Cryptomnesia
As cryptomnesia ( Greek κρυπτός kryptos "hidden" and μνήσης mnésis "memory"), modern psychology understands the phenomenon that forgotten or repressed memories and ideas come back surprisingly, similar to a déjà-vu .
terminology
Cryptomnesia primarily affects memories and ideas that were forgotten or suppressed a long time ago and surprisingly reappear after a certain time. Unconscious processes probably play a part in this: Apparently useless or unworkable ideas, but also particularly negative (or particularly positive) memories are suppressed and stored in the unconscious and initially “deactivated” in order to be called up again abruptly at a later point in time. The person concerned initially perceives the recurring memory / idea as completely new, until it either occurs to him again that he already had the memory / idea a certain time ago, or until he is made aware of it by outsiders. The phenomenon can also affect memories and ideas that are unconsciously taken over by outside people and perceived and presented as their own.
Another form of cryptomnesia is the resuscitation of what has been forgotten while you sleep. For example, someone can find an object or person believed to be lost after dreaming of finding it.
Problem
The phenomenon of unconsciously adopted ideas and memories that are perceived as one's own and presented accordingly can lead to problems in society in the form of plagiarism allegations and the like. Those affected by cryptomnesia in particular suffer from the allegations, as they actually have no memory of having taken over the ideas and thoughts of the injured party.
literature
- Carl A. Meier: The empiricism of the unconscious (= textbook of complex psychology , vol. 1). Daimon, Frankfurt / Leipzig 1994, ISBN 3856303030 .
- Gunda Dreyer, Jost Kotthoff, Astrid Meckel: Copyright: Copyright Act, Copyright Administration Act, Art Copyright Act . Hüthig Jehle Rehm, Heidelberg 2009, ISBN 3811435191 .
- Narinder Kapur: The Paradoxical Brain . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (UK) 2011, ISBN 0521115574 .
- Leonard Zusne, Warren H. Jones: Anomalistic Psychology: A Study of Magical Thinking . Routledge, London 1989, ISBN 0805805087 .