During the 'époque des sommeils' (period of sleeps), French poet Robert Desnos proved to be exceptionally adept at entering deep hypnotic trance states during group sessions led by André Breton. While completely asleep at a cafe table, Desnos could spontaneously speak, answer complex philosophical questions, and scratch out highly intricate, rhyming avant-garde poems on loose paper. His terrifyingly fluent performances convinced the early surrealists that the creative subconscious could entirely usurp conscious identity.

Desnos's trance compositions shattered the boundary between mediumistic spiritualism and modern psychological art. His ability to produce high-quality poetry while entirely unconscious served as the ultimate empirical proof for Breton's theories, establishing Desnos as the undisputed prophet of early verbal surrealism.