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Dreams are a way of the subconscious mind communicating with the conscious. At times, the line between reality and fiction gets blurred. A dream that we had previously ends up feeling like a memory of a true event. This idea of how dreams can influence our recollections of true events also links to false memories. For a lot of people, older dreams can feel like memories of real experiences. This phenomenon is referred to as 'Dream-Reality Confusion'. According to research and scientific studies, there are two possible reasons for the occurrence of this phenomenon:

1. The dreams that are confused with real memories are different from other everyday dreams. Such as the dreams in question could possibly be more graphic, evocative and realistic in nature.

2. Another possibility is the presence of unusual memory encoding during sleep. This basically means that there is something odd about the way in which dreams are processed and converted during sleep before it is stored in long-term memory.

One's understanding of reality depends a lot on their past memories. However, it has been established through studies and by researchers that memories can be rather fragile and susceptible to suggestion. During each Rapid Eye Movement (REM) cycle, one's state of consciousness is altered. This is the period during which these suggestions come about to be. REM is defined as the deepest state of one's sleep and also the time frame during which one dreams the most. There are experimental models and studies of psychosis that have concurred how cognitive disconnect and lack of awareness during the REM phase may cause one's dreams to be confused for real memories.

In order to understand this relationship, a study was conducted and hypothesised by NIH regarding sleep's role in memory. This study concluded that: "the process of encoding episodic memories in one's sleep is similar to the mechanisms of the conscious mind. The malleability of the conscious mind may lead to a dissonance between reality and what one dreams".

SLEEP PARALYSIS:

Sleep paralysis is a condition that occurs just after falling asleep or waking up. It is primarily identified by a brief loss of muscle control, also known as Atonia. Another identification factor of a sleep paralysis episode is the presence of hallucinations.

Sleep paralysis is considered to be a type of parasomnia. Parasomnias are disruptive and abnormal sleep-related disorders and behaviours. Sleep paralysis normally occurs in the REM stage of sleep. REM sleep is the deepest stage of sleep as well as the period during which one dreams the most.

The REM stage involves both vivid dreaming as well as atonia, which prevents one from physically acting out their dreams. Under normal circumstances, this atonia ends upon the person waking up, so basically they are never made aware of this inability to move.

Hence, it is believed by researchers that sleep paralysis involves a mixed state of consciousness, within which both wakefulness and REM sleep seem to overlap with one another. Due to this overlap, the atonia and mental imagery of REM sleep persist once the person is awake and aware. During an episode of sleep paralysis, one can open their eyes and look around while being aware of their environment and surroundings and at the same time, experience REM sleep-related atonia. Often this is accompanied by the realistic and powerful imagery (that one dreams up in REM sleep) spilling into the real world, into one’s actual surroundings.

When undergoing an episode of sleep paralysis, the emotional experience often comprises of feelings of terror, fear and panic. Oftentimes, people experience hallucinations of a threatening presence and other uncontrollable visions which when combined with being in a paralysed state lead to an intense, extremely uneasy and predominantly negative experience. Majority of sleep paralysis episodes are often associated with experiencing strong feelings of something real that are characterized by fear and anxiety which can then bleed into wakefulness. This in turn creates a pattern where people may start forming negative associations with sleep which could later prevent them from wanting to go to bed at all and in some cases, could even lead to bouts of post-traumatic stress disorder. However, there are some cases of sleep paralysis that have also shown to have positive associations. These could include out-of-body experiences or even sensations of floating or flying.

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I recall a “dream” I had a few years back, it was one that was so striking that I remember every detail of it till this day. I still question the reality of it all: what my real memory of the incident was. It was just so surreal to me then and now.

I could feel everything around me as I lay in the comforts of my bed: the softness of my small Eeyore plush toy that lay in the crook of my neck, the scent of lavender from my diffuser wafting through the room, the soft glimmer of moonlight peeking out from between my curtains. I readjust and swaddle myself with my blanket, preparing to succumb to slumber.

