A vivid imagination

[alrai]

My imaginations is vivid. Its clear, colorful and intense. It helps a great deal to change my mood and state of mind. Life in my mind is never dull or slow, sometimes i just close my eyes and create endless stories involving recent experiences or make up meaningful conversations with people I know well or have never met. They feel very real. Although occasionally I imagine horrible scenes and things that almost seem tangible, especially when I'm alone. I remember even as a kid, I quite often see a glimpse of shadows(dark colors) turning corners in the dark. When i involve myself in it, its almost like doodling, trying to create a picture that I'm satisfied with....sometimes the scenarios are hilarious and i cant help but smile. They also benefit my memory, manipulating, modifying images and associating them with ideas help me remember and recall them with ease. I find it crazy when i can visualize things in the immediate reality that seem so intense, rather than in my head.

I've always been interested in this curse or ability. I would like to hear your thoughts on it.

 

[lucky12]

I do the same thing, helps me find tools in my garage when I fix stuff and lay things all over.

sometimes i just close my eyes and create endless stories involving recent experiences or make up meaningful conversations with people I know well or have never met. They feel very real.

I love playing out scenarios with people I know in my head, especially if I'm curious about something I'd like to ask them yet feel uncomfortable asking. When I dream, about half the time I consciously realize what is going on and I can explore really abstract or unusual pieces of the dream/my imagination.

I tend to rely on my imagination for most things in the physical world, I apply some logic and away we go.

 

[alrai]

I love playing out scenarios with people I know in my head, especially if I'm curious about something I'd like to ask them yet feel uncomfortable asking. When I dream, about half the time I consciously realize what is going on and I can explore really abstract or unusual pieces of the dream/my imagination.

I tend to rely on my imagination for most things in the physical world, I apply some logic and away we go.

Thats true. Although I hardly remember my dreams.

 

[GunsNDoses]

Manipulating your imagination for entertainment can be a good pastime, creating visual scenarios and such about life you want to live rather than the one you have now.

"I stay inside my bed
I have lived so many lives all in my head"
I Do Not Want This - Nine Inch Nails.

 

[pjoa09]

Music and Imagination is a very powerful combination.

I can entertain myself immensely just by listening to electronic or jazz with the imagination associated to it.
Produces some of the best thrills.

 

[AutumnTree]

I live so much of my life there. Couldn't do without it.

One place where it is less pleasant to have this ability: dark woods at night. -boo
I always had a love-hate relationship with darkness.
But being outside in dark woods at night can actually help you come to terms with the bad habit of conjuring up exactly the wrong things when you want it the least; I recommend it.

 

[jsn0x]

Sometimes I wish I could just live in my imaginary world. It's pretty great compared to my real world. I tend to live in fantasy worlds when I'm not in reality though. The worlds I live in are so vivid that I swear I could write a book on each one I make up. (I imagine myself in a different fantasy world every couple months until I have completed the goal or whatever needs to be done there. I've started writing a couple books but Ive never finished one... I'd rather just do the imaging than the writing.

 

[alrai]

True, this was an experiment, you should practice writing some of your books. Sometimes I just make up characters all over my imaginary world, with each contributing something different, like internet forums. I love to find the long way around when I've have nothing to do so I can imagine things on the way.

I feel like I'm just trying to act like an INTP since I've signed up, I'm not even sure if I'm an INTP. Its hard to distinguish if the Ti or Ne is more dominant. But I certainly feel comfortable been introverted, mostly if I have something on my mind.

Now, often people will misunderstand me but I never bother to correct them, I think if your wrong, you should come to understand it by yourself, and imagination is one place you can do that.

 

[Zionoxis]

I can relate to this completely. I come up with complete ideas and I could easily make a book or even a book series on what I have come up with over the last few years. I am not sure if I ever will actually write it though.

 

[scorpiomover]

I used to spend days in my imagination. The real world used to seem rather like a grey, cloudy, raining day, by comparison.

