paramnesia

[ par-am-nee-zhuh ]

noun

1. Psychiatry. a distortion of memory in which fact and fantasy are confused.
2. the inability to recall the correct meaning of a word.

paramnesia

/ ˌpæræmˈniːzɪə /

noun

1. psychiatry a disorder of the memory or the faculty of recognition in which dreams may be confused with reality

Word History and Origins

Origin of paramnesia¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1885–90; par-, amnesia

Example Sentences

The subtle, recurring confusion between illusion and reality that was characteristic of paramnesia fascinated the chaplain, and he knew a number of things about it.

From Literature

In another case of Morvan’s, the patient reported reduplicative paramnesia; he firmly believed that his home had been copied by a stranger and that the replica existed 40 miles away.

From Scientific American

Many hypnotherapeutic techniques such as amnesia, hypermnesia, progression, paramnesia, automatic writing, dream induction, regression, production of experimental conflicts and crystal or mirror gazing require a somnambulistic state.

From Project Gutenberg

Memory illusion, or paramnesia, consists in the illusory opinion of having experienced, seen, or heard something, although there has been no such experience, vision, or sound.

From Project Gutenberg

He knew, for example, that it was called paramnesia, and he was interested as well in such corollary optical phenomena as jamais vu, never seen, and presque vu, almost seen.

From Literature

Related Words

• confusion
• deception
• delusion
• fantasy
• hallucination
• image
• misconception
• myth
• pipe dream
• semblance