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The Technical Term is Cryptomnesia » krazy kat

Posted by fachad on July 21, 2002, at 13:52:15

In reply to support for Kiddo..., posted by krazy kat on July 21, 2002, at 10:58:01

> I wish that Lou would explain one thing - why everything he is describing (and I mean Everything I have read) is in Revelations? He is quoting Christ...if I said I experienced this, and then found out that Gandhi had actually said this, I would wonder if perhaps I had read it somewhere and it had popped up at a later date.

The technical term for this phenomenon is cryptomnesia. From a dictionary definition:

"Cryptomnesia is, literally, hidden memory. The term is used to explain the origin of experiences that people believe to be original but which are actually based on memories of events they've forgotten."

"Cryptomnesia may also explain how the apparent plagiarism of such people as Helen Keller or George Harrison of the Beatles might actually be cases of hidden memory. Harrison didn't intend to plagiarize the Chiffon's "He's So Fine" in "My Sweet Lord." Nor did Keller intend to plagiarize Margaret Canby's "The Frost Fairies" when she wrote "The Frost King." Both may simply be cases of not having a conscious memory of their experiences of the works in question."

It can be very frustrating to a person who has had (subjectively) genuine mystical experiences to have a skeptical person point out exact similarities to some historical document. But it also could be viewed as validating their experiences because they are in agreement with a recognized mystical tradition. Or it could be viewed as a valid experience with elements shaped by cryptomnesia. Either way it does not necessarily have mean they are being insincere.


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