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What would Freud say?

Jul 12, 2009

    1. I loved dolls as a little girl because they sparked the imagination. My sister and I would make up whole scenerios with our Barbies and practiced social interaction in a non-threatening way. I played dolls with my daughter who now collects Barbies. When I met a woman with two BJDs, I was stunned by their beauty. She let me handle them and pose then and told me about Asian BJDs. I knew I had to have one. I think they are incredibly life like and beautiful dolls. I have only just started my collection (all MSDs: 2 Goodreaus, a Bobobie Sprite and a Bobobie girl, an Angel of Dream Girl and a AOD boy in transit). I love to dress them in different outfits, make clothes for them and pose them on chairs or stands. I have named them but am still getting aquainted with them. I like dressing them in different styles and wigs. I have just started taking pictures of them. Mostly, I enjoy the estetics of the beauty of these dolls.
       
    2. for me I think it's more on the emotional and spiritual level than sociological. I never have any thoughts about dolls representing wealth. I don't think I'll ever have as many dolls as most collectors.
      there are many people who find themselves emotionally attached to their dolls. I know I am. on my side of things the number of dolls is more of an accumulation than a collection.
      I am a very maternal woman and do want kids of my own someday.
      then comes the artistic side.
      I'm an artist on many different levels. I love customization and always have. is it because I had so little control as a kid? perhaps that ties into it. but mainly I think there's a need to have someone who thinks and feels the way that I (the oh so bizarre I) do. and since a dolls personality stems from the inside of the owner, Oli's personality is a refelction of a part of me. she IS my "daughter" after all. ;)
       
    3. He'd say we're all infatuated with our parents.

      Honestly though, I think the psychological aspects of the doll hobby run the gamut from straight-up collectors who cut their teeth on Barbie and Tonner to seriously sheltered, isolated individuals who are afraid of human companionship and live in a fantasy world with their dolls. That is a LOT of different kinds of people and even more motivations and sets of influences. Dolls are inherently companions (I do not hold with the dolls = children/maternal practice school of thought), and companionship means something different to everyone. Some people are satisfied with having them looking pretty in a cabinet and others spend as much time and emotion on them as they would a human being.

      Personally, I'm a moderate. My doll has a name, a personality, likes, dislikes, and is treated with much more respect than say, my toaster. He sits in my lap, is fussed over, and comes with me to conventions, but I don't have conversations with him, roleplay, or write novella-length backstories. He isn't particularly similar to me, and is a very low-key presence (though he DOES have a presence.) I think this falls within the realm of normal geekery, which is largely a product of western privilege, boredom, and (oh, I guess) creativity and imagination.

      One thing I'm curious about--seems like a lot of people identify as asexual in this fandom, which also seems to be true of anime fandom and 'weeaboo' culture in general (I don't know enough about sf/fantasy fandom to comment). I think Freud WOULD have a thing or two to say about that. Why do you think this is?
       
    4. eternal satellites: I think the reason you see a lot of people identifying as asexual is because they're the people who are bothering to identify themselves. (Also, although there are a wide range of people, there are people who came over here from the anime fandom). You really don't see the average everyday collector women identifying themselves as 30+ heterosexual women unless they're specifically asked. So, perhaps that's why it seems there are so many? Also, there's a huge population on this board.

      That said, I didn't meet anyone that could even remotely be categorized as asexual until I discovered ABJD.

      As for me, I'm extremely artistic/creative, and this is one way of expressing that. It just happens to be one of the most fun and exciting (and expensive) ways to do so. I do face-ups, sew, mod, etc. So I have the ability to do a number of things I love to do, all in one hobby.

      Also, I like to collect families. I find it comforting, and I don't actually own a doll that is separate from a family grouping or pairing...I tried, once or twice, and they ended up with boyfriends. So, I suppose...I like making sure that none of them will be alone. Possibly this means I have abandonment issues? Which, to be honest, I think lots of people do. So I don't really consider myself outside of the norm.
       
    5. I'd think he'd say... "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." If you're someone like me... you like to cosplay. For me it's not so much wearing the costumes but making them. With a background in theater and having to make everyone's halloween costume, it's just ingrained in me. I love the challenge of figuring out how to make a costume or recreate something. It's a feeling of accomplishment and "Look what I did!" for everyone to "ooo" and "ahhh" over. I like to have small people to dress up because I like to dress big people too... but with the dolls I don't have to buy 7 yards to make a kimono, I only need a yard at most which does well for my budget... and I have the freedom to make whatever I want, not just what the cosplayer wants me to make because SOMEONE will wear it... granted that someone may only be 60cm tall and made of resin but they can find time to wear an evening gown for months at a time without complaint that it's too itchy or without saying "I can't afford that."

