Posted by Racer on February 25, 2006, at 2:35:42
In reply to Imaginary friend to have when your neurotic, posted by rjlockhart on February 24, 2006, at 21:49:55
Matt, the day after my father died, as I was driving home to pack for a trip I was leaving on the next day, I started crying. In fact, I was on the freeway, and knew that I was in danger, because I was getting hysterical in the car, while I was driving, at freeway speeds, in traffic.
And I felt my version of your imaginary friend. This has happened to me before, and every time I associate it with my grandmother. So, you have your buddy Rob Lowe, and I have my grandmother, who touches my heart when I need it, and keeps me safe.
Now, do I literally think that my beloved grandmother, who died in 1983, is somehow coming back to earth, invisibly, to keep me from driving off the road? What do you think?
I think that these things are inside of us, in my case, some part of me brings my "grandmother feelings" out to protect me, so it's like having an internalized grandmother who comes out when I need her. In your case, your imaginary friend sounds pretty dang healthy and helpful -- and that's the criteria I like to apply. You know he's imaginary, he helps you cope, he's giving you the sort of pep talk and reality check you are learning to give yourself, and little by little you can internalize him to the point you no longer need him.
Until then, there's no problem. Unless you decide to make him one.
Oh, and you know what else? I often have imaginary conversations in my head. You should hear how totally brilliant I am, too, when it's just me in my head. I might worry about it, except that it doesn't stop me from communicating with real people when I'm with them, and -- this is something you'll discover when you're a bit older -- pretty much everyone does it now and again. It's not an unusual thing to do.
Hope that helps you put it in perspective.
poster:Racer
thread:612974
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060211/msgs/613016.html