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Imaginary Friends

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by Andstillimhere7, Feb 6, 2015.

?

Am I crazy for having imaginary friends

  1. Yes

    3 vote(s)
    8.1%

  2. maybe

    13 vote(s)
    35.1%

  3. no

    21 vote(s)
    56.8%
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  1. Andstillimhere7

    Andstillimhere7
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    Okay so recently I was wondering if having imaginary friends is a "problem". I have had imaginary friends since 4th grade and they never seem to interfere with my life, if anything they have been improving it. I've heard that the general population would think I would be crazy. I obviously don't pretend play with them, but I always talk to them mentally or occasionally verbally. They have changed my life for the better (Getting me in track, doing good deeds, college, etc), but I feel people, if I ever tell them, would say I'm crazy or childish.

    The problems they have caused is that I tend to laugh in quiet moments usually because some of them telling a funny comment or joke and sometimes they have caused me to go in problems BECAUSE of a misconceptions

    They are my rational, inspiration, entertainment, motivators, friends, etc. What I'm afraid is that people will tell me to get rid of them or "grow up" and my imaginary friends have been with me for almost 9 years and there's no way in hell that i'm giving them up.

    I'm not asking for diagnosis for if I'm insane, but rather an opinion. Do you think its weird that I have imaginary friends?
     
    #1 Andstillimhere7, Feb 6, 2015
  2. HunGuy

    HunGuy Guest

    As long as they don't cause any harm to you and don't make you cause any harm to others, it's fine.
     
    #2 HunGuy, Feb 7, 2015
  3. littlesami

    littlesami
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    I don't think you're crazy, just a little bit too lonely. But I kinda acted the same way the other day, because i was in my bed, at night, and i started making up a story where i had a boyfriend Ryan, like where we met, and what we did, and sometimes, some nights, i just do as if i did have a guy. I guess it's smaller than your case but still...
     
    #3 littlesami, Feb 7, 2015
  4. Argentwing

    Argentwing
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    The thing about imaginary friends is that it allows you to project any latent parts about yourself onto a separate identity to put them to good use. So no, I don't think you're crazy. Not really crazy at least. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    I never got the imaginary friend thing though. I tried it when I was little because I heard of the concept somewhere, but gave up after like 2 minutes. I guess I expected something to happen lol.
     
    #4 Argentwing, Feb 7, 2015
  5. Lawrence

    Lawrence
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    Nope. You're aware they're imaginary friends. A lot of people would probably find it VERY strange. A good friend would accept it as a quirk. Plus I'm sure you're already aware it isn't something to bring to a job interview. Personally I think it's interesting and would encourage you to write stories.

    As for that problem; just say you remembered something funny. Because that's kind of what's really happening. Perhaps your imaginary friends could on holiday for a while when you need to be super serious.

    I had no time for imaginary friends. I tried and the best I can do is imagine personalities for Micro Machines. Although I'm a very creative individual just like you. I led an evil organisation in primary school. We were planning to take over the world and run it better. I realised how stupid it was by the time I was 8 or 9 but I kept the dream alive until I moved house at age 11.
     
    #5 Lawrence, Feb 7, 2015
  6. Chip

    Chip
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    I'm likely to piss off the athiest contingent here, but as someone who has some background in the spiritual / transpersonal psychology field, I'll offer an alternative explanation for you:

    In many traditions, from shamanism to Native American spiritual culture, to Christianity, we have the concept of angels (Christianity) spirit guides (Shamanism), or Elders (Native American). I'll use "guides" as a generic term. For those who practice these traditions, they can meditate and get in contact with these guides, who can manifest as people or, in some cultures, animals. Sometimes the guides are people we've known who have passed away, other times they are people we feel like we've known forever, and who seem to know us exceptionally well.

    Stanislav Grof, MD is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who has studied and worked with this phenomenon, as has the brilliant psychiatrist Carl Jung MD. Both found that many (but certainly not all) people who were in mental institutions because they spoke of invisible people or voices were actually perfectly normal and sane individuals who, for whatever reason, simply had access to these non-incarnate spirits. In other words, they simply accepted the reality that these guides were real (albeit non-incarnate) and helped the people who experience them to normalize that experience.

    So it is possible that -- assuming you have a world view that acknowledges the possibility of non-incarnate spirits -- you are simply a person who is able to sense the presence of these people, and they, in turn, are able to speak to you. There are a number of people who seem to be able to do this.

    Now... is it weird? Yes, in the sense that most people don't see, hear, or otherwise experience these things. Is it bad? That depends on how it affects your "ordinary" life. If it impacts your experiences with other people, your work, life, or happiness, or if the guides/friends tell you to do things that are not healthy for you or could bring harm to others, then it is definitely bad. But it sounds like none of those are the case.

    What I will say is that you'll have to be very careful whom you share this information with, and it could be a source of shame for you because many people will judge you for it. Most therapists and nearly all psychiatrists (those who do not have a background in spiritual or transpersonal psychologiy) are likely to label you as schizophrenic. If you ever take the MMPI (a personality test designed to uncover mental disorders), you'll want to think twice before answering that you hear things other people don't hear.

    I would advise that if you at some point get a therapist, that you find one who will take a nonjudgmental approach to what you experience.

