>He could, he felt, be himself with others if they knew nothing about him. This was, however, a requirement that demanded exacting fulfillment. It meant that he had to go to another part of the country where he was a 'stranger' He would go from place to place, never staying long enough to be known, each time under a different name. Under these conditions he could be (almost) happy - for a while. He was 'free' and could be 'spontaneous'. He could even have sexual relations with girls. He was not 'self-conscious' and had no 'ideas of reference'. These no longer arose because the inner uncoupling of his self from his body was no longer necessary. He could be an embodied person if he was really incognito. If, however, he was known, he had to revert to the disembodied position.>The phantasy he put into action of being anonymous, or incognito, or a stranger in a strange land, is a common one in people with ideas of reference. They feel that if they could get away from their workmates, or leave their town, and start afresh, everything would be all right. They are often found to move from job to job, or from place to place. This defense works for a short while, but can last only as long as they are anonymous; it is very difficult not to be 'discovered': and they are liable to become as suspicious and cautious as any spy in enemy territory that others are trying to 'catch them out' into 'giving themselves away'.
