Teens and Adults with Imaginary Friends

  • JJNeil1991

    JJNeil1991 (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    I'm doing a little research for a novel I'm drafting and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share with me any experiences they have with imaginary friends? A lot of children create imaginary companions for all sorts of reasons (I'm almost positive I had one but I had a short attention span so I probably 'destroyed' him/her very quickly) but I'm curious as to whether any adults or teens on this site still have imaginary friends from their childhood or new ones they have created. The questions I have include:

    - How old are you? Male or female?
    - How many imaginary friends do you have?
    - How old were you when you remember creating your imaginary friend(s)?
    - How old is/are your imaginary friend(s)?
    - Are they male or female? Are they human, animal, etc?
    - Do you ever interact with them in public?
    - Does your interaction with your imaginary friend(s) disrupt your life in any way?

    Anyone who shares their name or handle and their story with me will get an acknowledgement in the book, but feel free to post anonymously, either on here or you can message me privately if you like. And of course, no judgement will be passed by me on anyone who shares their story.

    Thank you to all in advance :)
    April 10th, 2013 at 11:46am
  • Airi.

    Airi. (2240)

    :
    NaNoWriMo 2016
    Gender:
    Age:
    30
    Location:
    United States
    @ JJNeil1991
    1. I'm a 19 year old female.
    2. Usually one, but it can increase if I'm feeling more lonely than usual.
    3. I've had 'imaginary friends' for as long as I can remember, though they've changed over the years. I'd say around 5 years old.
    4. I don't know. They don't really have ages I guess.
    5. Many are female, some are male. They're all human.
    6. Only in my head, I wouldn't dare actually speak to any of them in public.
    7. No. I'm fully capable of separating reality from fantasy, I know my imaginary friends aren't real and I don't let them interfere with my life.

    I only have one constant imaginary friend, and I know her as 'Miki'. The other ones come and go as they please, they're only around at certain times. The more lonely or depressed I'm feeling, the more imaginary friends I'll have to interact with. I keep hold of imaginary friends because it makes me feel less lonely. I have a big problem with feeling scared of social interactions and have isolated myself for years, so I began creating imaginary friends for myself to make myself feel a little less lonely and make the isolation I was purposely putting myself through more bearable. It was easier to handle having someone to talk to, even if I knew deep down that they didn't really exist. It just feels nice to have someone around I guess.

    You can just put me down as Airi if you want to, but you can do it anonymously as well. Whichever is best for you.
    April 11th, 2013 at 10:40am
  • JJNeil1991

    JJNeil1991 (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    Thank you so much Airi! I really appreciate you sharing your story on here and our contribution will not be forgotten :) And I'd like to think this thread could be a big sharing space for everyone to discuss this more, and if they feel like they are lonely or having a problem then they are more than welcome to speak up here and the Mibba community will be here for them :)
    April 11th, 2013 at 10:39pm
  • JeremyTheThirteenth

    JeremyTheThirteenth (105)

    :
    Ghoul of 2016
    Gender:
    Age:
    24
    Location:
    United States
    - 13 about to be 14 female
    - When I was younger, I had multiple imaginary friends. I refer to them as minor characters because they're not interactive as much. I have two current ones.
    - I'm pretty sure about 4 years old. I have one imaginary friend who I'd called my conscience. I created him when I was 12.
    - The ones I created around 4 or 5 are the same age as me. My 'conscience' is almost timeless but I picture him as in his mid 20's.
    - Males and females. Most are human but one from my early childhood is a vampire. I also had another one who had light blue skin and dark blue hair. He was kind of similar to Edward Scissorhands.
    - When I was very little.
    - It never has. I mean I know they're not real, but they keep me company.

    I've made two recent imaginary friends in the past two years. I based them off of two guys that are in a band. My conscience is a more sinister, prankster version of Shawn Milke from Alesana. I have scenarios in my head where he tries to give me advice, but is always playing tricks on me.
    The other friend is a sweet, emotional version of Allan Cotterill from Snow White's Poison Bite.
    I've imagined my old imaginary friends getting angry with me sometimes. They get jealous I'd say, but I created them so they'd know I could kill them any second, but I've chosen not to.
    June 12th, 2013 at 03:38am
  • sabrina's auticorn;

    sabrina's auticorn; (100)

    :
    Bibliophile
    Gender:
    Age:
    35
    Location:
    United States
    How old are you? Male or female? 24/female
    -How many imaginary friends do you have? Too many to name. But I stick with just two named Veronykah and Joey. The 'others' live back in Maine, but I still talk about them.
    How old were you when you remember creating your imaginary friend(s)? My second set, I created when I was about 12? My first imaginary friend was named Elmo and I was probably between 1 and 5. I'm not sure how long he continued. I tried to bring him back, but it wasn't the same as when i had him as a child. Elmo originated from my obsession with Elmo lol. Give me a break, I was five. XD The second set of imaginary friends were created from my love of trains. I would name certain trains by their number. But eventually, they evolved from those trains and became human.

