Did you see it?

Your brain is a strange place. It can ponder the origins of life and the beginning or the end of the universe. It can also create astonishing ways of killing and curing. But your brain isn't perfect and sometimes it plays some little tricks on you. Just to let you know that it has a mind of its own.
Most of us probably know the psychological term déjà vu (French for 'already seen'), but there are some related phenomenons.

Déjà vu (French for 'already seen') is the illusion that you have the distinct impression that you've already seen something before or experienced some situation before, but it just was the very first time you've seen or experienced it.

Presque vu (French for 'almost seen') is a so-called 'tip of the tongue' phenomenon. You have a strong feeling that you are on the very brink of a powerful epiphany, insight, or revelation, but it never materialises. The feeling is that of a forgotten name you know you know and are just about to say it, but your brain just cannot put its finger on it.

Jamais vu (French for 'never seen') is the illusion that you are experiencing a situation that you seem to recognise in some way or another, but that nonetheless seems novel and unfamiliar. It involves a sense of eeriness and the observer's impression of seeing the situation for the first time, despite rationally knowing that they have been in the situation before.

Véjà du (French for 'been there') is the experience when looking at a familiar situation but with fresh eyes, as if you’ve never seen it before. So if déjà vu is about making the strange look familiar, véjà du is all about making the familiar look strange.

Promnesia (from Ancient Greek pro- (προ-), meaning 'before' and mnḗmē (μνήμη), meaning 'memory'). The word was formed by analogy to 'amnesia'. Promnesia is the sensation of remembering something that is actually being experienced for the very first time. The term was coined by British poet, philologist and psychical researcher Frederic W. H. Myers (1843-1901). He was one of the founders of the Society for Psychical Research.

Deja entendu (French for 'already heard') is the feeling of having heard something even if the details are unclear or even imaginary. It is a false sense of familiarity upon hearing something novel. Probably the most common example would be hearing a new song on the radio that has just enough familiarity to another piece to make one feel that they have heard it before.

Déjà vécu (French for 'already lived') is often mixed up with déjà vu. While deja vu is the feeling of having seen or experienced something before, deja vecu is the experience of having seen an event before —but in vivid details. In this case, you are able to recognize scents and sounds. But, the eeriness doesn’t stop there. When you experience deja vecu, you also have a strong ability to know and predict what will happen next.

Déjà visite (French for 'already visited') is a less common experience. It happens when you go to a new place and oddly have a lot of knowledge about it. For instance, you may know your way around a town or city you have never been to before. Basically, deja visite focuses on the familiar feelings one experiences when triggered geographically.

Déjà senti (French for 'already felt') involves the feeling of already having felt something before. It’s when you feel like you have just spoken, only to discover that you, in fact, didn’t utter a single word. You will be able to recall something that happened, but was forgotten for a long time. The recollection occurs when you have certain thoughts, hear someone else’s voice, or when you’re reading something that triggers it. You will then say a phrase like, “Oh, I see,” or “Yes, I remember.” But, the memory disappears just as quickly as it forms. A few minutes later, you find that you can’t remember what you were thinking about or what words you spoke.

Déjà rêvé (French for 'already dreamed') is the feeling of having already dreamed something that is currently being experienced.

Déjà entendu (French for 'already heard') is the experience of the feeling that having already heard something, even though the exact details are uncertain or were perhaps only imagined.

Déjà touché (French for 'already touched') is the distinct feeling that you have touched something before, even tough you cannot rememeber doing so or perhaps only imagined.

Have you heard or read about another one? Don't hesitate to get in touch.

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