You may have already heard of déjà vu, the phenomenon of feeling as if you’ve lived through a present situation before, but have you ever heard of its unknown counterpart — déjà rêvé?
The boundary between deja vu and deja reve is quite blurred. When we experience a moment in our waking life that feels like we've already seen it before, we call it “déjà vu”, which literally translates to “already seen”. On the other hand, when we feel like we've encountered a scene from our dreams in real life, we call it “déjà rêvé” which translates to “already dreamed”. In such instances, the dream memory appears in our consciousness, making it feel like we've been here before.
Even if the difference is very subtle, it makes you wonder: how do we experience the phenomenon of reliving dreamed moments?
Cognitive Science
Déjà rêve frequency associated with thin boundaries, supporting dual process model and blending of thoughts, feelings, and consciousness states
There are 3 kinds of deja reve:
Episodic-like déjà rêve is the recollection of a specific dream of a particular date.
Familiarity-like déjà rêvé is related to a vague dream, involving the reminiscence of elements from a dream that cannot be related to a specific date or instance. This phenomenon is mostly located in the medial temporal lobes, which are significant in memory and emotion.
Dreamy-state déjà rêvé refers to an experience where an individual feels as if they are dreaming. It involves a sensation similar to night dreaming, and researchers have found that this state is linked to the temporal lobes, even when induced by less specific EBS areas.
A study that looked at how often people have déjà rêve experiences and what factors might be associated with them. It revealed that only 4.8% of the people in the study reported never having déjà rêve. Some participants (about 7%) said they experienced déjà rêve once a week or more, while most fell somewhere in between, with the majority reporting déjà rêve experiences 2 to 4 times a year. The study found that gender didn't seem to make a difference in how often people experienced déjà rêve, but it did show that the frequency of experiences decreased as people got older.
Factors that were found to correlate with déjà rêve frequency positively include:
Dream Recall Frequency - how often people remember their dreams.
Those with a high dream recall frequency are really good at remembering their dreams, which might make them more likely to experience déjà vu.
Attitude Toward Dreams - refers to a person's beliefs and feelings about dreams.
People who have a positive attitude toward dreams, perhaps seeing them as meaningful or insightful, tend to have more déjà vu experiences.
Thin Boundaries - a personality trait where folks have trouble distinguishing between different states of consciousness, thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
People with thin boundaries might blend waking life, dreams, and childhood memories, leading to more déjà vu experiences.
Absorption - a psychological trait that reflects someone's ability to fully engage in sensory experiences, imagination, and inner thoughts.
Those who are highly absorbed in their experiences are more prone to experiencing déjà vu.
Imagination - measures the vividness and richness of someone's imaginative abilities.
People with strong imaginations tend to have more déjà vu experiences.
Theories and Interpretations
Dream interpretation and the idea that dreams can predict the future are fascinating concepts. Dreaming operates outside the constraints of linear time, often blending past, present, and potential future experiences. Precognitive dreams, a close relative of déjà rêvé, are dreams that seem to foresee future events. Throughout history, dreams have been seen as sources of spiritual guidance, offering insights into possible future occurrences.
According to therapist and dream expert Leslie Ellis (PhD), dreams that foretell the future are known as precognitive dreams, and they are closely related to the déjà rêvé phenomenon. Some individuals have reported dreams that accurately foreshadowed real-life events, leading them to avoid potential disasters.
There is also a category of déjà rêvé where people dream about things they have previously dreamt, creating a sense of familiarity and parallel lives during sleep. These accounts reveal dreams' intriguing nature, connection to the subconscious, and potential to transcend conventional boundaries.
While dream interpretation remains subjective, dreams continue to captivate our imagination and offer glimpses into the depths of the human mind.
Reference List
Cartagenova , M. and Smith, L. (2023). Deja Vu with Dreams: Everything to Know About Déjà Rêvé. [online] wikiHow. Available at: https://www.wikihow.com/Deja-Vu-with-Dreams#:~:text=Where%20d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20r%C3%AAv%C3%A9%20is%20the [Accessed 8 May 2024].
Curot, J., Valton, L., Denuelle, M., Vignal, J.-P., Maillard, L., Pariente, J., Trébuchon, A., Bartolomei, F. and Barbeau, E.J. (2018). Déjà-rêvé: Prior dreams induced by direct electrical brain stimulation. Brain Stimulation, 11(4), pp.875–885. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2018.02.016.
Funkhouser, A. and Schredl, M. (2010). The frequency of déjà vu (déjà rêve) and the effects of age, dream recall frequency and personality factors. International Journal of Dream Research, 3(1), pp.60–64. doi:https://doi.org/10.11588/ijodr.2010.1.473.
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