This is more of a general curiosity of mine. I've spoken with some close family members about this and they've looked at me like I was insane. Figured I'd throw on ATS and see what kind of bites I could get.

In short, when I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend. He would ride a bike beside our moving vehicle and I'd watch him jump over obstacles and do really cool things. At night, when I went to sleep, I'd wrap my pillow round my head to shut off the ambient sounds of the city and would listen to my heartbeat in my ears. Didn't know it was my heartbeat, though, never made the connection. But it sounded like boots crunching through dry snow. Every night I'd imagine my friend trodding forever onward, wondering where he was going, what heroic and awesome deeds he would perpetrate. When I was doing something I'd always imagine Shift (that was the name I chose. Came from a science fiction book.) sitting there beside me, stopping me from making a mistake. Eventually, I grew up and Shift sorta faded from my imagination.

But his corrections never did. He would do things like move my arm, make me drop something. Lose things. Forget things.

Shift may have been an aspect of my imagination, but that aspect is still alive in me today. When I'm doing something and I make an obvious, stupid, simple mistake, I stop and examine what I'm doing very closely. I simple example. When I was in High School, I reached in my backpack and withdrew a pencil I would use on a Scantron test. I took it to sharpen it at the teacher's desk... I'm a fairly agile person and have excellent eye/hand coordination, but I actually missed the pencil sharpener. So I stopped and examined my hand, then the pencil... turned out, it wasn't a #2 pencil and wouldn't have been read by the Scantron machine. It was an important test and, until that moment, I didn't realize I owned any non-#2 pencils. I silently thanked Shift for another assist, got a #2 then aced the test.

Sometimes, Shift assists me in little ways. Like doing the brakes on my SUV. Keep dropping the 10mm wrench. After the third time, I stop and examine what I'm doing. Turns out I forgot the retaining bracket for the brake shoes. Can't get a grip on the Coffee canister lid, stop and look around to find out I'm out of sugar or milk and would have wasted the coffee if I'd brewed it. (I know, I'm a sissy for not drinking it black...)

Sometimes, Shift assists me in major ways. Can't find my phone on my way out the door to work, realize I've also forgotten my ID badge, wallet, or something else. Can't get the key in the door to the SUV, immediately check the blinkers, lights, gauges, and inspection/registration stickers when I get in. Get my attention drawn to something early in the morning, think about it all day long, then realize there are no jumper cables in my car. Buy a set and two days later the alternator goes out.

Anyways, Shift has been with me all of my life and keeps me from screwing things up and helps me out. I can give him credit for saving my life on several occasions.

My question to the ATS crowd, is: Do you have a similar story or experiences? Am I alone in this arena? And if not, is this my Gaurdian Angel? Divine intervention? My subconscious? Or just blind luck?

I suppose most of us would have had an imaginary friend as children. While I was reading this I remembered my imaginary friend, Mousy. He was a mouse.

The only divine intervention I ever had was when I was like 10 and stuck a steel fork inside of the plug socket bare handed and didn't get shocked but instead blew out all the electricity in the house. Electricians came and was told the situation and was astonished how it happened and why I didn't die.

Originally posted by Arrowmancer
In short, when I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend. He would ride a bike beside our moving vehicle and I'd watch him jump over obstacles and do really cool things.

No joke, I did the exact same thing on long car rides...

Except it was a bad-ass hulk type creature on a motorcycle.

I believe what you are calling Shift is actually your higher self. The self that knows all, is a part of all. It's that gut instinct that tells you something is wrong.........it's your higher self. Some may say guardian angel which is really the same thing. Not separate or different from you, but another part of you functioning on a different octave or dimension.

It's funny, I have a sort of imaginary friend, but I see him more as an extension of myself and I've never truly seen him before he just hangs around just behind and above my head. I know most people who see this will think I'm talking about some higher self, which maybe that's true, but I've been with this friend my whole life and I'm not sure he's higher so much as just a little wiser haha.

Anyway, often times I'll hear his voice telling me I should do something, such as your example of putting something in the car and a day later needed that specific thing. The funny part is that sometimes I don't listen to him and sort of pay for it later when things don't goes as smoothly as they could have haha. I like to think he's just there to nudge me in the right direction, but unfortunately I'm still a bit too independent and arrogant to fully appreciate his wisdom. I am listening more and more frequently, but there is certainly the occasional slip-up. Hopefully one day he and I can come to terms with this odd symbiotic relationship we seem to have and start functioning more harmonically together. Fortunately he is patient.

Is there a possibility that some people have similar friends that hurt them as much as Shift helps me? A person leading them into disaster and negativitity? Anyone reading this have that issue?

I know it's ridiculous mulling over such an unimportant thing, but ... I want to know if Shift is a real other-dimensinional being, if he's just another personality, or if he is a provable entity...