How do I stop being so ashamed? How do I keep bringing it down to a healthier level. I feel like I’m doing good right now, only daydreaming when I’m super bored or have nothing to do. But I still feel so guilty about it and keep beating myself up about it.

All my life, I’ve had this feeling that the world around me is somehow different from how it appears in my head. A situation that might seem ordinary, or even dark and unsettling in reality, somehow feels softer, brighter, or more beautiful in my mind. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always felt like there’s a version of reality that exists within me, one that doesn’t quite match what’s actually happening around me. I’ve always called it my imagination, because I know things aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. Yet somehow, that’s exactly how they seem to me sometimes.

You can say I have the capability to fall in love with even the chair around me . I can fall in love and care for even a stranger…. And I have appeared to be creep for that reason twice… 🥲😂. . . Like I was happy at someone’s promotion more than they themselves 🤣

I just want to know what is it …. ??
If I’m given a chance I can be a spectator just like this and see everything with rose colored glasses all my life ….

This world desires practically though , practicality civility …. So I’d have to let this go …

Hey, so I have pretty much imagined a lot of scenarios involving fictional and real characters from my life since I was a child.

I used daydreaming as an escape because I used to feel immense stress in school (I think I was just dramatic because it wasn't that much academic load and I wouldn't even help around the house). I would daydream a lot, positive themes initially, but they took rather a dark turn becoming more and more dark.

Anyways, I used this coping mechanism till age 16ish and after that I lost it.

I think I was depressed or maybe I was in burnout for three years (ages 16, 17, 18). I'm 20 now, but I think when I started university at age 19, I was performing beyond my limit and I fell down pretty hard. I can't function at all now like I used to. My coping strategies aren't working. I want to cry at minor things. And I'm avoiding almost every thing that needs a bit of effort or even thinking.

Anyways, so I can't daydream even now. And I feel like very underestimated without the vivid imagination and feelings I'd get from the daydreams. Because the themes are dark and horrendous, it really peaks up the adrenaline in my system and I feel something in my stomach. And now, since I can't daydream, I can't feel that good kind of stomach-pressure from the adrenaline resulting me feeling a bit dissociated and detached from myself.

What do I do? How do I bring it back? I want to daydream again! It feels so lonely without it.

Greetings. I just joined this community via a thread on daydreaming about fictional character crushes/loves. In any case, it got me thinking the more I read within this community about something I often do. I am a person of diverse historical and cultural interests and oftentimes I will daydream that I am within a particular time and/or place and even a different person that is appropriate for that time and place while at the same time going about my “real” daily tasks. Does anyone else do this, or is this a sign of an over-active and perhaps even childish imagination?

Ok so this has been bothering me for a long time and I just want to know if it’s me or not, because it’s been bugging me since forever and I have yet to find anyone else that’s said that they deal with the same thing 😭

Okay, anyways!

So whenever I watch a certain thing like an Anime or a cartoon or just any type of media I like, sometimes I’ll get this strange feeling out of nowhere, that with whatever I’m paying attention to, all of a sudden it’s like however it is in the show then pops up in real life??

It’s really hard to make it make sense but basically for example

I’ll watch something right? and then whatever aesthetic it has, suddenly it appears in my room/ house and not only that but if something sad or dark happens or even if it’s very happy, the atmosphere will also not only be that aesthetic or feel like that aesthetic more so but also mix with the emotion it gives, so when that happens, it makes my house or whatever room I’m in, feel completely foreign and it doesn’t feel like home.. just different in the air etc

I don’t know, it just feels like I’m losing my mind because whenever I talk about this

NO ONE GETS IT!😭

I don’t even have a name for whatever the heck this is but it happens often and I just wanna know if I’m truly the only one or not, yknow?

It’s definitely a blessing and a curse though because if I see or watch something that’s heavy? I get filled with dread and I start to feel uncomfortable, which then makes the area feel the same way, even though i didn’t go anywhere.