 

[Hypocritical truth teller]

My imagination really helped me out whenever I was bored and wanted to get away from it . suddenly I would get really entertained. Situations, places and people... all mixed up in a new life. Sometimes I would laugh alot also (a little problem if you are in a public place - but I already got used to it so I grab my cell and pretend reading a really funny text message XD). I spend half of my days in my mind (still do) - I already have a whole new world out there. When I was kid I used to went imagining on purpose if I wouldn't fly away unintentionally. Man, it's great to control your imagination and all new life in it. It's a simply entertaining.

 

[alrai]

My imagination really helped me out whenever I was bored and wanted to get away from it . suddenly I would get really entertained. Situations, places and people... all mixed up in a new life. Sometimes I would laugh alot also (a little problem if you are in a public place - but I already got used to it so I grab my cell and pretend reading a really funny text message XD). I spend half of my days in my mind (still do) - I already have a whole new world out there. When I was kid I used to went imagining on purpose if I wouldn't fly away unintentionally. Man, it's great to control your imagination and all new life in it. It's a simply entertaining.

I think your experiences are bit over the top, and you seem to have missed the point, as I was more concerned with spatial intelligence, although I may not have reflected that in my writting with clarity.

 

[FireRose]

So I've got a question. I've seen things in my life...no joke, I'm not crazy, but seen things. Once I was sitting in a chair. I had just gotten in trouble and my family is religious. So we do what we call a Bible study. I sat down and I felt low. Like so serenely calm that if the world ended, I just wouldn't care. And then I looked up. And I swear it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Sunlight streams. Pure sunlight streams. I was literally seeing the streams of sunlight come through the window to illuminate my mothers room. I sat back and didn't blink. It last for awhile and I determined I was obviously not crazy because I saw this. It laasted to long. I just stared. But that was just one incident. The next one is less elemental and more mystical. My friends used to believe in something called the pack. A human holder with something like a shadow wolf inside. They thought they were real. I thought they were crazy. That is until I had my friend over for a sleepover. All the different shadow wolves had different color eyes. She said her's were lime green. I lay down in the dark and she stared at me. I stared back at her and asked her again what color her shadow wolf's eyes were. She said lime floresant (sp) green. I was creeper and totally awed at the same time. I saw them. The shadow wolf's eyes. Real green and real wolfy. That's two incidents in my life. Besides the fact I have had dreams since I was in elementary school about a large group of kids called the doonchildren. They were dreamers. Anything they thought up was instantly real. Anything. Magic, unicorns, wings, a random cliff. They were all renled based on how string their imagination was. The strongest of them was 6 kids (because the doonchildren are only children) called the Gaurdians. The first Gaurdian was the queen of the doonchildren, and it of course was me. I created my own imaginary creatures. All doonchildren have a nightmare inside of them. One night I had a bad dream. It was me. A different me and I was angry. I had sharp fangs and claw like hands. I wanted to tear myself to shreds. And that is when my nightmare, the Red Nightmare, came along. I drew her once, it didn't depicted how scary she looked. It was a mild picture by mu standards, and for some reason it made my mother, who is samcared of rarely anything, creeped out. It wasn't even a good description! It scared all my friends I showed! But now it advances. When I was young it used to be just a scary person that looked like me. Middle school it was a formidable creature, with the structure of a human, the tail of a dragon, and scales of a dinosaur. She became known as Ayloiv to me. And she wasn't scary. By that time I had the actual nightmare and then an inbetween translator. Ayoliv the human. She was the controlled version of ayoliv the nightmare. High school came. The inbetween disappeared and the nightmare got a lot more ugly and a hell of a lot more scarier. She seemed amazing to me nut now she has details, things that I cant even depict! I cant even begin to describe her! My nightmare was supposed to be a version of me unleashed. Totally unretained. Did I mention the doknchildrens main power comes from the earth? And the queen's elemental power is the harnessing of sunlight and sunlight strands? I don't know how to say this. But its incredible. And I want to know if there are more like me. Anywhere? Just come and contact me. Anywhere you are. If this sounds familiar to you or anything. Just tell me.

 

[Latte]

I can will myself into states of being where I experience such in a heartfelt, vivid way (but always within my control), but it doesn't happen automatically. At times there has been incidents of slipping into a mind state where the veil of it automatically occurring or not seemed quite thin. Doing it at-will at times greatly increases the ability to turn off and on such and to steer and set parameters for the experiences that may spring forth.

