Jamais vu is the feeling of seeing something for the first time, even if it’s familiar, and can be associated with mental illness or temporal lobe epilepsy. It’s the opposite of deja vu and can be induced by brain fatigue. Depersonalization disorder and temporal lobe epilepsy can also cause jamais vu.
Jamais vu, which literally translates as “never seen,” is a strange type of experience during which people perceive places or objects as new even though they have actually seen them before. This can lead people to feel that they are seeing a place or object for the first time, even if it is quite familiar. Jamais vu can arise as a result of a mental illness and can be associated with a type of epilepsy known as temporal lobe epilepsy. It’s the opposite of the symptom known as deja vu, where something or a place feels familiar when it’s actually completely new. While most people experience jamais and deja vu occasionally, frequent occurrences can indicate an underlying disorder.
A number of different conditions are associated with jamais vu. The neurological disorder known as temporal lobe epilepsy is one example. Jamais vu can also occur as part of a condition known as depersonalization disorder. In both of these conditions, deja vu can also occur. Neither jamais nor deja vu should be confused with a third experience, known as presque vu, which involves a feeling of almost remembering something, such as feeling that a word is on the tip of the tongue.
Research on jamais vu suggests that the experience could be induced by a type of brain fatigue. In one experiment, people were asked to repeatedly write the same word over the course of one minute. Some of the attendees experienced jamais vu, as speech began to feel unreal. Other participants began to doubt that it was the correct word, believing they had been duped. Future research into the phenomenon could help better understand some psychiatric disorders.
Depersonalization disorder involves people who feel detached from their thoughts or body, often associated with anxiety. An out-of-body experience would be an example of this condition. As part of the disturbance, derealization can occur, meaning that the environment seems strange or distorted. Feelings of jamais vu or deja vu could be part of this weirdness.
In temporal lobe epilepsy, seizures begin in the temporal lobes of the brain, affecting emotion, memory, speech, and hearing. During a seizure, objects may appear visually distorted, and sounds, tastes, smells, and sights may be experienced that are not actually there. Strange body movements and behaviors can occur, and people can feel detached, nauseous, or emotional. As part of the seizure, jamais vu may develop, resulting in an inability to recognize familiar places and objects. Temporal lobe epilepsy can be treated with medications or, in some cases, surgery.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
