Just how close are you to your doll(s)?

[DanceCat]

I've come across questions asking if you think your doll has a soul and whether you talk to your doll. In my opinion anything with a face has some kind of soul. As if some kind of angel is trapped inside of it. Basically, if you NEED it to hear you it does. :oops

Anyway, I got my DT Ariel and I LOVE her so much. And I feel like she's my best friend. Technically she's just a head right now :| but I can't believe the overwhelming feeling I have for her. I talk to her. And I wish she could talk back :kisses

Now, on the other hand, I don't feel that way towards my Johnny Depp / Demon Garden doll. And he's a head with a body!!! But I don't talk to him. I love him because he's Johnny!!!!!!!!! But I don't feel ...'close' to him like Ariel. I can't even really effectively describe what I'm trying to say.

Just help me out here, whatta you think/feel on this topic? That is, if you understand the question...

[Janne]

This is a question people may be shy to approach, as there is a great deal of mockery on the subject on the various boards - a practice that is particularly hard on the sensitive sort of person who's apt to consider the notion at all.

For myself, I'm not at all sure I believe humans have souls. *laughing*

But I do consider my dolls in some way special. I do talk to them. I do try to make sure they look "comfortable." While I will straighten my beloved books on a shelf, I don't tend to confide in them. There is a difference to me. Whether that's from some genetic imperative to treat something with a recognizable face differently from objects or because the doll is "ensouled" (what is a soul, anyway...?) I am at a loss to explain.

I think I will continue to enjoy the mystery. :)

Edit: By the way, if that's your Ariel in your avatar picture, I can see why you're captivated with her - she's beautiful!

[Nikittin]

Recently I have come to realize that I enjoy my dolls like the beautiful, treasured objects they are. The focus is not so much on their "characters" anymore. It's an enjoyment that certainly has evolved.

When I first got into the hobby five years ago, I liked to 'baby' my dolls (coo at them, carry them around the house) and happily spent time on developing background stories and character traits, etc. for them. Now I enjoy them more for their beauty. I still give them names, but like to leave other details ambiguous because it makes it more fun for me that way. I will change their outfits/looks and take photographs when the fancy strikes me. I no longer feel pressure to play with them if I don't feel like it. I am a lot more leisurely about my enjoyment of them.

How you choose to enjoy your dolls should be a choice you're most comfortable with -- they are your possessions after all!

As for hobbyists that like to think of their dolls as more than dolls, it fascinates me!

[DanceCat]

This is a question people may be shy to approach, as there is a great deal of mockery on the subject on the various boards - a practice that is particularly hard on the sensitive sort of person who's apt to consider the notion at all.

For myself, I'm not at all sure I believe humans have souls. *laughing*

Edit: By the way, if that's your Ariel in your avatar picture, I can see why you're captivated with her - she's beautiful!

WOW!!! This is an extraordinary answer! You're right, I've seen people flamed for this question on DoA and thus I don't post many questions there. Nor will I answer debatable questions like this there. Obviously, I've taken a few hits on DoA. That is why I come to smaller communities. I was a little afraid to post it, but honestly, I can't believe just how fascinated I am by these dolls in person. I've been studying them on computers and in books so long that now that I finally have them in the "flesh" I'm so absolutely hooked. :kisses

You're right in that not all humans have souls also. and that defining soul is not the easiest thing. I agree 100% :damnit

P.S. that is Ariel, but not mine. Mine has thicker eyebrows. I do plan to change my avatar tho.

Recently I have come to realize that I enjoy my dolls like the beautiful, treasured objects they are. The focus is not so much on their "characters" anymore. It's an enjoyment that certainly has evolved.

How you choose to enjoy your dolls should be a choice you're most comfortable with -- they are your possessions after all!

As for hobbyists that like to think of their dolls as more than dolls, it fascinates me!