    I used to have imaginary friends I created from inanimate objects. I do that now with my plushies Axel and Kaito, pretending they are talking to me and stuff.
    How old is/are your imaginary friend(s)? Joey is 18 and Veronykah is 19; Arrow is 21 and the twin sister of Amber as well as cousins to Joey; Choo-choo was my first one I created based on the trains I mentioned early. I never really thought of an original name for him so I called him choo-choo lol. he is 18; Spyro is also a train who is 21. Linky cord is another one that my friend named, but I adopted. She is now married to Choo-choo. XD
    Are they male or female? Are they human, animal, etc? Joey/male and Veronykah/female; both human but used to be named from trains.
    Do you ever interact with them in public? Yes. There have been times when I mouth things to them, but others times I can communicate telepathically with them if I'm feeling embarrassed that they 'exist'.
    Does your interaction with your imaginary friend(s) disrupt your life in any way? Not really. They've actually helped build my social skills. In fact, since I have no friends in real life, it fills in that gap. I can keep them a secret among the friends I do have without anyone knowing I actually have them. It pretty much fills the gap of me not having any real life friends, so I find them to be quite relieving.

    Considering my disabilities, I've always had an attachment to Joey and Veronykah. I've tried getting rid of them, but it feels so lonely without them. It's hard because in real life I have no friends at all. They help me through things aside from filling the gaps I have for not having rl friends. I do have my online friends, but it's still really hard because I'm attached to them. I think of them as my very best friends, despite them not actually being real. I know they aren't real. I know they are just a pigment of my imagination. They are merely the only thing I have as far as 'real life' friends. I tell them everything because they help calm my nerves. They provide me with comfort of my mind and such.

    This is the first time I've ever told anyone in public about them. I've always thought it was weird for a woman in her mid 20's to have imaginary friends like I do, but now I know at least a few people here do have them. ^^
    June 16th, 2013 at 03:36am
  • JJNeil1991

    JJNeil1991 (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    Thank you so much for sharing you guys! Am I okay to mention you two in the acknowledgements as well?
    June 18th, 2013 at 02:17am
  • JeremyTheThirteenth

    JeremyTheThirteenth (105)

    :
    Ghoul of 2016
    Gender:
    Age:
    24
    Location:
    United States
    @ JJNeil1991
    Sure, as Haley :)
    June 18th, 2013 at 10:35am
  • jason todd.

    jason todd. (305)

    :
    Class of 2015
    Gender:
    Age:
    27
    Location:
    Antarctica
    - 16/Female
    - Well, that depends on the day and how I feel. Originally, I had two: Pacy (a monkey) and Josh (a boy).
    - My mother said I was about 2-3 when I first started talking about my first imaginary friend but I don't really remember him before I turned 4-5.
    - Pacy was just a ageless monkey, Josh changed ages when I was younger. One day he'd be four and the next sixteen. I think that happened because I needed people of those ages. Today's friends are between 16-20.
    - Male, female; animal and human.
    - In my head.
    - No, not really.

    When I was younger I believed my imaginary friends were so real that I thought Pacy was put in a zoo and believed that until I was about 14. Josh, however, I knew wasn't real because he kept changing ages until I was 7, when he stayed a teenager. Now days I don't have consistent imaginary friends. They come and go with the situation.
    June 24th, 2013 at 06:50am
  • HazelEyedLeah

    HazelEyedLeah (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    29
    Location:
    United States
    @ JJNeil1991

    I know it's been a while since you made this forum, but I figured I'd share, and maybe it'd help.

