Cryptomnesia is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when an individual believes they have come up with a new idea, but in reality, they are recalling a memory of something they have previously heard or read. This phenomenon is often referred to as hidden memory or forgotten memory and is believed to be caused by the subconscious mind retaining information that the conscious mind has forgotten. Cryptomnesia can occur in a variety of situations, such as when an individual is creating music or writing a book. In these instances, the individual may unintentionally incorporate elements from a previously heard or read work into their own creation, believing that they have come up with something original. This can lead to accusations of plagiarism, even if the individual had no intention of copying the work. One of the most well-known examples of cryptomnesia occurred in the music industry when George Harrison was accused of plagiarizing the song My Sweet Lord. Harrison claimed that he had come up with the melody himself, but it was later discovered that the melody was similar to the song He's So Fine by The Chiffons, which Harrison had likely heard before. It is important to note that cryptomnesia is not intentional plagiarism, as the individual genuinely believes that they have come up with something new. However, it is still important for individuals to be aware of this phenomenon and to take steps to avoid unintentionally incorporating elements from previously heard or read works into their own creations.
cognitive bias, subconscious mind, plagiarism, memory, music industry
Cryptomnesia is an abstract noun that can be defined as a psychological phenomenon that involves the recollection of previously forgotten memories. Synonyms are amnesia, unconscious memory, and unintentional plagiarism. Antonyms are consciousness and intentional plagiarism. Cognates of cryptomnesia include krypto, crypt, and cryptology. Variants of cryptomnesia include cryptomnesiac, cryptomnesic, and cryptomnesically.
Etymological analysis, morphological analysis, semantic analysis, diachronic analysis, synchronic analysis
Cryptomnesia is a form of memory phenomenon in which an individual unknowingly remembers specific information, events, or experiences and mistakes this knowledge as novel or original. This phenomenon is highly contested in the literature, with some arguing that it is a result of psychological priming, where implicit memories from past experiences can be activated by present stimuli, and others suggesting that it is a result of newly created neurons being mistaken for existing ones. Morphologically, cryptomnesia can be seen as a combination of the Greek words ‘krypto’ for 'secret', and ‘mneme’ for 'memory'. This provides a basis for the concept of unconscious memories that are hidden away, hidden from conscious thought. Pragmatically, this phenomenon is used to explain situations in which people make mistakes and cannot recall the source of their knowledge.
Etymology, Morphology, Pragmatics, Memory, Phenomenon.
Cryptomnesia is a phenomenon that describes the state of remembering something without being aware of the source or origin of the memory. It is believed to be caused by already existing knowledge or experiences that have been forgotten, but still linger in the subconscious mind. Examples of cryptomnesia include misattributing a phrase that was heard to the wrong speaker, being unable to tell the difference between a dream and a real-life experience, and plagiarism.
Synonyms of cryptomnesia include repressed memory, déjà vu, unconscious carry-over, thought-borrowing, sourced-forgetting, subconscious memory, false memory, and subconscious plagiarism. Other equivalents in other languages include amnesia criptogenética
Cryptomnesia is a type of cognitive bias and logical fallacy that happens when someone thinks they are coming up with a new idea, but they are actually just remembering something they heard or read before. It is like having a memory of something but not realizing it was already there. For example, if someone has a great idea, but they can't remember where they heard it, it might be cryptomnesia.
Cryptomnesia, Memory Bias, False Memory, Misattribution, Plagiarism.
CITATION : "Thomas Lee. 'Cryptomnesia.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=214298 (Accessed on July 16, 2025)"
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