Imaginary Friends - What Are They?

I’m sure many of us have had an imaginary friend at one point in our lives (hopefully just in childhood). But for those of us who enjoy speculating about various paranormal possibilities – imaginary friends can be thought of in many different ways. Are they figments of our active childhood imaginations? Or spirits trying to communicate with the most spiritually sensitive of us (namely, children)? Or are they demons meant to lead us astray as children? Or god only knows what else?
Is the presence of an imaginary friend a symptom of an overactive imagination? Or is it possible… in some way… that said “friend” exists in some other reality or dimension?

Obviously the simplest explanation is that imaginary friends are a normal way for children to practice using their imagination and develop their social skills when not around others. But what about when your imaginary friend from childhood ends up following you into adulthood?
Normally I would consider that to be a precursor to insanity. But when the person is aware of the differences between fantasy and reality and yet they still mentally interact with the fantastical: is that insane?
A good example of this will ring true with many fictional authors. Anyone who has written a fantasy novel knows that during the writing, you become so close with the characters and the setting that you can occasionally forget what is real or not. I believe that keeping this illusion is necessary in order to write the most “real” fantasy story possible. So in this instance, occasionally falling into the trap of confusing fantasy with reality isn’t as insane as someone who is interacting with this fantasy world with no purpose in mind.

Now, to return to the idea of said imaginary friend following you into adulthood: is it possible that this is coping mechanism? As a child you were comfortable with said “friend” and so this comforting past time will follow you into adulthood. Imagine Happy Gilmore’s “Happy Place”… whenever he’s stressed, he closes his eyes and goes to his “happy place” to calm down. Obviously this happy place of his involves fantasy – although the difference is that the characters he sees are real life people. But yeah… I would consider this to be a good example of an imaginary friend/world as a coping mechanism.

But I guess my main question is: Do you believe that it’s possible for our “imaginary friends” to actually exist in another dimension or reality?
I have a specific anecdote regarding my own life… which I will share at a later date in this thread. I’d rather wait and read what other people’s opinions are regarding this topic, than to scare everyone away with the insanity that is my life experience. xP

What ever you want them to be...

reply to post by nonetruegod
I'l go and ask em now.

reply to post by xFloggingMaryx


I was never lucky enough to have an imaginary friend, though many times i have tried to imagine myself a friend. However i can connect to an animal better than i can any human. I'm very interested in this topic. Can anyone tell me what it's like to have an imaginary friend? Do you actually see a being? Hear a voice? other things of that nature?

reply to post by xFloggingMaryx Wow, that's a great question. I've always thought people were actually hearing or seeing what they say they are, the same being true of imaginary friends. Also wanted to note that a friend of mine still sees what she calls 'creatures' but is completely aware of what's reality and fantasy too (have to note that we're 20+ years of age). I even remember talking to someone who said a shrunken head used to talk to them as a child, so it seems they come in varying ways, including without limbs or bodies.

There's also belief that in the coming years, the veil between dimensions will become thin enough for even those that aren't as sensitive to be able to see these beings. Sounds as if them being real could be a possibility, to me lol.

I'm a big believer in the "meme", so yes, I think many imaginary friends are real.
I still believe to this day in fairies and gnomes.
In fact, I read an article today which proposed that our individual consciousness is an illusion.
We're just a stack of carbon, and parasites, and fungi.
We're not real as a singular being, but out illusion makes it all worth while.
So if people are close to gardens and nature, they will encounter very real entities.
In Africa it is very real.

reply to post by xFloggingMaryx


It's possible that there could be another dimension with all of our imaginary friends in it...With the imaginary food and drinks etc. in it. But what about all the things we have ever imagined? They can't just be our friends. That would mean there is keyboard people and ATS kingdoms... I need to visit this dimension somehow

When I was a kid I saw the movie Drop Dead Fred, I tried so hard to have an imaginary friend, no one ever came. I wasn't too upset though, we had a ghost that lived in the basement so that was good enough, I'd just pretend he was "imaginary".

Originally posted by DaleDavenport3
reply to post by xFloggingMaryx

 

I was never lucky enough to have an imaginary friend, though many times i have tried to imagine myself a friend. However i can connect to an animal better than i can any human. I'm very interested in this topic. Can anyone tell me what it's like to have an imaginary friend? Do you actually see a being? Hear a voice? other things of that nature?

In my experience... you don't see or hear anything. It solely exists in your mind. Similar to imagining what is going on while you're reading a story. While you read you usually tend to visualize what is happening in the narrative in your mind: whereas having an imaginary friend/friends/world is the same, just the narrative is being made up by you as you go along. I can best compare it to the process of writing a novel. They say to "write what you know". If you're writing fiction... the only way to follow that tenant is to literally experience and "live out" what you're writing through the use of your imagination.

