Imagination? Or psychosis?

Selenah_Arwin24 You expressed your beliefs so beautifully! I agree w/you. My dolls can be vessels for spirits/emotions/whatever (those little annoying brownie things that steal your socks & plague the cats....LOL). Also, avianchild made an excellent point - unlikely that any inanimate object, dolls included, are going to be receptacles of energy unless an effort is made to focus that energy on them (intended or not).
And even given all this, I DO NOT believe inanimate objects are going to walk & talk

 

Someone once told me with all seriousness that they were afraid I had schizophrenia because of how I interacted with my dolls. It's nice to know that no one over the age of six is allowed to have an imagination. The difference, which I branded into their brain, is that I know my voices are imaginary and can be ignored or controlled at will, and they are never in control of my actions.

 

I'm one of the type of people who believes in "doll souls"... but then, I am also a writer and I am used to characters popping up who have their own personalities and desires which are sometimes completely different than what I had originally wanted or planned for them...

Basically, to me, my dolls are the voices in my head taking physical form... and I can definitely tell the difference between reality and the world that only exists in my head. Although sometimes I wish I could crawl into my own brain and live in the world where my dolls (and other assorted characters) are real people.

 

I have this view that my dolls will have... a part of my soul in them. I made their character, gave them the identity they have... they're a part of me, just like any artwork I do. But I am perfectly rational and know that my dolls are not alive, will never come to life, and that they exist in a world that is of my imagination.... unless it turns out that our imaginations are the projections of another realm of existence... (this is how you can tell I often have to much time to think and ponder XD)

 

i think it crosses the line when you start being afraid of incurring the doll's anger or feel that it may harm you or you put it's welfare above that of a living creature.

 

The most common distinguishing factors to psychosis, is if the person's daily life, interactions, and emotional and physical well being are greatly impacted. Friends and family are impacted, work is impacted, and any other interactions the person in question may have, or not have.
There are TONS of mental illnesses, so this is really the only factor to look forward too. Also, destructive behaviour is a sign as well.

Destructive behavior can be as simple as chronic nail biting, or obvious like bullying. (and of course there is a plethora of other things, but I am trying to be as simple as possible.)

For example:
The person in question cannot separate themselves from the doll, perhaps for fear of abandonment or inuring the wrath of the doll.

The person in question has irrational responses and actions in regards to their doll. Irrational behavior being aggressive or unnecessary, or even uncalled for violence.

The person in question may have a very specific routine centralized around the doll. They cannot perform or entertain other tasks until their doll is satisfied. This duty to the doll can impede on things like going to work on time, perhaps having supper, or even taking care of oneself.

If one looks into these behaviors, you will see various signs of mental illness/psychoses. This is what draws the line between average behavior, and psychosis.

I thought I would reiterate on what psychosis is... because I noticed some misleading preconceptions in the responses. I am sure this was probably stated a few times...but meh.

I've been diagnosed with severe anxiety disorders, and one of them is the aforementioned Schizo-affective type disorder. I say this openly because I am a high functioning adult and I manage very well with my 'situation', and I know the difference between "crazy" and "mentally unstable".

I am far from a professional, but I just wanted to explain that thinking a part of yourself is in your work, or your doll, or what have you, is not grounds for psychosis. In other cultures, it is believed that things can be 'haunted' or carry a soul. This is not psychosis, as long as it is not destructive behavior.

Now, I won't get into faiths, religions, superstitions and all that, because it is quite vast and complex. I just wanted to share my thoughts, and hopefully bring (or re-sate) insight on the matter.

 

I am well aware that my dolls are inanimate objects, but the thing that never fails to amuse me is that these inanimate objects can get an attitude or take me in different directions than I had planned for them. It is as though there is some personality there, at least for some of my girls, that is going to show itself regardless of my intentions for her. I don't think I'm crazy in any sense of the word. It's probably just my imagination interacting with the doll, but it does happen.

 

Well, I think when you start to create an imagination of a special doll in your mind and customize it according to that imagination, you lay a part of your dreams or wishes into that doll (or maybe you want it to look like a real existing person/fictional character and then project your imagination of the doll's character to this person and create something of your own) maybe you could lose a bit of reality sense if you think about if it were real. As long as you know it's just in your imagination...but if you cross that line where you start to believe maybe it's more that that, I don't know. It's an interesting question.

 

I think I responded, but I've been thinking about this again, recently...

Firstly, I had been thinking of the thread that asked if you had some part of yourself inside of your doll (like a representation or something). At first, I said no - couldn't be any different - but I started thinking as I am deciding on a third doll. I think we put a little of ourselves, on some level, into our dolls no matter what happens. The doll may not have your looks, or a similar life, but there's something less obvious there. It's like that movie about DID, "The Many Faces of Eve"... They're the many faces of you, sort of.

I think the only way things can be seen as abnormal is if you start to think of them as really humans or where you lose sight of the fact that they are dolls.

