"Je ne pouvais m'empêcher de penser que les "dormeurs" ne craignaient pas de simuler pour se rendre intéressant..."

Manuscript note by Philippe Soupault, 22 lines in mauve ink on a sheet, headed with this inscription: "Les séances", devoted to the famous "sleep" sessions conducted in André Breton's studio consisting of oneiric writings or texts dictated by a dreamer.
The manuscript notes contain three deletions and corrections.
Philippe Soupault considers his attempts questionable and even labels them as imposture, distancing himself from any active participation in these practices: "Neither Aragon nor I participated actively in the experiments called sleep sessions, while Breton accepted with great interest Crevel's suggestion to engage in experiments he had discovered among friends. One had to fall asleep and recount what 'one saw'..."
He recalls the results that were not always convincing: "Crevel, Desnos and Péret 'fell asleep' and, despite his efforts, Breton could not manage to fall asleep. Listening to the accounts of these sessions, I could not help thinking that the 'sleepers' did not hesitate to simulate in order to make themselves interesting." to such an extent that the intransigent leader of surrealism interrupted them: "Breton realized the danger of one-upmanship and especially of Desnos's exaltation. He ceased attempting new sleep experiments."
Interesting recollections from the last living historical surrealist, often harsh toward his former or new companions.