Reader’s Question

I make up people and various scenes and “play them out” in my head. It’s like having a soap opera in my mind. I usually do this while listening to music and pacing. I have done this since I was a child. I don’t hear voices or anything like that. I just visualize people and scenarios and make up the dialogue for everyone. I have never gone a single day without doing this.

The problem: when I get bored, I often “switch on” this little habit. But because it feels so natural to do so, I barely notice that I’ve started doing it. I’m terrified that one day I’ll be sitting in class, bored, and start talking to myself. Whenever I space out, and then become aware of my surroundings again, I’m never sure if I’ve been moving my lips or gesturing or something.

Is this a sign of mental illness, or just an overactive imagination? Should I stop? How do I make sure I don’t do this in public?

I am 19 years old, female, and have never been diagnosed with any mental illness.

Thank you.

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

It sure sounds like you have what others have called a “vivid imagination.” These days, the preferred term seems to be “creative visualization” or “creative imagery.” Many of the most gifted screenwriters, playwrights, sculptors, and other types of artists begin their creative enterprises with scenes, characters, dialog, etc. straight from their mind’s eye. And it’s not uncommon for very creative individuals to be “easily bored” with commonplace, mundane, activities — hence the temptation to engage in creative daydreaming.

Feeling free to daydream and fearing the loss of control is a bit of a paradox. The key to not worrying about whether you can control the “switch” is to recognize the value of the gift you have and to actually make time to engage in the enterprise from time to time as a way of fostering a sense of control. That way, when the time comes that you really need to turn it off, you can do it without worry.

Enjoy your gift. See what you can do about channeling it into some productive artistic enterprises. Sometimes, the best creations come when we don’t plan them. But remember, you can always control the “switch” when you need to do so.