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[Traditional Enneagram] Maladaptive Daydreaming.

Spectre

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Ew it's creepy how accurate this is. Idk if I actually have maladaptive daydreaming as an actual disorder, but I definitely daydream excessively to the point where it's difficult to keep up with the real world. This quote was especially accurate:


Ouch, I don't even like quotes.

Idk, I think excessive daydreaming (not necessarily maladaptive) this would be more common among the withdrawn types, though I can see idealistic types (7,1,4) also falling into this category.

I am not diagnosed either, but I am sure I am an exsessive daydreamer. It kind of screws up a lot of things.

I personally am more present than usual in conversations. Or at least when they are deep and when I am not disturbed all the time.

The passage below about the daydreaming from the video is quite interesting.

They are the feelings he didn't express, the words he didn't say, the journeys he never made, the beliefs he didn't defend. In short it is the life he hasn't lived.The life that is only accessible to him in fantasy

Also the part when its said its caused by craving for life hits home.

I have also read it could be caused by creativity that hasn't been expressed.

Overall, it seems that it is caused by a shortage of explorations.

Have you found ways to deal with the daydreaming?

I do the kind of pacing that is quite common among maladaptive daydreamers. I have become aware of it and force myself to snap out of it. It has become better, but the snapping out is rather exhausting.

Yes, I think the withdrawn types are more prone to daydreaming as well.
 

RadicalDoubt

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Have you found ways to deal with the daydreaming?

I do the kind of pacing that is quite common among maladaptive daydreamers. I have become aware of it and force myself to snap out of it. It has become better, but the snapping out is rather exhausting.
Yes and no, I've been trying to find a surefire solution for years since the daydreaming can make it difficult to focus (and also because sometimes I'll start mumbling to myself/pacing), but my methods don't always work.

My primary method to deal with daydreaming has been drawing (and occasionally writing). I find that sometimes if I can express the stories that I'm daydreaming about, I become less focused on them and daydream less. I also find forcing myself to engage in the real world through things like going for long walks outside or interacting with others can also help. I've tried trying to snap myself out of daydreaming as well, but as you said it's exhausting and kind of just leaves me with uncomfortable "dead space."
 

Earl Grey

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Hi, as you know excessive daydreaming, physical movements, talking to yourself etc. "All in the head" kind of thing. Anyway, are there any enneatypes that are prone to malapdative daydreaming or are all the withdrawn types equally prone to it?

I'd guess ennea 5 or 4. Ennea 9 withdraws often, but I know them to generally be more grounded in nature.


And.. describe how you tend to react when you're in that process, haha. maintaining self awareness while daydreaming..

There is no reaction. Either nature calls or someone snaps me out of it or I'm gone. I can take ages to memorize a really short route just because I uncontrollably slip into daydreaming on the way there. I will literally daydream at every possible waking moment. I'm widely known as 'that one person who is not quite present on this earth'.

It's horrendously ridiculous-sounding and dangerous now that I think about it, but I've done this since as far back as I can remember, even as a toddler, so it's difficult for me to find it abnormal or a nuisance, even if I feel I should.

As an additional note, I've been EEG'ed before-
"An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test used to find problems related to electrical activity of the brain. An EEG tracks and records brain wave patterns."
-and I have unusually high theta waves. I also have insane dream recalling. It's also supposedly related to being absorbed in one's environment.
I wonder if this affects how much one daydreams, maladaptively or not.
 

Spectre

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Yes and no, I've been trying to find a surefire solution for years since the daydreaming can make it difficult to focus (and also because sometimes I'll start mumbling to myself/pacing), but my methods don't always work.

My primary method to deal with daydreaming has been drawing (and occasionally writing). I find that sometimes if I can express the stories that I'm daydreaming about, I become less focused on them and daydream less. I also find forcing myself to engage in the real world through things like going for long walks outside or interacting with others can also help. I've tried trying to snap myself out of daydreaming as well, but as you said it's exhausting and kind of just leaves me with uncomfortable "dead space."

I have started to use a sketchbook as an creative outlet. Just beginning, but I think it helps. Also helps me clear out my thoughts.

I am starting to recognize the triggers as well. Music is a big one.

Meditation seems to help a lot of folks so I will try it out. Its interesting for other reasons as well.

Have you recognized your triggers?
 

Spectre

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I'd guess ennea 5 or 4. Ennea 9 withdraws often, but I know them to generally be more grounded in nature.




