Deja Vu and Jamais Vu
A fun but disorienting coupling of aura and migraine symptoms.
Along with other Alice in Wonderland symptoms, I often experience deja vu, but more frequently the lesser-known jamais vu.
Many are familiar with deja vu (feeling as if you have been somewhere or experienced something before despite the contrary).
Jamais vu is the experience of being in a familiar place or doing a routine activity and feeling as if you have never been there before or never done the activity before.
Jamais vu can be a symptom associated with mental health disorders or psychosis, but can also be associated with brain disorders (migraine, dementia, etc.).
The first few times I experienced jamais vu as aura I was quite panicked about my mental state as I have had psychotic breaks in my 20s.
I've now learned this is an aura symptom for me. It is still disorienting. "This is my fridge? The same fridge? I have never seen this fridge before." ... "Are those new condos? I have never seen those condos before. Were they built in the last hour?"
It's humorous in hindsight or when I am able to reason myself down from the confusion, but it is a symptom difficult to explain to those who have never experienced it. And also difficult to explain to others, "I am not high nor psychotic nor demented. I am about to have a migraine. Sorry to appear odd. Please excuse me. I have to go care for myself now."
Does anyone else have this experience? Perhaps you have, but did not know the name of this symptom? How do you manage this lapse in perception?
Join the conversation