Science & Technology

Scientists explore brain 'glitch' that is the exact opposite of deja vu

By T.K. Randall
May 8, 2025

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Most of us will be familiar with the sensation of having lived a particular moment before - a phenomenon known as deja vu - but there is another, lesser known variation of this known as jamais vu that can occur when you get the sense that something that should be familiar to you suddenly feels 'alien' or unknown.

An example of this once happened to psychology professor Dr Akira O'Connor of the University of St Andrews in Scotland who has since been working to understand how the phenomenon arises.

He had been driving along when, all of a sudden, he got an overwhelming sense of jamais vu and had to pull over to remind himself how to use the steering wheel and pedals.

He and his colleagues have since determined that this strange sensation can happen when something you are doing (such as driving) becomes so automatic that your brain suddenly snaps you out of that automation and requires you to consciously think about it again.

The researchers found that they could reproduce the phenomenon on demand by asking volunteers to repeatedly write down the same word over and over again.Around 70% of those participating ended up having to stop at least once due to jamais vu.

Those who experienced it described it as being as though the word had suddenly lost all meaning.

You can experience this yourself also by verbally repeating the same word over and over.

"The feeling of unreality is in fact a reality check," the research team wrote.

"It makes sense that this has to happen. Our cognitive systems must stay flexible, allowing us to direct our attention to wherever is needed rather than getting lost in repetitive tasks for too long."

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Deja Vu, Jamais Vu