Marie-Jean-Léon, Marquis d'Hervey de Saint Denys

D Hervey de Saint Denys

Marie-Jean-Léon, Marquis d'Hervey de Saint Denys (1822–1892) was a French aristocrat, orientalist, and oneirologist. He is best known for his pioneering work in the study of dreams and lucid dreaming.

Early Life

Marie-Jean-Léon was born on May 6, 1822, in Paris, France. He was the son of Léon d'Hervey de Saint Denys, a prominent French nobleman. From a young age, he exhibited a keen interest in the Orient and its cultures, which later influenced his academic pursuits.

Academic Career

Marie-Jean-Léon pursued his education at the prestigious Collège Louis-le-Grand in Paris. He later attended the École des Langues Orientales, where he specialized in Chinese and Oriental studies. His proficiency in multiple languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and Sanskrit, earned him a reputation as a distinguished orientalist.

In 1851, he was appointed as a professor of Chinese at the Collège de France, a position he held for many years. His contributions to the field of Oriental studies were significant, and he published numerous works on Chinese literature and culture.

Contributions to Oneirology

Marie-Jean-Léon is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of oneirology, the scientific study of dreams. In 1867, he published Les Rêves et les Moyens de les Diriger (Dreams and the Ways to Direct Them), a seminal work that explored the phenomenon of lucid dreaming. In this book, he documented his own experiences with lucid dreams and provided techniques for achieving and controlling them.

His work laid the foundation for modern research into lucid dreaming and has been cited by numerous scholars in the field of psychology and neuroscience.

Personal Life and Legacy

Marie-Jean-Léon married Marie-Antoinette de Saint Denys, and they had several children. He continued his academic and literary pursuits until his death on November 2, 1892.

Marie-Jean-Léon's contributions to the study of dreams and Oriental studies have left a lasting legacy. His work continues to be studied and appreciated by scholars and enthusiasts alike.

Selected Works

• Les Rêves et les Moyens de les Diriger (1867)
• Recherches sur l'histoire de l'astronomie chinoise (1871)
• Poésies de l'époque des Thang (1862)

See Also

• Lucid dreaming
• Oneirology
• Oriental studies
• Collège de France