    1. I'm 18, and female.
    2. It depends on the day or how I'm feeling, but in all I have around 10. (There's only two I have that stick around pretty much all the time, Jeremy and Masky.)And all of them are characters that I adopted as my own for company.
    3. I had one when I was younger, but it quickly died off because I didn't have the patience. The ones that have stuck around were made when I was 16/17.
    4. They all stay constantly the same age, more or less (once they had an established age, it didn't change). Jeremy's around 2,000 (I'll explain in a minute) and Masky's around 25/30
    5. All of my IFs are male and human - with the exception of Jeremy, who is an alien (he looks human, though.)
    6. I don't physically talk with them in public, no. Although my real friends know of them, and I'll make references to them from time to time. If I'm alone, I'll talk out loud, but mostly it just stays in my head.
    7. Not my public life, no. I do hallucinate if I wake up in the middle of the night, and they'll often be in my room doing random things, or they be the 'one who woke me up' because they were bored.

    Jeremy actually came about because when my mom would text me to see how things were going with my brothers, I would respond with some joke about there being a serial killer named Jeremy in the house. Jeremy became this running joke, and his personality and characteristics mellowed out with time. (I had also just been getting into Doctor Who at that time, and so Jeremy turned out to be the Master - just an alternate (NICER) version of him with a different name.)
    Jeremy is the one who's pretty much always either talking to me, or making snarky, joking, or 'gutter' remarks in my head day to day. And I sometimes forget that he isn't real, since he is literally this separate person/personality in my head.

    Masky came about from a rash of night terrors I had been having. Previously (when my friends had forced me to watch Marble Hornets) Masky had terrified me, and I had several nightmares involving him. A few months passed, and the fear of him was gone. I suddenly started getting night terrors (and sleeping horribly), and my mind compensated by creating for itself a 'protector' of sorts.
    Then when I would 'awake' to a night terror, or from a bad dream, Masky would be in my room guarding me. He normally doesn't show himself from day to day - he's mainly only there when I'm scared or worried.
    I also formed more of an affectionate attachment to him than any of my other IFs. Probably because he 'protects' me.

    I hope this helps!! Smile
    August 22nd, 2013 at 01:09am
  • emmaeilene

    emmaeilene (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    26
    Location:
    United States
    @ JJNeil1991

    1. I am a sixteen-year-old female.
    2. I usually have two imaginary friends, identical twin sisters, Mathew and Changey. Other ones may come around when they are away.
    3. I don't really remember creating Mathew and Changey. They've just sort of always been there. My mother says I've had them since I was 3. They were my first friends.
    4. My imaginary friends are sixteen and have always been exactly one day younger than me, as I dubbed their birthdate to be the day after mine.
    5. Mathew and Changey are female humans.
    6. I interact with them in public more often than I'd like to admit. I speak out loud to them and look in the direction I imagine them to be in, although I can't actually see them. I often voice their responses in a whisper to myself. I assume most people don't think I'm talking to an imaginary person, though I don't think I'd mind if they did.
    7. I often go to my imaginary friends for their opinions or for advice about whatever happens to be going on in my life. They each have their own opinions that often differ from my own. Sometimes Mathew and Changey act as the little devil and angel on my shoulders. If I don't know what to think, they tell me what to think.

    Mathew is the friendlier one. She's a pretty blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. She is flirty, colorful, and fun. Mathew will voice exactly what she is thinking whenever she wants. Sometimes she'll pop up in front of me (figuratively) and tell me that my actions were in the wrong. Although, I typically see her as the evil one of the two. She's the one that usually introduces me to other imaginary people. She is also the one that tries to give me more spontaneous ideas.
    Changey is different. She's not fond of socializing with others and rarely encourages me to talk to "real" people. She hates to be confused with her twin and has been wearing green contacts and dying her hair blue since she was twelve. She's closer to me than Mathew and is much more sensitive to what ever is going on. She usually gives me better advice, as she tries to analyze the situation from every angle possible.

    They recently went to visit their family in Brighton, England for their birthdays and have been gone for almost a month. The entire time they have been away, I have seemed to be lost. My attitude has immensely changed without having my closest friends around. They are a part of me. When I wake up from nightmares, they are there to comfort me. When I've had a bad day, I can talk to them about it. If I ever make a mistake, they help me fix it. When they are gone, I feel as though I am missing a large part of myself. I have tried to bring them back and have called them twice to ask if they would return. It just doesn't seem to be that easy. It feels like that's cheating.
    This may just be my mind's way of trying to distance myself from my imaginary friends. It's scary to think of not having them.
    August 22nd, 2013 at 01:49am
  • bikitabo

