September 1, 2012
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmSimilar Scenes Spark Déjà Vu
Virtual reality reveals that the feeling of familiarity arises from spatial layout
By Charles Q. Choi
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Déjà vu—that uncanny feeling of having experienced a situation before—may be triggered by the layout of a scene, according to research in the June issue of Consciousness and Cognition. Past studies found that déjà vu usually concerns places, so cognitive psychologist Anne Cleary of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and her colleagues wanted to see if spaces modeled in virtual reality could replicate the striking experience. It worked: subjects most often reported déjà vu when the spatial layout of new settings closely matched that of scenes they had already visited but was not similar enough for them to consciously recognize the resemblance.
For instance, a museum hall might have the same configuration as an earlier courtyard—the location of a central statue relative to the benches and rugs in the museum echoed the location of a central potted plant relative to bushes and plants in the courtyard. If subjects failed to register the spatial similarities, they felt only that eerie sense of familiarity in an unfamiliar place.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
