Recognition Memory, Familiarity, and Deja vu Experiences

Deja vu occurs when one feels as though a situation is familiar, despite evidence that the situation could not have been experienced before. Until recently, the topic of deja vu remained largely outside of the realm of mainstream scientific investigation. However, interest in investigating the nature of deja vu is growing among researchers of cognitive processes. In some cases, deja vu may be understood within the context of research on human recognition memory. Specifically, deja vu may sometimes result from familiarity-based recognition, or recognition that is based on feelings of familiarity that occur without identification of their source.