When Daydreaming Becomes Problematic

Maladaptive Daydreaming is when highly visual people getting caught up in their imaginary life

Hiya!

The human mind is a mysterious thing. It’s much easier to study the physical world our bodies exist in, rather than the immaterial existence of our inner world. Still, psychology, philosophy, sociology, and similar fields have accumulated a staggering amount of knowledge based on our behaviors and analyzing the descriptions of our experiences.

Technology only adds to this knowledge by letting scientists study our brains, but tech helps in a different way too. Social media allows more people to share their inner experiences, and they’re doing it by the millions. Between that, and living during a time of constant crisis, experts noticed a peculiar trend in people’s stories involving prolonged daydreaming. Upon further analysis, some experts wonder whether it should be formally recognized as a psychiatric disorder.

Inner Sight

I’ve shared that my mind has a rich inner monologue, but my inner sight is blurry. Sometimes I can see fragments of something — a doorknob or the door’s color — but I struggle to see the door as a whole. But for the most part, it’s like looking through a window smeared with condensation.

There are two exceptions to this. The first is when I think back to something, like where I set down my sunglasses last. In that case, the details are faded but clear enough to recognize. The second exception surprised me and is one I only recently learned about when I started writing my first novel.

While writing my fictional story, I can see everything in high definition. I can even zoom in and see the details of a blanket or chair. I’d long given up on trying to sharpen my ‘inner-eye,’ and instead focused on learning how my mind expresses itself. So, this self-discovery was a considerable shock.

After some light Googling, I discovered a treasure trove of people describing their inner visual abilities — or lack thereof. And let me tell you, my newfound ability shadows compared to the worlds some people create in their minds.

Day Dreaming

Everyone daydreams, even those of us without a strong inner vision. Similar to our dreams while sleeping, daydreams come in many forms — and not all of them use pictures. Some research suggests that adults daydream for around half the time they’re awake and that daydreams can be a valuable tool for processing or preparing for an experience or as a pleasurable mental escape from the mundaneness of life — like during yet another meeting that could have been an email.

Daydreaming serves all sorts of purposes. It’s fantastic for creativity as daydreams are a way to let our minds relax and for our imaginations to play without restrictions. Daydreaming is also great for problem-solving as the answer often comes after taking your mind off the problem.

Though, daydreaming isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. Some researcher suggests daydreaming makes for an “unhappy mind, which can be especially true if you’re prone to ruminating about old mistakes.

However, other studies argue daydreaming improves our moods. Thinking about past negative experiences is bound to lead to a negative experience, but daydreaming about a loved one or your future is more likely to boost your mood. It seems that which experience you have depends mainly on the context of your daydreams.

Now, another caveat might be added to the list. In addition to the context of your daydreams, how often you dream is also important — particularly for people with highly visual mind experiences. Turns out that some people spend so much time daydreaming that it interrupts real life.