Everyday mental quirks like déjà vu might be natural byproducts of a resting mind

Summary: Have you ever had déjà vu or felt like a word was right on the tip of your tongue? You might think your brain is glitching, but a new study shows these feelings are totally normal! Scientists found that when we do boring things and our minds aren’t fully busy, our brains start to wander. This brings up random memories and weird feelings, like déjà vu (feeling like you've been in a new situation before) or jamais vu (when a familiar word suddenly looks wrong).

In an experiment, students who did a really dull computer task reported having a lot of these sudden thoughts. People who were super focused on the task had fewer of them. So, the next time you zone out and suddenly remember something out of nowhere, don't worry. It just means your brain is resting and doing its normal background work!

For more details, see PsyPost at psypost.org/everyday-mental-quirks-like-deja-vu-might-be-natural-byproducts-of-a-resting-mind/ (opens in new tab)

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