 

This is a very intense topic in my opinion. For me I view my dolls as both an object but also something that can portray a personality. But it is simply that, they can Portray something real without being a real person or a living being.

I suppose I am someone guilty of looking or at least treating my doll as a real person because my dolls can portray somewhat human emotions even if they are inanimate. It is just like second nature to me. I also however still view them as a doll. It is just something important to me that I want to keep safe.

The line between imagination and psychosis.

It is normal in my opinion for someone to be attached to a doll and give it a life of its own in a sense meaning give it a name a back story ect. Where it becomes psychosis is when they begin to believe it is a real person and not an inanimate object. When a person becomes so wrapped up in the world of the doll they actually begin to use the doll as companionship, as if they can talk move around and carry on like a normal person without help from a living being that is what I consider crossing the line.

eh just my opinion

 

My goodness, I'm so glad you posted this. I've never heard of this before and I'm 100% sure I have Ordinal-linguistic personification. Since I was a little girl numbers have personalities to me. I never knew anyone else saw things the same way.
As for my dolls, I love them so much, but their personalities are my own. They are all my creation and pieces of me personified. If they went to a new home, a sensitive person may notice me in them, but that would eventually fade as they put their own energy into the doll. I find this completely rational, but I'm not quick to call anyone psychotic for seeing the world differently.

 

This is a bit of a tough subject, but definitely an interesting one...

I am well aware that my doll is an inanimate object. I know she can never have a heartbeat, or a thought, or walk on her own or anything like that. But I've noticed that as I spend more time with her, playing with her, combing her hair, doing photoshoots...she seems to reflect back all the time, energy, and love I've poured into her. She isn't exactly a lifeless thing in my hands anymore, but she isn't alive either. And there have been times where I was upset or angry and I would take her out and she had this soothing presence, when I feel anxious or stressed, she's almost therapeutic.
I know that I am very attached to her, and at times she is almost real. At the end of the day, she is just a doll, but a very special doll.

 

I believe that the line is drawn somewhere between pretending and believing. If you know that the character of your doll was given to them by yourself, as your own brainchild, then it's still imagination. I think it becomes psychosis when the owner of the doll truly believes that their doll created it's own personality.

 

if people didn't believe that we wouldn't have all kind of characters for dolls and toys (from pinocchio and toy story to chucky and the like.) whether they have their own soul or be possessed, all inanimate objects can host something, call it energy, ghost soul etc.I do believe my dolls have their own personality, that they have a 'soul', also I believe in ghosts. And from my point of view, I prefer this and not keeping them as hollow toys that can host anything you don't want or don't know.

 

It's a belief like any other, and everyone is entitled to their own belief. I would definitely not call it "psychosis". Maybe if they hallucinated their dolls coming alive then I'd be concerned :P

 

I completely agree with Dew_Drops, I believe a doll has whatever you reflect onto them. I do the same thing with my dolls. If I'm ever upset or need some support I will spend time with my dolls and sometimes even talk to them. I know they will never speak back to me or anything like that, but they just make me feel more comfortable. I don't think I'm crazy nor do I think anyone else who does the same is either.

It's also more fun to think of them as real beings. If they were just dolls that you dressed up to look pretty, what is to separate them from a Barbie doll? The creator and owner are what gives the dolls value in my opinion so if the dolls were really just overpriced pieces of plastic they'd be kinda boring. It's a lot more fun to see what people think of! DoA would be incredibly boring if people just thought of their dolls as well... Dolls, not characters or anything like that. There would be no photo stories or anything fun like that!

 

i think the line people talk about is not real. I am new to BJD and i have seen both sides from people i hae talked to and i am trying to find were i stand. BUt to think that just because something is plastic that it can't have a soul or real in ways is kind of far fetched. I am wiccan and we belieave that every thing has a soul rocks, trees, so why can't a doll that looks like a human. just cuz it can't move does not mean a pice of the soul of the owner or even the maker if hand made does not get split off and than lie in the doll because we love them so much. our love it what makes them real. ( i am not trying to preach my religion to any one and not trying to offend people that don't think feel or belieave the same. this i just what i feel so i am sorry if i offend)

 

Well my only doll her name is Harumi. She has a happy, playful, and caring personality. I didn't decide it, she was just always like that. Her face has always given out that vib. But do I believe she's alive. No. I never saw her as anything else but a doll. And always will.

 

Reality comes from our head, as we interpret it our own way. Reality is never the same as we think it is. It is Matrix in some way) you see what you want to see

 

I'm not sure if inanimate objects have souls but they definitely have an energy to them. My grandmother has an hourglass in her house that radiates the creepiest most dangerous negative vibe I've ever felt. It almost hurts to look at it. I have no idea what the history of that object is but you can feel that somethings not right with it. That's why I try to shower my dolls with as much love as possible. That way if they ever go on to new homes they won't carry anything negative with them.