The best advice one can follow is to be careful regarding interpretation of such experiences. If one lets one's interpretations become too close to with certainty believing something like "this is an external thing that is real" one might go down a slippery slope towards being at the complete mercy of a very volatile part of one's subconscious that's incredibly hard to rein in when it's grip has taken control of oneself. No matter how fantastic such a world/worldview can seem at first, and the absence of such can seem dull... it's not worth the potential hellish form it can take.

Anyway, if one does not heed that advice... would one want to be something like a shaman, or would one want to be at the mercy of experiential possession so to speak? It's probably best to take ownership of oneself and one's gates of experience and become a shaman if one is going to view it as "definitely real-real". Other paths in that direction can be highly dangerous to the self.

 

[FireRose]

Thanks for the advice but that's just the thing. No shaman needed. It's just what I saw. Ive seen other weirder things in my life. Not voodoo or anything. It was like I was looking into a new freaking dimension. Most of my dreams are like this. Extremely vividly. Like sometimes I feel the actions of what I'm doing. Most of the time I can see faces really clearly. Its not the first time though someone has told me I should get some medical help. So is it an overactive imagination or what?

I can will myself into states of being where I experience such in a heartfelt, vivid way (but always within my control), but it doesn't happen automatically. At times there has been incidents of slipping into a mind state where the veil of it automatically occurring or not seemed quite thin. Doing it at-will at times greatly increases the ability to turn off and on such and to steer and set parameters for the experiences that may spring forth.

The best advice one can follow is to be careful regarding interpretation of such experiences. If one lets one's interpretations become too close to with certainty believing something like "this is an external thing that is real" one might go down a slippery slope towards being at the complete mercy of a very volatile part of one's subconscious that's incredibly hard to rein in when it's grip has taken control of oneself. No matter how fantastic such a world/worldview can seem at first, and the absence of such can seem dull... it's not worth the potential hellish form it can take.

Anyway, if one does not heed that advice... would one want to be something like a shaman, or would one want to be at the mercy of experiential possession so to speak? It's probably best to take ownership of oneself and one's gates of experience and become a shaman if one is going to view it as "definitely real-real". Other paths in that direction can be highly dangerous to the self.

 

[Latte]

I don't think the term "overactive imagination" explains much.

I didn't mean to seek medical help or the help of a shaman, but rather to become one, sort of. In the sense of gaining control/mastery of the mental gates to these experiences. The term itself isn't meant to mean much beyond that in this context and there's no need to get involved in any specific esoteric school of thought and action.

I am just being a worriedpants ,_,

There are people who go through their life without the ability to consciously affect such experiences whose experiences never morph into something highly malicious, and you might be one of them, hopefully. In the end it's up to your own judgement.

If you do end up seeking counsel from a mind health professional as some people in your life has suggested, I'd go to a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist. They are usually more open minded, less likely to push things on you, less invasive overall and have a less dehumanizing work culture.

 

[crippli]

Write a fantasy book or a series about this. Who knows, it might turn out interesting.

Alcohol for me, brings fourth the monsters, and open those gates to the shadow realm. In a wedding once, I had monsters coming at me with swords from a cabinet. I got so scared, I screamed, ran, tipped over tables with drinks on my way out of the hall. Ran for my life over a parking lot. And finally between some trees. I stopped and turned to see if I was followed.

There has been other episodes with alcohol as well. Like almost every time. more and less severe. Sometimes I brake windows and mirrors to snap out of it. That works. Because there is a tiny voice in the back of my head(all mine, more like a split consciousness). That sometimes give me tips. Like it can whisper, this isn't real. wake up. In the period I suffered sleep paralysis, it was what made me relax. I mostly wanted to panic.

Other times, and sober too. When I woke up with a bomb in my hands, in the winter, the family sleeping in the house. The fuse on the bomb, had 5 seconds left... I threw the bomb in my fireplace. And I ran, again for my life. I knew I would not make it, and certainly the others was lost. I Screamed all I could on my flight up the stairs and out the house, in an attempt to warn the others. BOMB, BOMB, BOMB. I got out of the house. To another building, and peeked around the corner. Holding my hands on my ears, and waiting for the house to blow. I was crying, tears running uncontrolled. I stood there for a long time. The house didn't blow. I thought maybe the fuse had gone out. I walked back inside, looked in the fireplace in my room. There was no bomb. I think my mother had woken up, and asked what was up.

