French Literature Reviews - 2026

B.-D. Lewin, On the Proper Use of Regression: Regarding Three Dreams of Descartes
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

On the Proper Use of Regression: Regarding Three Dreams of Descartes
Bertram-D. Lewin
Michel Gribinski (Translator)

Publication date: 14/11/2016 Publisher: Gallimard (Editions) Series: Connaissance de l'inconscient ISBN: 978-2-07-017797-4 EAN: 9782070177974 Format: Paperback Presentation: Softcover No. of pages: 120 p.

This book, the first by Bertram D. Lewin to be published in France, focuses on the three dreams experienced by Descartes during the night of November 10, 1619, after which he believed the Angel of Truth had visited him in his sleep to reveal the mathematical nature of the world. Rather than attempting to interpret these dreams, Lewin adopts a vibrant, engaging approach that respects their enigmatic nature, focusing solely on their mechanics—the dream-work, the "royal road" to the unconscious.

It comes as no surprise to learn, from Michel Gribinski's biographical introduction, that Lewin was a poet (five of his poems are translated here), musician, and polyglot, whose impressive erudition was matched by a lighthearted, playful spirit, and for whom language and ideas were a natural vocation. Ideas? The author demonstrates how dreams—banished from science since Heraclitus because they elude shared reality—serve, in a disguised form, as the wellspring of the scientific worldview.

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An article on this work can be read on nonfiction.fr:

Bertram D. Lewin examines the three dreams experienced by René Descartes on the night of November 10, 1619, following which the philosopher believed he was visited by the Angel of Truth. Rather than offering a traditional interpretation of these visions, the author focuses on their underlying mechanics and the dream-work itself. The volume includes a biographical introduction by translator Michel Gribinski, which highlights Lewin's background as a poet, musician, and polyglot whose intellectual range informed his approach to psychoanalysis and literature.

The publication places the author's work within the broader tradition of psychoanalytic studies of historical figures and the unconscious. By examining how dreams elude shared reality yet function as sources for the scientific worldview, the text engages with long-standing discussions concerning the relationship between subjective experience and rational thought. Readers interested in the intersection of psychoanalysis, biography, and the history of early modern philosophy may find this volume relevant to their inquiries.

"The Interpretation of Three Dreams of Descartes Against Freud", by S. Cornudet.