Was my DDs imaginary friend a ghost?

[MrsDylanThomas]

The time of year for such a thread but anyway...!

My DD is now 6 but when she was just 2.5/under age 3 she had an imaginary friend called William. Very young to have an imaginary friend IMO. For a period of about 3 weeks she spoke to William, 'read' books to him and if we were in the park she would stop and say 'C'mon William! Hurry up' whereas she was talking to thin air.

All very normal imaginary friend behaviour.

But one evening around this time, I asked her where was William? I was kind of joking. I remember we were sitting together on the couch before bedtime and she said 'William has gone to college where he lives'.

Turns out my husband's grandfather was called William (they called him Billy) and he worked in the accounts department of a university.

I asked her about him the other day as was thinking about it and she said she often talks to him at bedtime of if she's worried about anything. She's a happy, sociable and clever child so don't think it's anything to worry about.

But I just think William is a name she didn't hear in crèche, or in stories and I didn't think she knew the word 'college' at that age.

Her other imaginary friend was called Alice. I thought it was from Alice in wonderland but (chillingly) my husband's granny was called Alice!

Sorry to spoke you out mumsnetters. Am I filling in gaps or AIBU? Love to hear your thoughts!

Where do ghosts get their clothes?
Wooworths!

I'm here all week.

I once saw a programme where a photograph was photshopped to include a women, when she was a child, superimposed riding in a hot air balloon. The tv presenter asked her to recall the day she went in the balloon and she was able to in great detail.
It never happened.
She was so convinced it had that she even argued the point.
So memories can be inherited, I believe.
If children overhear a story that existed before they were born they might put themselves in that story and believe it to be true.
(FWIW - I don't believe in ghosts, souls or God. They may or may not exist but not in my world)

Merly, I've read a simlar experiment which took place over about 10 years. As a
10 year old, a boy was told about the time he got lost in a supermarket aged 6 and was gone for ten minutes. It was mentioned a few times over a ten year period. When he was about 20 he was interviewed for something unrelated (so he thought) then asked about the incident. He described it in detail, including the clothes he'd been wearing, the feeling of fear when he was lost, what the store manager who found him had looked like - none of which he'd been told but had embellished himself. He had actual 'real' memories of the incident.

It's fascinating what our brains are capable of.

niel will there be a bed and can I bring wine? If so - free night away from the children??? Game on.

A bed? Yes. A rickerty old four poster with a comprehensive history of previous occupants who passed away in mysterious circumstances.

Wine? No. The nay sayers on here will blame any spooky activity on you being pissed.

Knitting? No. They'd say it's the needle clicking noises echoing through the corridors.

Ipod? No. They'll say the voices you're hearing is someone rapping.

You'll just have to stay in the bed (or hide underneath it with the scary clown and the little monkey toy that keeps playing the cymbals for no reason)

Could you keep a light on? I could manage it by the power of strip lighting.

Can I bring my own sheets and disinfectant?

Scary clown? That'll be the mirror in the morning after I forget to take my make up off.

And monkey with cymbals? Phantom of the opera!!

There'll be plenty of sheets to choose from. Most of them will be walking around the corridors going, "wooooooooo"

Arf!

Okay I'm in - will there be space for Archibald? He's my friend, for sone reason only I can see him? he says the funniest things!

When Archibald sees a suit of armour mooching around with it's head under it's arm, that'll wipe the smile off his face.

Yeah he's a coward - most likely he will throw a cover or a sheet over his head and run around wailing and crying...

"wwwaaaaa woooooo booooo wooooo"

And monkey with cymbals?

I just misread that as monkey with cannabis.

Ha! raltheraffe

I would so be under the bed with a monkey with cannabis

I had an imaginary friend called Abigail, who had a speech impediment and a wheelchair. I told everyone who would listen that she used to be alive and live down our road. It was total bollox and I was just making it all up. I almost believed it myself.

At one point later on I totally convinced my sister that a ghost came into my room through the mirror everytime I played my old music box from my Great great gran. She actually weed herself. I made that up too.

Ghosts are not real. Kids imaginations are.

Gretna, I think it was a joke .

Dd had an imaginary friend when she was about 2/3. It was a magic pig. She's 19 now so this was the days before Peppa Pig.

Raltheraffe, I stayed at the Ram Inn. It's about as haunted as my bum. John Humphreys is a lying conman and a bit pervy too.

It's about as haunted as my bum

OH's bum is haunted. Well, it keeps going wooooooooooo and then there's a bad smell.

In that case I take it back, mine is definitely haunted.

JuanPotatoTwo., Pipkins used to have a pig in it. He had a brummie accent.

Some interesting stuff on this thread, but I think the Daily Mash has a timely summary:
www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/ghosts-bollocks-2014101491704

I did some psychic readings for friends when I was experimenting with 'woo' and messing around with tarot cards etc.

I was brilliant at it. Knew things that I shouldn't have known, even had some predictions come true. A 'real' psychic at a spirituality fair told me I had strong powers that should be shared with others (making money from people basically).

I was making it up as I went along. I was cold reading, looking at non-verbal responses and adjusting accordingly and responding to what people said. I was almost convinced I was psychic for a while till I started my career in MH and got a greater understanding of how the mind works.