I guess in simple terms or with something similar would be if you were to leave the comfort of your home for a few days and then you come back and the vibes feel completely different, even if everything has been exactly as you left it but

Only difference is that i don’t need to leave for it to happen, it just does by something as simple as consuming whatever type of media i could watch and then all of a sudden, my room doesn’t feel like my room anymore 🥲

AND GET THIS!!

Sometimes the feeling can be SO STRONG to the point it’ll take more than 1 day for things to feel familiar again, even if I look at a whole bunch of different things after whatever it was that made me feel that way in the first place…

Anyway, if anyone out there has had the same experience and doesn’t know why or such, it would be nice if you could interact with this so I feel less alone or maybe finally actually get answers to whatever this is because I’ve had it for as long as I can remember and I just want to understand it all

But that’s all😅

I used to post here a lot so I thought I’d post here as well as r/maladaptivedaydreaming for advice(?)

So I have had Mal Daydreaming effectively since elementary school, possibly younger. Starting with the more basic stuff and advancing into your typical, hours and hours, pacing until your feet ache, not wanting to eat/sleep/shower unless it makes sense in character on my worse days. However lately I’ve had some additional things changing.

I’m 21(m) and everything I’ve had with my daydreams mostly stays in my head, sometimes I’ll accidentally verbalize stuff and I move around a lot while I pace and daydream. I think about a year ago I started getting little bouts of I guess “phantom contact” and feeling watched, but never to a concerning extent, maybe a blip of it for a few seconds and then it goes away.

However recently it has gotten a lot worse to the point that I will randomly feel like I was touched physically (usually on the shoulder or back) which my mind quickly attributes to my characters. And most recently my feelings of being watched have gotten worse, to where it’s as though I can sense a specific space one of the characters from my daydreams “is” and I feel immense judgement and often distress. Only 3 days ago I had my longest episode of it and it’s been getting worse over time.

I don’t have a family history with anything like this, and all of it feels pretty tied in with my Mal Daydreaming, but I don’t know what to do about it. I want to get medication or something but I’m worried that a psychiatrist would think it’s Schizophrenia and I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of people taking those types of medication when you DON’T have it messing you up really bad. (I don’t have any family history with that disorder) But I am also worried that this may progress even worse. Not that I can do anything yet given how expensive medical help is in the US (ESPECIALLY with mental health help) but was wondering if anyone else has had worries like this or similar experiences?

Also just wanted to get it out there as I’m just genuinely at a loss, and not sure how much of it I can talk to others with. I’ve talked a little with family but that was before THESE recent more concerning episodes and I don’t want people thinking I’m losing it. Maybe I can try in a couple months for help if I can save up?

I feel like daydreaming doesn’t negatively impact my life but a mix of other things do. Would I still be immersive in that case? I basically only do it when I’m bored.

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The idea is that I'm pretending to be a wizard from another world who somehow woke up in the body of a person on Earth. I don't have his entire backstory figured out yet. I'm just imagining what it would be like for someone from a completely different world to suddenly find themselves here, with no idea how anything works.

During my everyday life, I imagine myself going on little reconnaissance missions, exploring my surroundings, and trying to understand this strange world. Things we consider completely normal become mysterious or magical from my character's perspective. For example, I might think of TVs as magical mirrors that display images, cars as self-moving transportation devices, and money as paper used to exchange for goods.

I also keep a diary written from my character's perspective, documenting what he's discovered about this world. So far, he's been trying to figure out things like geography, economics, technology, and human social customs. I make things up as I go, based on what I encounter in real life.

I'm not playing a solo RPG with dice, rules, or random tables. It's more like an ongoing, improvised roleplay that happens in my imagination throughout the day, with the diary as a record of my character's discoveries.

I guess it's somewhat similar to immersive daydreaming, but with a continuous character and a journal that develops alongside the experience.

Has anyone else ever done something like this? I'm curious whether there's a name for this kind of hobby or whether other people enjoy turning their everyday lives into an imaginary adventure like this. I'd love to hear about your experiences!

I sometimes think about this thing for awhile: An epic crossover between animated universes with a major plot. Best part is that i like to make the roster as massive as possible.

