The Opposite of Deja Vu Is Even Spookier

I know what you're thinking. Wait, there's an opposite of déjà vu? Weird right? Of course, the first thought is what is it, and the second thought is how we know we're experiencing this elusive moment.

That strange, spooky moment of déjà vu when we're sure we've been in whatever situation we're experiencing before is always bizarre yet kind of fun.

According to Science Alert déjà vu is a window into the workings of our memory system.

Our research found that the phenomenon arises when the part of the brain which detects familiarity de-synchronizes with reality. Déjà vu is the signal which alerts you to this weirdness: it is a type of "fact checking" for the memory system.

According to Science Alert, jamais vu is when something, someone, or a feeling is usually very familiar to us but at that moment feels unreal.

It's much rarer than déjà vu so when it occurs it feels even spookier and more unsettling. An example is hearing or writing a word that you know very well however it sounds or looks wrong.

Jamais vu may involve looking at a familiar face and finding it suddenly unusual or unknown. You may have had it going to a familiar place and becoming disorientated or seeing it with "new eyes".

Jamais vu is French for 'never seen' while  déjà vu is French for 'already seen.'