    bikitabo (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    27
    Location:
    United States
    - 16 female
    - I used to have plenty but recently I only have two
    - I started having imaginary friends during my second semester of 8th grade and I based them off of Korean pop idols.(that's about the time I started getting into kpop) but this past winter break (sophomore year), I made up my own original imaginary friends and the idols didn't really come around that much anymore.
    - The two that I made up on my own are 19 and 21.
    - Most of my imaginary friends have been male humans.
    - I would never interact with them in public. They only exist in my head. Most of the time after a situation I would look back and imagine what it would be like if they were actually real.
    - I have to say that they have disrupted my life in some ways. I would much rather stay home alone and think about what would happen if they were real people than go to a party or something. But at the same time, they helped me through a hard time in my life where I lost all my friends because I decided to change the way I was living my life for the better.

    My first original imaginary friend is named Kevin Choi/Choi Kwangmin and he is 19 years old. He's Korean but he was born and raised in Ireland and moved to Texas when I made him up. Now he is considering moving to South Korea to become a singer-songwriter. He seems shy at first but after a while, you realize how insane he is. His mom also hates the name "Kwangmin" so she calls him "Kevin" and it stuck.

    The second imaginary friend is 21-year-old Rafael Garcia but his nickname is Mimi. He is Chinese but adopted into a Mexican family after his parents gave him up when he was a baby. He is best friends with Kevin and he also wants to move to Korea to become a singer/rapper. He likes talking to strangers and he kind of has the same past as me but turned his life around.

    They are both super handsome! xp And Catholic!!

    I kind of hope that Kevin and Mimi don't stay with me throughout my life. I think I made them up because they have qualities I wanted in a friend. I have already met someone with all the qualities as Kevin and Mimi (and his name just so happens to be Rafael as well) and he is my best friend but he lives an hour away from me and I believe that's the reason they stick around. Since I can't see my real best friend that often, my mind uses Kevin and Mimi to take real-Rafael's place. I also noticed that when I spend time with Rafael, I don't think about Kevin and Mimi. This HAS to be God at work! and I thank him for giving me these imaginary friends to help find Rafael.

    and my name is Victoria :D
    August 22nd, 2013 at 06:37pm
  • Kawaiithelinnie

    Kawaiithelinnie (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    27
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Hi! Smile
    -I am a 16 year old female.
    -just one at the moment. Although he does have a sister who appears occaisionally.
    -I created him this year actually.
    -16. His sister is 14
    -my main imaginary friend is male. He is Japanese and his name is Yukiyashi Sakagawa. His sister name is Naoki Sakagawa.
    -not usually. He is always there if we're going out though, and if I do, I am normally talking to him in whispers so I don't look, well, crazy.
    -no, in fact quite the contary. I think both of my imaginary friends have benefitted me. They have helped me deal with loneliness and depression.