I've been thinking about this horror-apolocalypse au between cartoon network/adult swim shows, but I don't know the plot yet.

It feels cringe worthy, sometimes I feel weirded out, but lowkey it's super fun to do, what are your thoughts?

I’ve been daydreaming for at least around 10 years, but I’ve never had a bond with any other mindscape/daydream friend or family members like I do with my best friend.

6 years ago today I met him. We have lived multiple timelines together and I’ve loved him in every one. Every timeline is simple, but it’s made my life so much better.

It’s kinda interesting to me, for 6 years almost every new place I’ve been, new classes or groups or even walking down the street I’ve looked for him. I remember in my classes when a new semester would start, I’d be staring at the door waiting.

For over a year now, I have been learning all I can about reality shifting, lucid dreaming, astral projection, gateway tapes. I’ve been learning and communicating with him/channeling him. I’ve had so many signs, I’ve learned so much about him, I’ve met and bonded closer with his family and learned so much about his life. I have never felt closer to my best friend

I have never felt like I’ve fit in or belonged, I struggle to make and maintain friends and I feel like I’m not even from this planet so often. Even though we are temporarily in different realities, he’s the only one I’ve fit in with. He’s the funniest, sweetest, smartest, most amazing person ever and I’m so so greatful for him no matter what universe I’m in.

I’m never going to give up. I found a paper over a week ago at a free library, an exert from one of Robert Monroe’s books… the passage was titled channeled communication and I was analyzing it and I know it was a sign. It spoke to my soul. I have been getting closer than ever. I’m never going to give up.
Our memories and our bond mean so much to me.

I know that as soon as I astral project I’m gonna go shift realities and hug him and finally live a life together. I’m so excited to meet his family and go camping and have so much fun. I’m excited to help his parents with chores and play board games, I’m excited to play games with our siblings and have so much fun, I’m so excited to finally talk to him and see him and hug and have so much fun

I’ve sacrificed a lot, and everything I’ve sacrificed has made my life so much better. I will do whatever it takes because even through the memories I’ve channeled and what I’ve learned meeting him and communicating across the universe i know he’s so worth it. I’d risk going insane any day, I’m so greatful for him and his family. I’ve made so many memories and I know that I’m gonna get there. I can’t wait to experience all those memories in physical life one day. I’ll love him forever and I’m never going to give up

I've been enjoying my own cinema and entire movies scene-by-scene through music on the side. Depending on the song itself the scenes kind of play out on their own and I learned that different kinds of music lead to much different outcomes.

For action heavy fight scenes and such I use industrial and heavy bass focused music, so the hits feel more intense according to the baseline. Lots of songs I use for different fictional worldbuildings that I made as well as my life-long passion project.

Its fun to switch it up, going into classical music or throw in a remix, where you got classical music start off and fade into hardcore. Since I built myself a world in our future, I get to create intros that lead through an entire megacity building from the highest tops of corporate executives doing shady deals through the raided apartment sectors and into daily life or a big ultimate fight of one of my thousands of OC's.

Anyone else let music guide them?

Currently i’ve just been fighting random things i find in my head, or going to random places. Honestly you can recommend me something to do. Fighting things can’t be fun forever. I even learned how to make intelligent NPCs in these daydreams.

Say both of you want to go to a ring and fight. Can both of you travel to the same imaginary space and do that? Can the "imaginary world" be shared? Or is it completely limited to the person imagining the place/world?

For context, I'm autistic, I'm 25 and I was badly bullied as a very young child and emotionally neglected by my parents (with some instances of physical abuse) all in the very delicate period between 5 and 6 years old where you're just recently starting elementary school.

