In the passage, the narrator describes a vivid but disorienting experience, where familiar objects like tables and lights become almost ghostly, as if they once existed but no longer do. This sense of loss is accompanied by a hypnotic fixation on a part of oneself, such as a shoe or fingernail, creating a feeling of detachment from reality. The individual feels as if they are being roughly shaken, leading to a profound disconnection from their own identity.

The imagery conveys a journey into oblivion, where the loss of self becomes overwhelming. While the external world remains clearly visible, the inner experience is one of dissolution, where familiar sensations fade away. The process of being shaken strips away the essence of the individual, leaving them indifferent to their own condition as they become lost in the relentless passage of time, signified by the color changes in their fingers or shoes.