jamais vu

Here is a recent news story that stimulated my rebellious “otherwise” brain cells. A 37-year old woman in Germany has strange epileptic seizures: she feels she has turned into a man. This is accompanied by a deeper and more masculine voice and even her arms have grown hairier over time. MRI scans revealed damage to the woman’s right amygdala, a tiny little almond-shaped group of nerve cells at the base of the brain, known to be associated with mood and emotions (amydala is Greek for the almond). There’s more: EEG electrodes recorded abnormal activity in the surrounding right temporal lobe, suggesting that this region is the source of her seizures. What are called “temporal lobe seizures” are notorious for causing strange disorientation, sensations of déjà vu or jamais vu (unfamiliarity in everyday surroundings) and even past life recall.

Here is a recent news story that stimulated my rebellious “otherwise” brain cells. A 37-year old woman in Germany has strange epileptic seizures: she feels she has turned into a man. This is accompanied by a deeper and more masculine voice and even her arms have grown hairier over time. MRI scans revealed damage to the woman’s right amygdala, a tiny little almond-shaped group of nerve cells at the base of the brain, known to be associated with mood and emotions (amydala is Greek for the almond). There’s more: EEG electrodes recorded abnormal activity in the surrounding right temporal lobe, suggesting that this region is the source of her seizures. What are called “temporal lobe seizures” are notorious for causing strange disorientation, sensations of déjà vu or jamais vu (unfamiliarity in everyday surroundings) and even past life recall.