What Do You Call It When You "see" Your "inner Child" Standing Next To You?

[nycowboy]

What do you call this? Last time I was at therapy, my T and I were talking about past childhood trauma. The "little boy" inside of me wanted to be heard. First I felt, literally, like I was shrinking - not getting shorter, but becoming a little boy again. It was totally bizarre. We kept talking and I "saw" me standing at my side. I was about 5 or 6 years old (maybe 7) and I was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with plaid pants (can we say 1970's?) But I remember those pants and that shirt. It was very strange. Blew my mind. I've never had that before. I told my T about it and she wasn't surprised at all. She welcomed the little me, and Lord help us, I saw the little boy smiling and jumping up and down.

Has this ever happened to any of you, and psychologically-speaking, what do you call this phenomenon? I'm curious.

 

[franciemarnie]

How cool.

I've heard the term "soul parts" used, but I just think of them as my younger selves split off in trauma. I don't know what the phenomenon is called of seeing them there separately.

Michael Crichton wrote a cool book called Travels, and he describes seeing a little child around him when he, Michael, was put into an altered state. It was a being he created to help him when he was little. But yours sounds like your own little self, not one manufactured at any point to assist you.

Anyway, I think that is great, and that T is so supportive too.

 

[City Slicker]

She welcomed the little me, and Lord help us, I saw the little boy smiling and jumping up and down.

I don't know what it's called but that image of a little boy being heard, jumping up and down and smiling makes me smile too.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I don't know if it has a name. I went through a time when I could visualise a child so strongly, it was as if she was there. For fear of sounding really weird, I felt like she needed mothering, and once, I mimicked the actions of picking her up and giving her a hug. I spoke to a friend about it, and she suggested that was probably me getting in touch with my inner child. But it didn't look like me.

But I think, to see the innocent happiness or to be able to reach out to the inner child, however it comes to you, is a good thing. I'm glad your therapist was accepting.

 

[arfie]

I call mine, "Visualization." In my first successful round of this, I was twirling in a poodle skirt. Girl, howdy, those skirts had the twirl capabilities! The one I am working now is of a toddler in a closet, bleeding through a blue gingham skirt. She is almost ready to come out... Maybe. It took a long time for me to be able to crawl in there with her and hold her through her hysteria. Small steps for little things. She still blames herself... Still working...

Hope you can celebrate with that little boy! I bet the shirt and pants were super cool.

 

[Me232]

I have done this a lot in my therapy. I remember the first time I visualized my little girl she started hitting me! It was very strange.

BTW I am new around here. Hello!

 

[Jezanna]

Yeah it's happened to me. I've heard a child's voice also. I'm bipolar so I'm uncertain if this was a hallucination in my case. I can call up a vision of myself right now but she imedietly heads for the closet I used to hide in. Sorry to hijack your thread but it's actually disturbing and scary

 

[Philippa]

What a great thing. Many people are able to visualise quite well. I'm not the best at it, but have been developing it as a skill. If you can see your inner child that clearly I think that's wonderful. Enjoy building a relationship with him. :)

 

[Deleted member 20280]

My Inner Child was a scared and Lonely little Boy who felt love and a simple smile/hug were things other children got, even his siblings.

He wanted an escape from this and he wanted to play just like all the other kids did.

I located him shaken battered and bruised, crying at life and confused when he was a toddler. I have taken many months to nurture him back to health and now I treat him as the most important little boy I can.

I regularly let him play in the sunshine and be the only thing little boys need when they are little like him, space to develop and play, run around and get into safe mischief. I protect him and always hug him off to sleep. He is a much happier and safe little boy now and grows day by day.

Fantastic that you have identified yours @weavingcowboy . Nurture and unquestioning self love is what he needs to grow and grow in life and spirit.

:hug:s

Laurie

 

[Philippa]

That's beautiful Laurie71. :)

 

[RussH]

I cannot tell you what it is called but I do know I mentally watched myself at one of the significant moments in my trauma. I think it is a way for the little child in us to escape from the box we locked them in, for protection, so many years ago. I think what you experienced was that little boy being set free, and that healing was taking place.

We have been wounded, and it seems as if part of us dies, but I think we just hide that part away which results in PTSD. We then eventually have that part of us want to come out which happens in the form of flashbacks (This is just my opinion) unfortunately, because we have this disconnect, and don't know how to reconcile the pain of the past with the present we live this discombulated life.

When we enter into therapy the terapist helps us reconcile that painful experience and gain a more balanced perspective on it. As we gain that perspective, and we start reincorporating that part of us that " died" we can get these mental pictures, and that is a good thing.

 

[nycowboy]

Russ: We do hide the inner child, I agree.

I'm glad that he is coming out of the inside now. I have T on Monday. I'm wondering what will happen and if I will see him again. It was just SO weird, to the point of freaky. There he was, as clear as day.

And... I hated those pants. :)