    I have these friends as a way of escaping reality. And having someone to talk to. If it makes any difference, I have been diagnosed with Asperger's although I don't think I am typical to the syndrome, I am unique. I also never really had that many friends and I never go to parties or anything that often, and even less now that I have moved away from my only friend who is also my best friend I ever had. We've recently moved to Cornwall which as you may know is quite isolated. We live in a small village that is occupied by just a few old people and the tumbleweed. I was taken out of school in year eight because of severe bullying and was home schooled from then on, and now I attend a full time college course with animals. But although I do have friends there, none of them really live up to my imaginary friends. So I created them to fill a void, because without them, I constantly feel incomplete, I am missing something.
    Also I am learning Japanese and have been for about 3 years and never had anyone to speak to in Japanese. My best friend has a friend who is half Japanese half Scottish who I've never met and so really I was envious because she's not learning Japanese. Everyone around me wasn't so supportive of my Japanese studies, and when I was at my nan's I was telling her about it and she said "we don't speak Japanese here, we speak English." Then my brother starts learning it cos he wanted to go to Japan for a year teaching English but he didn't get to go in the end. Everybody gave him credit for it when I was learning it first and my mum even told my friend's mum that he was learning it, but didn't even mention that I was learning it. So it's nice to have someone to speak to in Japanese.
    Yukiyashi is not really based off of anyone. I made the name Yukiyashi Sakagawa up. I don't know if it's a real name or not or where I got it from, but that's what he's called. He's got dark black hair that is sort of emo-ish. It's kind of like L's hair from Death Note. It looks messy most of the time except when he takes the time to style it. He has fairly pale skin, almost the same as me. He has big, almond shaped eyes that always look like he's smiling. And he wears amazing clothes. He likes wearing shirts that have funny motifs on them or quirky slogans or logos. He also like cute pictures and kawaii designs or anime characters, or Japanese writing. Other than that he wears a plain t shirt or smart/casual outfits. His personality is very shy and non confrontational. He's not that talkative although will answer questions and we will have good, intelligent conversations when he's in a cheerful mood. Sometimes he even gives me advice. But he is always there for me when I need him. He makes me smile when I'm happy, and cheers me up when I'm sad. He always listens. He doesn't just talk about himself all the time and go on and on and on about stupid things. He always listens to my problems and helps me through them. Sometimes we have full converstaions in Japanese, but most of the time it's in English. He moved to Cornwall when he was 10 because his dad moved his job over here, but now his dad has kicked him out of the house because he doesn't have a job and now he stays here. He has battled depression because of this for a few years now and has told me about how his dad was never there for him even when he was young. He has nowhere else to go so I said he could stay here as long as he was nice. He sleeps in my bed because he would either have to sleep in the wardrobe which is full of spiders or the floor which is hard, and we don't have a spare bedroom. I don't mind. He is very smart and he seems to know a lot about the world yet still regain his childlike attitude. A bit like me in a lot of ways. His favourite food is ice cream, pie, and Japanese food like sushi and ramen. He likes anime and we watch it together. He likes playing video games and he is obsessed with pacman for some reason and old school mario on the game boy. He is also afraid of the dark and of spiders. I guess, he is also kind of like an invisible boyfriend, although it hasn't progressed to the level where I am pretending to make out with him or anything. But I have never had a boyfriend, and I have never met a guy like him. Most guys I know are loud, rude, cocky and show-offs and although these types of guys are funny, they are not desirable for a boyfriend. Yukiyashi is filling a void that can not be filled. He is actually quite mysterious shy and intelligent, but none of the guys at college are like that. I have pretty high standards when it comes to guys, because I am not like most girls my age who just waste their time breaking up with guys and I don't want to deal with all that drama. I want my first boyfriend to be my last, and I want it to be a mutual bond. I've been asked out by a guy who is nice and all, but there just isn't that "spark". So I said we could just remain friends. But I don't want to go out with someone just for the sake of having a boyfriend or for social status. I want it to be love, that special someone who makes me feel that way. None of the guys I know make me feel that way. Yukiyashi is just like a substitute.
    His sister Naoki comes over sometimes from her dad's house. She is 14 and so isn't old enough to get a job. Sometimes she gets the bus over here. She is pretty hyper and bubbly most of the time, but can be easily hurt and is also sensitive. She loves everything kawaii and cute. She always wears cute skirts and pretty shoes and pink bows in her hair. She wears shirts with Hello Kitty as well. She can't get enough Hello Kitty. She often borrows my clothes when she runs out of clean things to wear. She always brings them back though. She is so innocent and childlike that it brings me up on a down day. She likes cooking and drawing and reading manga. She has OCD though and can't touch anything dirty when she has just washed her hands. She has to wash her hands again after she has touched the door handle or a public train thing or something. She also is claustrophobic, vegetarian (like me) and she loves brocolli and carrots but she hates sprouts and garlic. She loves Jpop and she also likes Lady Gaga and stuff like that and she loves to dance. He also gets hyper on sugar which is why I think she has ADHD but she said she doesn't think so that's just the way she is and she doesn't want to have any more problems. A bit like me being labelled as having "Aspergers".
    I have always talked to myself out loud. I have never really been close enough to anyone to tell them absolutely anything. But when I'm alone or even in public I'll catch myself talking to myself out loud and sometimes don't even realise I was doing it. Until someone points it out. I always have talked to myself. Especially in bed. I just need to get all my thoughts out in the open, even if no one is listening. I guess I invented my friends as a way to get those thoughts out of my head and into the open, without anyone to respond negatively. It's like I am in control. But I guess my "friends" will be sticking around for a while unless I find someone who is at least a little like Yukiyashi, which won't happen where I am now. But one day I want to travel to Japan, it's my lifelong dream, and I won't let anyone hold me back from my dreams. I have been told I have an overactive imagination. It's not like I can see them but I can picture them in my mind. Anyway thanks for taking the time to read this extra long post. I didn't know that it would be this long sorry. I always get a bit carried away when I am doing creative writing. I get lost in my imagination and for one small moment, I am in control in this crazy, mad world.
    October 31st, 2013 at 10:43pm
  • poison and blood

    poison and blood (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    27
    Location:
    United States
    Are you still looking for answers?
    November 10th, 2013 at 10:14am
  • Claire Violet Thorpe