      Of course... this also means I can't use the obnoxiously loud large prints because the pattern would be completely lost on the doll and you'd never know it was a 5 inch tall hibiscus flower. Must find more "in scale" prints. That's the only problem I seem to have... scale. Scale of prints on fabric... scale of trims... but I'm sure it's a universal problem for people who chose to work in miniature scale. Instead of working in 1:12 I work in 1:3, 1:4 and 1:6.
       
    6. This is not necessarily true, I am a trained psychologist (I don't work in the field however) and I can tell you we do not always read so deeply into things and "just because I do/like them" is often reason enough for us too. hell I have a doll collection and ti comes down to "I like the pretty" and "I have a creative outlet" both very healthy reasons for a collection. It has nothing to do with childhood, trauma, maladjustment or anything like that, and while some people would have issues like that that are partially expressed through their collections well honestly they are the minority. Also it is far more likely that in a collector hobby things like obsessive compulsive disorder and ADHD will be apparent (for those wondering many ADHD people find obsessive and detailed hobbies calming)

      A psychological reason for dolls would be best expressed by the chemical reactions of the brain, serotonin and epinephrine, released when we experience pleasure, we have dolls because they cause a release of chemicals in the body that make us feel good? (yes this is overly simplified, but serviceable as an explanation)
       
    7. I'd put it down more to the naturally ingrained obsessive need to collect something that is desired, thus advertising ones 'achievement' at having amassed 'more of the desired thing', but that's more biology than Psychology ;)
       
    8. Oh gosh, here is where I deplore the fact that my psychology professor was into all that 'practical' nonsense like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy!! D-:<

      So I have none of the entertaining and deeply vexing old theories to go on, what fun it would have been! XD

      I'd love to hear the Lacanian read on it, though, or what Bettelheim might have said.

      Raven
       
    9. Well, given Bettelheim's views - or at least the ones I've looked most deeply into of his - he'd say it'd have to do with children not being held alot when they were young, therefore making a deep desire in them to hold other human-like objects and care for them as they weren't cared for, like 'bringing home' dolls, as if they were homeless before, therefore neglected. Knowing him, he'd reinforce this by pointing out how many people like to carry their dolls around with them places. :lol:

      I'm afraid I've never even heard of Lacanian, I'll have to do some looking into that now.
       
    10. I think it depends on the person.
      I myself have this weird thing (blame my dad XD) of collecting things. The only CDs me and my dad bother with are limited edition digipaks that're worth more money than the rest, etc.
      We're both big collectors, and dad, even though he doesn't really LIKE my dolls, he appreciates my reasoning behind buying them.
      I love cute things too, and part of me wants children in the future, so I think that may be a reason I lean more towards MSD than SD..
       
    11. I think he'd say we all had unsatisfying childhoods with a fixation on regression and taking our pent-up desires for aesthetic perfection to a level where we feel safe and un-judged.

      But my psychology professors all said that if your therapist subscribed to the Freudian school of thought, it was time to find a new therapist.

      I think I personally like the dolls because they have personalities and I can mold them to character "muses", and they're so very peaceful for me.
       
    12. For me they would say I am a repressed artist with controll issues.

      I needed models for my creativity wanted something family didn't participate in and tell me what to do. I gave controll of my business over to DH he wanted to run the show and I got tired of going up against him, I let him have the boring every day stuff started up special projects division which allows more design time and creativity. The kids and cats wouldn't let me take their pictures always ruining my shot at being a photographer. So I created my own resin world of people like objects to do my bidding. Told ya I have controll issues. What can I say I'm a first born married to a Leo we both want to be on top.
       
    13. Thanks guys! :lol: so this is what my slowly moldering B.A. in psychology is actually good for, now I know.
      I had to learn about a lot of that stuff elsewhere, my school's program actually once lost their accreditation temporarily for being too rigidly behaviorist.
      Oooh, thanks for the reminder about Lacan, I forgot about him.
       
    14. I agree with this one the most, and also with the theories about aesthetic ideals and creativity - I can't agree with the theories about unsatisfying childhoods because mine was absolutely awesome but even with that I grew up naturally and so don't collect dolls to satisfy some need to return to that stage or whatever!
       
    15. I think a lot of us would say the same as you, Skadi. A lot of what Freud said was bunk anyway, and I take it's more about giggling what our "diagnosis" would be from him.

