Imagination? Or psychosis?

I think it's ok for people have 'special' feelings or sense about their dolls without it translating into a problematic psychosis. Most people have strong feelings for and against humanoid objects, some people feel closer to objects that have human faces and can reflect human emotion, other people have a phobia of them because they look human but aren't.

Off topic a wee bit, but all human beings percieve colour the same way, unless our eyes are damaged...it's just the names and saturation of colours that we don't all agree on. Green can only be green for so long before it becomes noticably blue or yellow on the colour spectrum.

I would hazard a guess that you and I would see green the same way unless one of us had severe colour blindness. We'd both recognise a red stop light and a green go light, wouldn't we? However, we may both see a pale green colour and I would call it pale green, but you would call it yellow. There is an accurate way of discovering whether people percieve and understand the same colours...pick up some paint colour charts from any DIY store and ask your peers what the colours are

 

I simply view my ABJDs as larger, more intricate fashion dolls. They don't have backstories or deep personalities.

Whatever people decide their dolls have or believe them to be is okay with me, though. If it's not an ABJD, then it's a stuffed animal or something. In a way, I consider my Dreamcast to be its own being because it exudes life whenever I play a game on it. I like my Dreamcast so much that I've considered being buried with it when I die, but that's a long, long way off.

 

Does it count if I treat them semi-like people because I'm secretly afraid that if I don't they'll take their tiny selves and kill me? lol

But seriously, I have seen doll movies, gotten scared out of my wits, and still I like ABJDs!

 

Heh, was just talking about this w/sistinas today. My AoD Min was supposed to be a completely Edo Period Japanese boy, I had his family history sketched out and everything; but from the day he got here he's just radiated this punk attitude, and he is obviously not cut out to hang around in kimonos and zori all the time. (I'd thought, judging from pix, that his style would be "arrogant aristocrat", but it's unmistakably more like "leather jacket and tattoos".) On one hand I certainly wouldn't say I believe he has opinions on the matter; but on the other, do I think he looks a lot more comfortable in a tank top, jeans and boots than in hakama? Definitely. Maybe it's the personality of the sculpt, or his expression, but he just looks that way. And I've got no problem with letting that steer the direction I had chosen for his character.

I don't think there's anything psycho about that tho--more like being good at make-believe. =)

 

This may be not quite to the point, but . . . I think the creative energy of artists and craftspeople lives on in the things they make. I feel connected through objects to their makers, and in this way things are alive to me.

The soul of a doll. What could that be? It's a great notion to ponder because it can take one in so many meaningful directions.

And: We make dolls in our own image precisely to be animated by us and serve our emotional needs. I think they're among the most compelling objects humans have come up with, and I'd take them over the wheel.

 

mine is controlled insanty i think?

 

I KNOW my boy cant think or feel, but it's so much FUN to treat him like he does! I do sometimes say things like "she doesnt like pink" or "he's oggling all the new RS Boys" because a bit off pretend play, even is youre past youre childhood years, can be FUN. Sometimes it is nice to think outside the box.

 

I understand this. Heck, anyone who plays a roleplaying game engages in pretending. I have real life friends who are doll people, but they don't make comments like the ones you mentioned. Because of that, seeing people mention their dolls "liking" or "disliking" and even posting "responses" from them startled me.

I understand why people do it, it just threw my newbie butt for a loop.

 

Sirin7: I agree -- that's why, when I make a piece of jewelry, I'm happiest when the buyer understands the amount of work and emotional effort that goes into the design and fabrication of each piece. I hate selling things to people who don't get it; it makes me sad to think my art could become just a commodity with no *soul.*

Same goes for dolls. Many are cast or painted by hand by highly respected and sought-after artists. They're invested with vision, personality, design quirks, and whatever else is in the artists' heads and hearts. The great ones appreciate in value, and like any other type of art, speak to the collector in very special and individual ways.

What a thoughtful thread this is. Thanks for posting.

Cat

 

I definitely agree with this. I also believe that when we bring these dolls home and give them specific personality traits, names, character attributes, and love them, we are giving them a part of ourselves, putting some of our own being into them. I definitely get attached to things easily (it's why I'm a pack-rat )... in fact, I still have many of my childhood stuffed animals and they are a great comfort to me. When my hubby gets home late and I have to go to bed without him, I pull out my stuffed wolf pup named Kato (yep, I name my stuffed animals too) and he cuddles with me (I hate sleeping alone). I give him kisses and he makes me feel safe and loved and not alone. Deep down (I also like to bury it pretty deep) I know he's just a stuffed animal, but I would never say that to him, because I don't want to hurt his feelings (seriously though, I know he doesn't have real, human feelings, but he's my stuffed baby and I love him, so my feelings get put into him and that makes him seem so much more real than just a stuffed plushie lying around).

