Imaginary world within the real world

[Pats]

This is how I think I got by in life. The reason I had no problems during those times in my life I had no friends or while working, especially with people that didn't like me, and so on.
I always lived my imaginary life with imaginary friends that I could have conversations with in my head. When I was working as a nurse I worked nights so there were always less people around (doctors, families and less staff). It actually is a busier shift, believe it or not, just less people to have to deal with. But when things were quiet and I was all caught up I would play games on the computer. But I think my game playing was a cover for being in my imaginary world. You can do repetitious things without having to give thought to what you're doing, so your mind can be anywhere else. It wasn't a deliberate thing - I'm just realizing that's what I did. I had to be seemingly doing something while having my in-head conversations and pretend I was somewhere else.

I had many times I lived in places and didn't know anyone and I loved it. There were plenty of times I worked with people that literally hated me (never knew why) and it didn't bother me. Matter of fact, it probably bothered me more if someone did like me and interfered with my unreality.

What do ya think?

 

[SimonSays]

I am the same. I am not known by the people I live around. I don't know anyone outside. I much prefer it. It encourages me to be internal more. it encourages me to be silent.

 

[Pats]

I am the same. I am not known by the people I live around. I don't know anyone outside. I much prefer it. It encourages me to be internal more. it encourages me to be silent.

I can remember as a child, I loved playing with my Barbies or hotwheels, but hated if I had to play WITH someone because it meant I had to talk out loud.

 

[SimonSays]

I remember feeling similar things.

I basically live full-time in my imaginary world within this real world, and have learned to limit what I allow in of what others consider real.

 

[Streetwise]

I was just lonely but I understood people wouldn't stay, so I cut myself off, but I'm still forced to come into contact ,oh god the UK so crowded if i go out at 2 o clock in the morning I might see ! somebody when will I avoid people

 

[Tom]

I am similar. Always had a very active alternate reality going on in my head. It was never a matter of think my imaginary world was real. It was just what mind mind naturally did, and I think it served both as an escape from real-world anxiety and a way to occupy an active mind. But I did not like friction or bad relations with co-workers or people around me. That fed into my anxiety I guess.

 

[Gerontius]

I don't like to separate myself from objective reality very much--but acknowledging interests & feelings & stuff is definitely helpful.

I'm a writer. In spare moments I absolutely love to write. Been into reading since I was two and a half years old, and have been soaking myself in books ever since. So what I do is worldbuilding in my head and then putting it on paper. If something happens in the real world I'll end up using the fictional stuff as a place to "sandbox" it or test it out. Firefighters working on forest fires will build a 3d model sometimes of the terrain they have to plow, and as a training exercise they'll take wooden blocks to represent bulldozers and work through the whole thing, scratching firelines in with a pencil eraser instead of a Pulaski or fire rake, and pushing line with a toy block instead of a Caterpillar.

Writing is the same thing. I ask myself a question & work it out by researching, talking with people, working and figuring and finally sitting down with a pen and paper, or the typewriter, to put it together. It separates daydreaming from real life when I can do it this way.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I was trying to use escapism back in high school as a coping mechanism from all the bullying and stress I was going through on a daily basis and I did make it clear that I preferred the idea of living in an imaginary world full of Pokémon because at least they’d accept me for being myself and no one would bully me which you’d think would be a huge sign to everyone that the bullying was severe and that I must have been unhappy if I thought living in an imaginary world was more tolerable than living in the reality I was forced to face everyday and help me cope and tell me that there was nothing wrong with me and being myself was okay. But no, I was the problem because I “didn’t want to grow up” and “face the consequences of things” I did to myself. I would often complain when other kids did stuff to me and the adults said that I was just blaming them for my own mistakes which wasn’t even true! It got to the point that I just gave up altogether and never told any adults about the horrible things the other kids were doing to me because what was the point if no one ever took me seriously and I would just be told it was all my fault and I should own up to my own mistakes instead of blaming others when it was the truth. Escaping to an imaginary world was the only thing I knew that could calm me when I was stressed and where I actually felt at peace and okay with myself and the only time I could be happy with who I actually was and not trying to be who everyone else was forcing me to be.

 

[SusanLR]

The only escape from the world around me that I will do is guided imagery meditations.
The CDs are a point of concentration and lead me through mental visualizations of imaginary
places that I create to my liking.
Seeing every detail, smells, breezes. It is a retreat and very calming.
You pick how you get there in your mind.
Stairs, an elevator, or flying on a magic carpet. The flying carpet is my favourite.

Beyond that, I want to stay in reality and the factual.
Imaginary friends or someone created in my mind to talk with is not for me.
I just never had that type of imagination.

 

[Wolfnox]

Same. Helps greatly with exercising.

 

[Streetwise]

Imaginary friends or someone created in my mind to talk with is not for me.
I just never had that type of imagination.

Exactly the same as me!