What would Freud say?

okay why I like BJD's is the main reason why I play a lot of RP video games and the only reason why I do is that I can make my own character in the way I see them. So finding BJD's I saw a way to make the things in my head with out having to play a video games. I like to create. And having a doll that can be changed when I feel like it is a great thing.

 

I think most people would be quick to point out the whole "desire to have kids" aspect - but I think this stems from a time when dolls were created to prepare girls for motherhood, or something along those lines. I know when I had dolls as a kid, the only dolls that made me feel maternal in any way were baby dolls, not Barbies, or older-modeled dolls. They might psychoanalyze it further and say I still have a desire to take care of something - well, we have 3 cats, and they cause enough havoc as it is.

For me, I think that my reason for having my doll is the old adage of "Everyone else has one". It was like that with Uggs - I never liked boots, but so many girls in my school started wearing them, I got curious, and now I have some. But I love my Uggs - they're the only comfortable boots I've ever owned, so I'm not complaining.

And for that, dolls = Uggs.

I kept seeing everyone's dolls, and how awesome they were, and how much work people put into them, and the stories people could portray them in... and I wanted one. I wanted to experiance the joy and excitement that other owners had. I wanted to look around for doll-sized items, and things like that. It just sounded so cool!

Plus, I was always a fan of dolls. I think I kind of got into doll ownership later than most; a lot of my friends had had dolls like American Girl years before I decided I liked them (now I have 4). If I like a doll, I'll want it; I really doubt that I'll ever stop that habit.

And I also have to point out that (try to deny it as I might), I have a little bit of OCD tendencies in me - so when I get into something I like, I go big. This is why I have 4 American Girl dolls, as well as 7-8 My Twinns. But they're nowhere as expensive as BJDs, which might be a helpful damper on my 'addiction'.

 

Well, dolls always had the role to make women 'train' their nurturing skills. Initially BJD were purposefully made so that older women with no kids/ or that had kids and already left, could have the doll and fill the emotional gap.
But since the people interested in the hobby started to get younger and with different perspective towards the dolls, there are more reasons to it.

For instance the need to buy so that you can feel that it belongs to you and you only. "i bought it with my own money" kind of thinking, and this can be applied to anything (expensive items, things you always wanted to have, etc) and it gives a certain feel of independence. And that's the thing that usually makes people addictive to.

I believe some people buy for emotional reasons, or ownership reasons, and other just for the pure fun of it.

I don't own many dolls, nor play with them. But I do enjoy seeing how far I can go with customization and several changes to the dolls I own. For me they are a blank canvas where I can apply anything I want.

 

To be honest, I'm a magpie. I'll collect anything as long as it sits in one place long enough.

I've always had hobbies, too, and they tend to be quite cyclical for me. When I was younger, it was Jigsaw puzzles - I got to the stage where I could complete 2000 piece difficult puzzles in under a day just because I got so many of them - then latch-hook, cross stitch, tapestry and other embroideries, then drawing, then gaming... the list goes on. My interests, however, also tend to be cyclical - I'll have months where all I do is draw, others where all I do is write or game or whatever.

I've always been someone that's felt like they were bursting with creativity - that my ideas and need to -do- things was always coupled by the fact that I couldn't get them out of my head fast enough, that three more ideas seemed to replace that one that managed to get out -right-. This lead to a great sense of dissatisfaction in my physical capabilities as my brain has always worked much faster than my physical self was capable of.

The dolls act as another outlet for the explosive creativity. I'll have fits where I'll do nothing but work on them and trying to make them perfect, then slumps where I won't even look at them because I'm doing something else or collecting something else, or feeling generally disatisfied with how long things take to complete because I've got more ideas than I know what to do with.

Now, for me, that's the real state that I want analysed, not the fact I own dolls.

 

LOVE this thread. As a psychological mentor & coach I found out that dolls (not just BJD) "tickle" the inner child and allow sometimes to get in touch with a hidden sensibility within you soul that got hurt.

For me it's a medium of art: I read (or think) something and like to pose the doll in front of the camera to reflect the words (thoughts).

... and sometimes I just like to be a nut-case ... like Freud ...

 

I have said so often there's a psychological PhD in the BJD phenomenon.

For me, I am a bit of a magpie too. I have always collected something, and always needed a creative outlet. When I was 5 I was writing poetry and stories, and I think BJDs really combine both my desire to hoard/collect and my desire to have a creative outlet. They make me happy. I really like to just look at them. I'm sure there's a lot in why they make me happy but they do.

 

THIS THREAD IS AWESOME.

Actually, for me, it's two things:

I used to collect dolls when I was a little girl and BJDs kind of remind me how I used to customize and collect them. And that was sort of my escape when I was a kid, it was my thing, everyone knew I loved dolls. Is there some sort of desire to remember those feelings? Yeah, probably.

But in the end, I just freaking love customizing and making things. I like how you can switch out clothing, eyes, wigs, face ups, etc. That's kind of why I enjoy this hobby.

Next to purposefully joking along with people that, yes, they are creepy. I tell my friends I'll get a Dollmore Lusion and put it in a shopping cart like a kid :P

 

I actually don't own any BJDs yet, but there is something interesting. When I was little I once got given a beautiful doll, and I CRIED AND CRIED because I didn't like it and they immediately took it away. I wasn't being spoiled or anything I just DID NOT like dolls. I had tons of Barbies but I never played with them, I just changed their clothes and brushed their hair and displayed them.

BJDs on the other hand. I really want one and want to play with it and want to give it tons of attention.