There’s someone standing outside my door

My once drooping eyelids shoot open in alarm. I instantly felt as though someone or something was coming to get me.

My body is filled with dread and anxiety.

What do I do? I can’t make it to the door in time to lock it.

I reach out to the light switch beside me.

Click

Why isn’t it turning on?

Click click

Click click click click

I began to hit the switch furiously in hopes that it would turn on.

It’s here

I hurriedly pulled my blanket over my head, ensuring the entirety of my body was ‘out of reach’ - something I learned about keeping myself safe from ankle-grabbing monsters that reside under my bed.

I can feel it coming

My heart races as I feel it approach me. I hold my breath. It's right next to me.

Startled, my body jolts awake.

I could feel everything around me as I lay in the comforts of my bed: the softness of my small Eeyore plush toy that lay in the crook of my neck, the scent of lavender from my diffuser wafting through the room, the soft glimmer of moonlight peeking out from between my curtains. I readjust myself and peel my blanket off my now-sticky self, preparing to succumb to slumber.

My breath is still heavy. Sweat drips off my body, dampening the bedsheets below me.

There’s someone standing outside my door

My eyes shoot open in terror. Someone or something was coming to get me.

What’s happening?

Fear gripped my mind as I turned towards the light switch next to me.

Click.

Oh god, is this another nightmare?

Click. click.

Click. click. click. click.

Click. click. click. click. click.

I don’t have anymore time

I feel its presence coming closer to me. I turn over so my back faces my door.

I didn’t want to see what it was or how it looked.

My heartbeat thunders in my ears as I curl up in a tight ball.

Wake up wake up wake up now!

My mind wrestled with itself to escape back into reality.

I feel so scared. So helpless. I just want my mom.

I feel it approaching me.

I think it’s inside my room now.

Closer and closer

I hold my breath.

Closer and closer

I can feel it hovering over me

I sprung awake, gasping for air.

I’m back here. I could feel everything around me as I lay in the comforts of my bed: the softness of my small Eeyore plush toy that lay in the crook of my neck, the scent of lavender from my diffuser wafting through the room, the soft glimmer of moonlight peeking out from between my curtains.

I lay perched on my arms behind me as I support myself up, looking towards my door with apprehension.

I reach out to the light switch beside me, hesitating as my hand draws closer to it.

Click.

The soft yellow light above me flickers on. I collapse back onto my bed, knowing that it is finally over.

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Oftentimes I sit and wonder about how some days are far more tiring than others, and some a lot more happening than the rest. At the peak of either of these emotions, it feels like the day never ends. The mind is muddled by excess and the body past exhaustion.

Last year, I got to see my family again after being apart for 2 years. The feeling was indescribable. Every new day was more eventful than the last. One of those days, we decided to go for a movie; my father, brother and myself. I remember how excited we were, after all it was the new Spiderman movie. After the movie, we decided we would get dinner at one of my favourite restaurants. Only the best food to end the perfect day. The drive back home was pretty normal. It was later on in the night so the road was empty and no cars in sight. Just the three of us, playing music and just talking. Somehow, the talk felt endless. A one hour drive felt like it had turned into five hours. Suddenly, just like that everyone’s voices started to muddle and the view from the window began blurring. Like someone was closing a door very slowly, it kept creaking and whoosh.

Just like that, I began to open my eyes and my mother opened the shutters in my bedroom. How did she get here? How did I get here? I was just in the car.

“What happened maa? When did we get home?” I asked as my mind paced. Giving me a weird look, she replied “you got home really late last night and were so sleepy, you just went to bed straight”.

Somehow, it felt like the time I had spent getting out of the car and into bed had just been erased. Like it was non-existent and had never happened.

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Dementia is a term used to describe a person's state in which their abilities to remember, think and make decisions are impaired. It results in the loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, remembering, reasoning) which eventually affects daily life. As dementia progresses, the individual faces the inability to control emotions, is disoriented, has impaired judgement and changes in their personality.
As one ages, nerve cells in the brain gradually begin to lose connections with other cells. The nerve cells that were once healthy eventually die after the connection is broken. For persons with dementia, this loss is incurred at a much faster rate and intensity as compared to those without the condition.

