Jamais vu: the science behind eerie opposite of déjà vu

[Still Waters]

Quote

Repetition has a strange relationship with the mind. Take the experience of déjà vu, when we wrongly believe have experienced a novel situation in the past – leaving you with an spooky sense of pastness. But we have discovered that déjà vu is actually a window into the workings of our memory system.

Our research found that the phenomenon arises when the part of the brain which detects familiarity de-synchronises with reality. Déjà vu is the signal which alerts you to this weirdness: it is a type of “fact checking” for the memory system.

But repetition can do something even more uncanny and unusual. The opposite of déjà vu is “jamais vu”, when something you know to be familiar feels unreal or novel in some way. In our recent research, which has just won an Ig Nobel award for literature, we investigated the mechanism behind the phenomenon.

https://theconversation.com/jamais-vu-the-science-behind-eerie-opposite-of-deja-vu-213596

Related:

 

[newbloodmoon]

I thought that veja du the sudden realization that that something has never happened before was the opposite of deja vu. Ya learn something new every day.

[Alchopwn]

Deja Tu:  When someone is so familiar to you that you get the feeling that they've said the same thing before.

[Wistman]

Deja beh: when you get the feeling that you are pursuing a wonderful career but in reality only have a crappy job that you hate.   

[simplybill]

I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as jamais vu, but a few years ago I was signing in at a hotel when I suddenly realized I’d forgotten how to write the letter  ‘p’.

 I stood there at the front desk for a few moments with a feeling like I was in the Twilight Zone, and at the same time feeling alarmed that this was a classic symptom of dementia. I knew the shape of the letter, but in my mind I was rotating an image of the shape, rotating between  p  q  b  and the number 9.

I recovered quickly, but it was an uncomfortable, surreal experience that fortunately hasn’t been repeated. 

 

Edited September 16 by simplybill

[quiXilver]

Jamais vu is a rather common experience among those who pursue meditation and is well documented in established lineages.  While disconcerting to the experiencer, it does not necessarily imply breakdown of the cognitive function, but is often a symptom of rewiring of certain types of assumptions that go along with the perceptual modeling process.  When the familiar world of perception unfolds into new avenues of interpretation, the familiar is often experienced as brand new, or never before really seen.

Some folks experience a mild version of this after being intensely sick and bed bound or house bound for an extended length of time.  Upon first going outside again, there can be a distinct sense that while one's own neighborhood is 'familiar' it's almost as if one is seeing it for the first time.  As if some veil has been lifted and what was always there is now seen more clearly than before.

It's an expected experience and an indication of progress among those who engage in extended isolation retreats, though it seemingly can arise in anyone at any time, it's well documented in the lineages I practice within.

 

Edited September 16 by quiXilver

[Alchopwn]

10 hours ago, simplybill said:

I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as jamais vu, but a few years ago I was signing in at a hotel when I suddenly realized I’d forgotten how to write the letter  ‘p’.

 I stood there at the front desk for a few moments with a feeling like I was in the Twilight Zone, and at the same time feeling alarmed that this was a classic symptom of dementia. I knew the shape of the letter, but in my mind I was rotating an image of the shape, rotating between  p  q  b  and the number 9.

I recovered quickly, but it was an uncomfortable, surreal experience that fortunately hasn’t been repeated. 

Wow Bill, that's some late onset dyslexia. Please don't take offense, but in your shoes I'd get a mental health checkup; not for any level of craziness, but for fear of some of those old folks mental diseases settling in.  We can medicate some of those now.

Edited September 17 by Alchopwn

[fred_mc]

Yes, this has happened to me, that while driving to work the road has suddenly felt unfamiliar.

[Occupational Hubris]

I feel like this after a really good trip 

[+joc]

3 hours ago, fred_mc said:

Yes, this has happened to me, that while driving to work the road has suddenly felt unfamiliar.

I've had that experience several times as well.  I'll be driving down the road and then just suddenly get the feeling I'm going the wrong way.  

 

[simplybill]

8 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

Wow Bill, that's some late onset dyslexia. Please don't take offense, but in your shoes I'd get a mental health checkup; not for any level of craziness, but for fear of some of those old folks mental diseases settling in.  We can medicate some of those now.

No offense taken, Alchopwn. I appreciate your concern and your sound advice.

Last year I asked my primary care physician to add a mental evaluation to my annual physical, so now there’ll be a baseline for future evaluations. In the meantime, I’m putting more effort into keeping my mind active. Hopefully I can avoid the brain atrophy that can creep in during retirement. 

Edited September 17 by simplybill

[quiXilver]

I lost my Mum to dementia and it was absolutely brutal on our family.  She lost most of her ability to relate to us and all but a few of her associative memories were entirely gone.  Her body kept going for years, but everything that made her my Mother was dissolved, she was rendered a shell.

Few years back after reading the many benefits of learning new skills in our +50's and how this helps maintain brain plasticity.  Hoping to do something to stave off this potential in myself, I picked up a guitar and began learning from scratch, plodding along regularly. 

Even if it does nothing to stave off decline, it's helped my hands become more limber and on occasion my playing now puts a glint in my gal's eye.

Wishing you the best bill.  Keep on keepin on.

[Alchopwn]

18 hours ago, simplybill said:

No offense taken, Alchopwn. I appreciate your concern and your sound advice.

Last year I asked my primary care physician to add a mental evaluation to my annual physical, so now there’ll be a baseline for future evaluations. In the meantime, I’m putting more effort into keeping my mind active. Hopefully I can avoid the brain atrophy that can creep in during retirement. 

I'm pleased to hear it buddy.  Look after yourself, and if this is a new thing, still consider a fresh check.