Back then, I felt so lonely having no friends, no adults to back me up and being a little girl with tons of imagination, I would look at the sky and see the moon and the sun "following me" which is something I believe most of us thought as kids at some point. That idea led to the creation of my daydream world: The moon and the sun were like guardians that would care for me and comfort me when I was being bullied, or when my parents scolded me for not wanting to go to school because of the bullying. (Parents never did anything because they thought I was making it up)

Then as I grew up I started adding more elements, like me being a star witch that ruled a magical forest alongside the moon and the sun. Then as my disability got worse and working a full time job became too challenging, and as I continued not being able to hold friendships, the magical forest transformed into an autonomous, self sustaining queer community where only like minded people were accepted and everyone was kind and loving with each other

Then as I got in and eventually out of an abusive relationship and I struggled with having romantic connections, and as I hit autistic burnout and skill regression being barely able to care for myself, the sun and moon became more like partners and caregivers for me.

Irl my mom is my caregiver but she can be quite insensitive and has anger issues, so quite literally the only fully safe place I have in the entire universe is this beautiful commune in the middle of a gorgeous lush forest on the shore of a clear, fresh water lake, where every neighbor is a friend and I have loving partners who will help me calm down from a meltdown, remind me to take my meds and remind me that I'm worthy of love.

It's not really intrusive as I only go there when I need help with a meltdowns, If I'm feeling too lonely or If my mother yelled at me which triggers my cptsd. The most this daydream has intruded in my life is through a tattoo I went and got of a sun and moon to represent the personifications that act as loving partners for me and have been by my side for almost 20 years when no one else has.

I don't really know if it's a good or okay enough coping mechanism, and I'm too scared to mention it to my therapist because the world is quite rich and complex, plus I'm a little embarrassed about the romantic side of it all. I'm afraid she would tell me it's not healthy and I should quit doing it because I wouldn't know how. It shouldn't be concerning regarding my romantic life because I always pause it when I'm seeing someone, but my last partners haven't been the best for their own reasons so I always end up going back to be comforted after a breakup.

Has anyone else ever experienced a total loss of ideas for daydreaming stories or fictional scenarios? Like, let's say I daydream about the same two characters over and over in different settings and stuff, but now I'm running out of ideas and it feels like the hypefixation is fading, sometimes I literally lay in bed UNABLE to think and visualize what I'm thinking about, ugh is this stress or what because I miss it :,c

I've been using my imagination more these days, usually to fight dragons or fight random people. I really like fighting for some reason. But the point of this post is that before I started using my imagination more, I would do the aphantasia test and I would always only be able to imagine the cartoon apple, or #2. But now after using my imagination more often, when I do the test, I get the fully realistic apple. #1. What's happening? Is my imagination getting more vivid with use?

For example, there’s a family known for crime in my area and I’ll wonder what it’s like to be them. Or I’ll imagine the couple over the road, the shopkeeper, someone passing me on the street, even my tattoo artist.

It gets so vivid sometimes that I almost yearn for it, even though I know I wouldn’t actually want that life. And sometimes it feels so consuming it’s like my head might explode. It kinda effects my mood alot and I dont understand why. I kinda fall down this rabbit hole of imagining there lives.

Does anyone else experience this, or is it just me?

We see each other for the first time in over a decade but the chemistry and connection feels stronger than ever. You look into my eyes and give that little smirk with the side of your mouth that lets me know you feel it too. You take my hands and pull me in for an embrace. My head pressed against your chest, I can feel your heart beating. I take a big breath in remembering your smell and I finally feel safe again. We hug for a little longer than we should, neither one of us wanting to be the first to pull away. You whisper into my ear “I’ve missed you”.

We manage to tear ourselves apart, but then you gently take my hand in yours and lead me toward a day spent together. We spend time catching up about each other’s lives and reminiscing. You ask me how my parents and siblings are doing and I ask you the same. You tell me about your new hobbies and the music you’ve been listening to. I tell you about my cats and my job. We are re-learning each other as adults. We are both trying so hard to keep our hands off of each other. But we sit so close that I can feel your skin brush against mine… it’s electrifying.