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The day starts like it always does. As the sun rises, she gets out of bed and slowly recalls her routine for the day. Everything starts off on a smooth note, she starts off with her chores slowly and steadily. She starts with the simpler things like straining the milk for the children, getting the dog ready for his walk and preparing his breakfast because she knows he’ll only eat it if she feeds it to him by hand. And then she makes her way to the living room and sits down while she sends out her morning texts to the family groups and to me.

“Good morning dear, lots of love. How did you sleep? What time you are going to campus for class?”

As I read her message I recall, but it’s a Sunday. But I won’t tell her that, she’ll just feel conscious. So I reply “Good morning dadi, lots of love. Will be home today, no class. I will call you in a bit.”

Just like that, cracks begin to form and slowly but abruptly those cracks turn to chasms.

She’ll sit there wondering what day or month it is, she tries but can’t seem to recall. So she gets up to go check the calendar hung on the kitchen door; it’s April and it’s a Sunday. “Good” she wonders to herself, “everyone will be home today, no school, no office”. As she sits, watching a video on her tab, she realises that she can’t properly hear what’s going on in the video. “Strange, the volume is on full”. She touches her ear, and realises she doesn’t have her hearing aids on. “But where could I have left them? I can’t remember”. The rest of the family enter the living room and wish her good morning and sit down together for morning tea. Everyone talks about their week and catches up on global news but they have to speak very loudly or she won’t understand. They don’t want to bother her by bringing up the hearing aids. “Why make her feel forgetful?”.

Simple forgetfulness starts to turn to a feeling of agitation. She can’t remember why she came to the kitchen in the first place so she begins to lose patience with the helper. She’ll raise her voice, but she doesn’t even realise she’s raising her voice. How could she? She forgot about her hearing aids. But the helper knows she means well. Dadi always comes around to apologise to the helper, remind her how grateful she is for all that she does.

When telling stories from her past, she forgets details here and there, as though they aren’t her lived memories in the first place. But I know they’re her lived experiences, I just tell myself “it’s probably nothing, happens with old age”. I deny that it is anything more than just a symptom of aging. The rest of the family consoles her, tries to convince her there’s nothing wrong with her.

“But how could we possibly know how it feels to begin losing oneself? Begin losing bits and pieces of our memories and experiences, the very foundation of who we are as people”.

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I was spending the night at a family friend's house. Soon after dinner, I began feeling drowsy and extremely tired. So I wished everyone goodnight and headed to the room where I slept when I stayed with them. Luckily I was tired or else it's always been a task falling asleep in this room. Why? Because the bed is in the middle of the room, exposed on 3 sides. For some reason, I've only felt safe when a bed has been pushed up against a wall.

"It's probably nothing, maybe just the effect of all the scary movies I watched as a child."

So I went forth and put the lamp on a dim setting and placed pillows on both sides of the bed. The pillows will protect me. And then as I lay down embracing the blanket, before I knew it, I was asleep. I remember dreaming when I heard this loud stomping noise. Like someone in heels was walking on a wooden deck. Somehow the sound kept getting louder as though it was approaching. I remember opening my eyes quick, but then I couldn't move. The sound kept getting louder and all I wanted to do was bury my head in the pillow so I wouldn't hear it. But I just couldn't move. The stomping got even louder now. The person was in the room with me. I felt eyes on me, like someone was watching and this time they were walking right by the bed, next to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a shadowy figure.

"Damn, I should've set the lamp on a brighter setting."

"Move. Move. Just try and move something, even your fingers. Or just yell. Maybe aunty or uncle will hear you and come rushing."

But nothing worked. So I just closed my eyes again and repeated a prayer in my head. I kept repeating it till the words began to lose all meaning. And before I knew it, the next time I opened my eyes, the sun was peeking through the window and I stretched. Never have I been so grateful for the ability to move. To just wriggle my toes. I asked everyone in the morning if someone had come home late in heels.

