Neale Donald Walsch caugh plagiarizing

[recoverer]

He claims that he had a memory gaff, and mistook what he read for his own experience, yet his memory had no problem using some of the same words.

His books have some good things to say, but they also have some false things to say. Perhaps he shouldn't claim that the words come from an infallible source, when they don't.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/books/07book.html

[dingo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomnesia

[recoverer]

There's also the twinkie defense. If you eat too much junk food, who knows what you'll do.

Seriously, going by Walsch's explanation, he at first told the story as if it occurred for the lady, and mysteriously, from one meeting to the next, he started to tell the story as if it was his own, even though he was able to remember specific details. It doesn't seem reasonable for him to suggest that a number of meetings caused the memory gaff, because the switch from one version to another version would happen between just two meetings. Why would his memory make a sudden switch? If anything, sharing the story in an accurate manner a number of times as he suggests he did so, would reinforce his memory that a lady is the source of the story.

Here are his key words:

"I have told the story verbally so many times over the years that I had it memorized ... and then, somewhere along the way, internalized it as my own experience."

Another possible explanation is that he told the story as his own story right from the start. However, if this is the case, what would be his reason for stating that multiple meetings were the cause of his mistaken memory?

There is also the factor of how he claimed that the occurrence took place at an event for his child twenty years ago. Do people forget occurrences associated with their children so easily? Even if they do, how did Walsch come up with twenty years ago? Twenty years ago seems like specific information.

Before it can be determined that cryptomnesia is an explanation for faulty memory, it needs to be determined if the facts of a situation determine that this is the case. It doesn't seem to me that in this case the facts add up in such a way.

Sometimes the most reasonable explanation is the explanation. If a man will be dishonest about channeling God, why wouldn't he be dishonest about other things? 

[recoverer]

Here's another way to state what I stated above.

From the article, below are key words from Walsch:

"I have told the story verbally so many times over the years that I had it memorized ... and then, somewhere along the way, internalized it as my own experience."

So what is he expecting people to believe? That numerous times he would start sharing the story by saying that a lady named Candy Chand shared this story...and then one day, from one meeting to the next, he said: "One day I attended my son's kindergarten pagent..."

One would think that if he repeated the part about Candy Chand, this part of the story would be etched in his memory.

[DH]

I have no idea what's true about Walsch, but cryptomnesia seems to happen.  Former President Ronald Reagan was known later in his life to tell some stories as personal experiences that were actually plots out of some his movies years and years before.  Maybe it was a precursor to his Alzheimer's.

[recoverer]

Whatever is true of Walsch, hopefully overall what he has done has a positive effect.

Do people ever follow him in a cult like way? I don't know. I don't believe it is good to do such a thing, regardless of who is being followed. It's much better to contact our own higher self.

[zareste]

Every idea came from another idea before it

[DH]

Whatever is true of Walsch, hopefully overall what he has done has a positive effect.
Do people ever follow him in a cult like way? I don't know. I don't believe it is good to do such a thing, regardless of who is being followed. It's much better to contact our own higher self.

Every idea came from another idea before it

I think Walsch has helped a lot of people in a positive way.  A lot of what he has written is not new and has been said before, apart from the plagiarism charge.  Like all other human beings he isn't perfect.  He probably has his share of groupies who think the guru IS perfect.

IMHO all ideas that we perceive as truth go back to the same Source.  I try to be a spiritual sponge -- soak it all up and wring out that which doesn't resonate with my higher self.

[recoverer]

DH:

You seem to agree with me. We have to go with what resonates with our higher self.

[DH]

DH:
You seem to agree with me. We have to go with what resonates with our higher self.

Right on.  That seems to be the bottom line.