2007-11-28 20:37:07 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
Imagination is a rare thing to have in an adult, maybe even in young adults. One might say that maturity takes ahold of the fact that imaginary friends are just that, imaginary, and one must isolate and abandon them in order to succeed in life - to make a living for themselves.
Others, the more spiritual and spring-minded of folk, would believe it to be an extravagant gift. Companionship with someone no one else can see is a beautiful thing - though people see it as childish - and must be embraced.
If I were to tell you of an age were society accepts those friendly with their imagination, it would have to be around nine, ten or eleven.
Maybe this will help - by god, I believe that having imaginary friends is magic at such an age where punctuation and grammar comes into context online:
“I do believe in magic. I was born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians. When I was twelve, the words was my magic lantern, and by its green spirit glow I saw the past, the present, and into the future. We all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see out destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put in the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our age. Told to grow up, for God’s sake. And you know why we’re told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wilderness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad at what they allowed to whither in themselves. After you get so far away fro it, though, you can’t really get it back. You can have seconds of it. Just seconds of knowing and remembering. When people get all weepy at movies, it’s because in that dark theatre, the golden pool of magic is touched, just briefly. Then they come out into the hard sun of logic and reason again and it dries up, and they’re left feeling a little heartsad and not knowing why. For the briefest of instants, you have stepped into the magic realm. The truth of life is that every year we get farther away from the essence that is born within us. We get shouldered with burdens, some of them good, some of them not so good. Things happen to us. Loved ones die. People get in wrecks, and get crippled. It’s not hard to do, in this world of crazy mazes. Life itself does its best to take that memory of magic away from us. You don’t know its happening until one day you feel like you’ve lost something, but you’re not sure what it is.” – Robert McCammon.
Personal beliefs shroud my - supposed to be - unbiased observation.
2007-11-28 20:52:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think there is an age you could assign. I had a friend, she went away at about 8 or so. But, a new one came back and she's a good sounding board for me. I think it's all in the way you interact with the "friend". If your child is still walking around at 15 and insisting that they make room for their friend, it might be a problem. But, with me, a few close friends, and my Mom and Dad are aware of my "friend" that I talk to in my head. And they get it. Not a lot of people do, I understand that. But, life is a funny thing and not everyone reacts to it the same way. If my daughter (when she's old enough) devolpes a friend, I would let her keep it as long as she wants.
2007-11-29 04:51:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say if you're older than the age of 13 and not have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. There are times when children keep their imaginary friends for longer than normal because they are dealing with a rough child hood. But it can also be a sign of psychiatric illness that should be looked at.
2007-11-29 04:47:33 · answer #3 · answered by Kathryn R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, it's hard to help you since you didn't elaborate about the meaning of "imaginary friends."
Friends that exist on your mind only, or people with whom you can hardly find any affective reciprocity in a relationship?
2007-11-29 04:47:12 · answer #4 · answered by Space Bluesman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10, i assume. sometimes i feel imaginary friend can be better than the pain a real person causes. but i don't have an imaginary friend
2007-11-29 04:57:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think that imaginary friends are a problem when you go in to middle school(USA)/ secondary school (UK). then it is really time to be growing up and if you still can't stop or get the person to stop then let you or them only have there 'friend' in the privacy of your own home.
hope this helps.
2007-11-29 04:46:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they become a problem if they are still around when the child has either sufficient company of peers, or entering school. We all know how cruel children can be and how quick schools are to label children that are different from the accepted norm.
2007-11-29 06:29:17 · answer #7 · answered by dallas 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say 14 would probably be too old, just from hearing of others that had them. Never heard of anyone over 14 having them. Keep in mind, if it gets a lot of attention, it might go on longer just out of being an attention getter, etc.
2007-11-29 04:52:50 · answer #8 · answered by mom of 2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Y how old r u. Personaly my imaginary friend thinks that you are crazy but he doesnt think that you are crazy if you have a pet duck
2007-11-29 04:41:15 · answer #9 · answered by kim h 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I still have my friends and they've never been a problem. But of course I dont talk aloud to them or anything so people dont suspect anything.
2007-11-29 04:45:09 · answer #10 · answered by Superfly sister 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