When the dream travels
Remate de Males February 23, 2026 DOI: 10.20396/remate.v45i2.8680707 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Breton treated the surreal as an involuntary mental act, with waking consciousness representing only a limited aspect of mental activity, and that Hedayat's work blends ordinary reality with supernatural strangeness to create a dreamlike world marked by transgression, secrecy, and enigma. |
Abstract
The term “surreal” in André Breton’s thought was interpreted as an involuntary mental act. According to him, the states of consciousness of an awake mind represent only a limited aspect of mental activity, as external forces constrain them. If on let the thought be free, it abandons these narrow paths that suffocate it and connects with the full power of imagination. In Sadegh Hedayat’s work, ordinary and everyday realities blend with a supernatural strangeness, thereby creating another world. In this dreamlike universe, everything ordinary, familiar, or mysterious takes on a dreamlike appearance, and an atmosphere of transgression, secrecy, and enigma surrounds both people and objects.