When you’re going about your day, do you ever get a strange feeling that you’ve already dreamed about that moment you’ve just experienced?
This sensation, which is not to be confused with déjà vu, which is a feeling of having already experienced the present situation, is known as déjà rêvé. Some argue that the dreams that we don’t remember are the ones that feel like déjà vu. As for déjà rêvé, it refers to the feeling of having dreamed of something before it actually happened.
Unfortunately, research on déjà rêvé is limited. Thus, it is not scientifically defined clearly. However, according to one study on the subject, déjà rêvé is widespread among young people. There are also various theories out there on what it could mean, as well as some plausible explanations for how it is feasible.
What is déjà rêvé?
“Déjà rêvé means ‘already dreamed’ in French,” Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, a neuropsychologist, explains. “It’s a memory, scene or a feeling that you’ve experienced in a dream. And when that same experience occurs again in the waking world, it’s déjà rêvé.”
According to one study published in the International Journal of Dream Research in 2010, up to 95 per cent of people might have experienced the phenomenon in the past.
What’s the difference between déjà rêvé and déjà vu?
Where déjà rêvé means “already dreamed,” déjà vu translates to “already seen.” It’s thought to be even more common than déjà rêvé.
“Those with epilepsy who have had seizures in their brain’s frontal lobes are particularly prone to déjà vu,” therapist and dream expert Leslie Ellis, Ph.D., explains. “Researchers have found that when two circuits in the hippocampus (brain’s memory-processing center) are activated at once, we get an experience of déjà vu.”
However, déjà rêvé remains more mysterious to this day. While déjà vu is a vague sensation, those who experience déjà rêvé can often link their feelings to specific memories of dreams.
A 2018 study published in Brain Stimulation gave some new insight into the phenomenon when the researchers looked at epilepsy patients—particularly prone to déjà vu—who had undergone electrical brain stimulation therapy. The scientists discovered that several people began to experience déjà rêvé following the treatment; however, this phenomenon can be experienced by basically anyone.
What do déjà rêvé dreams mean?
If you believe in dream interpretation, déjà rêvé is undoubtedly an intriguing topic to ponder about. So the next time you experience it, you may want to pay close attention and write down your dreams in a dream journal.
Regularly using Dreambook can give you the ability to track down your dreams in a systematic way and have a reliable source for reference when you have déjà rêvé dreams.