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| "An author may be writing steadily to a preconceived plan, working out an argument or developing the line of a story, when he suddenly runs off at a tangent. Perhaps a fresh idea has occurred to him, or a different image, or a whole new sub-plot. If you ask him what prompted the digression, he will not be able to tell you. He may not even have noticed the change, though he has now produced material that is entirely fresh and apparently unknown to him before. Yet it can sometimes be shown convincingly that what he has written bears a striking similarity to the work of another author--a work that he believes he has never seen." | "An author may be writing steadily to a preconceived plan, working out an argument or developing the line of a story, when he suddenly runs off at a tangent. Perhaps a fresh idea has occurred to him, or a different image, or a whole new sub-plot. If you ask him what prompted the digression, he will not be able to tell you. He may not even have noticed the change, though he has now produced material that is entirely fresh and apparently unknown to him before. Yet it can sometimes be shown convincingly that what he has written bears a striking similarity to the work of another author--a work that he believes he has never seen." | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Jung goes on to list more specific examples. ]'s book '']'' includes an almost word for word account of an incident also included in a book published about 1835, half a century before ] wrote. This is neither considered to be purposeful plagiarism nor pure coincidence. ]'s sister confirmed that ] had indeed read the original account when he was 11 years old. | Jung goes on to list more specific examples. ]'s book '']'' includes an almost word for word account of an incident also included in a book published about 1835, half a century before ] wrote. This is neither considered to be purposeful ] nor pure coincidence. ]'s sister confirmed that ] had indeed read the original account when he was 11 years old. | ||
| Not all examples were of the same nature. For example, cryptomnesia is likely the result of some memories becoming forcibly unconscious ones due to lack of room in the conscious. Therefore it does not always take the shape of plagiarism, as it would in writing, as well as musical compositions, and other art forms, but can also be the basis of philosophy. | Not all examples were of the same nature. For example, cryptomnesia is likely the result of some memories becoming forcibly unconscious ones due to lack of room in the conscious. Therefore it does not always take the shape of ], as it would in writing, as well as musical compositions, and other art forms, but can also be the basis of ]. | ||
| "The ability to reach a rich vein of such material and to translate it effectively into philosophy, literature, music or scientific discovery is one of the hallmarks of what is commonly called genius. | "The ability to reach a rich vein of such material and to translate it effectively into philosophy, literature, music or scientific discovery is one of the hallmarks of what is commonly called genius. | ||
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| Cryptomnesia is also applicable in modern times. It can be found, quite easily, in the music industry. This is not to say that those who suffer from it are in any way aware or in control of this, and therefore they should not be criticized. For the sake of pure example, the modern band ], represents this phenomenon beautifully. | Cryptomnesia is also applicable in modern times. It can be found, quite easily, in the music industry. This is not to say that those who suffer from it are in any way aware or in control of this, and therefore they should not be criticized. For the sake of pure example, the modern band ], represents this phenomenon beautifully. | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Jet released the song "]," which almost identically matches the music of ]'s "]" and the lyrics slightly resemble ]'s "]." (It also resembles many other songs, but for the sake of summary, only these two will be mentioned.) Jet released their song on the album '']'' in 2003, Kravitz in 1993, and Iggy Pop in 1977. Some consider the similarity blatant plagiarism, or sometimes quoted as "a shameless rip-off," but those who make these accusations are unaware of the cryptomnesia phenomenon, which they have most likely encountered in their own life. | Jet released the song "]," which almost identically matches the music of ]'s "]" and the lyrics slightly resemble ]'s "]." (It also resembles many other songs, but for the sake of summary, only these two will be mentioned.) Jet released their song on the album '']'' in 2003, Kravitz in 1993, and Iggy Pop in 1977. Some consider the similarity blatant ], or sometimes quoted as "a shameless rip-off," but those who make these accusations are unaware of the cryptomnesia phenomenon, which they have most likely encountered in their own life. | ||
Revision as of 04:26, 29 August 2005
Cryptomnesia, or "concealed recollection," is a very common phenomenon. It is often the means of recalling to mind certain experiences that we otherwise would not remember.
As explained expertly by Carl Jung, in Man and His Symbols, "An author may be writing steadily to a preconceived plan, working out an argument or developing the line of a story, when he suddenly runs off at a tangent. Perhaps a fresh idea has occurred to him, or a different image, or a whole new sub-plot. If you ask him what prompted the digression, he will not be able to tell you. He may not even have noticed the change, though he has now produced material that is entirely fresh and apparently unknown to him before. Yet it can sometimes be shown convincingly that what he has written bears a striking similarity to the work of another author--a work that he believes he has never seen."
Jung goes on to list more specific examples. Nietzsche's book Thus Spoke Zarathustra includes an almost word for word account of an incident also included in a book published about 1835, half a century before Nietzsche wrote. This is neither considered to be purposeful plagiarism nor pure coincidence. Nietzsche's sister confirmed that Nietzsche had indeed read the original account when he was 11 years old.
Not all examples were of the same nature. For example, cryptomnesia is likely the result of some memories becoming forcibly unconscious ones due to lack of room in the conscious. Therefore it does not always take the shape of plagiarism, as it would in writing, as well as musical compositions, and other art forms, but can also be the basis of philosophy.
"The ability to reach a rich vein of such material and to translate it effectively into philosophy, literature, music or scientific discovery is one of the hallmarks of what is commonly called genius.
"We can find clear proof of this fact in the history of science itself. For example, the French mathematician Poincaré and the chemist Kekulé owed important scientific discoveries (as they themselves admit) to sudden pictorial 'revelations' from the unconscious. The so-called 'mystical' experience of the French philosopher Descartes involved a similar sudden revelation in which he saw in a flash the 'order of all sciences.' The British author Robert Louis Stevenson had spent years looking for a story that would fit his 'strong sense of man's double being,' when the plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was suddenly revealed to him in a dream." ---Carl Jung Man and His Symbols
The mention of Kekulé is most interesting. While researching benzene, the German chemist dreamed of a snake with its tail in its mouth. Kekulé interpreted the snake as a representation of the closed-carbon ring of benzene, but the symbol of the snake with its tail in its mouth is an ancient one known as the Ouroboros. It can be found in Greek manuscripts from as long ago as the third century B.C.. This snake can also symbolize reversible chemical reactions.
Cryptomnesia is also applicable in modern times. It can be found, quite easily, in the music industry. This is not to say that those who suffer from it are in any way aware or in control of this, and therefore they should not be criticized. For the sake of pure example, the modern band Jet, represents this phenomenon beautifully.
Jet released the song "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?," which almost identically matches the music of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" and the lyrics slightly resemble Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way?." (It also resembles many other songs, but for the sake of summary, only these two will be mentioned.) Jet released their song on the album Get Born in 2003, Kravitz in 1993, and Iggy Pop in 1977. Some consider the similarity blatant plagiarism, or sometimes quoted as "a shameless rip-off," but those who make these accusations are unaware of the cryptomnesia phenomenon, which they have most likely encountered in their own life.