There is no reaction. Either nature calls or someone snaps me out of it or I'm gone. I can take ages to memorize a really short route just because I uncontrollably slip into daydreaming on the way there. I will literally daydream at every possible waking moment. I'm widely known as 'that one person who is not quite present on this earth'.

It's horrendously ridiculous-sounding and dangerous now that I think about it, but I've done this since as far back as I can remember, even as a toddler, so it's difficult for me to find it abnormal or a nuisance, even if I feel I should.

As an additional note, I've been EEG'ed before-
"An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test used to find problems related to electrical activity of the brain. An EEG tracks and records brain wave patterns."
-and I have unusually high theta waves. I also have insane dream recalling. It's also supposedly related to being absorbed in one's environment.
I wonder if this affects how much one daydreams, maladaptively or not.

That sounds rough.

I can only imagine that it is causing you a lot of problems?
 

RadicalDoubt

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I have started to use a sketchbook as an creative outlet. Just beginning, but I think it helps. Also helps me clear out my thoughts.

I am starting to recognize the triggers as well. Music is a big one.

Meditation seems to help a lot of folks so I will try it out. Its interesting for other reasons as well.

Have you recognized your triggers?

Actually meditation has been suggested to me more than once. It always sounds like a good idea, I've just never gotten around to trying it.

I haven't quite recognized many of them yet, though anxiety is probably a top runner along with maybe certain places or emotions. It's sort of difficult to figure out because a lot of it seems internally based and there's certainly more self aware people than myself. I've been focusing on that recently though, so maybe I'll figure it out eventually :/.
 

Spectre

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Actually meditation has been suggested to me more than once. It always sounds like a good idea, I've just never gotten around to trying it.

I haven't quite recognized many of them yet, though anxiety is probably a top runner along with maybe certain places or emotions. It's sort of difficult to figure out because a lot of it seems internally based and there's certainly more self aware people than myself. I've been focusing on that recently though, so maybe I'll figure it out eventually :/.

Sounds like you and I have much in common. At least in this case.

My absent-mindedness/daydreaming becomes worse when I am stressed out. It is not a pretty sight.
I am hoping meditation will help with both, the daydreaming and my neurotic nature.
Time will tell...

I, however, am quite self-aware, due to a lot of introspection the last, well , years due to how things have played out.
I am starting to figure out how it is all connected.

Yes, about the meditation. I am waiting for a tool called a mala to help me with my mediation.
Perhaps you should look into it, as well.
 

RadicalDoubt

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Sounds like you and I have much in common. At least in this case.

My absent-mindedness/daydreaming becomes worse when I am stressed out. It is not a pretty sight.
I am hoping meditation will help with both, the daydreaming and my neurotic nature.
Time will tell...

I, however, am quite self-aware, due to a lot of introspection the last, well , years due to how things have played out.
I am starting to figure out how it is all connected.

Yes, about the meditation. I am waiting for a tool called a mala to help me with my mediation.
Perhaps you should look into it, as well.
Interesting, I hope that ends up working well for you. Honestly that sounds like a good idea, I just might.
 

Earl Grey

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That sounds rough.

I can only imagine that it is causing you a lot of problems?

More to others than myself, and less once I got older.
As a child, I would not snap out of it most of the time, unless you -yell- my name several times, or physically touch me, because oftentimes I would not be able to hear my surroundings.
My teachers thought I was autistic, and I was very scary to other children (and adults) (imagine a small child constantly staring at nothing- or at something- or someone, and saying there were actual, physical-sounding voices in their head. That one still happens sometimes).

Now, I quickly snap out of it if someone calls my name, and it doesn't have to be loud.
It's mostly only annoying if I end up not noticing important things when they happen.

Now that I think of it, this might be why people say I somehow manage to constantly look lost. The more I type about this the less normal it sounds. This is actually my first time talking about it outside of when I was a child, so I just kind of realized 'oh yeah that does sound strange'. I mostly just say I'm air-headed.
 
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4’s. Creativity may never meet the canvas or the page but it’s incubator is the mind.

Yeah this was definitely a thing for me when I was younger. As a boy and a teenager, reality would just sort of melt away around me and I drift off heavily for minutes at a time. My eyes would be open and my ears would register sounds but I wouldn’t ‘see’ what I was looking at and my hearing would be distant and muffled. Suddenly l’d zone in and be staring at something or worse someone and not even realize I was.