    I can't tell you without qualification that what you experience is healthy; there could be a lot of potential downsides to it. And everything I've described above presupposes the existence of spirits or beings that are outside our ordinary level of consciousness, and assumes some sort of greater world awareness, which is something that atheists vehemently deny. I simply offer it as an alternative explanation that works for the many people who experience the things that you are describing.
     
    #6 Chip, Feb 7, 2015
  7. Argentwing

    Argentwing
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    Most atheists I know put considerable faith (or at least see a sound path to fundamental truths) in science/empirical observation, which is pushing the bounds of knowledge nearly every day. It is exceedingly cynical for anyone, theist or not, to say we know everything there is to know about perception and reality. Shouldn't atheists champion the idea that our world is deeper than what literally meets the eye, with the difference that we just can't measure it yet?

    Sorry for the philosophical tangent, as the OP was about acknowledging they were actually imaginary and not of a different plane. In the latter case, you're even less crazy. :thumbsup:
     
    #7 Argentwing, Feb 8, 2015
  8. Lawrence

    Lawrence
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    I realise this might be uncalled for, but I'm sorry if you thought I was implying that Christians are all crazy. I feel bad now. I try to respect the spiritual beliefs of others. If for a second you can ignore all the Satanic Black Metal I listen to! Anyway, I listen to many conflicting beliefs. If anything, it reminds me I have some subconscious problem with Christianity. I'm biased. I take medication to suppress what a psychic deemed a gift. I guess it depends on the person. I don't think somebody needs to seek help if what they experience isn't hurting their life and/or the lives of others.
     
    #8 Lawrence, Feb 8, 2015
  9. BobObob

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    [atheist here]

    I think whether or not your imaginary friends are good or bad depends on how they affect your life. If they change your life for the better, then I don't think that's a bad thing. I think that a lot of the psychological benefits than some people get from their religion or 'spiritualism' comes from phenomenon psychologically similar to having an imaginary friend* (although, I think on balance supernatural beliefs tend to have a net negative impact on peoples' lives, but that's another discussion).

    However, I think it's best that you're aware that these imaginary friends are imaginary; They're a product of your mind. Because beliefs inform actions, actually believing they're real could be really dangerous if your imaginary friends become less benign.

    Now onto your question: Is it weird? Well, it's weird in the sense that most people don't have imaginary friends, but I agree with the others above that it's not necessarily bad.




    *I'm not saying that every religious/'spiritual' person holds their religious/'spiritual' beliefs for this reason.
     
    #9 BobObob, Feb 8, 2015
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2015
  10. Van

    Van
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    You're not crazy. It's just that your imagination has created imaginary friends that at some point in your life you probably needed to have around. :slight_smile: I often talk with myself, and I think that's ok. I mean... sometimes I need a smart and funny person to talk to, so I just turn to the voice that's in my head. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
    #10 Van, Feb 8, 2015
  11. antibinary

    antibinary
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    I talk to myself because sometimes that's the best person to talk to.
     
    #11 antibinary, Feb 8, 2015
  12. Austin

    Austin
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    It would be considered crazy but if they are not causing harm and helping you, I don't we what the problem is! As someone pointed out though, the fact that you realize they are imaginary makes it much less crazy. I wouldn't worry about it.
     
    #12 Austin, Feb 8, 2015
  13. Justinian20

    Justinian20
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    What's the matter, Imaginary friends are not crazy at all, I mean I talk to myself a tonne, it's almost like I'm my greatest asset but also my worst enemy. My voice in my head tells me to do some benign stuff, but it also told me that I was gay and helped me along the path to acceptance. I couldn't talk to anyone about it so I told myself and I replied to myself often. So basically you are not crazy, but you may be a wee bit lonely.
     
    #13 Justinian20, Feb 8, 2015
  14. CyberScream

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    Never had one. Man, I seriously missed out as a kid.
     
    #14 CyberScream, Feb 8, 2015
  15. Masaki

    Masaki Guest

    I don't have imaginary friends per se....but I do tend to talk to people who aren't there and I have discussions with them that I don't have the courage to say to them directly. Weird. I know.
     
    #15 Masaki, Feb 8, 2015
  16. Argentwing

    Argentwing
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    Not at all. I have my own issues with organized religions in particular, but that's for another thread. I took no offense. :slight_smile:

    All I meant to say is that it's one thing to have imaginary friends and perceive them as real beings who are just visible to you, with no explanation as to why that might be. It's another to acknowledge the possibility of other "dimensions" if you will that can sometimes connect to ours. The only thing that makes one crazy and the other not is that the first is delusions/hallucinations/other mental issues and the second is simple (if eager) speculation.
     
    #16 Argentwing, Feb 8, 2015
  17. Lawrence

    Lawrence
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    It's good to know! It might not be quite the same, but I find cosmology really, really interesting. And that's yet another topic.
     
    #17 Lawrence, Feb 8, 2015
  18. Andstillimhere7

    Andstillimhere7
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    I do consider visiting a therapist, but not specifically for that problem because I have bigger problems (Social phobia, ADD) and I might consider talking to the person about my imaginary friends mostly because it provides insight to myself.
     
    #18 Andstillimhere7, Feb 8, 2015
  19. Michael

    Michael
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    I'm not sure if you are crazy, it depends on you hearing their voices, I mean "them" talking to you back, as if they were real.
     
    #19 Michael, Feb 9, 2015
  20. Notlad

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    I talk to myself literally all of the time. I don't really see all that much of a difference between the two.
     
    #20 Notlad, Feb 9, 2015
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