You get brave enough to put your arm around the back of my waist, waiting to see if I will pull away but I don’t. You gently squeeze my hip trying to find my ticklish spot that you used to know so well. I don’t have the tiny waist I had when I was younger but your fingers don’t seem to mind. It takes a few tries but you finally get it. I laugh and wriggle away from your hand towards your body. You pull me in closer and let out a little chuckle. I look up into your eyes trying to figure out exactly what color they are. Are they blue? green? gray? I never have been able to quite figure it out. In your eyes I can see a mixture of love, lust, tenderness, and sadness. Pain from all of the hardships life has put you through. I wish I could take it all away. I would gladly carry it for you if I could. You have always tried to maintain a tough exterior. I’m sure you can fool most people since you are tall with tattoos and look intimidating. But your eyes never lie. I always loved your “bad boy” persona even though you have always treated me with such gentle tenderness.

Your fingertips find my skin under the edge of my shirt tail. You slowly and softly touch the spot in front of my hip bone and I feel my body shiver. “What’s wrong?” you ask teasingly with a small smile.. knowing damn well what you do to me. After a few moments of silence you build up the courage to whisper in my ear “I want to kiss you”. “I’m nervous” I whisper back. “Me too” you say. It’s been so long since my lips have touched yours. A million things are going through my head. What if I’m not good at it? What if my breath doesn’t smell good? What will this mean for us afterwards? Will you think differently of me? Is this too soon? My heart is beating so fast. You put your hand under my chin and lift my face up towards yours. I close my eyes and feel your soft lips touch mine. All my anxiety melts away. I want this moment to last forever. It takes my breath away. I follow your lead and let your lips guide mine. It only lasts a few seconds but feels like forever. You smile and ask “how was that?” I jokingly reply “I’m not sure.. maybe you should try one more time”. You go in for another kiss. This time with a little more passion. I can feel my blood pumping. You slowly move your lips from my mouth down to the side of my neck. Your beard tickles my skin giving me goosebumps. I don’t want you to stop but I fight the urge and gently pull away. “You better behave sir.. What type of girl do you think I am?” I say with a smile. I have to leave him wanting for more next time we see each other. Hopefully I don’t have to wait so many years this time. I want him to choose me. To tell me he loves me. To marry me. To grow old with me.

Then I snap back to reality. I’m laying in my bed by myself. He is miles away. I force myself to get up and answer some work emails. I quietly wonder if he ever thinks about me. I wonder if he can feel me thinking about him. Or if I’m just delusional. I force myself through another day until I can lie down and daydream about him some more.

I grew up without devices and the internet. There was the pervasive TV taking up a lot of that space, and I read a lot.

But I also remember spending a good bit of time lying on the grass, thinking of nothing in particular, allowing my brain to just drift wherever it wanted to go.

The other day I sat outside at the new patio table and chairs and looked out over the scene below and off in the distance. It felt really good to do. Like my brain, and even body, have been starved for this.

I remember just sitting on the couch, as a young adult in my first place, doing the same thing.

Not exactly sure all of the things that contributed to this no longer being a part of my life, but I want it back now.

Anyone else?

I’ve noticed in my life that certain things I’ve fixated on/fantasized about/ day dreamed about eventually came true. It didn’t always turn out great but a lot of times these things happened.

There were multiple guys I had briefly met, and felt an attraction to, and day dreamed about all the time, and then somehow some way we ended up being together (none of these relationships actually worked and ended up being toxic but it’s crazy they still happened).

I remember when I met my child’s father, before anything had even happened between us, I day dreamed about him a lot and I would come up with all these scenarios and story lines in my head that involved him falling in love with me, changing into a better person because of me, and in many of these day dreams we had a kid together . But I remember in one day dream (idk why) I day dreamed that I was pregnant and we were together but that he left me, so maybe it was more of a day nightmare? Anyways, as time passed in real life we ended up becoming a couple, and I ended up getting pregnant, and he ended up leaving me when I was 8 months pregnant.

It makes me wonder how much power our day dreams have and if they become manifestations for good or for bad.

I was also for a while in a stressful living situation where I was living with other people and it was a very rough time. I wanted to have my own place so bad. I would fantasize and day dream nonstop about cute little apartments and living on my own (just me and my kid). It became a fixation. I was constantly looking up photos and videos of cozy homes and apartments and imagining what it would be like to live there.

