Sleep Walking and Moon Walking: A Medico-Literary Study

A psychoanalytical exploration written in the early 20th century. This study focuses on the phenomena of sleepwalking, particularly its connection to dreams, sexuality, and the influence of moonlight. The author analyzes both medical cases and literary references, linking the common act of moonwalking to deeper psychoanalytical concepts and personal experiences that reveal the unconscious mind's workings. The opening of the work introduces the key themes of the study, starting with an overview of sleepwalking as a phenomenon characterized by complex behaviors executed while in a state of sleep, including amnesia upon waking. It explores the belief that moonlight has a particular effect on those prone to sleepwalking, examining both psychological and literary evidence, notably referencing Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth as a prime example of moonwalking in literature. Sadger argues that understanding sleepwalking requires a psychoanalytic approach, as it often represents the fulfillment of repressed desires linked to childhood experiences and sexuality, particularly in relation to familial dynamics.