    Claire Violet Thorpe (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    41
    Location:
    United States
    Here's my answer:

    - How old are you? Male or female? 31 year old female
    - How many imaginary friends do you have? about 7
    - How old were you when you remember creating your imaginary friend(s)? 9
    - How old is/are your imaginary friend(s)? who knows?
    - Are they male or female? Are they human, animal, etc? hey are male and female.
    - Do you ever interact with them in public? not really
    - Does your interaction with your imaginary friend(s) disrupt your life in any way? yes

    having spent most of my life feeling isolated because of Asperger's, I have made up scores of imaginary friends. These friends had helped me cope with my issues, yet they cost me many years of my life and missed opportunities to make some real friends.
    January 22nd, 2014 at 09:04am
  • Little Magus

    Little Magus (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    36
    Location:
    United States
    Something I would like to toss out there since this involves the creation of imaginary friends and things. If any of you are not familiar with the terms Maladaptive Daydream, you might want to look into it.

    It involves losing a lot of time, and even being disrupted in your life due to daydreaming or imaginary things.

    Personally, I find the creation of imaginary friends very fascinating. Since I never had them as a child (too critical of myself or thinking I might be dubbed as crazy as I did). So I'd like to compensate for that loss and try to get into now... For the sake of overcoming that critical voice in my head, at least. Lol
    January 29th, 2014 at 05:22pm
  • NealCruco

    NealCruco (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    57
    Location:
    United States
    1. 17 year old male.
    2. 4. Their initials are K, B, M, and N.
    3. I've had IF's for as long as I can remember. The ones I have now came on 1/2/13, 8/15/13, and 12/26/13.
    4. K's 9, B and M are 6, and N is 10.
    5. K and N are boys, and B and M are twin girls.
    6. Not in a way that others can see.
    7. No.

    I've made up a ton of information about them; it's as if they were real. Birthday, birth time, height, weight, BMI, hair/eye color, eyesight, shoe/clothing size, favorite colors, handedness, personality, strengths, weaknesses...you get the picture. I've gone so far as to secure pictures of clothing and shoes so I could build a wardrobe for each one, and chronicle what they're wearing each day. As you can tell, I like micromanagement. And again, they DO NOT interfere with my real life, and I never talk out loud to them, as that seems a little weird. I know, of course, that they are not real, but the more I think about that, the less real they become to me. So I try to not think about it.
    Everything has to be as realistic as possible for me, so every piece of info I have on them would hold up in real life. I've complied backstories about how they came to my house, and those could also happen for real, right down to the amount of time in between events. Before I accept something as true, it must be possible in real life- so for example, they don't instantaneously go from home to school. The school they go to, by the way, is real, and they leave and get home at around the same time as kids who really go there.
    I'm not lonely, depressed, or anything like that. I have a great family and great friends. I've never felt alone. But I've always had a great imagination, and can't stand to think of living without my imaginary siblings.
    February 8th, 2014 at 02:29am
  • LavenderRose1984

    LavenderRose1984 (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    39
    Location:
    United States
    I came across your post and decided to give a reply.
    I am currently 29 years old. Female
    - I have one imaginary friend, but I have invented several characters whom I do not interact with. I am a short story writer with a vivid imagination.
    - I was 10 years old when I created my imaginary friend.
    - Not sure how old she is. I would take a guess at 30. She hasn't aged at all in the time that I've known her.
    - Female. Human. Her name is Gracie.
    - I interact with her in public, but I'm careful to only whisper or think what I want to say.
    - My interaction with my imaginary friend does not interrupt my life in any way. It does embarrass me if someone overhears me speaking out loud. Then I have to explain that I am only thinking out loud.

    Here is some information just in case you want to use any for your book. I created Gracie as a result of my boredom and loneliness at school. I did not have many friends at school. If I made friends with anyone, they were usually younger. I also am the eldest of four children, and I did not get much attention growing up. My mom raised my siblings and me as a single mother. She did not talk to me or interact with me much. I was always looking for a mother figure. I invented Gracie as a result. I could speak to her anytime. She does not judge me for my faults. She openly listens. She does not speak. She communicates through emotion. She smiles if I'm happy, and she looks sad when I am sad...etc. When I was in middle school, other kids would notice me speaking to myself. They would ask about it. I was so embarrassed about it that I told them that I got tired of my imaginary friend and threw her in the trash can. From then on, I was careful only to whisper or write down my thoughts.