Maybe this sometime over imagination is just a compensation for otherwise being rational.

 

[FireRose]

Thanks for your advise, I'm already working on three booms all at the same time. Its scandalously fun, but wearing me out from remember the way each book is supposed to go. See I've set up a complete galaxy in my mind with alternate realities and so on, so eventually all my stories clash into one huge one. Very complicated. So the story thing is out. Personally nothing creeps me out. I don't drink I'm lactose intollerant and I'm not kn any type of mere nor do I need to be. Its like I've seen bits and pieces of another realm. One where other creautures live and roam and know of us, but we don't know of them. Not crazy. Just open minded.

Write a fantasy book or a series about this. Who knows, it might turn out interesting.

Alcohol for me, brings fourth the monsters, and open those gates to the shadow realm. In a wedding once, I had monsters coming at me with swords from a cabinet. I got so scared, I screamed, ran, tipped over tables with drinks on my way out of the hall. Ran for my life over a parking lot. And finally between some trees. I stopped and turned to see if I was followed.

There has been other episodes with alcohol as well. Like almost every time. more and less severe. Sometimes I brake windows and mirrors to snap out of it. That works. Because there is a tiny voice in the back of my head(all mine, more like a split consciousness). That sometimes give me tips. Like it can whisper, this isn't real. wake up. In the period I suffered sleep paralysis, it was what made me relax. I mostly wanted to panic.

Other times, and sober too. When I woke up with a bomb in my hands, in the winter, the family sleeping in the house. The fuse on the bomb, had 5 seconds left... I threw the bomb in my fireplace. And I ran, again for my life. I knew I would not make it, and certainly the others was lost. I Screamed all I could on my flight up the stairs and out the house, in an attempt to warn the others. BOMB, BOMB, BOMB. I got out of the house. To another building, and peeked around the corner. Holding my hands on my ears, and waiting for the house to blow. I was crying, tears running uncontrolled. I stood there for a long time. The house didn't blow. I thought maybe the fuse had gone out. I walked back inside, looked in the fireplace in my room. There was no bomb. I think my mother had woken up, and asked what was up.

Maybe this sometime over imagination is just a compensation for otherwise being rational.

 

[FireRose]

Ok, well besides the interesting occurancces in my life and my mind blowing imagination (which is so active it almost keeps me awake at night) its like everytime I sleep I add on a new piece of the puzzle that ive just found and more and more. I told you I have reacurring dreams and I do, but sometimes they split. I have about five worlds going for me. All ive created (not real worlds, imaginary ones) now Ive been thinking about it and I remember when I was younger (really really little maybe about 6-8), I thought I saw the figure of a man. He turned his head to look at me and I shut my eyes tight. I lay down, and I didn't move. That time I was scared. Then I opened my eyes. He was walking away from me. And I went to sleep...mind you this was the dead of the night...It was practically pitch black and imagine being able to see dark black which is normal darkness and a gray area the shape of a human body watching you. Then when I was older I was walking up the bridge to get to the beach (a little likethe London bridge but not as fancy) and I saw the tail of a spotted dog...who wasn't there. The dog wasn't there people. God knows that tail might have been a cat! I mean it was like I was seeing something that used to be there. Now ive walked that bridge a thousand times. Its not some ghost that haunts the bridge. Literally, it was like I was seeing the residue of something that was there and moved on. Still alive just an softer image. I could probably come up with more instances but so far I just have "please go see a doctor" comments or "become a shamans". Guys your awesome, really you are, but I'm looking for people like me. And I feel like I'm the last of my kind. And its beginning to suck. Anymore advice? Its welcomed, but it seems like I'm doing everything that you guys already proposed. (And I trully don't wish to become a shamans sorry.) Thanks guys!

 

[rushgirl2112]

My imagination works in pretty much the same way. It can be wonderful at times, but there is a definite downside to it.

