We consider a $varphi$ Josephson junction, which has a bistable zero-voltage state with the stationary phases $psi=pmvarphi$. In the non-zero voltage state the phase moves viscously along a tilted periodic double-well potential. When the tilting is reduced quasistatically, the phase is retrapped in one of the potential wells. We study the viscous phase dynamics to determine in which well ($-varphi$ or $+varphi$) the phase is retrapped for a given damping, when the junction returns from the finite-voltage state back to zero-voltage state. In the limit of low damping the $varphi$ Josephson junction exhibits a butterfly effect --- extreme sensitivity of the destination well on damping. This leads to an impossibility to predict the destination well.
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