"I swear it was real. I heard it. I felt it."

But turns out they had been home all night, sound asleep in their rooms.

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Beep beep, the alarm went off at 6.30am.

David opened his eyes, stretched his arms and sat up on his bed.

“Good morning dear.” he mumbled as he glanced over at a photo of his late wife.

Getting on to his feet, he walked towards the kitchen. “Let’s make us some breakfast.”

Passing the kitchen counter, he noticed a metal device sitting on it. He wasn’t sure what it was but shrugged it off and proceeded to spread jam on his bread and make himself a cup of coffee.

As usual, he would have his breakfast at the porch. There he would sit, reflect about life’s events and talk to himself. His eyes caught on to that conspicuous metal object again.

“It looks like a futuristic device. What does it do?” David thought to himself.

“Was it the helper who had left it there?”

“Also, the bread seem a little soggier than usual today. How was it always fragrant and crispy”

This had been how David starts his days even before his retirement. He just got really used to this routine. However, instead of going to work after breakfast, he would have a new set of activities to keep him busy and entertained throughout the day.

Wednesdays like this are for tending his garden till noon followed by afternoon gathering with his buddies at the cafe. The day would end with a simple dinner at a diner down the street followed with a good book right before bed.

Welcome to another day in the life of a boomer/retiree.

Beep beep, the alarm went off at 6.30am.

David opened his eyes, stretched his body and sat up on his bed.

“Hello my dear.” he mumbled as he glanced over at the photo of Lucy.

Getting on to his feet, he proceeded to the kitchen, passed the counter, and there was the metal device again shaped like a luggage but the size of a mailbox.

Determined to figure what the object was, he touched the metallic casing, and held it up carefully observing every side of it. The object sits on four rubber stoppers fixed to its bottom. There are two rectangular openings on the top. He thought they look more like slots for either VHS or cassette tapes but none of them would fit. Looking into the slots he noticed metal gauze panels in each of them. While he was catching on to the possibility of it being a media playing device, he also noticed buttons and a rotary knob at one side. On the opposite side was a slot-like handle system which added to the mystery. It became really confusing when he saw traces of breadcrumbs carelessly sprinkled around and on top of this thing. David then noticed a wire that connects the metal box to the powerpoint. “So this must be some sort of a household device.” he thought. “What would a boomer know right? I’m too old for new tech.”

It’s been about four minutes. The retiree still had no clue as to what the item was and what was it doing on the kitchen counter.

Seeing that he probably had never used this device before nor will he do so in the future, he unplugged it and place it in the basement as it was taking up space on the counter.

He planned to ask the helper later that day what it might be but never got to do it because he forgot about the whole thing.

And there the unidentified technology sat in the basement, out of sight, out of mind.

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“I remember one time when I was 13 years old and at an overnight camp for the first time in the hills. I naturally felt homesick and had a rough time sleeping that night. As I began to doze off, I started having this dream about these two girls who had something terrible happen to them. I can’t remember what it was but I could feel the horror and pain and just that it was something bad. All I could remember was they shared a house and were scared. With a chill running down my spine, I woke up and headed for breakfast. As I walked over, I noticed an officer wearing body armour, it was a bullet-proof vest I think. He had a gun on him too. I didn’t think much of it since the area was known for being an army facility. After breakfast, I went over to my camp leader and asked him what was going on out of curiosity. With a quiver in her voice, she replied that in a nearby house, two girls were just victims of a terrible accident. They had been left unsupervised in the house with stoves and gas cylinders. Someone had broken in. I didn’t want to hear the rest. Even as a 13 year old, I knew how such incidents ended. What I still can’t tell is if I simply just dreamt something similar or if I had somehow heard about the incident before falling asleep. I don’t remember hearing about it before. Was it a coincidence or my mind recreating the accident? I still don’t know.”

