Many believe that déjà vu is related to reincarnation or prophecy.

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When déjà vu strikes, it feels as if our brain has traveled through time, creating a moment where the past and present merge. In the mid-17th century, Charles Dickens visited the Swiss city of Lucerne for the first time. While walking along the streets, he was overcome with a strange feeling that these streets and houses seemed familiar. 

It was as if he had walked this path before, even though it was his first trip. This phenomenon, known as déjà vu, has been experienced by many famous figures throughout history. Napoleon Bonaparte felt as if he had already participated in the Battle of Waterloo and even knew its outcome. However, not everyone has had such a vivid experience. Most people, at some point or another, experience a feeling of familiarity with a place or conversation that is actually completely new. 

This strange feeling is called déjà vu, a French word meaning "seen before." Despite its common occurrence, scientists still don't fully understand why it happens. Several theories have been proposed to explain it. The memory mismatch theory suggests that déjà vu occurs when there is a conflict between current experiences and stored memories. In this case, the brain may confuse a new situation with an old, similar memory. 

For example, sitting on a new bench in a park can trigger memories of sitting on a similar bench in the past, making the entire experience seem familiar. The hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, brain regions responsible for memory, play a key role in this process. Studies have shown that during déjà vu, the brain, especially the temporal lobe, is overactive. People who are anxious or sleep deprived may experience déjà vu more. Another theory, dual processing theory, suggests that experiences are processed by the brain twice. 

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A slight delay between the two processing stages can lead to the feeling that a new experience has already occurred. This can happen when moving to a new city, where the brain processes an image of a new street and then, after a while, remembers it as if it had been seen before. Temporary electrical disturbances in the brain can also cause déjà vu. People with temporal lobe epilepsy, such as the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, often experience this sensation. Dostoevsky believed that déjà vu had spiritual significance, helping him to delve deeper into the mysteries of life. 

Another explanation is the hologram theory, which proposes that when a new experience matches a part of an old memory, the brain activates the entire memory, making the event seem familiar. For example, a window in a house may suddenly seem familiar because it triggers an old memory that encapsulates the entire experience. Some people even associate déjà vu with reincarnation or prophecy, believing that it is a memory of events from a past life. 

However, this idea has no scientific support and is considered a supernatural belief. Despite the various theories, déjà vu is still a fascinating and mysterious experience. It offers a glimpse into the complexity of the human brain and how we process memories and experiences. The sensation reminds us of the subtle differences between what we remember and what we actually experience.

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