Thank you! I am a Christian too. As a Christian, I believe that the only beings who have souls are humans (as the Bible says). I know that not everyone agrees with that belief, but just because they don't agree, they're not (I hope) going to go around and say I'm psychotic... And I don't call people who believe their dolls have souls psychotic. That's not my business and unless they're a threat to themselves or others then I don't see how it does any harm.
However, my belief certainly doesn't stop me from talking to my dolls and imagining that they (or, more accurately, their characters) are talking back to me. I'm always telling my husband what Zara and Soren are saying/feeling with regards to things like when Zara was upset with me for buying another doll before her fiance... or Soren's irritation with me over his bodiless state . Since their characters come from within me (from my imagination), they become part of the doll and I prefer not to think of the doll as a hunk of resin. He/She's got part of me in there and I'm definitely not just a hunk of resin!
I've always had an overactive imagination (very much so)! It was the reason why I had a nightlight well into my pre-teen years, being afraid of the dark because the ghosts might get me (a fear which still lingers occasionally, even now that I'm grown and married).

So True! I'm a writer and I've found that when I'm truly deep into the writing process, the story starts to write itself and I have a lot less control over what happens than I originally thought!

 

I do belive in spirits and such and I belive my house is haunted with a couple of them. Now, is one of my dolls one of those spirits? I don't think so. I do talk to my dolls somtimes but, hey I talk to my pets and I talk to my stuffed animals somtimes, I think thats normal, not crazy. I mean, somtimes in a voice I mimic what my doll would say but... hey I think thats okay.

Now... it goes to far in my opinion if a person starts worshipping his/her doll. I mean, I think its okay for people to belive in spirts and talk to their dolls. Belive me, though I stated above that I highly doubt my dolls might have spirits inside them... It really wouldn't surprise me ( well to be fair I would run around my house screaming ) but hey as long as a persons happy and not... worshipping or giving blood or swearing their doll told them to do somthing... then, its okay.

 

I don't believe everyone has "crossed the line at some point". If a person genuinely believes their doll is a sentient being or has a soul, that is participating in psychosis. It's very cut and dry. Now whether that is actually detrimental to their health or should be judged by others is a whole different matter.

 

Forgive me if someone else has brought this up, but comparing believing in ghosts and believing your doll has a soul are completely different. How can you even think to compare the two?

Ghosts have 'evidence' (if you could call it that) and findings and so much going back hundreds and thousands of years. I don't know what doll's-having-souls has but I doubt it's anywhere NEAR as substantial as what Ghost research has.

Not that I'm saying anything like "Ghosts are real dollsouls are not!", just simply that that was a really bad example. Sorry if this is kinda off topic but I felt it needed to be said.

 

I believe zanse was simply referring to the fact that she understands the belief in the presence of consciousness or life without tangible evidence is relatively commonplace.

It's an imperfect example, but not exactly bad - similar to yours, in which you say "ghost evidence" goes back "hundreds of thousands of years", but depending on who you are talking to, one could attribute a majority of those stories to folklore, hoaxes, and "ordinary" or "natural" events mistaken for something supernatural.
I hope you don't think I'm arguing with you or trying to show you up... just adding my two cents in.

And ghost folklore and paranormal phenomena is often known to be tied-in with inanimate objects, especially dolls, so the two aren't totally unrelated... have you ever heard of Robert?

 

Oh no, I'm well aware of how sketchy any evidence of ghosts actually is. Sorry if that didn't come off as clear as I thought it did. Only said what I said really because It just annoyed me they way they worded their post I suppose.

And nah, I've gotten into enough arguements on other forums to know when someone's trying to pick an arguement with someone (which from the looks of this place, I'd say would be very low)

And yes, I have saddly heard of robbert. A while back the paranormal board on another forum I visit had robert as their flavour of the week for a while. Boy did those threads and links kept me up for a few nights!

 

Wow, nice too see so many certified psychiatrists on the forum!

 

Hey now, that's not helping anyone!

 

My point exactly. Those who need help should seek advice of a certified psychiatrist. The rest of us should be able to believe in whatever we wish without potentially damaging labels attached.