Jamais-vu
Bet you don’t know this rare phenomenon?!
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Our brain often plays tricks on us, for example with déjà vu. We believe we have already experienced something, even if it is not true. But did you know that there is also a Jamais-vu?
Most people have felt like they’ve experienced something but just can’t remember the details. The phenomenon of déjà vu, which translates as “ever seen it before,” is a mystery to many researchers because it is difficult to study. But there is a phenomenon that is even less researched – Jamais-vu.
Jamais-vu – The opposite of déjà vu
Translated, Jamais-Vu means exactly the opposite of Déjà-vu – “never seen it before”. Something familiar suddenly feels new and unfamiliar. Words, places or even people that we know from everyday life can feel strange out of nowhere.
Researchers artificially triggered Jamais-vu in studies
Researchers Akira O’Connor and Christopher Moulin have several Studies have been conducted on this phenomenon and were even awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for their work. In their studies, they managed to artificially trigger Jamais-Vu in the test subjects. During the study, participants were asked to write the same words on paper again and again.
The result was astonishing – after an average of 33 repetitions, the participants stopped the exercise. 70 percent of the test subjects had the sensations of jamais vu. After repeatedly writing down the words, they had the feeling that they no longer perceived the words in question as real. Rather, the study participants had the impression that they could not spell the words correctly or that they were seeing them for the first time.
Research findings could help better understand obsessive-compulsive disorder
The findings from the Jamais Vu experiment could help researchers better understand obsessive-compulsive disorder. “Jamais-Vu is a signal that something has become too automatic, too frequent, too repetitive. It helps us to disengage from our current perception, and the feeling of unreality is actually a reality check,” say the researchers. The two scientists point out that compulsive repetition of activities such as fixating on certain things can have a strong influence on the person’s perception.
Sources used: Taylor & Francis Online, rnd.de, history.de