--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But that self-abduction shit—where you…" description: "\"“But that self-abduction shit—where you take leave of yourself, and a ghoul takes over instead, and the night comes back at you the next day, memories ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg" --- # But that self-abduction shit—where you take leave of… ![“But that self-abduction shit—where you take leave of yourself, and a ghoul takes over instead, and the night comes back at you the next day, memories like shredded documents; the gut wrench of wanting to know exactly what you did and not wanting to know at all—that was the kind of alcoholic he…” quote by David Shafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg) > ““But that self-abduction shit—where you take leave of yourself, and a ghoul takes over instead, and the night comes back at you the next day, memories like shredded documents; the gut wrench of wanting to know exactly what you did and not wanting to know at all—that was the kind of alcoholic he minded being.”” David Shafer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes a painful, self-destructive mental state where one loses personal identity to a darker force, leading to fragmented memories and a conflicted desire for truth. **In simple terms:** Loss of self to destructive thoughts and memory chaos Key Takeaway Recognize and confront self‑destructive patterns. Themes identity addiction memory conflict Mood conflicted introspective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - therapy sessions - self‑reflection - support groups - writing therapy Key Concepts psychology self‑destruction alcoholism Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between self‑reflection and self‑destruction? - What small action could restore a sense of self? A Different Perspective The metaphor may be overly dramatic, obscuring practical steps for recovery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abduction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abduction/) ## Related quotes > [“Should I talk to her friends?’ he asked softly, because he had to say something to take his mind away from the feel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rose/should-i-talk-to-her-friends-he-asked-softly-because-he-had-to-say/) Elisabeth Rose > [“Whitley Strieber, who wrote about his own abduction in the book Communion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monte-cook/whitley-strieber-who-wrote-about-his-own-abduction-in-the-book/) Monte Cook > [The first thing to note is that pornography and many abductions occur apart from the use of computers, and that most child abuse happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-papert/the-first-thing-to-note-is-that-pornography-and-many-abductions-occur/) [Seymour Papert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-papert/) > [“Our society needs criminals like Wolfgang Priklopil in order to give a face to the evil that lives within and to split it off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-kampusch/our-society-needs-criminals-like-wolfgang-priklopil-in-order-to-give/) [Natascha Kampusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-kampusch/) > [Although North Korea's position differs (from Tokyo's), Japan's basic stance remains unchanged ? to seek sincere responses from the North Korean side to resolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junichiro-koizumi/although-north-korea-s-position-differs-from-tokyo-s-japan-s-basic/) [Junichiro Koizumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junichiro-koizumi/) > [One of the most ignored dimensions of the Iraqi insurgency are the Iraqis themselves who are regularly abducted, held for ransom and sometimes executed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-hoffman/one-of-the-most-ignored-dimensions-of-the-iraqi-insurgency-are-the/) [Bruce Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-hoffman/) > [Even the most respectable woman has a complete set of clothes in her wardrobe ready for a possible abduction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-guitry/even-the-most-respectable-woman-has-a-complete-set-of-clothes-in-her/) [Sacha Guitry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-guitry/) > [“During an abduction, you want to place a 911 call at the earliest opportunity and keep the phone line open for the duration of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/during-an-abduction-you-want-to-place-a-911-call-at-the-earliest/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“2.1 Abduction No, we’re not talking about kidnapping but, rather, an important dimension of scientific and ordinary as well as philosophical rationality. Consider the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/2-1-abduction-no-we-re-not-talking-about-kidnapping-but-rather-an/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [The resemblance of ... the alien abduction of 'experiencers' to the contracts described by our own volunteers is undeniable. How can anyone doubt, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-strassman/the-resemblance-of-the-alien-abduction-of-experiencers-to-the/) [Rick Strassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-strassman/) > [People that have had genuine abduction experiences that I've met that seem very genuine to me, but they're just confused about why it happened.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-davies/people-that-have-had-genuine-abduction-experiences-that-i-ve-met-that/) [Dave Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-davies/) > [For me to sit here and give all kinds of excuses to make it right, I can't do. But what I want to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-childers/for-me-to-sit-here-and-give-all-kinds-of-excuses-to-make-it-right-i/) [Sam Childers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-childers/) > [“But I don’t arrange a very good abduction, I’m afraid. In my haste to seize you and carry you off to the ends of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kinsale/but-i-don-t-arrange-a-very-good-abduction-i-m-afraid-in-my-haste-to/) [Laura Kinsale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kinsale/) > [“During an abduction, your priorities are to place a 911 call, video record the event, and to make the public aware of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/during-an-abduction-your-priorities-are-to-place-a-911-call-video/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [If an abduction is reported, it is dealt with in the same way as a kidnap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/if-an-abduction-is-reported-it-is-dealt-with-in-the-same-way-as-a/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) ## More by David Shafer > [“Leila’s particular sensitivities seemed to cycle between the wafty, closer smells—mainly food and human—that draped over a moment, and the dusty, distant smells that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shafer/leila-s-particular-sensitivities-seemed-to-cycle-between-the-wafty/) David Shafer > [“DADI protocol (deflect attention, discourage inquiry).