Déjà vu

You might have felt it -- the feeling that you've experienced something before, but, in reality, the experience is brand new. There are over 40 theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon of déjà vu. Michael Molina explains how neuroimaging and cognitive psychology have narrowed down the theories that could explain that feeling you're having...again.

Link to Ted Lesson:

Déjà vu

First 30 seconds:

Who was Emile Boirac?

Listen to the account of the three main theories, then try to explain them to each other.

What is dual processing and how might it cause déjà vu?

What is the hologram theory and how might it cause déjà vu?

What is divided attention and how might it cause déjà vu?

Which of the three theories did you find most convincing?

Before listening again, try unscrambling these bold words:

hard enevidce
nrroaw down the field of prospects
as the scene nfoulds
a fluyrr of information
zip through pwaathys
the theory asersts
a slight ladey
in a sesen
frentagm
suonmmed up
levesa you stuck with
fangili to identity
snalublimily takes in an environment
phereripal vision
capture a feetilng moment
first-hand auntcco



Now listen and check - if you're still not sure, click on the subtitles. 



Discussion:

1. Do you often get déjà vu? Have you had any really strange moments of déjà vu?
2. Can you "make" yourself have déjà vu?
3. Did you have the feeling you had seen this video before?
4. Have you had situations that felt like déjà vu, but actually were just recurrences?




Make sentences

to narrow down
a slight delay
to summon up
a fleeting moment
a fragment
peripheral vision
subliminally
recurrent