deja vu
I dont know why, but I always associate deja vu with something bad about to happen, and always try to change the sequence of events. :/
Theres actually people who suffer from chronic deja vu. Like an illness. Hm.
::edit::
DEJA VU EXPLANATIONS:
-Ordinarily, there is a fairly seamless integration of the past, present and the future. In simple terms, we experience something in the present, compare it to similar experiences in the past, and decide how we will respond. The time frame can be very brief; even a few seconds. Once in a while, though, there can be too much communication between short-term and long-term memories. When this happens, then the present can feel like the past.
-If perceptions from the present are shunted through the parts of the brain that process memories from the past, those perceptions will feel like they are memories, and the person will feel that they are re-living a moment stored in long-term memory.
JAMAIS VU - THE OPPOSITE EXPERIENCE TO DEJA VU:
There is another experience worth mentioning; Jamais Vu. Its the opposite of deja vu. Instead of feeling extra familiar, thing seem totally unfamiliar. In this case there is too little connection between long-term memory and perceptions from the present. When a person is in this state, nothing they experience seems to have anything to do with the past. They might be talking to a person they know well and suddenly they person seems totally unfamiliar. Their sense of knowing the person, and knowing how to relate to them simply vanishes. A room in which they spend a lot of time suddenly becomes totally novel; everything seems new. Details they will have seen a thousand times suddenly become engaging.
Jamais Vu is not so common as deja vu, but it can be just as compelling.
HOW TO RESPOND TO DEJA VU:
That depends on whether you enjoy it or not. Some people are just terrified when it happens. Others find it mildly euphoric.
As with all other altered state experiences, most people who enjoy it think of the experience in spiritual terms, and those who don't, think about it in psychological terms. I have talked to people who had it often, and found the experience to be terrifying. There is nothing frightening about deja vu in itself, but it can happen that activity from the hippocampus. can spill over into the neighboring structure, the amygdala, which is a highly emotional structure. If it gets into the one on the right, the emotion is going to be unpleasant, most likely fearful.
DEJA VU WITH FEAR:
If you have deja vu appear with fear, you might want to get some help, depending on how strong the feeling is. One of the best places to start is with an epileptologist, especially if you think you might be going crazy. Why not start with a psychologist? Because Deja vu is highly symptomatic of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and its misdiagnosed more often than not, usually as schizophrenia, but also as bipolar disorder, and several others..
DEJA VU AS A GOOD/ SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
For deja vu that feels spiritual, I suggest meditation. The kind that emphasizes being present in the here and now. Deja vu is an alteration in the perception of the present moment. The two best known ones are Zen and vipassana, both Buddhist practices. I'm not saying that people who have deja vu a lot should become Buddhists, only that these two Buddhist practices are well suited for those with frequent deja vu experiences. There are times I've thought that Jesus might have been close to these practices when he said to 'be still and know". The more often Deja vu happens, the more likely a person will be able to stop their ongoing mental processes, and just be in the present. Deja vu is an experience that won't go into words very well. When its happening, a person can still speak, but the phenomena that will demand their attention is that sense of the past.
HOW TO MAKE DEJA VU A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
Most commonly, a person having deja vu will give their attention to the feeling that 'this is the past!' If some one wants to use the experience to enhance their spirituality, they are three things they can try.
1) When deja vu happens, they should pay attention to what is happening in the present. They can pay attention to their senses, and look at the 'sense' that perceives that sense of familiarity. If they can get a clear perception of that 'sense', they can look there at any time afterwards. Especially while practicing meditation. This practice, for those who have deja vu often enough to take advantage of it, can chop months off the time it takes to get into meditation deeply.
2) The person should try to disconnect from the sense of the past and try to see the present through that same sense.
During meditation, the person should pretend that deja vu is happening right then. With practice, the familiar sensations should appear, and then they can stop paying attention to the 'past' and go into being 'present'. When this happens, their meditation practice should acquire something new.
Theres actually people who suffer from chronic deja vu. Like an illness. Hm.
::edit::
DEJA VU EXPLANATIONS:
-Ordinarily, there is a fairly seamless integration of the past, present and the future. In simple terms, we experience something in the present, compare it to similar experiences in the past, and decide how we will respond. The time frame can be very brief; even a few seconds. Once in a while, though, there can be too much communication between short-term and long-term memories. When this happens, then the present can feel like the past.
-If perceptions from the present are shunted through the parts of the brain that process memories from the past, those perceptions will feel like they are memories, and the person will feel that they are re-living a moment stored in long-term memory.
JAMAIS VU - THE OPPOSITE EXPERIENCE TO DEJA VU:
There is another experience worth mentioning; Jamais Vu. Its the opposite of deja vu. Instead of feeling extra familiar, thing seem totally unfamiliar. In this case there is too little connection between long-term memory and perceptions from the present. When a person is in this state, nothing they experience seems to have anything to do with the past. They might be talking to a person they know well and suddenly they person seems totally unfamiliar. Their sense of knowing the person, and knowing how to relate to them simply vanishes. A room in which they spend a lot of time suddenly becomes totally novel; everything seems new. Details they will have seen a thousand times suddenly become engaging.
Jamais Vu is not so common as deja vu, but it can be just as compelling.
HOW TO RESPOND TO DEJA VU:
That depends on whether you enjoy it or not. Some people are just terrified when it happens. Others find it mildly euphoric.
As with all other altered state experiences, most people who enjoy it think of the experience in spiritual terms, and those who don't, think about it in psychological terms. I have talked to people who had it often, and found the experience to be terrifying. There is nothing frightening about deja vu in itself, but it can happen that activity from the hippocampus. can spill over into the neighboring structure, the amygdala, which is a highly emotional structure. If it gets into the one on the right, the emotion is going to be unpleasant, most likely fearful.
DEJA VU WITH FEAR:
If you have deja vu appear with fear, you might want to get some help, depending on how strong the feeling is. One of the best places to start is with an epileptologist, especially if you think you might be going crazy. Why not start with a psychologist? Because Deja vu is highly symptomatic of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and its misdiagnosed more often than not, usually as schizophrenia, but also as bipolar disorder, and several others..
DEJA VU AS A GOOD/ SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
For deja vu that feels spiritual, I suggest meditation. The kind that emphasizes being present in the here and now. Deja vu is an alteration in the perception of the present moment. The two best known ones are Zen and vipassana, both Buddhist practices. I'm not saying that people who have deja vu a lot should become Buddhists, only that these two Buddhist practices are well suited for those with frequent deja vu experiences. There are times I've thought that Jesus might have been close to these practices when he said to 'be still and know". The more often Deja vu happens, the more likely a person will be able to stop their ongoing mental processes, and just be in the present. Deja vu is an experience that won't go into words very well. When its happening, a person can still speak, but the phenomena that will demand their attention is that sense of the past.
HOW TO MAKE DEJA VU A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
Most commonly, a person having deja vu will give their attention to the feeling that 'this is the past!' If some one wants to use the experience to enhance their spirituality, they are three things they can try.
1) When deja vu happens, they should pay attention to what is happening in the present. They can pay attention to their senses, and look at the 'sense' that perceives that sense of familiarity. If they can get a clear perception of that 'sense', they can look there at any time afterwards. Especially while practicing meditation. This practice, for those who have deja vu often enough to take advantage of it, can chop months off the time it takes to get into meditation deeply.
2) The person should try to disconnect from the sense of the past and try to see the present through that same sense.
During meditation, the person should pretend that deja vu is happening right then. With practice, the familiar sensations should appear, and then they can stop paying attention to the 'past' and go into being 'present'. When this happens, their meditation practice should acquire something new.