<p><strong>Short answer</strong><br>
Déjà vu and dreaming are closely related to memory and memory formation. However, they have nothing to do with future events. The brain cannot recall what it never has processed in the past.</p>

<p><strong>Background</strong><br>
Déjà vu is thought to be related to the tip-of-the-tongue feeling, in the sense that it is a memory phenomenon. It can occur when someone encounters a scenario that’s similar to an actual memory, but they fail to recall the memory. In other words, it's not an actual memory but an erroneous retrieval of <em>a</em> memory, if you like (sources: <a href="https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/03/05/is-deja-vu-real-or-just-a-feeling/133334.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PsychCentral</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101089-mystery-of-deja-vu-explained-its-how-we-check-our-memories/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">New Scientist</a>).</p>

<p><a href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/dreaming-overview#1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dreams</a> are basically stories and images our mind creates while we sleep. It has been proposed that dreams reflect biological processes of long-term memory consolidation. Consolidation strengthens the neural representations of recent events (<em>i.e.</em>, their memories) and embeds these new memory fragments into older, existing memories. This also maintains the stability of existing memory representations in the face of subsequent experiences <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534695/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Payne &amp; Nadel, 2004)</a>. In sleeping rodents, for example, neurons in the hippocampus fire in patterns remarkably similar to those recorded during a previous maze-running session—almost as if the animals replay the experience in their sleep (source: <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/04/dreams-linked-better-memories" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Science Magazine</a>).</p>

<p>In all, déjà vu and dreaming are indeed closely related to memory, and memory formation. However, they have nothing to do with future events. The brain cannot recall what never has perceived in the past. Hence, déjà vu experiences and dreams have nothing to do with what the future may bring, other than cases of pure coincidence.   </p>

<p><sub><strong>Reference</strong><br>
<strong>-</strong> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534695/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Payne &amp; Nadel, <em>Learn Mem</em> (2004); <strong>11</strong>(6): 671–8</a></sub> </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-12T18:47:42.957Z
2018-09-12T18:47:42.957Z
AliceD
<blockquote>
  <p>Actually, I'm wondering whether psychology and quantum physic are related in any way.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There's no conclusive evidence insofar that quantum processes play a distinctive role in brain, although some hypothesis <a href="https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-new-spin-on-the-quantum-brain-20161102/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">or another</a> typically relating qubits (or entanglement) to consciousness seems to endure on the fringes.</p>

<p>Note that retrocausality is fringy even without involving the brain, as in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocausality#Quantum_physics" rel="nofollow noreferrer">not being</a> strictly necessary to formulate entanglement. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-18T22:06:04.737Z
The quote format should be reserved for quotes, not for personal opinions imo.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T00:30:58.277Z
@AliceD: well, it's quote from the OP, not make clear which part of his post/question I'm addressing.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T05:55:54.980Z
@Fuzz I failed to see that, thanks.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-17T19:42:29.067Z
2018-09-17T19:42:29.067Z
got trolled too much this week
<p>In quantum physics, there is a topic on something called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocausality" rel="nofollow noreferrer">retrocausality</a>, which addresses whether the future can affect the present and whether the present can affect the past.</p>

<p>In terms of deja vu and dreams, are they the result of future information being transferred to the present/past?</p>

<p>Actually, I'm wondering whether psychology and quantum physic are related in any way.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T00:31:37.507Z
After a bit more searching, I found an older question here about quantum physics and consciousness: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/5256/neural-microfilaments-for-computation
got trolled too much this week
<dreams><brain>
The relationship on deja vu, dream and retrocausality?
Daniel Mana
# The relationship on deja vu, dream and retrocausality?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-08)

In quantum physics, there is a topic on something called [retrocausality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocausality), which addresses whether the future can affect the present and whether the present can affect the past.

In terms of deja vu and dreams, are they the result of future information being transferred to the present/past?

Actually, I'm wondering whether psychology and quantum physic are related in any way.

**Tags:** dreams, brain

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: After a bit more searching, I found an older question here about quantum physics and consciousness: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/5256/neural-microfilaments-for-computation  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-09-12. Score: 2

**Short answer**  
Déjà vu and dreaming are closely related to memory and memory formation. However, they have nothing to do with future events. The brain cannot recall what it never has processed in the past.

**Background**  
Déjà vu is thought to be related to the tip-of-the-tongue feeling, in the sense that it is a memory phenomenon. It can occur when someone encounters a scenario that’s similar to an actual memory, but they fail to recall the memory. In other words, it's not an actual memory but an erroneous retrieval of *a* memory, if you like (sources: [PsychCentral](https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/03/05/is-deja-vu-real-or-just-a-feeling/133334.html) & [New Scientist](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101089-mystery-of-deja-vu-explained-its-how-we-check-our-memories/)).

[Dreams](https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/dreaming-overview#1) are basically stories and images our mind creates while we sleep. It has been proposed that dreams reflect biological processes of long-term memory consolidation. Consolidation strengthens the neural representations of recent events (*i.e.*, their memories) and embeds these new memory fragments into older, existing memories. This also maintains the stability of existing memory representations in the face of subsequent experiences [(Payne & Nadel, 2004)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534695/). In sleeping rodents, for example, neurons in the hippocampus fire in patterns remarkably similar to those recorded during a previous maze-running session—almost as if the animals replay the experience in their sleep (source: [Science Magazine](http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/04/dreams-linked-better-memories)).

In all, déjà vu and dreaming are indeed closely related to memory, and memory formation. However, they have nothing to do with future events. The brain cannot recall what never has perceived in the past. Hence, déjà vu experiences and dreams have nothing to do with what the future may bring, other than cases of pure coincidence.

**Reference**  
**-** [Payne & Nadel, *Learn Mem* (2004); **11**(6): 671–8](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534695/)


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### Answer by username_1 on 2018-09-17. Score: 0

> Actually, I'm wondering whether psychology and quantum physic are related in any way.

There's no conclusive evidence insofar that quantum processes play a distinctive role in brain, although some hypothesis [or another](https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-new-spin-on-the-quantum-brain-20161102/) typically relating qubits (or entanglement) to consciousness seems to endure on the fringes.

Note that retrocausality is fringy even without involving the brain, as in [not being](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocausality#Quantum_physics) strictly necessary to formulate entanglement.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: The quote format should be reserved for quotes, not for personal opinions imo.  
> **username_1**: @username_2: well, it's quote from the OP, not make clear which part of his post/question I'm addressing.  
> **username_2**: @Fuzz I failed to see that, thanks.  

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