Children Quote by Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
““You're doubtless well aware that most of the great hypnotic patients wind up referring to themselves in the third person, like little children. They see themselves from outside their own organisms, outside their own sensory systems. In order to get further outside themselves, and help them escape their physical personality, some of them, once in the state of clairvoyance, have the curious custom of re-baptizing themselves. The dream name comes to them, no one knows whence, and by this they INSIST on being called as long as their luminous sleep endures – to the point of refusing to answer to any other name.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: "The Dream-Book", 1881
Patients adopt third‑person self‑reference and new names to detach from personal identity during trance.
In simple terms: Seeing self as observer, renaming self.
Key Takeaway
Use perspective shift to gain insight.
Themes
identity
detachment
psychology
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- meditative practice
- creative writing
- role‑play games
Key Concepts
self‑observation
altered states
naming rituals
Questions to Reflect On
- What benefits arise from viewing yourself as an outsider?
- How can naming affect self‑perception?
A Different Perspective
May cause disorientation or loss of personal continuity.
