Fantasy friend
A fantasy friend is a friend who does not exist in reality , but only in the mind , in a person's imagination . Sometimes he is referred to as an invisible friend because only the person in question can see him.
Children have fantasy friends quite often, mostly when they feel lonely or want to play. Some psychologists and educators assume that this also helps children learn social behavior and communication . The phenomenon also occurs in certain mental disorders , such as autism .
According to Dr. Johanna Schulte Wermlinghoff, three and four year old children are in the phase of magical thinking . In the 1950s it was assumed that these children had psychological deficits. Today the fantasy friend is seen as a small auxiliary ego and helps the child u. a. in impulse control. According to the “talent hypothesis”, these children have a high level of creativity and social competence. Mostly it is firstborns and only children who want them as additional playmates.
Fantasy friends are often discussed in children's and youth literature and in many films, for example in the animated series “ Foster's House for Fantasy Friends ”.
In the theater or in the film, the play " My friend Harvey " deals with an adult's fantasy friend .
Web links
- Judy Skatssoon: Imaginary friends open up fantastic world in ABC Science Online (English)
- Corey Binns: Imaginary Friends and Enemies All Good, Scientists Say (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Schlosser, Gianna: My invisible friend, In: Hamburger Abendblatt, September 19, 2016, p. 18