AimsThis article describes the clinical treatment of a schizophrenic patient presenting a delusion of filiation, connected to the era of the Second World War, with auditory hallucinations in English (his maternal language being French): that is to say a very uncommon phenomenon. We hypothesized a “genealogical haunting” (as theorized by Maria Torok and Nicolas Abraham). MethodA schizophrenic patient was hospitalized with a case of delusion and a very strong pathological reluctance. He told us progressively about a very rich delusion of filiation whose particularity was the appearance of auditory hallucinations in English, during the first breakdown. We tried to analyze this phenomenon as a genealogical haunting, and to define its origin, while the patient himself was concerned with the link between his origins and his schizophrenic illness. While his delusion persisted, he called upon his interest in genealogy and processes of figuration (metaphoric and objects-messengers, dreams, mythology). ResultsAs clinical interviews familiarized us with the patient's family history, we were able to better understand his hallucinations in English, thanks to the reconstruction of the familial past, and the search for the nucleus of the delusion, thus improving introjection and the symbolization of a traumatic past. This was associated with a lasting improvement in the patient's symptoms, increased psychic freedom, and the opening up of new possibilities in his life. DiscussionLocating the origin of a crypt in a past generation is obviously a delicate task, especially when the crypt appears in the words of a patient suffering from profound delusion. Nevertheless, the proposition of psychotherapy to a patient whose delusions concern a family secret (to what extent the patient's beliefs are truly delusional is difficult to determine, in the absence of hard evidence about his family history) can allow for the elaboration and the symbolization that are necessary in calming – or, in the best case – minimizing the delusion. ConclusionThe transgenerational approach to the effects of genealogical haunting can enlarge our knowledge about the most enigmatic pathological productions, in this case, auditory hallucinations in English in a French-speaking patient. Incorporating this transgenerational approach into psychoanalytic psychotherapy could prove therapeutic, including for certain schizophrenic patients.