      For example, he would probably deduce that all the female doll owners who have male dolls only have them because, in Freud's mind, every woman wanted to have a penis. Now, in doll form, we can have several!
       
    16. I'm not sure about what Freud would say, but according to a therapist that I had to see a few years back I suffer from something called 'Middle Child Syndrome', which I'm convinced doesn't exist tbh. So, if I go by that theory, my collecting dolls is possibly a way of capturing my lost young and giving them the attention that I never received, which is why I pamper them and buy them expensive things.

      I wouldn't mind, but I was only going to have an assessment to find out whether I'm dyslexic, and he comes out with all this crap. Just for the record, I was a complete daddy's girl who could get whatever she wanted (I still have that magic though too :lol:)- how is that a form of neglect??

      Moving on though, I guess my reason why I collect dolls is because I have always collected something and dolls is my current thing/obsession. Propably due to OCD tendencies - I dunno.

      Think I'm gonna search through all my old psychology books and notes for answer now and refresh myself on Freud lol
       
    17. Hahaha! Over-analysis much?

      This is a very interesting topic; I have no real desire for children of my own, so I'm not acting out some mother fantasy. Possibly it relates to my tendency to treat my original characters more like imaginary friends, and then you get in the whole thing about how that's because I didn't have enough friends when I was young, so I had to invent some and so on and so forth.

      If I meet a psychologist at uni, I shall be sure to ask for their opinion on whether or not I'm barmy! :D
       
    18. Actually, that is only half of what Freud said. It is a common misconception made by people that have not actually read Freud, but have instead read what others said Freud said.

      Freud did say that the female of the species seeks to obtain the phallus, this is because she lacks one. Males on the other hand, have the phallus, but are at a profound loss about what to do with it. :) Think of it as running around the house looking frantically for that darn widget that will fix the entire whosiwhatsit and bring about whorrled peas. You finally locate it only to discover that your husband was using it as a doorstop. So dudes may have a phallus, but only the femms know what to do with it. :)

      ( The above Freud discussion was in no way meant to offend others of alternate lifestyles, it was meant solely to report a funny anecdote regarding Freud's actual views. For a real hoot, pm me about the actual meaning of freudian slip)

      Back on topic. As others have said, this question can only be fully answered when more specific factors are considered. We can, however, speak in generalities. If we forget that these are "dolls" and ask "Why do people collect (insert item)?" or What does the item symbolize?" These are going to depend upon the individual and their culture.

      Think of the odd things people collect, stamps, for example. A tiny 1 inch square of paper with most of the art covered with a postmark can be worth more than 10 of the most expensive ABJD's.

      When people poke fun at collecting dolls I think to myself "at least I have a hobby". So many people these days don't. They sit at their computers, spanking the net, dicking away the hours, producing nothing, not even pixels. For whatever reason we collect the dolls, we do collect them. We create something tangible outside of ourselves. They have clothing, backstories, families and environments that "we" create. That is magnificent!

      If this hobby is a crutch, filling some void in you, left by the patterns of your childhood, embrace its gifts. The fact that you can see the void means that you can mend it. We all have things that get us up in the morning, things that drag us to work, keep us paying our bills, and if all it takes is the motivation to collect more resin, I could think of worse "habits".

      speaking "ex cathedra" from my bellybutton

      semirans
       
    19. While I have no idea what Freud would say about doll collecting (and very little interest either), my own psychiatrist thinks it's a great hobby for me & often asks me about it. There's definitely an association with my creativity & my love of fine art & almost nothing to do with my childhood since I didn't even like dolls then. As for being "replacement" children, I never wanted children & am drawn mainly to the more adult sculpts. (My cats are quite enough "children" for me.)

      I'm sure Freud would find some psycho-sexual reason for our collecting but most of his theories are mere bunk these days. Now Jung would have a field day with all our elves, demons, angels & vampires.
       
    20. Maybe cause I am lonely.

      I ain't a basement dweller, I was outside with friends yesterday and going shopping soon with some other friends but when I am at home alone I tend to talk to myself but since I started collecting I kinda filled up my room with an imagination where I talk to my stuff or myself.

      Also I used to have a dog, and during the day me and him would just be in my room chilling while a film is on, or I play a game and he just chills in the room. And I will talk to him occasionally (Then he just gives me some strange look unless I mention the word food and then he gets really happy) but I don't have him anymore. Dolls and other collectables have replaced that so I talk to them now.