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I felt a funeral in my brain, and mourners to and fro kept…

“I felt a funeral in my brain, and mourners to and fro kept treading, treading till I felt that sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, a service, like a drum, kept beating, beating, till I felt my mind was going numb. And then I heard them lift a box and creak across my soul…” quote by Andrew Solomon
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“I felt a funeral in my brain, and mourners to and fro kept treading, treading till I felt that sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, a service, like a drum, kept beating, beating, till I felt my mind was going numb. And then I heard them lift a box and creak across my soul with those same boots of lead again, then space began to toll, as if the heavens were a bell and being were an ear, and I, and silence, some strange race wrecked, solitary, here. Just then, a plank in reason broke, and I fell down and down and hit a world at every plunge, and finished knowing then.”

Andrew Solomon

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Grief and mental turmoil are likened to a funeral procession within the mind, illustrating how trauma can numb and fragment consciousness.

In simple terms: The mind feels like a funeral, breaking down under pain.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge and process inner suffering.

Themes

grief mental health identity trauma resilience

Mood

somber introspective

Type

literary reflective

When to use this quote

  • therapy
  • creative expression
  • support groups

Key Concepts

psychology metaphor self-awareness

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we honor our inner grief?
  • What practices help restore mental clarity?
A Different Perspective

Healing may be slow and painful.

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