Do you know ‘Jamais vu’? Find out the other trick your brain can play on you

The research that won the 2023 IgNobel Prize describes at least one intriguing phenomenon: Nunca vu, just the opposite deja vu. The research was published in the journal Taylor & Francis Online and raises interesting thoughts about our memory and how our brains can play tricks on us.

Many people may have already experienced the uncomfortable feeling of reliving a moment. This feeling of repetition is called déjà vu. However, this interesting game of our brain has the opposite aspect: I never see you.

In this case, when we spend a lot of time observing or repeating something we know, instead of a feeling of reliving it, it gradually loses its meaning or gives the impression that it is wrong. For researchers These phenomena may be linked to our memory processing.

Meaningless

Apparently the Nunca Vu sensation isn’t that common, but researchers have discovered a way to simulate the phenomenon in the laboratory. The team, led by Akira O’Connor of the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland and Christopher Moulin of the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France, conducted experimental studies for 15 years until publication.

Two experiments took place. The first one was held with 94 students, and the second one was held with 120 students. In the first example, 12 selected words had to be written repeatedly, while in the second example, only one word had to be written: “”.

If they feel “weird” and the words no longer make sense, they should stop immediately before the stipulated two-minute time is up and write down how many repetitions they did.

At least 70% of participants paused or stopped typing during the first test due to what the researchers classified as unseen. In the second test, as in the first test, more than half of the sample (55%) stopped repeating before the time period ended.

However, there was one peculiarity. In the first experiment, people stopped after 33 repetitions, and in the second, the rate dropped to 27. This suggests that the more familiar the word or experience, the faster our brains “shut down” and stop processing the information..

beyond curiosity

Ability to make associations It is extremely important for our brain. Thanks to these relationships, we can create new memories. What if we can’t process that much regular repetition? Scientists are considering how the Nunca Vu mechanism might be linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Repetition will prevent the brain from storing common information and triggering checks, such as whether a door is locked or not. As the repetition of verification increases, less information is processed, creating an endless loop.

Although it seems like a curious research, Nunca Vu mechanism may provide clues on how to treat and control OCD and about the mechanisms by which meaning and memory are associated.

Want to learn more about the brain? Start by finding out whether it’s a myth or a fact that people only use 10% of their brains. Stay tuned to TecMundo for more head-to-head conversations!