Did you have a imaginary friend

Bo592

Bo592

Well-known member
Did you have a imaginary friend as a kid ? I heard where they help people like us become more sociable and help people be more creative. I never had a imaginary friend but as I read about the benefit of having a imaginary friend I really wish that I did have a imaginary friend. I would of love to be able to practice communication on a imaginary friend. I don`t know what it like to have imaginary I don`t thank that I had one. is it to late to make one ? How would you make a imaginary friend if I did would it help me get over my anxiety of being around other people. Is it weird for adult to have imaginary friend ?
 
chibiXphantom

chibiXphantom

Well-known member
i never had an imaginary friend either. maybe because i had four other siblings.

i dont think an imaginary friend would help you with communication, as it'd just be a projection of your own thoughts and your own self into an imaginary character. it's not like you're shy with your own thoughts. you're creating and controlling what this character will do, think, say, etc, so i dont think it would actually help develop communication skills.
 
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Hot_Tamale

Well-known member
Taken from the article, really an interesting read:
"Having an imaginary friend is not evidence that a child is troubled. However, imaginary friends can be a source of comfort when a child is experiencing difficulties. There are many case studies of children inventing imaginary friends to help them cope with traumatic experiences. A study based on interviews of middle school students at high risk for developing behavior problems found that having an imaginary companion was associated with better coping strategies but lower social preference with peers. However, by the end of high school, those high-risk children who had had an imaginary companion in middle school showed better adjustment on multiple measures."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/growing-friendships/201301/imaginary-friends

It says in the article that "oldest children" and those children that don't watch much television (it doesn't define what "not much" is though) are more susceptible to creating imaginary friends. This was certainly true for me growing up in elementary school, I had one imaginary friend, I got rid of it, then got a new imaginary friend, then eventually grew out of that "friend" for the final time. I am the oldest sibling in my family and aside from the occasional sports game on TV or cartoon I wasn't even close to a TV-holic either.
 
FountainandFairfax

FountainandFairfax

in a VAN down by the RIVER
I never had an imaginary friend, not that the idea didn't occur to me.

All of my toys were "real" and had their own personalities though, so that was a lot better in my mind.
 
PugofCrydee

PugofCrydee

You want to know how I got these scars?
I am the imaginary friend. When my RL friend stops thinking of me I will disappear.
 
planetweirdo

planetweirdo

Well-known member
Bo592 said:
Is it weird for adult to have imaginary friend ?
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I'm a adult with imaginary friends. I'm not delusional or anything because I know that my friends are not real. My imaginary friends are the only "people" that I can relate to because I'm too weird to relate to real life people.
 
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EllaRose

New member
I had imaginary friends when i was young, and i still do, but it never helped me become more socialable or anything like that. (but of course i'm just talking about myself so it might be different for others):thumbup:
 
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BlazeBlue

Active member
Bo592 said:
Did you have a imaginary friend as a kid ? I heard where they help people like us become more sociable and help people be more creative. I never had a imaginary friend but as I read about the benefit of having a imaginary friend I really wish that I did have a imaginary friend. I would of love to be able to practice communication on a imaginary friend. I don`t know what it like to have imaginary I don`t thank that I had one. is it to late to make one ? How would you make a imaginary friend if I did would it help me get over my anxiety of being around other people. Is it weird for adult to have imaginary friend ?
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I suppose so. My imaginary friend is a version of myself bearing the same name and same appearance but different thinking. I still talk to myself daily to figure things out, get new ideas, or simply have a good laugh reminiscing about the past or the what-ifs. That might sound really odd, but hey, having a conversation with yourself really helps you organize your thoughts when you're confused. Besides, a good relationship with yourself is the first foremost step in having a happy life! :)
 
GraybeardGhost

GraybeardGhost

Well-known member
Come to think of it, I talk to imaginary people all the time—neighbors, housekeepers, dates, etc.—some based on real people, some not. I guess I can't really call them friends, but I want them to be. I often have imaginary conversations with real people I know, as well. Maybe I'm regressing, or maybe I'm just cracking up from being alone too long. I'll have to ask my imaginary therapist about that.
 
theslowesthand

theslowesthand

Banned
I created a all-wise, all-knowing (like a wise sage) imaginary "friend" as a child. And i still talk to it every so often, esp if i'm feeling down or depressed.

I also created an imaginary place inside of my body (ie i could "physically retreat into myself" via my imagination). It was a room, which was/is a portal to anything i so desired .. a magical private safe world.

As well, i talk to animals and insects, as if they were really cool people. But as for talking to myself, it usually doesn't feel quite right - i seem to need an external sth to talk to for some reason.

The imagination can be a very powerful tool or ally, if its properly put into use.
 
Requiescat

Requiescat

Well-known member
I had one, though I don't recall him. But my mother has told me a little about it. I haven't really take much interest in it as you can probably tell. I was the eldest child by the way, four years older than my sister.
 
Bo592

Bo592

Well-known member
FountainandFairfax said:
I never had an imaginary friend, not that the idea didn't occur to me.

All of my toys were "real" and had their own personalities though, so that was a lot better in my mind.
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I did that to as kid is that the same thing as having an imaginary friend? They all had their own set of personality and held parts of my memories.
 
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Bo592

Bo592

Well-known member
planetweirdo said:
I'm a adult with imaginary friends. I'm not delusional or anything because I know that my friends are not real. My imaginary friends are the only "people" that I can relate to because I'm too weird to relate to real life people.
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Do you remember what you did to create them ? I been thinking about trying to create one as adult. I like to read stuff on how to improve social skills. I am thinking about designing them basic on what I read . I figure I would only talk to them when I am at home alone and just before I go out sort of like a warm up practice. Is their some sort of hypnosis thing you do to yourself ?
 
BlackPuma

BlackPuma

1
Kind of.

I always felt accompanied by a calm entity that would share words of perspective when I got flustered, scared or mad. Later on, it dawned on me that it had always been my own sense of perspective and direction. I'm not sure why it felt so separate back then.
 
planetweirdo

planetweirdo

Well-known member
Bo592 said:
Do you remember what you did to create them ? I been thinking about trying to create one as adult. I like to read stuff on how to improve social skills. I am thinking about designing them basic on what I read .
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I have created them by mixing traits of different people that I know and people I've seen on tv or read about in books. and I think that I put some of myself into all of them. I still have two "friends" from my childhood but all my other "friends" were created more recently as a adult. Most of the "friends" that I create only last about a year or two before I replace them with someone new.
First I decide if they are male or female then envision how they look, many times I base how they look on real people or photos that I have seen. I think it helps if you don't base there look on people that you know though.
Then I assign traits to them. The traits I assign to them depends on what I want to use them for or what kind of interaction I want to have with them.
 
planetweirdo

planetweirdo

Well-known member
Bo592 said:
Is their some sort of hypnosis thing you do to yourself ?
Click to expand...

I don't know how to do self hypnosis but I do go into my own fantasy world by sitting or laying down and daydreaming. The fantasy daydreams are very vivid and effact all my senses.
 
nodejesque

nodejesque

Well-known member
I did. Three to be exact. They were all adults with no heads. Well at least i never say past their chests when i was little. And they were really nice.

Sounds creepy, but i often think about how much they helped me.

Ugh. It does sound creepy.
 
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