cryptomnesia

American  

[krip-toh-mnee-zhuh] / ˌkrɪp toʊˈmni ʒə /

noun

1. the phenomenon of not recognizing the return of an old memory as a product of memory, but instead regarding it as a new or original thought or idea.

   Cryptomnesia has misled some writers to embark on new works which are actually unconscious plagiarism or even self-plagiarism.

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Etymology

Origin of cryptomnesia

First recorded in 1900–05; crypto- ( def. ) + Greek mnêsis “memory” + -ia ( def. ); amnesia ( def. ).

Example Sentences

British Psychiatrist Anthony Storr argues that recall of past lives is really an example of cryptomnesia, a fantasy based upon subconscious recollections of some long-forgotten historical novel or magazine article.

From Time Magazine Archive