I agree with you 100% as well.
I think that I will eventually tone down my feelings towards my dolls as you have. Especially once I have more than I need. Right now, they all have a storyline and a certain dress style. I know it will wear off and they will become some expensive dolls I have.
I think that my feeling of them being more than dolls will wear off as well. And I fear them turning into expensive piles of resin. :cry

Thank you both for your excellent answers. :)

[DanceCat]

I am a very passionate person.
I have always been passionate about my dolls and right now I'm passionate about these dolls.
I guess that's what I'm really trying to say.

[Janne]

I think I got off topic, talking about souls, and didn't really answer your question. *^^*

(And yes, the doll hobby has attracted the same sort of negative verbiage that seems to proliferate on the internet, where people, being anonymous, have no worry about repercussions. Some have even grown brilliantly funny at it, but I digress. :) )

Although actually the majority of my dolls have been stored while I tried to sell my house (silly me!) I do have a few that I kept with me, even taking them out of the house when we had showings, because of the possibility of theft.

I guess that puts me in the "I'm very close to my dolls" (or at least some of them) category.

And since I've been in the hobby since about 2001, I think that shows that the feelings don't necessarily fade. :)

[DanceCat]

Perhaps it is that "new to the hobby" whirlpool of feelings that comes with your first purchases. :p
Owners own dolls for different reasons and thus it's just a 'hobby' to them. To me, it's something I have always loved, so I'm a little more passionate about it, I LOVE my dolls, no matter what brand they are. I am a collector; and ridicule is a possibility no matter what a person opens up about. :mad

But thank you for answering and making my thread a little active. I appreciate your input. Sometimes it takes talking to others to realize things about yourself as well as others.
My dolls have always been a sort of therapy for me, because I can always escape into their 'lives' and get artistically creative with them.

[tehrin]

Since I was little, I felt a connection to various toys that I had. I'd love to hug my favorite stuffed animals, and I'd take my favorite dolls with me. Even as an adult (prior to getting into BJDs) I'd feel attached to plushies that I made or bought. Even if I didn't pay much attention to some of them, I'd always feel really bad if they were buried under piles of my crap or they fell off a shelf or something.

With these though, it goes to another level. And I suppose some people would consider me insane. But oddly, I feel like my dolls do have feelings/wants/needs. XD Do I actually believe in reality that they do? Probably not. But I feel the need to provide those things for them. Whether it be equal cuddle/holding time spent, or making something for one of my other dolls when another gets something. It's totally psychological, and I don't REALLY believe this to be true. But... I donno. I think it's an extention of childhood make believe or play. There's nothing wrong with that since it helps to keep my inner child alive, and thus keeps my creative juices going since I depend on it for my livelihood as an artist.

That said, I do talk to them a little. I don't hold conversations with them like I would with another person. I don't talk to them when others are around (especially non-doll people). But I definately feel close to them. For me, it's almost akin to a pet, but not quite. They do provide a sort of non-living company and comfort that makes me happy and enjoy them.

It's really odd, today Xan got his new hoodie. I put it on him and I was standing him on my leg to see how he looked. And he seemed to have this expression of happiness and gratitude. This coupled with his new pouty/sad faceup that I gave him. :B I couldn't help but give him a big hug. >w<

[Smaug]

Hmmm...I have a strange affection to objects...I mean, I'll cry for a sock that has to be thrown away because it has too many holes in it, I'll apologize to my plastic bottle when it gets dented and I usually pet my computer...

I think from this you can tell that I'm talking to my dolls as well^^ Not really conversations, I just make observations about their mood or position, I ask them some questions and generally give them pet names...

Interesting, but I still don't think that my dolls have a soul...or at least not more than any other objects out there....sometimes I imagine how it would be if I actually believed that they understand what I tell them...(must be incredible)...but no. I love my dolls as beautiful things and I don't really want to make them something sentinent.

(might be because sometimes I catch myself feeling more sorry for a mere thing than for a human being...)

[Taco]

I'm very close to my dolls and do think there is something there (soul/spirit/personality/what have you), and since I've already said it in other places multiple times, I'll go ahead and say it again. I'm sure the people who think that's nutty already have me pegged for insane anyway *shrug* :sweat. While I am sentimental and do grow attached to other things, it's completely different than with my dolls--they're on some other level--maybe it's partly because they are human shaped and so much of me goes into them (actually, I do think that has a lot to do with it).

