Something You Should Know — Trending: Understanding Déjà Vu
Host: Mike Carruthers | Guest: Dr. Anne Cleary
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the fascinating and elusive phenomenon of déjà vu—that uncanny feeling of having already experienced a present moment. Host Mike Carruthers interviews cognitive scientist Anne Cleary, a leading researcher on the subject, to uncover what really happens in our brains during déjà vu, what triggers it, its history, and what it tells us about human memory. The episode separates scientific explanations from paranormal lore and discusses recent research insights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Déjà Vu?

• Definition: Déjà vu is when you feel strongly that you have experienced something before, while knowing it is impossible ([03:33]).
• Anne Cleary:

  "The experience of having experienced something before while simultaneously also feeling that that's impossible because this is the first time that you're experiencing it." ([03:33])

2. Origins and Linguistics

• Historical Roots:
  • First appeared in late 1800s literature, became widespread by the mid-20th century ([04:22]).
  • The term is French due to its origins among French intellectuals. Other languages, such as Spanish, also use "déjà vu" ([05:13]).
• Universality:
  • Research is ongoing to determine if every language and culture has a term or direct translation for déjà vu ([26:10]).

3. Who Experiences Déjà Vu & When?

• Incidence:
  • About two-thirds of people report experiencing déjà vu at least once in their life ([06:13]).
  • Most common in young adults (peaks in early 20s), declines with age ([06:13]).
• Triggers:
  • Most common prompt: Scenes or places, followed by conversations ([06:13], [21:29]).
  • Tends to occur more when fatigued, possibly later in the day or week ([07:30]).

4. Memory, Familiarity, and Novelty

• Why Déjà Vu Feels Mystical:
  • It arises from a unique mental juxtaposition: a powerful sense of familiarity and simultaneous recognition of newness ([08:46]).
  • Anne Cleary:

    "It may be that when you have this juxtaposition, that that is what really leads to this strange sensation... that perhaps you have this strange, eerie sensation that is déjà vu." ([08:46])

• Normal vs. Déjà Vu Memories:
  • Normally, when experiencing genuine familiarity, you can recall the source. In déjà vu, you can't remember why the moment feels familiar ([10:45]).
  • May reflect a disruption or "glitch" in memory processing.

5. The Feeling of Prediction

• Some Feel They Know What Happens Next:
  • Many report a sense of prediction with déjà vu, as though they can foresee the next moment ([11:15]).
  • Cleary initially dismissed this but found the sensation is widespread and possibly tied to hidden (unrecalled) memories ([11:15]).
  • Anne Cleary:

    "For many, many people, déjà vu doesn’t just feel like a strong sense of familiarity juxtaposed with newness... they feel as if they know exactly what is going to happen next." ([11:15])

• Music & Auditory Déjà Vu:
  • There is an auditory counterpart known as "déjà entendu" ([13:36]).
  • Laboratory music experiments reveal the same sense of prediction and uncanny familiarity—people feel they can predict the next notes in new yet familiar-sounding musical pieces.

6. Non-Scientific / Paranormal Explanations

• Past Lives & Psychic Abilities:
  • Long-standing paranormal theories suggest déjà vu could be memories from past lives or evidence of psychic ability ([17:53]).
  • These explanations are now viewed as ways for people to rationalize an unsettling experience.
  • Anne Cleary:

    "We have an inherent need to explain to ourselves why we're experiencing certain things... it can be comforting to come up with an explanation to kind of explain it away." ([17:53])

  • Scientific research has not found evidence supporting these paranormal claims.

7. Epilepsy and Dysfunctional Déjà Vu

• Frequent déjà vu as a Medical Sign:
  • For most people, déjà vu is benign. However, if it happens extremely often (several times a week or a day), it may indicate certain types of mild seizures or neurological issues ([23:11]).

8. Why Study Déjà Vu?

• A Window into Human Memory:
  • Understanding déjà vu could unveil hidden workings of memory systems—how we process novelty vs. familiarity ([25:10]).
  • Anne Cleary:

    "If we understood déjà vu better, it would give us a good glimpse into more fully understanding human memory as a whole." ([25:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike:

  "So what's the difference? ... When I have déjà vu, it's a very kind of mystical, wow. So what's the difference?" ([07:54])

• Anne Cleary:

  "Usually things either are very obviously familiar and they're not novel, or they're very obviously new and they're not familiar. And it's when you have this juxtaposition of both at the same time that perhaps you have this strange, eerie sensation..." ([08:46])

• On Paranormal Associations:

  "If you were to type into a search engine 'Signs you’re psychic'... very often, one of the factors that will come up... is déjà vu..." ([17:53])

• Personal Experience:

  "I as a memory researcher who studies déjà vu, I love having the experience and would like to be able to analyze it when it happens to me. And I do feel... it's so brief and fleeting that by the time I start to analyze it, it's gone." — Anne Cleary ([20:22])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:02] — Introduction: What is déjà vu?
• [03:20] — Definition and origins, with Dr. Anne Cleary
• [04:14] — History and use of the term
• [06:13] — Who experiences déjà vu, when, and why?
• [08:46] — Memory mechanisms behind déjà vu
• [11:15] — Prediction and the feeling of knowing what's next
• [13:36] — Auditory déjà vu (déjà entendu) and music studies
• [17:53] — Paranormal and non-scientific explanations
• [23:11] — Déjà vu as a possible sign of epilepsy or memory malfunction
• [25:10] — Why studying déjà vu can improve understanding of memory
• [26:10] — Cultural universality of déjà vu
• [27:20] — Closing thoughts: The mystical allure of déjà vu

Overall Tone and Style

The conversation is inquisitive, open-minded, and gently skeptical—balancing scientific caution with curiosity about the mystical and everyday marvels of the mind. Dr. Cleary is enthusiastic but precise, carefully distinguishing personal speculation from research findings. Mike Carruthers’s questions emphasize the wonder and commonality of the experience, reflecting the show’s relatable and accessible tone.

Summary

This episode provides a thorough, science-backed, and engaging look at déjà vu, blending explanations of how memory works with candid acknowledgment of the experience’s weirdness and appeal. Listeners walk away with a nuanced understanding: déjà vu is not evidence of the paranormal, but a fascinating byproduct of the way our brains process—and occasionally misfire—memory and familiarity. For most, it remains an intriguing, fleeting brush with the mysteries of the mind.