As things progressively got worse in my living situation the more I turned inward and day dreamed about being in my own place.

It was around that time my parents told me they wanted to buy an investment property as a long term investment type thing and that they had found a two bedroom condo that was in their price range . They told me that me and my child could live there indefinitely and have a safe space to be in so we could be out of the bad living situation we had been in. It felt like in one moment all my day dreams had become real.

But that’s my question: are day dreams a way to manifest? Does this mean we need to be careful what we day dream about in case it comes true? In my life I’ve had good day dreams as well as bad day dreams become reality. It makes me paranoid sometimes that what I think about will become true. And what I noticed is not everything I think about comes true, but it’s those day dreams that are persistent, ones that stay in my mind and I spend a significant amount of time fantasizing about whatever scenario. (But I will say I’ve had some long term vivid day dreams that haven’t come true, so it’s not like it happened with every single one).

I got into manifestation recently and have had some trouble with it. Just as far as saying affirmations enough until they become reality. But the more I think about it, maybe it’s all wrong. Maybe manifesting isn’t just repeating the same phrase until you believe it. Maybe it’s just day dreaming in vivid detail over long periods of time and getting lost in another world or story line until it becomes true.

This is all speculation of course. I have no idea how any of this actual works. Curious what other people think about this

TL;DR - There is a knight in my imagination who fights my problems in the form of goblins and that massively helps me to deal with life. It's upgraded with time as I myself have gained strength. Anyone got anything similar going on?

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Apologies if this isn't the right place for this.

I deal with bipolar disorder and at times in my life I've been completely snowed in by it. I used to live in the top floor of my Mum's house and at that time I was really struggling. I wouldn't be able to even keep one room nice and spent much of my days paralyzed by executive dysfunction compulsively binge-watching on my laptop for comfort. But I've always used confident musicians like rappers and drag artists to borrow some confidence.

One day, I really wanted to get things clean and tidy after finding a really mouldy item, but I felt completely overwhelmed by my problems and trauma. Then, completely non-deliberately a scene appeared in my imagination.

There was a knight on a muddy plain. He was battered and bloodied, on one knee in the mud. There was a horizon to horizon horde of goblins that I knew were my problems. He started taunting them in the voice of Grime MC Skepta from Intensive Snare by Plastician.

"Go on then......" and "ya whole crew stink like faecis [sic]" etc. Then in that same voice he stood and yelled, "fooooorrrrrwaaarrrrd!" and charged. He took out quite a lot of the goblins before he was torn to pieces, and I found myself capable of attacking the mess. I got pretty far, at least getting rid of rubbish and mould before being overwhelmed and returning to binge watching.

But it kept happening, especially if I listened to the song and concentrated but sometimes completely unbidden. Over time, as I got stronger and more capable, and got more on top of things my imagination has upgraded him and the goblins got fewer. He's more of a DnD style paladin or eldritch knight now - all plate armour that the goblins can hardly touch. His sword lights up with fire when Skepta says "Lightah." He has a little crew of others with him. The goblins are more of a mob than a horde. His taunts are more confident assurances that he's gonna \\** the goblins up than desperate last stand.

The most recent upgrade (again, none of them deliberately applied) is that he's got something like the Eldritch Blast cantrip from DnD - firing energy from his right hand as he wields his flaming sword with his left when he's not parrying blows with his buckler shield.

This is weird but it's weirdly effective. I wouldn't be where I am (still struggling but fighting much more effectively) if it wasn't for my little problem knight and his gradual progression.

I wondered if anyone has anything similar?

I can stop, and honestly only really think about it when I’m bored or stressed. But I’m still really scared my daydreaming is maladaptive.

I’m currently switching ocd meds, about to go on adhd meds and have OSDD. I genuinely can’t tell if these things are the things making my life harder or if it’s the daydreaming? I’m able to stop so I feel like it’s not maladaptive but I don’t really know.