Why Your Body Does These Three Mysterious Things

Truly, it's amazing what your body does to support you, protect you, warn you, and react to various stimuli.

It's a beautiful thing that's also quite complicated, so thank goodness for science and doctors who can explain what and why things happen.

Speaking of science, according to the Interesting Facts website, you even have anatomical quirks and functions that are still not totally understandable.

DEJA VU

Wait, you've been here before, lived it, experienced this exact moment. But how is that possible since it's literally happening right now in the present time?

The term déjà vu is French for "already seen," and it has two possible meanings.

Research shows that there’s a direct relation between déjà vu and seizures. Specifically, the phenomenon is linked to temporal lobe epilepsy and has been described in people with a known medical history of the condition.

Don't worry, though. When you experience déjà vu, if you've never had a seizure or don’t have a history of epilepsy, that's where the second mystery comes.

According to Interesting Facts, it's just a glitch in your brain’s memory system, but the reason may never be known. Possibly your brain skipped over its short-term memory "section" so your long-term memory "section" is activated.

Weird, huh?

Also, it's thought that déjà vu happens when you're overly distracted at that moment or a bit sleep-deprived.

LEARN MORE: Opposite of Deja Vu Is an Even More Bizarre, Spooky Feeling

YAWNING

Clearly, you're tired, right? Or maybe you're finally relaxing after a strenuous or super busy day. Then there's being bored, where we try to explain it away as tired when someone is talking to us because ruuuuude.

According to Interesting Facts, yawning was once thought to force a deep inhale and exhale to increase oxygen levels in your bloodstream. But, alas, not anymore.

Researchers now believe that the primary function of yawning is regulating temperature. Your brain is the most energy-hungry organ in your body. It uses about 40% of your total metabolic energy. All that energy means that your brain tends to run hot and needs some way to cool down. Your brain uses yawning like your computer uses fans.

A cooler brain is a more alert brain. Ahhhhh, that explains the boredom thing. You're trying to pay attention again.

GOOSEBUMPS

You know when you get them, and they can happen for a variety of reasons, which is what makes them a bit mysterious.

Scared? You get goosebumps. Cold? You get goosebumps. Emotional moments like hearing a favorite song, watching a sporting event or movie, or something someone says to you? You get goosebumps.

Goosebumps are caused by contractions in small muscles that are connected to hair follicles. This creates a depression on the skin’s surface, resulting in the hairs standing upright.

According to Interesting Facts, you inherited this oddity from your ancestors, who had much thicker hair. Those goosebumps warmed up the body and created extra insulation. Your body hair is too thin to make this a thing anymore, so it's more of a stimulation at this point, reacting to your surroundings.