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Nostalgia is often referred to as a sentimentality for and attachment to the past. In particular, a period of time or for a place that brought us happiness; while reminiscence refers to remembrances and recollections.
When feeling nostalgic, people choose to recall a particular memory in hopes of feeling a certain way again. It is almost as if we are accessing our memory archives and playing one particular recollection because we want to experience that feeling all over again.
Nostalgia is often described an overwhelming wave of emotions that help us immerse ourselves in the past while distracting us from the present, and bringing hope for the future.
Studies conducted have shown that when nostalgia is triggered in a participant (though smell, sound, etc.), the brain showed a strong activity two neural networks: the brain's reward system and areas of the brain associated with memories.

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviours (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over.

Memory hoarding is a mental compulsion to over-attend to the details of an event, person, or object in an attempt to mentally store it for safekeeping.

- Done under the belief that the event, person, or object carries a special significance and will be important to recall exactly as-is at a later date.

"Memories are intricate combinations of connected neurons, cells, and synapses which continue to create new combinations of connections every time the memory is recalled. When a memory is created, certain connections form in the brain. Each time you recall the memory, new connections are added or adjusted based on your current mental state, where you are, how you feel about the memory in the current moment, etc. In short, recalling a memory physically changes the memory itself."(Need to rephrase)

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Recollection that is seemingly real but is fabricated in part or in whole, can be a cause of:

- Suggestion: false memories can be created under the influence of someone else's prompting
- Misinformation (similar to gaslighting): given false information and being convinced it actually occurred. These memories can be entirely false or merged with actual memories.
- Misattribution: combining/merging of different memories into a singular event.
- Emotions: emotions influence the way memory is stored and what its contents are.

Therapeutic memory recovery is controversial/debated - lack of research and evidence

Likely groups to experience false memory:
- Individuals with trauma
- Individuals with mental illness (especially OCD)
- Ageing (dementia, alzheimers)

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1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/28763409_How_Dreams_and_Memory_May_Be_Related

2. https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/dream-reality-confusion/

3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/biocentrism/202108/dreams-are-more-real-anyone-thought

4. https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-dream-tracking-experiment-hints-where-our-strange-nightly-visions-come-from

5. https://www.monkprayogshala.in/blog/the-dream-reality-spectrum-how-dreams-affect-our-memory-and-perception-of-reality

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768102/

7. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis

8. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1704.02342.pdf

9. https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwilg_fLio74AhVh7nMBHflcBZUQFnoECAMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Facademic.oup.com%2Fsleep%2Farticle-pdf%2F20%2F7%2F577%2F13660866%2Fsleep-20-7-577.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1CTjoVhKZlurLaqb9Jm2qA

10. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2054270415598091

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1. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/52584/1/Wild_1447197_UCL%20deja%20vu%20Wild.pdf

2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20910707_The_deja_vu_experience_Remembrance_of_things_past

3. https://www.rhine.org/images/jp/v74Spr2010/eNeppe2010sp.pdf

4. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu

5. https://deja-experience-research.org/abstracts-links/parapsychology

6. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00320.x?journalCode=cdpa

7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268884440_Deja_Vecu_and_Deja_Visite_Similarities_and_Differences_Initial_Results_from_an_Online_Investigation

8. https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0028393205000114?token=46147D79080092E909F738D25BD23556E4BE63B352BA9FD593E3A03003EFA7153C711FBFD37A488C2D3A2DF790918360&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20220517071212