I've never decided whether the richness of my imaginary world outweighs its effect on the real world, which is to make it seem pale and disappointing when I do open my eyes. But then it gives me great creativity and is also at the root of my problem solving abilities, because I can so easily imagine each possibility and play it out in my head before deciding what to do. That, and it's a nice way to kill time when waiting in line.

It also seems linked to memory, because there are certain memories from many years ago that are so clear that I can actually close my eyes and feel like it literally just happened. It's as if my senses are triggered - not with the total clarity you get when something is actually happening to you, of course, but about as close as you can get. For example, I can imagine the way the cold air felt and shiver. I can smell things too; again, not for real but as if I just smelled it. And by the way, the latter doesn't need to be triggered by an actual scent or even anything I've smelled recently. Just the other day, I was remembering this soup I used to eat as a child - and not since - and that smell came right back to me.

I guess it's more accurate to say that I don't so much remember things as I experience them again. Which is very appealing to the time traveler in me.

But the dark side . . . it can get extremely disturbing. One of my greatest fears since I was very young has been someone waiting in the shadows to attack me. I could imagine it happening so clearly that I would respond almost as if it were about to. Even now that I'm 40, I'm still childishly afraid of being alone in the dark, even in my own home. But there are so many other things as well. As a parent, I am constantly battling images of horrifying things happening to my children. Or to my husband or myself. It's so intense that I will react to it with the kind of horror that I have to hold back, because if I let it go, I could see myself feeling exactly the same way I would if it actually happened.

For example, I've fallen apart in grief over my husband dying . . . and he's still alive. And I catch glimpses of what the real grief would feel like even though I've never lost anyone that close to me. Again, if I allowed myself to, I really do believe that it would feel completely real.

But it just occurred to me that my intense imagination is probably responsible for my empathy. I'm horrible at expressing it, so awkward and socially inept and resistant to showing any vulnerability with others. Which is why sometimes I start thinking I must be really cold and unfeeling. But then I have to remind myself that in my head, I can feel it very strongly. For example, when I hear about a mother losing a child, I'll ache for her in a way that affects me very deeply.

So yes, I think the phrase "curse or ability" describes this quite well!

 

[FireRose]

Its funny. Ya' know INTPs love to Google their crap. So I goolged it. Not one has freaking answer for me! I mean my imagination gets intense! Really intense! Like I have to have to focianly wake myself up from some of ky dreams because I'm shaking. (Usually from anger) but its practically like I have PTSD! Driving me bonkers, but super cool at the same time!

My imagination works in pretty much the same way. It can be wonderful at times, but there is a definite downside to it.

I've never decided whether the richness of my imaginary world outweighs its effect on the real world, which is to make it seem pale and disappointing when I do open my eyes. But then it gives me great creativity and is also at the root of my problem solving abilities, because I can so easily imagine each possibility and play it out in my head before deciding what to do. That, and it's a nice way to kill time when waiting in line.

It also seems linked to memory, because there are certain memories from many years ago that are so clear that I can actually close my eyes and feel like it literally just happened. It's as if my senses are triggered - not with the total clarity you get when something is actually happening to you, of course, but about as close as you can get. For example, I can imagine the way the cold air felt and shiver. I can smell things too; again, not for real but as if I just smelled it. And by the way, the latter doesn't need to be triggered by an actual scent or even anything I've smelled recently. Just the other day, I was remembering this soup I used to eat as a child - and not since - and that smell came right back to me.

I guess it's more accurate to say that I don't so much remember things as I experience them again. Which is very appealing to the time traveler in me.

But the dark side . . . it can get extremely disturbing. One of my greatest fears since I was very young has been someone waiting in the shadows to attack me. I could imagine it happening so clearly that I would respond almost as if it were about to. Even now that I'm 40, I'm still childishly afraid of being alone in the dark, even in my own home. But there are so many other things as well. As a parent, I am constantly battling images of horrifying things happening to my children. Or to my husband or myself. It's so intense that I will react to it with the kind of horror that I have to hold back, because if I let it go, I could see myself feeling exactly the same way I would if it actually happened.

