Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att-cb!att-ih!pacbell!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bgsuvax!norden
From: norden@bgsuvax.UUCP (Lee Norden)
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Re: A weird theory
Summary: Another deja vu theory
Keywords: imaginary time
Message-ID: <1837@bgsuvax.UUCP>
Date: 1 Apr 88 14:14:10 GMT
References: <1527@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Lines: 20



To understand deja vu, one has to grasp the true functioning of the
mind.  When you observe an event or situation, you record certain
visual, oral, audio, etc. stimuli.  Your mind automatically tries
to store that event in memory for later reference.  It does so by
linking the observation to other observations already stored.  The
linking is on the basis of several (or many) indexes.  That is, 
rather than storing all the detailed information related to an
event, only key bits of information about the event are stored.

Now, when enough of an event's keys match the keys of a previously
stored event, the mind goes to the storage location pointed to
by those index keys and finds an event already stored there.  That
is the same sensation we have when we remember (recall from memory)
an event.  Thus, this new event is perceived as an old event--
deja vu.

It seems like I've posted this before, but I don't think it was
April 1st then.