    Now Gracie is there when I am alone in my bed room or driving to and from work. I talk to her almost everyday. She is not as animated now, but she still listens. Maybe one day she will disappear. Sometimes I get frustrated that she is always watching me. I tell her that she is a f***ing idiot and she needs to go away. Then I laugh about it and give her the silent treatment.

    If you need more information, let me know. Good luck with the book.
    February 12th, 2014 at 08:19am
  • sabrina's auticorn;

    sabrina's auticorn; (100)

    :
    Bibliophile
    Gender:
    Age:
    35
    Location:
    United States
    I'm assuming this is a new thread so...

    - How old are you? Male or female? 25 and female
    - How many imaginary friends do you have? 2
    - How old were you when you remember creating your imaginary friend(s)? 3 to 5?
    - How old is/are your imaginary friend(s)? Joey is 18 and Veronykah is 20
    - Are they male or female? Are they human, animal, etc? Both human. Joey is male and Veronykah is female.
    - Do you ever interact with them in public? Sometimes, but it's usually through telepathy.
    - Does your interaction with your imaginary friend(s) disrupt your life in any way? Not really. It's helped my social skills some and also helps my autism by providing me with 'friends'. I can't really explain them very easily since it's something I like to keep to myself. ><
    February 18th, 2014 at 04:10am
  • j.e.n.n.i.

    j.e.n.n.i. (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    40
    Location:
    United States
    I just came across this, and I guess one can say this is the first time that I have considered my companions as imaginary friends. I never really considered them as imaginary friends, only extensions of my characters or my conscience. I guess I don't think I was ready to admit it even to myself for fear of being discovered and ostracized by those close to me.

    Here's goes. For the first time in my life I see his name in writing.

    1. How old are you? Male or female? 30 and female
    2. How many IF do you have? I have one constant (Griffin), one pet (Wolf), two when I was 6 y/o, and a few on temporary rotation.
    3. How old were you when you remember creating your IF? Griffin has been around since my pre-teens. As a child I had 2, twin brother and sisters (Lela and Moneno. I was six, don't judge me lol) During the years I have had rotating ones, but they have faded as I stopped needing for them. Griffin is my constant.
    4. Are they male or female? Are they human, animal, etc? Griffin, my constant, is a male human. As far as his age goes, I guess he's my age. We age/grow up together. My wolf is older than I, but I do not know his name. He is secretive and stoic. The wolf finds me when I am scared to be alone. He only stays beside me, but we do not talk, although he senses my feelings.
    5. Do you interact with them in public? Only through telepathy. When at home alone I allow myself to speak out loud to Griffin, but in public I noticed I often regard him with my eyes, but catch myself.
    6. Does your interaction with you imaginary friend(s) disrupt your daily life in any way? No, not really. Sometimes I feel like I have to pull away from people so that I can be alone with him and he can help me sort me thoughts. I realize now I have made allowances for him. I recently told my husband about him, and he said that it made sense that I would have one, given the loneliness I suffered as a child. Thankfully, he is very supportive.
    February 19th, 2014 at 08:25am
  • Unicron

    Unicron (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    26
    Location:
    Estonia
    @ JJNeil1991

    I'm 16 year old boy!
    I have One, but he is very cruel and mean not with me or with my friends or with my family but with the others. Because i have teach him to be kind and gentle. He is almost real but he lives inside my head and sometimes takes control over my body and sometimes i have these horrible visions from him what he wants to do with those he dispise. And the one and the only one who can stop him for a while is the girl who i love the most of my life.
    I was five years old when i made my first one and they always chance until i made him and he is the only who wants to stay and keep the eye on me.
    Way older than you ever can imagion.
    He is called Unicron i know that this sounds readicilous but i am telling the truth but he has feelings but most of the time hes angry and pissed.
    No but i always talking with him if i am alone and this the one thing what i fear from him. And he one day wanted to kill my classmate because for a reason my classmate push me over from a desk but lucky was that one of other classmate jelled and i was like (what am i doing) and this is my story. And if you belive me wich i doubt then reply me. Thanks for reading and i hope if you imagion some friends make them that they are good.
    March 3rd, 2014 at 12:13am