For example, I've fallen apart in grief over my husband dying . . . and he's still alive. And I catch glimpses of what the real grief would feel like even though I've never lost anyone that close to me. Again, if I allowed myself to, I really do believe that it would feel completely real.

But it just occurred to me that my intense imagination is probably responsible for my empathy. I'm horrible at expressing it, so awkward and socially inept and resistant to showing any vulnerability with others. Which is why sometimes I start thinking I must be really cold and unfeeling. But then I have to remind myself that in my head, I can feel it very strongly. For example, when I hear about a mother losing a child, I'll ache for her in a way that affects me very deeply.

So yes, I think the phrase "curse or ability" describes this quite well!

 

[cheese]

FireRose
I think there are plenty of people who've seen similar things. They're all over the net. This is not the best place to decide whether you're the last of your kind left. Keep looking. The empaths tribe website might have some similar stuff.
Love the username.

Also should this be a separate thread? Might get more attention that way.

 

[FireRose]

Thanks Cheese! (I love your dinosaur!) I'm new to this website so I don't even know how to join or make a new forum/thread! Never done it before! But I will keep searching!

FireRose
I think there are plenty of people who've seen similar things. They're all over the net. This is not the best place to decide whether you're the last of your kind left. Keep looking. The empaths tribe website might have some similar stuff.
Love the username.

Also should this be a separate thread? Might get more attention that way.

 

[cheese]

^Oh, there should be a button on the top which says "New Thread". Then you put in the title of your thread, and the first post (whatever you want the thread to be about). Good luck!

 

[FireRose]

^Oh, there should be a button on the top which says "New Thread". Then you put in the title of your thread, and the first post (whatever you want the thread to be about). Good luck!

Thxs cheese!

 

[crippli]

Thanks for your advise, I'm already working on three booms all at the same time. Its scandalously fun, but wearing me out from remember the way each book is supposed to go. See I've set up a complete galaxy in my mind with alternate realities and so on, so eventually all my stories clash into one huge one. Very complicated. So the story thing is out. Personally nothing creeps me out. I don't drink I'm lactose intollerant and I'm not kn any type of mere nor do I need to be. Its like I've seen bits and pieces of another realm. One where other creautures live and roam and know of us, but we don't know of them. Not crazy. Just open minded.

That is a beauty of imagination imho.

Some people have a house and a dog. Others have galaxies and warewolfs.

Do you like to read?

One should have magic! I can recommend the dragonlance series. Especially those chronicles of Raistlin Majere. A difficult path!

 

[HDINTP]

Same here. I can totally relate to that. This reminds me that my elementary school was not complete waste of time after all... Sometimes however I am scared of developing some kind of disorder? But in the same time if it is controlled then what is the problem. Yes I find it better than real world lot of times. I think I could write books. Now I am happy since I think it is acceptable to do things like this. Well...

 

[xZero]

I also have vivid and clear imagination, but it depends on my mood and life problems.
I really love to use it for exploring new worlds, to imagining new technologies, new inventions.... But sometimes I use it for "writing" a program while I'm not at the computer. Mostly for creating great algorithm, which I try to remember and write it down to the computer later.

Also with my Imagination I'm able to "simulate" some psychic, computer programs etc.....

Probably, it is not correct "simulation" but still useful.


A few times I almost got hurt because of walking through the street and not being aware, just lost in my imaginations... Once I almost got hit by the bus.

My main problem is that I use my imagination too much, I practically live in it....

 

[Turniphead]

Anyone else feel like their imagination has gotten worse with age?

I'm not sure if it's age or just overexposure to images/internet and not reading as much as I used to. Also not having the time to lie in bed all day anymore might have something to do with it. Sometimes it seems like my imagination is just tapped out though.

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

I used to spend days in my imagination. The real world used to seem rather like a grey, cloudy, raining day, by comparison.

Well put!

Sometimes i doubt that idea however.
And then i set out for a reckless enterprise.
The plan:
Venture into the unknown, the outer world, with its savage people and strange customs.
Taste the exotic meals and beverages they prepare.
Gaze in bewilderment at the preposterous idols they worship and call culture.

And then, when the novelty has worn off,
i start to feel rather foolish for having deceived myself, again.