IntroductionMany children experience a common phenomenon known as an imaginary companion. This usually manifests in the creation of an invisible person with whom to engage in an active relationship. Although many parents are confused about how to approach and relate to their child and their imaginary companion, they should be assured that the process is completely normal. Imaginary companions are not a sign of mental illness but a normal and healthy part of a child's development (Taylor, 1999). Historical View of Imaginary Companions Early research on imaginary companions focused on the deficit in nature. Some early research around the early 1900s as a sign of a psychological disorder (Vostrovsky, 1895). A psychoanalytic perspective was adopted around the 1940s, but imaginary companions were then seen as defense mechanisms for children who had personality defects (Hoff, 2005). Even the well-known and respected Dr. Benjamin Spock believed that a child spending too much time with an imaginary friend raised the question of whether the child was missing something in his or her life. (Simpsons). Research conducted by Marjorie Taylor in Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them discredits the idea that imaginary companions are created because of a deficit. Taylor instead states that while some imaginary friends may be created due to the loss of playmates or the birth of a new sibling, "for many children creating imaginary ones is simply a fun thing to do" (1999). Marjorie Taylor also drew attention to the fact that random selection of children for previous studies did not occur. Most of the children were selected from hospitals or other medical facilities where they were more likely to be... half of the article ...... esearch Journal. , 17(2/3), 167-180. doi:10.1207/s15326934crj1702&3_4Lillard, A. S. (1993). -8624.ep9306035466Lillard, A.S., & Sobel, D. (1999). Lion Kings or Cubs: The Influence of Fantasy on Children's Understanding of Pretence, 2(1), 75Taylor, M. 1999. Imaginary Companions and Children. who create them. New York: Oxford University Press.Ungerer, J. A., Zelazo, P. R., Kearsley, R. B., & O'Leary, K. (1981). Developmental changes in object representation in symbolic play from 18 to 34 months of age. Child Development, 52(1), 186-195. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.ep8864681Vasta, Ross, Haith, Marshall M., Miller, Scott, A. (1999) Child psychology: the modern science. Third edition. John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York, New York.