I find the different ways people relate to their dolls to be a really fascinating topic when people are capable of being respectful about it. It would be very boring if it were all cut and dry/black and white and everyone was the same.

ETA: I've been in the hobby for close to four years, and I still feel the same way about my dolls as I did when my first one arrived :)

[Kim]

I suppose I am on the other spectrum of doll owners. I've never thought my dolls have anything resembling a soul/spirit/sentience/feelings, what have you. They're very precious possessions of mine, but in the end they're still just inanimate objects that I have assigned a look and personality to when I photograph them. It's all in my head. I don't hold them or hug them, they're not like stuffed animals who are nice and soft, resin is cold and pokey.

I suppose it's like...if my Peroth were to be damaged, I would be incredibly upset because my hard to replace, hard to get repainted expensive doll was broken, but it wouldn't be a reaction of "Keigo's hurt!" Keigo the character will always be perfectly fine, safe inside my head.

[DanceCat]

It's really odd, today Xan got his new hoodie. I put it on him and I was standing him on my leg to see how he looked. And he seemed to have this expression of happiness and gratitude. This coupled with his new pouty/sad faceup that I gave him. :B I couldn't help but give him a big hug. >w<

HOLY COW BATMAN!!! I agree with everything all of you have said but this last part Tehrin, I just couldn't believe it!! That is exactly what I feel/see when I look at / talk to my dolls, items or even my car! For instance, I wanted Ariel because she was always so sad in photos, and I wanted to love a sad doll. But when she came (just a head initially) she seemed surprised and even 'happy!!!' I was a little disappointed at her happiness. :(
Then I took some photos and she looked more like herself. I thought, well, maybe her happiness is just for me to see that she is happy to be home with me where she belongs! :p I got her body yesterday and carried her from room to room and kept posing her to look around, and she seemed to have this amazement about her new environment. I totally agree with this!!!! :nod

Hmmm...I have a strange affection to objects...I mean, I'll cry for a sock that has to be thrown away because it has too many holes in it, I'll apologize to my plastic bottle when it gets dented and I usually pet my computer...
(might be because sometimes I catch myself feeling more sorry for a mere thing than for a human being...)

Again, I agree, I believe those of us saying our dolls have souls are just misinterpreting or miscommunicating. This right here, is what we really mean (or at least I do). I must thank you all for helping me figure this out. Anyway, I, too, have THIS particular affection towards unfeeling objects. If it is old and worn and has to be discarded, I "feel it's pain" if I stub my toe on the foot of the desk, I hit it or kick it back so it will "feel my pain" etc.

And I must also agree that I feel more affection towards objects than people. People create their own misery and suffering. Animals and other things cannot be blamed for what they don't understand, for what humans have put into THEIR world. They get hurt because of us and yet people have no compassion about it whatsoever. But that's for a different forum.

I'm very close to my dolls and do think there is something there (soul/spirit/personality/what have you), and since I've already said it in other places multiple times, I'll go ahead and say it again. I'm sure the people who think that's nutty already have me pegged for insane anyway *shrug* :sweat. While I am sentimental and do grow attached to other things, it's completely different than with my dolls--they're on some other level--maybe it's partly because they are human shaped and so much of me goes into them (actually, I do think that has a lot to do with it).
ETA: I've been in the hobby for close to four years, and I still feel the same way about my dolls as I did when my first one arrived :)

Simply cannot resist on agreeing whole-heartedly with this one! :p I DO actually have a 'personality disorder', even my boyfriend (who says he doesn't believe in them) has given me two names.
Anyway, yes, I am just glad I am not the only one who is getting older but still has this 'creative imagination' towards her possessions.

I suppose I am on the other spectrum of doll owners. I've never thought my dolls have anything resembling a soul/spirit/sentience/feelings, what have you. They're very precious possessions of mine, but in the end they're still just inanimate objects that I have assigned a look and personality to when I photograph them. It's all in my head. I don't hold them or hug them, they're not like stuffed animals who are nice and soft, resin is cold and pokey.

