Is it normal to imagine you're someone else?

86% Normal
7 Comments

When I get really upset or anxious or I just can't handle the world any more, I escape into one of my imaginary, fantasy worlds... It's not a sexual thing, I just imagine that I'm someone completely different, with different strengths and weakness and interests, a different family, education, etc, and I imagine my life there.

Usually I imagine myself succeeding at things I can't do in real life, and I imagine that I'm exceptional in some way. It changes with the fantasy world... sometimes I'm an Olympic athlete, or a famous songwriter... it's different all the time.

Anyway, lately things have been bad and I've been visiting my fantasy lives more and more - like hours a day... I've really started to wonder if this is normal, or not.

Voting Results
86% Normal
Based on 156 votes (134 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • ms_funion
    13 years ago

    as long as you are able to come back to reality, then it's okay

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  • nanimeow
    13 years ago

    I had this problem my senior year of high school. It was finally when I started appreciating what I was given and accepting what I didn't have I came out of it. Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to yourself and be the best you can be.

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  • noemimi93
    11 years ago

    I have a question to OP but how do you make this possible? It sounds very interesting..

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  • springintokyo
    12 years ago

    I think it's normal because I'm the same way. When I screw something up or imagine how I want to handle something, I imagine I'm the person I want to be. lol

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  • kit-kat-bar
    13 years ago

    I think that you should tell people to do this, why not focus on the positive right?

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  • rico30
    13 years ago

    Nothin wrong with an alter ego. Worked for a few super heroes.

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  • beneficialpest
    13 years ago

    No it's not really normal, at least not to the extreme you are describing. It can be damaging to your mental health because sooner or later the fantasy world feels better than reality and you spend more and more time there which inhibits your ability to deal with real life. It can be a sign of a mental illness like Narcissistic Personality Disorder and other personality disorders. The richness of fantasy you are describing along with the escapism you are describing both suggest you may be showing early signs of some type of personality disorder. It is not the fantasizing that is harmful or bad or wrong, it is the escapism and the types of fantasies which suggest that you may be in a lot of emotional pain that you need help to sort out. I would definitely seek the advice of a psychologist.

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