"It is understood, too, that while Hélène's subliminal self can safely give itself up to the creation of a definite language in the freedom which the planet Mars affords, where there is no pre-existing system to be conformed to nor any objective control to fear, it would be very imprudent and absurd to repeat the process in connection with India: the few words of pure Sanscrit which were at its disposal kept it from inventing others, the falseness of which would be evident at the first attempt at a literal and verbatim translation. It, therefore, contented itself with these veridical elements, insufficient in themselves alone for the construction of complete sentences, being a jargon devoid of meaning, but in harmony through their dominant vowels with the authentic fragments."
~ 'From India to the planet Mars; a study of a case of somnambulism with glossolalia' by Th. Flournoy. Tr. by Daniel B. Vermilye, 1901.
In which section does this passage occur? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8. The HINDOO CYCLE.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the last sentence was a comment about Sanskrit and it seemed to make some sort of sense in the way many use it. But I find that I misunderstood. It was about the language constructed by a particular person.
ReplyDelete