Research Paper Intro

 Déjà vu can be defined as the experience of believing a current situation has

taken place previously.  When translated from French it means, "already seen."  Déjà vu

is a common occurrence; almost every person has experienced it once or more in their

lifetime.  There is not any recorded background on déjà vu before about the beginning of

the 1800's.  One of the earliest accounts of recorded déjà vu was written by Sir Walter

Scott in 1815.  He wrote, "Why is it that some scenes awaken thoughts which belong as it

were to dreams of early and shadowy recollection, such as my old Brahmin Moonshie

would have ascribed to a state of previous existence."  Since then, people have began to

study this topic in hopes of learning more about it.

    There is a need for the study of déjà vu because it is still a mystery to us.  It has

been described (and has remained) a "symptom without a psychological function." Since

so many people share this experience, it is important for researchers and scientists to learn

more about it.  It seems as though nobody can come to a consensus about the cause and

function of this occurrence.  Its meaning and mechanisms remain unclear.  Is it an

emotional, psychological, or even spiritual manifestation? There are many theories that

attempt to answer this question.  Because we know so little about it, we cannot declare

that one is the correct, definite cause.  People are left to decide for themselves.

    The purpose of this piece is to examine all of the various possible causes and

meanings of déjà vu.  By analyzing each, we will be better equipped to decide for

ourselves the purpose of déjà vu.  Why do people have déjà vu? What triggers it? Can it

be prevented? These are all questions that people want answers to, but there may not be a

definite answer.  The purpose of this paper is to examine all the possible answers to these

questions, with the highest level of credibility possible. 

    One of the first beliefs about this experience came from a young medical doctor,

in 1870, who wrote a paper titled “The Practitioner.”  In this piece,  he wrote that he had

often had déjà vu experiences as a boy, but that these had become "more intense and more

frequent than usual" just preceding his first epileptic attack.  He mentions that the latter

had been triggered during a time of overwork, which suggests that fatigue was possibly a

trigger. He said that on two occasions an incident of déjà vu was followed the next day by

an epileptic seizure. Thus, he believed that déjà vu could be indicative of epilepsy.

    A little later, in the late 19th century, medical opinion seemed agreed that déjà vu

was a disorder of memory (a paramnesia). Around the turn of the century, the problem

was ignored, and attention shifted to the development of narrow models of memory.  This

left no room for the study of the complexities of déjà vu.

    Other theories for déjà vu include that it is a neurological disorder.  When

components in the brain don’t relay information correct, it can cause this feeling.

Something that happened two seconds ago can feel like a distant memory.  Another

theory is that this experience is caused by reincarnation.  When someone experienced

their current situation sometime in their past life, déjà vu will occur.  All theories deserve

attention, and we will examine each.

    First, we will synthesize and analyze all the possible causes of the occurrence.

Included will be quotes by doctors, writers, and peoples’ individual beliefs.  Each will

have supporting evidence, and examples.  By examining all the possible theories, it will

be revealed what triggers each, what the meaning is of each, and how to possibly prevent

it.  Perhaps some people will not be afraid of it if they know why it happens.  Ultimately,

it will be left up to each individual do decide for themselves what they believe is the

cause.

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