Hypnotically-induced deja-vu

In an article published in the October 2008 volume of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis Akira O'Connor reports the use of hypnotic suggestions to create experiences of deja-vu in the laboratory. Although common, deja-vu occurs spontaneously and is difficult to study in the laboratory (great information from Chris Moulin's deja vu site). In this experiment 6 highly hypnotizable participants were given a suggestion that when they played a puzzle game it would feel familiar ("...as you look at the puzzle board you will be overcome by a sense of familiarity..."). Five of the six reported a strong sense of deja-vu, indicating the utility of using hypnosis as a research tool for creating and studying deja-vu in the laboratory.