We have all had those moments where for a second, we feel like the moment we are in has somehow already happened before. It is also accompanied by a oracle like feeling where you know what’s going to happen in the next few moments.
The scary part is when it actually happens and you get freaked out for a second as to what just happened. Before being introduced to the word “Deja Vu”, it used to be especially odd but we learn as we grow that this is something that most people experience.
So, what is Deja Vu and why does it happen and make us feel all supernatural-y. If it is something that most people have experienced, there should be an explanation for it, right?
Turns out, no one knows for sure. People have suggested many theories over the years but no conclusive description or understanding of the phenomena has been put forward yet. Let’s take a look at three of the most popular ones.
- Glitch In The Matrix
This is not just a theory from a movie (The Matrix) but something that many scientists think could explain deja vu. We already know that many physicists say that our universe is only a hologram meaning that we are literally living in a simulation.
In simpler words, we are just characters in a program inside a computer of higher intelligence beings. Just like in open world games like GTA San Andreas and others.
If this is true, it could also be true that sometimes there might be a glitch in the program itself i.e. a glitch in the very fabric of space-time itself. It could be a temporary hiccup in the program.
Therefore, deja vu could just be a reset of the program or a change in some variables which would account for the ‘familiar events’ that we “know” we haven’t experienced before.
- Precognitive Dreams
Another possible explanation put forward is that deja vu has something to do with our dreams. More specifically, it is suggested that maybe we get precognitive dreams from time to time which predict something that happens in the future.
And when we do experience the same thing in real life, it feels both foreign and familiar at the same time because we mostly forget what we see in our dreams.
This would suggest that our subconscious mind has a sixth sense or a seventh sense, if you will that has the ability of glancing into the future. Since we do not understand the world of dreams, this theory cannot be tested and confirmed yet.
- Parallel Universe Theory
The multiverse theory is a theory put forward by scientists which states that there are an infinite number of universes out there each different to the rest in some respect.
That means that for every single possibility that can exist, there is a universe. So, there is a universe where you are a doctor and there is a universe where you are a president of some country.
This theory could also explain deja vu. If there really are an infinite number of universes, deja vu could occur when two different universes overlap in which you are doing the same thing or have done the same thing just recently.
It would give you an unmistakable feeling of experiencing things for a second time yet you wouldn’t be able to remember when you did it because you never did, you from the other universe did it.