Jamais-vu

The jamais vu experience [ ʒamɛˈvy ] (French for never seen ) describes the opposite of the déjà vu experience .

In this psychological phenomenon, a person, a circumstance or a place - although actually known - is perceived as completely foreign or new. The experience takes place under similar circumstances to the déjà vu experience and is accompanied by the same emotional irritation. In healthy people it occurs suddenly or during exhaustion. As a side effect of neuroses , psychoses , depersonalization as well as derealization or brain diseases, especially of the temporal lobe , Jamais vu experiences can occur more frequently.

In contrast to agnosia or illusionary misunderstanding , the Jamais-vu experience is a temporary phenomenon and can be consciously classified in a subsequent phase of reflection.

Literature and Sources

• Dr. Uwe Wolfrandt, Institute for Psychology, Martin Luther University
• Gesundheit.de
• Evan Ratliff for the nytimes
• Susana Martinez-Conde on untruthful perception of the Barrow Neurological Institute (PDF; 558 kB)
• Diploma thesis by Stephan Josef Stegt in the field of psychology at the Reinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
• Alan S. Brown. 2004. The déjà vu experience. Taylor & Francis. London. Available online at books.google.com