What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? - Michael Molina

何處曾相識？ - 麥可．莫林那 (Michael Molina)

譯者: Ivy Chi 審譯者: Marssi Draw

Have you experienced déjà vu?

曾對生活中的場景產生既視感嗎？

It's that shadowy feeling you get when a situation seems familiar.

身邊出現的人事物隱約地

讓你感到似曾相識

A scene in a restaurant plays out exactly as you remember.

例如餐廳內出現一個場景

和你記憶中某個片段不謀而合

The world moves like a ballet you've choreographed,

像整個世界跳起了芭蕾

而你就是編舞者

but the sequence can't be based on a past experience

但你對這一切毫無經驗

because you've never eaten here before.

因為你從未在這裡吃過飯

This is the first time you've had clams,

在這之前你也沒嘗過蛤蜊

究竟是怎麼回事？

so what's going on?

Unfortunately, there isn't one single explanation for déjà vu.

可惜目前無法完整解釋這個現象

The experience is brief and occurs without notice,

這感覺來得快

去得也快

使得科學家幾乎無法

making it nearly impossible for scientists to record and study it.

記錄並研究它

Scientists can't simply sit around and wait for it to happen to them --

總不能讓科學家整天不事生產

靜待生活中出現似曾相識的場景

說不定得花上數年光陰

this could take years.

It has no physical manifestations

沒有具體的證據

and in studies,

人們也總是把這現象歸類為

it's described by the subject as a sensation or feeling.

一種感官上的知覺

Because of this lack of hard evidence,

正因為沒有鐵證

there's been a surplus of speculation over the years.

多年來充斥著各式臆測

Since Emile Boirac introduced déjà vu

自從法國科學家艾米爾．布拉克 (Emile Boirac)

as a French term meaning "already seen,"

將既視感定義為似曾相識起

more than 40 theories attempt to explain this phenomenon.

超過 40 種理論希望能

解釋這個現象

Still, recent advancements in neuroimaging and cognitive psychology

然而近來神經造影以及

認知心理學的發達限縮了

narrow down the field of prospects.

既視感成因的可能性

Let's walk through three of today's more prevalent theories,

讓我們來瞧瞧

三種目前最普遍的說法吧

using the same restaurant setting for each.

皆套用前面餐廳的假設

First up is dual processing.

首先是雙歷程理論

We'll need an action.

用一個動作來解釋

Let's go with a waiter dropping a tray of dishes.

服務生打翻了一堆碗盤

As the scene unfolds,

隨著畫面出現

your brain's hemispheres process a flurry of information:

你的大腦開始處理

一連串的資訊

the waiter's flailing arms,

服務生揮舞雙臂

his cry for help,

他大聲求援

the smell of pasta.

義大利麵的香味

Within milliseconds, this information zips through pathways

在千分之一秒內

這個訊息快速穿梭於大腦中

and is processed into a single moment.

最後合為一個瞬間的動作

Most of the time, everything is recorded in-sync.

大腦通常會同步記錄訊息

However, this theory asserts

然而這個理論主張

that déjà vu occurs when there's a slight delay

若有資訊在腦中出現了些微延誤

in information from one of these pathways.

既視感便油然而生

The difference in arrival times

訊息抵達的時間差

causes the brain to interpret the late information

使大腦將前後的資訊解讀成

不同的事件

as a separate event.

When it plays over the already-recorded moment,

當大腦播放已存在的記憶

it feels as if it's happened before

感覺就像發生過了一樣

because, in a sense, it has.

某種情況而言，的確如此

Our next theory deals with a confusion of the past

下個理論與記憶的混淆有關

rather than a mistake in the present.

而非當下的錯誤

This is the hologram theory,

這就是全息理論

and we'll use that tablecloth to examine it.

我們用這張桌布來檢視它

你細看上頭的格紋

As you scan its squares,

a distant memory swims up from deep within your brain.

一段模糊的回憶

從大腦深處浮現

According to the theory,

根據這個理論

this is because memories are stored

記憶在腦中是以

in the form of holograms,

全息圖的形式儲存

and in holograms,

在全息圖中

you only need one fragment to see the whole picture.

只需要一小部分

便能窺見全局

Your brain has identified the tablecloth with one from the past,

你的大腦認出了這張桌布

好像以前看過

maybe from your grandmother's house.

也許和奶奶家裡的是同一張

然而你並沒有想起

However, instead of remembering that you've seen it at your grandmother's,

你在奶奶家中見過這花色

your brain has summoned up the old memory

大腦喚起了一段久遠的記憶

without identifying it.

但是渾然不覺

This leaves you stuck with familiarity, but no recollection.

這讓你產生強烈的熟悉感

卻毫無記憶

Although you've never been in this restaurant,

雖然你未曾來到這間餐廳

you've seen that tablecloth but are just failing to identify it.

卻看過那張桌布

可是怎麼也想不起來

Now, look at this fork.

接下來看看這把叉子

Are you paying attention?

全神貫注了嗎？

Our last theory is divided attention,

最後是分散性專注力理論

and it states that déjà vu occurs

本理論主張既視感發生於

when our brain subliminally takes in an environment

大腦下意識接受了外在環境

while we're distracted by one particular object.

但同時我們也分心在某個物件上

When our attention returns,

當注意力回歸時

we feel as if we've been here before.

我們對環境感到似曾相識

For example, just now you focused on the fork

例如剛才你正專注地盯著叉子

and didn't observe the tablecloth or the falling waiter.

完全沒有注意到桌布

以及跌倒的服務生

Although your brain has been recording everything

雖說你的大腦以邊緣視野

in your peripheral vision,

悄悄記錄了一切

it's been doing so below conscious awareness.

那都在不被察覺的狀況下進行

When you finally pull yourself away from the fork,

當你把注意力

從叉子上移開

you think you've been here before because you have,

你會以為你曾經來過這裡

事實正是如此

you just weren't paying attention.

只是你沒注意到罷了

While all three of these theories share the common features of déjà vu,

儘管以上三種理論

皆掌握了既視感的特點

none of them propose to be the conclusive source

卻沒有任何一個能代表

既視感出現的決定性因素

of the phenomenon.

Still, while we wait for researchers and inventers

然而我們期待研究員與發明家

to come up with new ways to capture this fleeting moment,

能提出更好的方法

來捕捉這稍縱即逝的瞬間

we can study the moment ourselves.

我們也能自行研究此現象

After all, most studies of déjà vu are based on first-hand accounts,

畢竟大多既視感的研究

都來自第一手資料

so why can't one be yours?

何不把你的經驗分享出來？

The next time you get déjà vu, take a moment to think about it.

當既視感再度出現時

花點時間想想

Have you been distracted?

你是否分心了？

四周有沒有熟悉的景物？

Is there a familiar object somewhere?

大腦突然慢了半拍？

Is your brain just acting slow?

Or is it something else?

還是…另有其因？