I dunno... it's hard to describe.

Originally posted by xShadow13
reply to post by xFloggingMaryx

 

It's possible that there could be another dimension with all of our imaginary friends in it...With the imaginary food and drinks etc. in it. But what about all the things we have ever imagined? They can't just be our friends. That would mean there is keyboard people and ATS kingdoms... I need to visit this dimension somehow

Hahah, all I think of here is the South Park "Imaginationland" Episodes. And now I have that song stuck in my head.... "Im-a-gin-aaaaa-tion. Imagin-aaati--ooon..."

Interesting post, I have two kids, and my first born had immaginary friends at 18 months old, they we three little monsters Coey, Donchette, and fross, so I really hope they are not form a parralell world allowise that would mean monsters exsisted lol, but seriously he came up with this all on his own, names included, which although he is a smart kid (could read numbers at 17 months for a kick off), the names are very unusual, and not normal language, so perhaps, there could be some truth in it.

Second kid, my youngest began her immaginary friend career a little later in life, at about 2/2 and a half, and her friends name was Lucy, this friend would be more credible, because not only was the name not one she ever came into contact with up to that point as far as I am aware, but the longevity of this friendship has been interesting, as over time Lucy barely got a mention, but from time to time and less infrequently as she got older, until December I thought Lucy was well and truely gone, as she had not been around for at least six months maybe longer, plus my daughter goes to nursery, so has real friends now. But back in december, my daughter turned round and mention one of the boys in her nursery likes to play with the girls, in a very mock sarcastic fashion, she then followed up very quickly by saying "My friend, my immaginary friend Lucy, says boys don't play with girls, only girls play with girls, and boys play with boys !"

Now I am totally aware of children at this age do come to the conclusion that this is the way things are, and even use a friend from nursery to say that this concept is the case, but I have never heard a child use an immaginary friend to relay this concept, and it is all the more strange to me as I beleived Lucy to be missing presumed dead for the longest time.

So to summerise perhaps Lucy is real in some way, as I am at a loss to explain it.

reply to post by xFloggingMaryx


So like a Vivid Day dream?

I know ghosts are real. I have seen and experienced many things that could not be explained by me or others.
I believe that a lot of children are actually seeing and speaking with spirits. Children are extremely sensitive. I was. I didn't have an imaginary friend that I saw, but I always had my name called, and was always being tapped on my shoulder at night. We lived right behind a cemetary. I used to hear someone walking up and down our hallway all the time. I never met anyone that had imaginary friends, because, I think, they didn't see spirits.
I just really don't think children that do have them, are just making them up in their head, I think they are really seeing a spirit or spirits.
Ever watched that show"Psychic Kids" Great show.

reply to post by sickofitall2012


Ghosts scare the hell out of me. . . i do my best to return the favor.

Originally posted by Debunker75
There's also belief that in the coming years, the veil between dimensions will become thin enough for even those that aren't as sensitive to be able to see these beings. Sounds as if them being real could be a possibility, to me lol.

This is an idea that I was first exposed to when I started delving into the threads of ATS. And this was one of the first things I thought about when contemplating the fact that I've had the same imaginary friend my whole life. And said "imaginary friend" is so detailed and distinct... I've yet to have met - or even heard of - anyone similar existing in reality. And everything about it is so real - there is nothing about him or the world that he lives in that is in anyway unlike this reality on earth. It's all normal. So, I'll admit, maybe about a 1/3 of me believes that I could be receiving glimpses from something "outside".

(Just as a side note for those who are like, "Dizamn, she's insane." I've discussed this with many doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists alike, and they've yet to find anything wrong with me - other than anxiety problems which are unrelated.)

Originally posted by DaleDavenport3
reply to post by xFloggingMaryx

 

So like a Vivid Day dream?

Yeah... like a very very vivid lucid day dream.

reply to post by solargeddon


Thanks for sharing your experiences as a parent!

Since I don't have kids and I'm an only child, I have no experience with dealing with other people's imaginary friends. Nor do I even know of anyone else who has had one. But then again... the topic doesn't often come up in conversations with friends.

reply to post by DaleDavenport3


They shouldn't.
They're just dead people.
Although there are some that were evil in life, thus evil in death.

reply to post by sickofitall2012


Yeah well spirits can be very twisted.

reply to post by sickofitall2012


I think what makes ghosts scary is the fact that they are so unlike us. I mean, we're usually frightened by that which is different... and obviously seeing a transparent spirit or watching something move on its own or hearing inexplicable voices... could be considered a little.... disconcerting and possibly downright frightening.