Cryptomnesic

/ˌkrɪptoʊmˈniːsɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or characterized by cryptomnesia; describing hidden or unconscious memory processes.

Etymology

From Greek 'kryptos' (hidden) + 'mnesia' (memory) + '-ic' (relating to). This psychological term became established in early 20th-century psychoanalytic and cognitive psychology literature.

Kelly Says

Carl Jung used 'cryptomnesic' to explain why artists sometimes claim they invented something original, when actually their hidden memory was reproducing something they'd absorbed and forgotten about!

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