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Original poster

to wonder if you live in a fantasy world?

171 replies

WalterMittyish · 17/05/2015 10:33

NC-ed cos this is maybe a bit of a weird wondering.

I was reading the thread about weird things that you do, and it emboldened me to ask something I've ALWAYS wondered: how much of an escapist, inner 'fantasy world' do you have?

Ever since I as a child I've lived two lives ~ the day to day one, and the one in my head where everything is different. Sometimes I'm a famous singer / actor / writer, etc. Sometimes I'm married to/'involved' with someone famous. But as I'm going about my day to day business there's 'dual' versions of me doing any particular task, if that makes sense?

Am I the only one? Or are we all Walter Mittys, to a greater or lesser degree?

OP posts:
Allwayslookingforanswers · 17/05/2015 10:35

I don't do this, too busy to day dream tbh

EuphemiaCoxton · 17/05/2015 10:36

I do it.
Blush

Original poster
WalterMittyish · 17/05/2015 10:36

Oh, I'm busy too, Allways, I have kids, a full time career, a house to run, etc.

Do you never daydream at all, then?

OP posts:
Thurlow · 17/05/2015 10:40

Completely do this. All the time

Sadly DD(3) appears to have inherited it too...

Petradreaming · 17/05/2015 10:43

Yep - not all of the time but pretty frequently. I am married to Bruce Springsteen...

StickyProblem · 17/05/2015 10:45

I do it - have to have something to think about before I drop off to sleep. Have done it all my life.

Original poster
WalterMittyish · 17/05/2015 10:47

Euphemia, Thurlow & Petra* ~ thank you Smile

I've wondered for years now if it's just me, but it's not the type of thing you can bring up in conversation.

Conversely, I'm now curious about how many people NEVER daydream, in light of the comment from the poster above.

OP posts:
frankie001 · 17/05/2015 10:47

Do it all the time, but especially when trying to get to sleep

YaTalkinToMe · 17/05/2015 10:48

Oh how interesting, I am not creative enough to do this.

SwedishEdith · 17/05/2015 10:48

Yes, yes, yes always have. I don't understand the "too busy to daydream" comment. I do whilst doing most other jobs.

Original poster
WalterMittyish · 17/05/2015 10:49

Ooops, Thurlow you were meant to be bolded, not starred.

Definitely before I sleep too, Sticky ~ I have 'chapters' or 'episodes', and I like to follow on from where I got up to the night before.

OP posts:
GreenAugustLion · 17/05/2015 10:50

I do do it...so when I'm driving to work and my favourite song is on the radio, for that 5 minutes, I'm right up on stage, being the most talented singer of all time, with everyone gasping about how beautiful my voice is.

But only in short bursts, here and there, when my mind has time to wander. Especially in work lately, I don't even have time to pee sometimes (literally, have held it for hours because I'm snowed under) let alone daydream.

RebootYourEngine · 17/05/2015 10:52

Walter are you me? I do the same. When im lying in bed its like i am reading a book but its a book involving me and my fantasy life. I thought i was the only one.

LaurieMarlow · 17/05/2015 10:55

I do this. Always have done and really can't imagine life without it. And I don't think there's any such thing as being 'too busy ' for it, because you can indulge in it at any time when you have a tiny bit of headspace; falling asleep, walking to work, washing the dishes Wink

Arsenic · 17/05/2015 10:55

No. Doesn't the fantasy get as confining and tedious as RL if you are 'stuck' in it and doing 'chapters' every night? Confused

NiceBitOfCheese · 17/05/2015 10:55

In my fantasy life I got the promotion, my line manager is supportive, has time to speak to me and reply to my emails, acknowledges me and my contribution at work, my colleagues value me instead of greeting me with "I've got a complaint", my staff all turn up for work every day ...

This is my fantasy. Grin

MidniteScribbler · 17/05/2015 10:56

I've done it all of my life. Especially laying in bed at night.

brittanyfairies · 17/05/2015 10:58

Me too, most particularly as I'm falling asleep. I used to love swimming because it gave me time to indulge in my fantasy world. I do understand the too busy to daydream comment - because I love to daydream but hate when I have to stop to deal with real life or concentrate on work. So I don't tend to let my mind wander during the day.

When I was 15/16 I remember revising for my o levels while being very invested in my other life which was married to Simon Le Bon.

YaTalkinToMe · 17/05/2015 10:58

This is such an interesting thread, is it an escapism thing to the ordinary boring parts of life?

GreenAugustLion · 17/05/2015 10:59

I also do it when I'm reading.

One of my favourite books aged 10/11 was Heidi, and I used to immerse myself in it and pretend I was her for hours - I think my mum suspected I had some sort of eating disorder, the number of times I asked for bread, cheese and milk for dinner!

TwartFaceBeetj · 17/05/2015 10:59

How interesting. This is something I use to do, and after reading this thread, I have just realised I don't anymore.

When I think about it I don't think I have since having depression and anxiety. The things I now have rattling around my brain are things I worry about or things that i need to change in my life but just seem impossible.

I think my Escapism from life and worry and what not, is now MN that way there isn't any room left to worry.

Hope all that makes sense

murmuration · 17/05/2015 11:00

Done this all my life. Have various fantasies ranging from the slight-different-from-my-life all the way to living in completely different times/places/worlds. Although, they're usually not me, if that makes any sense -- they're just a character doing stuff, although they might as well be me in the sense that you are the character of a book you're reading. And I envisage myself as that character.

I also write fiction, which I suspect is connected :) I can't imagine anyone who writes not doing this (otherwise where do the stories come from?).

murmuration · 17/05/2015 11:03

arsenic - no, if I get bored with one fantasy there are dozen others to pick from :)

twart - I stopped doing this when I had Depression as well, but have picked it up again once well and since I had noticed this, try to make sure I do it, just in case it might help keep Depression away. Writing helps this.

IWishIWishedLess · 17/05/2015 11:03

Yes I do this. I used to just generally daydream all the time but from when I was about 15/16 I invented a whole double life in my mind that constantly evolved with a cast of thousands. Just when I was doing chores, sitting on a bus, waiting etc as I was always very careful to make sure it didn't take over my life.

I think it was because I was such an avid reader. I used to daydream about my favourite characters which evolved into daydreaming about interacting with my favourite characters and then eventually me and a cast I invented instead of other people's invented characters.

I always thought it wasn't uncommon- surely all fiction authors do this to some extent? Even if they're not daydreaming about themselves they must think about their characters/plotlines.

miffytherabbit3 · 17/05/2015 11:05

I've always done it all my life too. I save it for when I'm doing boring jobs or waiting in queues, people think I have endless patience but its because I'm enjoying my "secret world"....never shared this with anyone before as I thought I was a bit odd Blush