Looking Southeast from Columbus Circle
We're familiar with the phrase, deja vu, in French it means already seen. It's the moment where we feel we've experienced a new situation previously. But I never realized that there's an opposite experience, jamias vu. This phrase is "never seen" in French. In this situation we experience something familiar as though we're seeing it for the first time. We know rationally we've seen something before, but it looks totally unfamiliar. In the last week I've had two jamais vu experiences and after the second one I was a little unsettled. It sent me to my friend, Google, and I searched for the "opposite of deja vu," and voila, jamais vu.
My first jamais vu experience was looking at the Manhattan skyline above. Twenty years ago my office faced this scene, but it was a far different scene. I've been to Columbus Circle at least once a week since 1999, when our office moved Downtown, and have looked out at towards Midtown at every visit, but I've literally never seen this sight before. The Midtown skyline has been transformed and it was an unfamiliar sight. I felt as though I was looking at a city I'd only read about before.
My second jamais vu experience of the week came in Downtown Brooklyn, another area familiar via work. I worked at Columbus Circle for four years and only six months in Brooklyn, but it was still familiar, or so I thought.
This had been my view as I walked from the subway to my office, almost nothing in front of me was familiar. I expect by next spring this sea of construction will be completed and it will be a totally different view entirely, one I've jamais vu.
Do you have deja vu experiences? How about jamais vu? I did some reading about the deja vu experience and was interested to find that it's a "glitch" in ones memory that causes it. I'm a fan of time travel books -- Yay, Outlander series! -- and found that an interesting thing to ponder. Perhaps, time travel is a "glitch" in memory and moments of deja vu are time travel.
Jamais Vu are my two words for Tuesday and wonderful Wednesday are my two words for tomorrow. I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday!
As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.
My first jamais vu experience was looking at the Manhattan skyline above. Twenty years ago my office faced this scene, but it was a far different scene. I've been to Columbus Circle at least once a week since 1999, when our office moved Downtown, and have looked out at towards Midtown at every visit, but I've literally never seen this sight before. The Midtown skyline has been transformed and it was an unfamiliar sight. I felt as though I was looking at a city I'd only read about before.
My second jamais vu experience of the week came in Downtown Brooklyn, another area familiar via work. I worked at Columbus Circle for four years and only six months in Brooklyn, but it was still familiar, or so I thought.
Do you have deja vu experiences? How about jamais vu? I did some reading about the deja vu experience and was interested to find that it's a "glitch" in ones memory that causes it. I'm a fan of time travel books -- Yay, Outlander series! -- and found that an interesting thing to ponder. Perhaps, time travel is a "glitch" in memory and moments of deja vu are time travel.
Jamais Vu are my two words for Tuesday and wonderful Wednesday are my two words for tomorrow. I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday!
As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.
5 comments
I really learned something new here today. I had never heard about this. Kind of spooky, really. Like our mind playing ticks on us. The buildings are so tall!
Two new words for me too. I had heard about deja vue but not the other. Strange how the familiar is now unfamiliar.
That is so interesting Carol!
New word for me also. I have been to unfamiliar places and had feelings that I had been there before, but not the opposite. Our minds and memory play tricks on us and sometimes there is no explanation.
I have deja vu but didn't know anything about the other. Very interesting. Have a blessed and beautiful day dear friend, HUGS!
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