Imaginary Friends - A Problem Solving Technique

Why imaginary friends? Because they may be smarter than you real friends. Well, at least they may give you better, more creative solutions to your problems.

If you are like most people, your thinking is often best when you're interacting with a friend. You feed off of each other's ideas and help each other to clarify things. But what about times when you're alone, or you have no one you wish to share your ideas with? How do you stimulate creative thought and find elegant solutions to your problems? Try talking to Albert Einstein.

Of course, you'll probably want to talk to Andrew Carnegie or Lee Iacocca if your problem has to do with making a factory more productive. Spiritual problems might be better discussed with the Dalai Lama. The point is to have a conversation in your head with an expert, or a historical personality, or any imaginary friend who can help with your particular problem. Why would you want to do this?

Imaginary Friends Give You Answers

You have a powerful imagination, whether you know it or not. However, what you may not have, is a powerful way to use it. This is what you get with imaginary friends and advisors. A conversation in your head is a way to access the creative power of your mind. You'll be surprised how often your imaginary Einstein comes up with an interesting idea, or asks you a question that produces something useful.

It is best to use someone who you respect and/or know something about. That way you can more easily imagine what they might say. It could be a fictional character, and in fact, this may be even better. Start by explaining the situation to this person, and then listen to what they have to say.

You may remember those "WWJD" pins and stickers. The WWJD stands for "What Would Jesus Do?" Kids wore the pins (still do, I believe) as a source of guidance. Whether or not you are a Christian, you can understand how in a time of confusion, a simple question like this can immediately clarify the situation and allow for a right decision.

Consider this for a moment. The information necessary to make a right decision is there in a young man's head already, and yet there is confusion. Then, just imagining what Jesus would do or say is all it takes to "see" the answer.

With a simple conversation in your mind, you can ask for help with personal, business, moral and any other problems. It's a powerful technique for problem solving, and for drawing on the power of your unconscious mind. Why not start talking (in your head please) with your imaginary friends?