With age it’s gotten way better. Probably a combination of self training and learning the hard way to not be so spacey. Losing focus on reality so completely can be dangerous.
 

Metis

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Well, I was just thinking last night about how I focus my attention extra intensely when I need to be paying attention to something, and I realized that I do it because I'm afraid that if I sit back and "pay attention" in a more passive way, I know I'll start daydreaming or thinking about things that have nothing to do with what's going on in the room, or wherever the setting might be.
 

Spectre

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Well, I was just thinking last night about how I focus my attention extra intensely when I need to be paying attention to something, and I realized that I do it because I'm afraid that if I sit back and "pay attention" in a more passive way, I know I'll start daydreaming or thinking about things that have nothing to do with what's going on in the room, or wherever the setting might be.

What things do you find harder to concentrate on than others?

Personally I find some intellectual work a real pain. Like writing reports. It is so boring and daydreaming is close at hand.
Watching taped lectures is also much harder to concentrate on compared to real lectures for me.
 

Metis

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What things do you find harder to concentrate on than others?

Personally I find some intellectual work a real pain. Like writing reports. It is so boring and daydreaming is close at hand.
Watching taped lectures is also much harder to concentrate on compared to real lectures for me.

Well, when I was thinking about it the other day, in the car, I was specifically thinking about a group training situation in which we're all supposed to gain a lot of knowledge in a relatively short time period. It's not hard to concentrate on it--I mean, I'm succeeding at it, and I'm not drifting off. But it requires an intense effort. I'm afraid that if I take it easy and don't engage proactively, I either will get distracted OR just not remember anything.

I know that if I resist getting lulled into a passive mindset--and that can be hard to do, because sometimes a speaker's presentation style encourages a passive mindset--and keep the mindset that I'm actively pursuing the information, then I can pay attention better, and I can retain more.
 

Honeydew

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I suffer from severe maladaptive daydreaming, which is a coping mechanism that emerged from childhood trauma. I've learnt to use meditation and yoga to focus my energy.
 

Maou

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I used to do this a lot more, as it was part of my depression cycle, coping mechanisms for trauma. I would completely disconnect from reality, and engage "auto pilot". Sometimes I did it in vary dangerous situations like driving. I only recently stopped doing it as much, because my conditions have evolved over time.
 

Boogie man

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Quintessential Type 9.

Level 5: Active, but disengaged, unreflective, and inattentive. Do not want to be affected, so become unresponsive and complacent, walking away from problems, and "sweeping them under the rug." Thinking becomes hazy and ruminative, mostly comforting fantasies, as they begin to "tune out" reality, becoming oblivious. Emotionally indolent, unwillingness to exert self or to focus on problems: indifference.

Lower health levels will increase this tendency. Other types may experience this as well (wings, connected lines, trifix,...), but the root of it stems from type 9. If there's no 9, there won't be maladaptive daydreaming (this includes 4's or 5's who have no connection to 9). Enneagram Institute is wrong to ascribe "dreaming" to type 4. This is because Don Riso himself was not a 4 core, as he thought he was, but 9.
 

Schrödinger's Name

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I can find myself in a lot of symptoms of maladaptive daydreaming. Since I was a child my head has always been 'in the clouds'. School was pretty much useless because I was never able to pay attention to anything, I hear people talking but I don't know what they are saying.

Sometimes I like the fact that I am able to entertain myself with this. Other times I wonder if I am not wasting too much time on it, as if I'm loosing connection with the real world. (Well, it's called 'maladaptive' for a reason I guess, it's not healthy in the end)

Though I doubt that only certain e-types can have it. Yes I am a four but I also have ADD and it's 'normal' for people with ADD to be like this. I think everyone (with a mental illness) has the ability to become a maladaptive daydreamer, doesn't matter what type you are.
 

The Cat

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Maladaptive daydream? sounds like something adults tell children out of jealousy. :shrug:
 

Venus Rose

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something really random and strange is that Eli Somer is a connection of mine on Linkedin lol. I don't remember when and how this happened (I don't go on there very much, literally don't have anything on my profile except for 'Student'). I do engage in maladaptive daydreaming, and my guess is practically anyone who needs to find some kind of an escape or outlet might also. So depressed people, anxious people too probably, people with social issues, etc. Idk if it's specific to any type of personality or not, and my guess is that likely people in general show some tendencies of this, even if it's not 'maladaptive' literally.
 
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