9. https://downloads.hindawi.com/archive/2012/539567.pdf

10. https://watermark.silverchair.com/11-2-179.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAt8wggLbBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggLMMIICyAIBADCCAsEGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQMkehORRWPvkOiwCU3AgEQgIICkhaaxwEZ05k3cqj_CfJUvHOWkKBFyOCNrbe-Tp5H205idku1V4iVlNu0Us28E5hHsaDFNWA09TL8Bdzcur6xy6A7Ce64mI7x9BJFXvdDsbqTBu58oG8yTCCcTwmrJH12AZa5Civa0hBwaMUk6Kw82Vq7cznp7W3jDTCaN2j0DWE4sLYnLMrIDNBgngmLa5f60b9cwUZDh7NGW82AFUakqS8u9yHUjJsrrT9jQFuQJ1EAGqNC_G9AESgaIJL9RjnqpCafFhxpKhiEFDikrQtiBGB27fzv6vUHxsAj7ZNrHgHLAe-i_ZFJLzYR9qt2HxxUPlzt6IHoCEIlSXM9mEZp-3xSlmk4CNTXrVlgZXem8Mfz4Op3vdH3gHxcyD5H-9HeRYwg4VW72HwlbHhgUGFBIW_RysHgLe8pzVg0FiqYmuhHYa5b4Wt3KrrA-7UTlCWDI2WpJXee05peNy8x_Q_y-OcK_QshQe1gy9GPg1q4yOwhkd9sqdaFT54FfGsQi52vKUi_XJSWdo79e2h8Cw_wOwawLK5ResipcCiW0wYVqbfDaLWyrK3LY3jxMv4R68IVg4NCZBns9Uo2Ow0AYyPPXzERPqjwOMYYMTfyxz6aA-iupbkns4qhHP0fUuOTq97afuUodVj-YWvkpahMOK7uOV7WhlT7q676_1LxrKG-nXe_XNre1Apjy7Vwf8vB_2C6pV3DQC21RMiapoXxG9r--VI_aTetCP6WV94mBkjG3cWVZBmrm6tKGIRbVfnlpBXGlrrbfxLg1x1gQtHQkjm9ZCMkvucnw0cmF7orLKryc__lYLoo2N8GOtFo-m9j69kpXyDs4ArA9P2gZOopsxv_ZsG4-a4uH7br0pukpB_7KDQhhRA

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1. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia

2. https://www.sovahealthcare.co.uk/blog/how-does-dementia-affect-everyday-life/

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-AVP2Goyg

4.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HobxLbPhrMc

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1. https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/the-science-of-nostalgia
2. https://reporter.rit.edu/features/science-nostalgia
3. https://walnutunlimited.com/the-science-behind-nostalgia-how-brands-can-use-it-and-why-it-works/

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1. https://www.sheppardpratt.org/news-views/story/remembering-to-forget-ocd-and-memory-hoarding/
2. https://ocdla.com/memory-hoarding-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-1964

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1. https://www.healthline.com/health/gaslighting?c=1162761058400#why-people-do-it

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FISZshe9L3s

3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understanding-narcissism/201709/are-you-being-gaslighted-the-narcissist-in-your-life

4. https://counsellingresource.com/features/2011/11/08/gaslighting/

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Our sense of identity is closely tight to our memories. This means that the memories we hold on to — our versions of life’s events and narratives about ourselves would shape our identities.

Knowing that, an abuser can fk a person up by a simple act of calling a memory into question.

As harmless as it sounds, this is a form of manipulative behaviour known as Gaslighting. The manipulator would attempt to mislead someone else (or a group of people) by questioning their versions of memory and judgment. In doing so, overwrite their own versions of memory as if it really happened.

This behaviour is tricky to recognise because of its covert nature. It can come in an inconspicuous gesture of wanting to help get a version of the memory right, like a friendly reminder or a gentle suggestion. For example “that wasn’t how it happen right?” or “you must be really tired that day, I remembered it differently.”

In some cases, it can also come in the form of a violent protest — “How could you accuse me of this?” “Wasn’t you the one who did it?” or “there you go again.”

What’s fascinating is when we look into the phenomenon of why Gaslighting works and how it takes effect on the abused.

The abuser has a

Disbelief. Someone displays gaslighting behavior. It seems unusual, but you brush it off as a one-time thing.

Defense. After a few more instances of gaslighting, you start to defend yourself.

Depression. Eventually, you accept their version of reality to avoid conflict and do whatever you can to earn their approval. But this denial of reality drains your energy, disconnecting you from yourself and leaving you feeling low and hopeless.

