Imagining Acts of Expression

[Jgib5328]

I need to know. Ever since I can remember, I have always imagined a situation that existed in my past in which I felt comfortable and free to express myself. After that event occurred, I would always imagine myself in that situation and I would create new situations in my mind that would lead me to reveal something about myself to the group of people who existed in that situation. Each time is new and gives them a new understanding of my complexity. I guess I use this as a tool to discover something about myself. I have been doing it for awhile and it changes after I experience a new situation in which I feel comfortable expressing myself.

Right now the current situations that are stuck in my mind occurred during my senior year in high school. One event was when I was in my Semantics class and the other was in my World Literature class. I am now finishing my sophomore year of college, so that means I have been imagining myself in these situations daily for two years. I usually am talking to this one particular girl or the entire class. They usually ask me something about myself, and I reveal something to them.

I think this whole ordeal is amazing because I am basically gaining a much deeper understanding of myself and the fictional characters that I use in my discussions exist as certain parts of my psyche that help me get a look at myself from different points of view, because the characters take on the personality of the original person(roughly).

I am pretty sure I know why I do this. It is because I feel that I need to express myself to other people, but in the real world I really don't have many people who I can feel that I can really express myself in. I think I also want people to ask me about myself to and show a genuine interest. Since the situation that runs through my mind existed 2 years ago, you can tell that I haven't had a situation in which I felt completely comfortable to express myself in, in a long time. I also use it as a mechanism for self discovery and self reflection.

So, do you guys do this as well?


Oh yeah and this isn't the same as reconstructing past conversations. I create entire situations with people from years back who I'll probably never see again.

[coffeeloverfreak]

I don't think I've ever done exactly that. However, I do tend to imagine entire situations and scenarios in the future that haven't happened yet. Once I imagine them in every which way, it seems easier to make them happen. Sometimes it's to my detriment - for example, I've been known to project entire relationships. But I do believe that it's easier to do something - a career move, a trip, a conversation - if you can bring yourself to imagine it first. For me, anyway.

[Solaris]

I do this, but more in the forward direction. I don't go back and do it. To go back, I write in my journal.

I can understand why you do it. It makes sense, and it helps you understand yourself.

[gallihand]

I imagine whole conversations that I should have with other people... and I don't go through with them. Most of the times just imagining it is enough for me but I've learned to go through with some of them since my imagining doesn't help the other person at all. I do the same thing with posts. I type them all out tangents and all. Reread/realize something isn't nearly on topic, scrap it, and then decide I shouldn't post the rest.

[Jgib5328]

Well I guess that makes me unique then, I figured it had something to do with me.

Imagining conversations isn't really the same thing that I do. What I do is travel to a certain small isolated world, that once existed and exist in it again. It involves a whole lot more than just conversations.

[Paul V]

I do the same, only I eliminate the false reality and maintain conversations with different figments of my psyche. I do so in order to discover as much as possible about myself and how I function. It also helps me vent.

[Jgib5328]

I do the same, only I eliminate the false reality and maintain conversations with different figments of my psyche. I do so in order to discover as much as possible about myself and how I function. It also helps me vent.

I kinda like the false reality that I create. It reminds me of the black smoke in 'Lost' that turns into people that existed in that person's past and has meaningful and symbolic conversations with the characters of the show that leads to some self discovery or revelation.

[Paul V]

I kinda like the false reality that I create. It reminds me of the black smoke in 'Lost' that turns into people that existed in that person's past and has meaningful and symbolic conversations with the characters of the show that leads to some self discovery or revelation.

I don't like the show, so I have no idea what you're talking about, but I get the idea. But I suppose I have a subconscious distrust for imagined realities. Spend too much time there and you'll end up like Don Quijote.

[Jgib5328]

I don't like the show, so I have no idea what you're talking about, but I get the idea. But I suppose I have a subconscious distrust for imagined realities. Spend too much time there and you'll end up like Don Quijote.

In your technique is it just like voices of your psyche? Or do you visualize anything?

[Paul V]

In your technique is it just like voices of your psyche? Or do you visualize anything?

Usually voices, though I might imagine situations from time to time (I once imagined an assembly of slightly different versions of myself, but that was a looooooong time ago).

[quest ion]

Yeah! I've done that a few times before. I think it usually happens when the conversation was meant to be an important one(like a first impression on someone/interview etc).

[malefide]

I do many things similar to this. I go back in time and reconstruct interactions/experiences that I had. I have arguments and discussions with past versions of myself and other people. It helps me figure things out.

[Tenacious B]

I do this as well. In addition to serving as a way to better know yourself, I think it releases some of the frustration of being an INTJ. In our little imagined realities we can say things, maybe even be extroverted, in a way that our personalities don't allow in reality. With a vivid imagination these discussions are practically real.