Are Fantasies Harmful? An AC Experiment on Fantasy and the Effects on Reality

Are fantasies harmful? Look on any search engine with that phrase and basically you'll see the same answer, most fantasies are not harmful. I tend to agree, but not everyone would think so. Let's take a look at different fantasy scenarios.

Sexual fantasies: Now, before you jump to conclusions that these are not harmful, which I totally agree on, take a look at some of the fantasies I'm talking about. Sure, some of us might have fantasies that include having sex with a celebrity, spanking, multiple partners, etc... Those seem relatively harmless, agreed? What if someone has a fantasy where they're with a child? What about rape fantasies? Or worse perhaps, what about a rape/murder fantasy? Are these simply figments of imagination or a deviant thought process that would lead to actual crimes?

Talk to anyone in the adult industry and you'll have a different viewpoint from every person you ask. Some people believe that a caller to a phone sex line who talks about child molestation or rape fantasies is just simply that, a fantasy. I tend to believe this as well. I might have a rape fantasy for myself but does that mean I really want someone to act on this? Of course not! However, some people still believe that if you think it, then you have some kind of problem that needs addressing. They believe that if a man or women fantasizes about sex with a child, then they are a sexual deviant. But isn't one of the most popular sexual fantasies a schoolgirl in uniform? Is it different if the girl is an adolescent rather than a young child?

According to Psychology Today, "Past research has suggested that frequent intrusive sexual thoughts are associated with obsessive behavior, and that violent fantasies may lead to coercive sexual acts. Still, says Renaud, her study shows that disturbing sexual thoughts are regular occurrences for most people." (Jan 2000) A new study shows that most people's erotic dreams aren't pleasant, and that's normal.

Violent fantasies: These are a little different. We've all read the news where someone commits a murder and you find out that the person had a blog or diary and would write down these murderous visions. Does this mean that their fantasy is harmful? Perhaps this is different from sexual fantasies. This is, in my opinion, a more disturbing thought. If I talked to someone who had fantasies about killing their family, I would take it much more serious than a usual fantasy.

We all remember Columbine. The students that went on a killing spree had a blog that they kept, where they talked of their intentions. This should have been a warning sign to those who read it but if that had happened, couldn't they have just said it was a fantasy and wasn't meant to be true?

Some researchers believe that violent fantasies should be taken into account with the mentally ill. One should ask them if they have violent fantasies toward others. According to Dawn MacKeen, "The researchers studied 114 patients in a psychiatric ward in Britain. While almost all the patients said they'd been asked if they felt suicidal, only 13 percent said they'd been asked if they had violent thoughts. The study was published April 22 in the British Medical Journal. An accompanying editorial said the failure to ask about violence endangers lives."

Dreams of grandeur: What about when fantasy takes over reality? Is it harmful for someone to fantasize so much that they lose touch with realism? Can dreams of grandeur lead to psychosis when it's serious enough of an issue?

These are questions I'd love to hear your input on. What do you personally think about fantasies? I've talked with many people on this subject and have come to the conclusion that when it comes to the sexual fantasies with children, women seem to have a different approach than men usually. Victims of molestation will almost always tend to think that the fantasies are harmful while others will agree that it's simply that, a fantasy. When asking about violent fantasies, most seem to agree that they are harmful? What do you think, are our fantasies a view into our intentions or just that, fantasies?