I really don't know the reason for this but yeah, just thought it might be something "psychological." I will theorize, however, that this change of mind about dolls came about when I stopped being so tomboyish and started acting a little more girly (not saying dolls are for girls, but maybe that had something to do with it?)

 

Mostly I look at these dolls as an artistic mode of self-expression.

With my own in particular, I like being able to create a cozy narrative space where these characters can live and be safe from the dangers of the real world.

Cynically, I suppose one would call it escapism, but I think there's more to it than that. My doll characters may be safe from the dangers of the real world, but they still have their own (occasionally epic) challenges to face.

 

I'm sure we could pull out tons of strange reasons and funny motives like childhood and whatnot, but as Freud said best himself:

"Sometimes a cigar is really just a cigar."

I like pretty things. Don't you?

 

Freud would probably say something about mothers. Or penises. Because let's face it, that's just how he rolls.

Seriously, though, maybe we all secretly yearn to be parents but feel inadequate, so we're practicing on dolls instead.

... or something. Pretend that was all psychological and deep and stuff.

 

Despite my own personal opinion, (I love my dolls) if I make myself aside of "the subject" and think about psychology, I wold rather say it's an inability of the subject to "connect" to other people, in a faceless internet globalized world, people doesn't just "meet up" so regularly as they used to in public places if they haven't arrange before the meeting using the internet, forums, FB, Flog, TW, LJ, anything...this tends to create an alternate world for the people to scape their own problems and locked up into a world of it's own creation, their dolls get to be their sons, or lovers, or friends, they speak to them and care creating a bond otherwise they couldn't express to real people since real people has always the chance of rejecting the love the subject gives to them they can harm us or step into our dreams, but with dolls we can give all the love we have without the possibility of getting hurt. On a more specific field I knew someone ho used to tell me "I collect DVDs and video-games because they can't betray me or cheat me like people", I think this matter it's not only subject to the dolls but to almost everything a human can own, from a cat to a piece of paper, the desire to not being rejected and the need to give care and love are so strong, plus, the comfort of alienating our self in a social way and the lack of pressure to meet new people, it's so strong that many people succumb to this...I guest that's what I think or suppose, it's not like I'm an expert...

 

I would say, because they are visually atractive, and we end up having affection and "motherly" care towards them....

 

HAHA Oh...i like you agreeeee!!!!

 

I like them for multiple reasons. Yes they are beautiful, but everyone knows that. ^^ I like them because they are Asian. I've always had an intense love for Asian cultures, and this just fuels my love. But the main reason is that they make me happy. I love the idea of dressing them up and giving them a personality. I talk to Eunhwa all the time and feel he understands me. (Yes, I know I'm talking about a doll) I like having something to take care of. (Frequently, I have thoughts of getting pregnant because I want to have something to take care, and I'm only 17) With dolls, I don't have those thoughts! Also, just looking at dolls and the clothing for them calms me. I have anxiety problems, and I found just holding Eunhwa or looking at dolls online really helps me.

 

I think it could go one of two ways for me:
A Peter Pan complex, like a lot of others have suggested. I can see this, since I enjoy a lot of toys and children's things, and hate having to act like an adult.

The other one would be as a surrogate child, since my husband and I have no children. This I disagree with. We don't want children, mostly because we want to continue to be children. lol.

I didn't have a bad childhood, so I don't think it could stem from childhood trauma. Yeah, I'd go with the Peter Pan complex for me.

 

Freud would probably probably say verry little...doll collecting is one of the worlds largest hobby, only beaten by stamp's and coin.

And if he did have an opinion it would probably sound something like what JennyNemesis says.....

 

I don't know if I can agree with the Peter Pan complex- for me getting into this hobby was liberating, and assertive of my independance from what people thought and wanted of me. In the sense that being an adult, I can manage my money, time and creativity how I want, see past stigmas to be comfortable enough to do as I truely please.

I don't treat my dolls like children at all.

I'm gonna go with the "cigar" thing- I just like pretty things, and I like tiny things, and I like creating.

 

This is a very interesting thread, so many points of view.

I think that in my case it could be related a with the Peter Pan complex, I want sometimes to get away for the stress of the adulthood, and the BJD help with that, because costumizing them you can forget about the mountain of paper that are waiting at your desk, which will put at risk the environment of your city.

Maybe it could apply to the longing to be "different" and that is true for me, I do not want to be the same as everybody else, I want things that separate me for other people, but not in a bad sense, I prefer to befriend people who are creative or try to be different an their own ways and all my friends are the same as me, but I am the only with love for dolls hehe.

Also I like to collect things, figures, artbooks, azone dolls and now BJD, but because I consider them pieces of art, they are beautiful and as everybody else here, we love beauty, right?

I will ask my doctor the next time I have a session!!

 

Such a great thread!
Freud would probably really put all the doll hobby down to penis envy and replacement issues... he even mentioned that real children can be a replacement something once or twice ... so the dolls could be a replacement for a replacement...
but he was one of the first psychoanalysists, and this branch of psychology has moved far from his ideas during all the time that passed. From other psychologists I heard things like: the dolls are:
1) actually a way to deal with trauma,
2) a creative and constructive hobby (as opposed to "destructive"),
3) standing rather for childlike parts of one's own personality than for children.
All of the above were meant in a rather positive way.
Last but not least, I am a psychologist myself, and I think it is just a hobby. A way to express oneself, communicate with others and enjoy life. Even if there is a bit of the "Peter Pan Syndrome" to it... there are many more hobbies that have that aspect to them too. Humans are playful creatures.