Over time, gaslighting can:

affect your sense of self-worth

leave you unsure about making decisions

contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness

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The experience of déjà vu is a common experience that is described as a sense of strangeness in the familiarity of a present situation that is new or unfamiliar to an individual. The definition of the French words ‘déjà vu’ meaning “already seen” may point us to the direction of unraveling the mystery of this phenomenon. Déjà vu makes us feel as though we had experienced a certain situation, moment or a place before, though we are unable to pinpoint or recall the exact memory of its origin.

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Catch up about partner

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Essay to gaslight reader

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1. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-derealization-overview

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Derealization is a mental state where you feel detached from your surroundings. People and objects around you may seem unreal. Even so, you're aware that this altered state isn't normal.

More than half of all people may have this disconnection from reality once in their lifetime. But about 2% of people experience it often enough for it to become a type of dissociative disorder.

Derealization is similar but distinct from depersonalization. The latter involves a feeling of detachment not from your environment, but from your own body, thoughts, or feelings. It's as if you're watching what's happening to yourself as an outsider.

Diagnosis

Derealization almost always starts in late childhood or early adulthood. The average age it starts is around 16, and 95% of cases are diagnosed before age 25.

No lab test can diagnose derealization. Your doctor may first try to rule out physical causes. They may use imaging tests such as an MRI, EEG, or an X-ray, or a urine screen to check for toxic chemicals.

If those tests don't show anything, your doctor will refer you to a mental health expert. They will diagnose you with derealization disorder if you:

Have constant or repeated bouts of symptoms

Know that what you're seeing or experiencing is not real

Are deeply distressed or your symptoms severely interfere with your life

Treatment

Many people who have derealization recover fully, sometimes on their own. Others are able learn how to get through episodes calmly.

But if you've been enduring it for a long time or if your root cause was very traumatic, you may need professional help. That's especially true if you also have depression or anxiety that often comes with derealization.

The No. 1 treatment for derealization is psychotherapy. This form of talk therapy teaches you ways to share your experience and strategies to handle your episodes. Your doctor also may prescribe medication, mainly to ease any symptoms of depression or anxiety that come with the disorder.

Through psychotherapy, you may learn how to:

Keep yourself from obsessing about unreal experiences.

Distract yourself with activities.

Ground yourself in reality using your five senses (for example, by playing loud music or holding something very cold).

Address negative feelings and figure out the causes of your symptoms.

Talk about your feelings using specific words.

Symptoms

Derealization usually happens in episodes, which means symptoms come and go. During an episode, you might feel as if:

You are in a dream or "fog."

A see-through wall or veil is separating you from your surroundings.

The world appears lifeless, muted, or fake.

Objects or people look "wrong" -- blurry, unnaturally sharp, too big, or too small.

Sounds are distorted, too loud, or too soft.

Time seems to speed up, slow down, or stand still.

Episodes can end in a few minutes or stretch for months at a time. But even as you feel like you're going "crazy," you always recognize that something is off. This is a key difference from psychotic disorders, where you can't distinguish what's real and what's imaginary.

Causes

Derealization sometimes can be a symptom of a medical condition. Other times, it can happen on its own, often in reaction to severe trauma or stress.

Health conditions linked to derealization include:

The most common event that can trigger derealization is emotional abuse or neglect at a young age. The experience prompts the child to detach from their surroundings as a way to manage the trauma. Other causes of stress might include:

Physical or sexual abuse

Witnessing domestic violence

Parents or guardians with a severe mental disorder

Unexpected death of a loved one

PTSD from war or conflict

Trauma from an accident or a natural disaster

Future episodes of derealization can be brought on by everyday stressors, including problems at work or in your relationships.

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Derealization is a mental state where you feel detached from your surroundings. People and objects around you may seem unreal. Even so, you're aware that this altered state isn't normal. More than half of all people may have this disconnection from reality once in their lifetime.