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shafer/dadi-protocol-deflect-attention-discourage-inquiry/) David Shafer Explore all 3 David Shafer quotes ## More Abduction quotes > [“Should I talk to her friends?’ he asked softly, because he had to say something to take his mind away from the feel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rose/should-i-talk-to-her-friends-he-asked-softly-because-he-had-to-say/) Elisabeth Rose > [“During an abduction, your priorities are to place a 911 call, video record the event, and to make the public aware of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/during-an-abduction-your-priorities-are-to-place-a-911-call-video/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“But I don’t arrange a very good abduction, I’m afraid. In my haste to seize you and carry you off to the ends of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kinsale/but-i-don-t-arrange-a-very-good-abduction-i-m-afraid-in-my-haste-to/) [Laura Kinsale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kinsale/) > [For me to sit here and give all kinds of excuses to make it right, I can't do. But what I want to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-childers/for-me-to-sit-here-and-give-all-kinds-of-excuses-to-make-it-right-i/) [Sam Childers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-childers/) > [People that have had genuine abduction experiences that I've met that seem very genuine to me, but they're just confused about why it happened.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-davies/people-that-have-had-genuine-abduction-experiences-that-i-ve-met-that/) [Dave Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-davies/) > [The resemblance of ... the alien abduction of 'experiencers' to the contracts described by our own volunteers is undeniable. How can anyone doubt, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-strassman/the-resemblance-of-the-alien-abduction-of-experiencers-to-the/) [Rick Strassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-strassman/) > [“2.1 Abduction No, we’re not talking about kidnapping but, rather, an important dimension of scientific and ordinary as well as philosophical rationality. Consider the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/2-1-abduction-no-we-re-not-talking-about-kidnapping-but-rather-an/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“During an abduction, you want to place a 911 call at the earliest opportunity and keep the phone line open for the duration of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/during-an-abduction-you-want-to-place-a-911-call-at-the-earliest/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Even the most respectable woman has a complete set of clothes in her wardrobe ready for a possible abduction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-guitry/even-the-most-respectable-woman-has-a-complete-set-of-clothes-in-her/) [Sacha Guitry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-guitry/) > [One of the most ignored dimensions of the Iraqi insurgency are the Iraqis themselves who are regularly abducted, held for ransom and sometimes executed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-hoffman/one-of-the-most-ignored-dimensions-of-the-iraqi-insurgency-are-the/) [Bruce Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-hoffman/) > [Although North Korea's position differs (from Tokyo's), Japan's basic stance remains unchanged ? to seek sincere responses from the North Korean side to resolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junichiro-koizumi/although-north-korea-s-position-differs-from-tokyo-s-japan-s-basic/) [Junichiro Koizumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junichiro-koizumi/) > [“Our society needs criminals like Wolfgang Priklopil in order to give a face to the evil that lives within and to split it off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-kampusch/our-society-needs-criminals-like-wolfgang-priklopil-in-order-to-give/) [Natascha Kampusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-kampusch/) > [The first thing to note is that pornography and many abductions occur apart from the use of computers, and that most child abuse happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-papert/the-first-thing-to-note-is-that-pornography-and-many-abductions-occur/) [Seymour Papert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-papert/) > [“Whitley Strieber, who wrote about his own abduction in the book Communion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monte-cook/whitley-strieber-who-wrote-about-his-own-abduction-in-the-book/) Monte Cook > [If an abduction is reported, it is dealt with in the same way as a kidnap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/if-an-abduction-is-reported-it-is-dealt-with-in-the-same-way-as-a/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) [Browse all 65 Abduction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abduction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But that self-abduction shit—where you take leave of yourself, and a ghoul takes over instead, and the night comes back at you the next day, memories like shredded documents; the gut wrench of wanting to know exactly what you did and not wanting to know at all—that was the kind of alcoholic he minded being.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Shafer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shafer/but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-take-leave-of-yourself-and-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abduction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shafer/but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-take-leave-of-yourself-and-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/david-shafer-84750_abduction_but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-t_714861.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But that self-abduction shit—where you take leave of yourself, and a ghoul takes over instead, and the night…” — David Shafer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Shafer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shafer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But that self-abduction shit—where you take...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shafer/but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-take-leave-of-yourself-and-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shafer/but-that-self-abduction-shit-where-you-take-leave-of-yourself-and-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```