Childhood Imaginary Friends Linked to Sensed Presence in Adulthood, Study Finds

TEHRAN, Nov 4 (OPA) — Researchers surveyed 185 adults to measure the frequency of experiencing a sensed presence—the distinct feeling that another person is nearby without any visual or auditory cues. Among the participants, 45 individuals recalled having an imaginary friend during childhood, while none reported any history of psychiatric or neurological disorders. Using questionnaires to evaluate experiences over the past month, participants with a history of imaginary companions scored an average of 25.51. In contrast, other participants recorded an average score of 20.07, indicating a higher frequency of the phenomenon in the first group.

Further analysis of the recalled memories revealed details about the perceived location of these childhood companions. Out of 114 recorded distance estimates, 76 placed the imaginary friend at less than 70 centimeters away, typically positioned directly in front or beside the participant. This specific perimeter aligns with peripersonal space, a neuroscience concept describing the zone immediately surrounding the body that the brain monitors for movement, reaching, and interaction. Researchers suggest the brain may allocate a distinct spatial representation for an imaginary companion rather than treating them merely as abstract story characters.

Previous scientific investigations into the sensed presence phenomenon have focused on how the brain processes sensory and motor signals. In earlier robotic experiments, participants experienced a simulated presence when researchers introduced a temporal delay between voluntary hand movements and tactile feedback applied to their backs. This sensory mismatch indicates that the brain sometimes attributes the origin of bodily sensations to an external agent when internal feedback is disrupted. While the new study proposes shared neurological mechanisms between childhood imaginary companions and adult sensory experiences, investigators emphasize that the current findings remain correlational.

Several methodological limitations accompanied the research, notably the reliance on retrospective childhood memories rather than a longitudinal tracking design spanning decades. Additionally, the study cohort consisted primarily of female university participants, and self-selection bias remains a possibility due to participants knowing the study's focus. Investigators noted that longitudinal studies tracking children continuously into adulthood are necessary to determine any definitive causal relationship. The findings were published in the scientific journal Consciousness and Cognition.