A Note to My Imaginary Friends by Greg Scott

     We all have imaginary friends. In fact, I believe anyway, most of the people we meet are to some degree imaginary. This is because the mind has a natural tendency to make judgments based on past experience, judgments that are largely unconscious. We tend to relate to others via a chimera of our own construction that we project onto them with out even knowing that we're doing it.

   This is the 'nuts and bolts' of racism. Many racists start their sentences with "I'm not racist but" and then say something racist. What they really mean is "I'm not consciously racist but". If you point out the mistake they get angry. The brain carries a series of templates that we automatically superimpose on the people we meet.

    Children, however, seem to have mostly blank templates. They seem to be able to relate without being crippled by expectations, which is both wonderful and alarming. It's wonderful because they seem to have direct access to the joy that is you, and alarming because you might be a creep. It’s also, I believe, 

What Jesus meant when he said that to enter the kingdom of heaven we should be like children, though he forgot to warn us that he might be a creep. Many Christians use his directive as an excuse to be gullible. 

   I believe it is more fun to use these templates consciously. I don't really know how, but maybe the place to start is to make the unconscious conscious. I've tried this and it's really hard. For a while anyway you think you really are a creep. Strangely, you seem to morph into all the nasty people you thought were 'out there', though to do anything nasty you'd have to do it consciously so you have a choice that most nasty people don't have.

  Conscious people have the luxury of being able to make judgments on their own prejudices rather than on other people. This is confronting but liberating and humbling as well, but. if a guy pulls a gun, be judgmental. Surviving in the world is important.

 "So" I hear you say,” Are you a conscious person?'

"Sometimes" I reply "But mostly I'm just a drag"

I do have a shop so mostly I use my best friend template, which seems to work for me. People spend money but they also tell me all their problems. They do that with imaginary friends.

  Facebook friends are often the most imaginary of all. They post bits and pieces about their lives and I fill in the blanks, usually with lots of nice things. That's why, in the words of Jeff Fenech, 'I love yous all'.