of all ages. See the entire list of contributing faculty and their articles here.
Colorado State is a contributing institution to The Conversation, an independent collaboration between editors and academics that provides informed news analysis and commentary to the general public.
Editor’s note: Anne Cleary, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Colorado State University, authored this piece for The Conversation in October 2022.
