A few literary descriptions serve to illustrate the ability of literary authors to depict a subjective experience like the déjà vu experience. These descriptions appear to be consistent with the phenomenological, etiological and psychopathogenetic data presented in psychiatric writings. The explanations described by literary authors include reincarnation and dreams. Not infrequently, an association with defense, depersonalization or organic factors is demonstrable on the basis of psychoanalytic or clinical psychiatric interpretation. The authors conclude that during their training, psychiatrists should be encouraged to cross the limits of the psychiatric literature and read novels and poetry as well.