I suppose it's like...if my Peroth were to be damaged, I would be incredibly upset because my hard to replace, hard to get repainted expensive doll was broken, but it wouldn't be a reaction of "Keigo's hurt!" Keigo the character will always be perfectly fine, safe inside my head.

This is funny, but I agree with this too. They are cold, pokey, hard resins but I LOVE my new baby and I am carrying her all over the house and I hug her and I kiss her goodnight, etc. I even wonder if she's scared to sleep in her box under the bed. But she should be pretty used to her box by now (I'm her body's third owner).

I also agree, however, that should my cat be successful in biting off a finger that the "spirit" or "life" or what have you that I gave the doll, will be sad about it's loss but not physically hurt, because, well, that would be impossible. But just like humans, our physical bodies mean nothing, they are our hosts, we merely need them to exist here on this level. I figure it to be the same for my dolls.

Thank you all for your excellent replies, I am truly loving this thread. :dance

[chiron2]

I like what Tehrin said about them being almost like pets? For me it is certain dolls that just steal my soul and have to be loved and petted. there are some I have had that are gorgeous but cold and others that are more plain but beg to be loved and petted. Also I think that some pre-owned dolls can have the previous owner's vibes. Not necessarily a soul but something they emanate. It isn't a coincidence that dolls are as ancient as man.

[ElleAdelle]

Its funny, I'm new to BJD's and before I got my first doll less than a month ago. Prior to getting here I must admit that I thought it would be strange to talk to her, but I have caught myself saying things to her. Mostly though I feel we share some mental connection that doesn't need words as strange as that probably sounds.

I think the question of a doll having a soul become controversial because soul is often associated with religion and what are the two topics everyone should avoid? Religion and politics :) People tend to have a distinct, preconceived idea of what a soul which is what causes people to become heightened in the discussion of it. That being said...

I went to school for theater and one of my acting teachers had a very interesting discussion with me during class one day. The lesson was on props and how they can steal a scene. i.e. everyone is looking at the vase on the table because it is about to fall off instead of listening to the actress who put it there. The take away was to be very careful of objects sharing a scene with you because they are very powerful and have an "energy" all of their own.

This use of the word energy sparked a discussion and revealed my teachers very interesting thoughts that all objects have an energy to them and that is why people can be so intensely drawn to certain things. This made sense to me as I am an avid collector of antiques and have felt "drawn" to items before.

Anyways...whether you really believe objects have an energy or not, I think the important thing is that you enjoy your doll(s) in whatever way you wish (as long as its legal :) ) but I must admit, I have opened Poole's box and seen a horribly cranky look on her face which is certainly something I never thought I would experience. Whether I projected it myself or not, I still enjoy her the same.

[Quilibet]

I've always found this topic interesting. This sort of "projection" of life on inanimate objects seems to be a very human thing. I'll make offhand comments when a doll falls, like "Oh, poor baby!" and pet a wig fondly, or lightly pat a doll's head, but I've never felt a "spiritual" type of closeness.

It's more of an object possessiveness. I'm the owner of these beautiful things, of which I've spent many hours and years customizing and personalizing. Like paintings, I regard them as artwork to be admired, and they have a lot of sentimental value, and I'm very, very fond of them - but like paintings, they never quite reach that stage of humanity for me, that's necessary for me to be close to them. They remain, however attached I am to them, "things."

But I think how sentimental we become to our dolls is really a very nice and sweet part of this hobby; it's not merely the rush of "collecting," it's creating much deeper attachments, and I really enjoy that. :)

[Gulwen]

i constantly talk to my boys but then i did talk to my other dolls to (im crazy). to me they are my friends and i love them and sens they cant sej they don't they love me back. :)

[klum*9]

I love the dolls for their beauty and the pleasure they give me to handle them and change them. Admitting that I talk to them in public-yes, I talk to them. But I don't think they are alive. I like creating stories, but that is just for enjoyment with some other doll lovers like myself.

[shikaruchan]

i'm close enough where i don't let it leave my sight

[susiesadeyes]

Many years ago when my Mom died, a Japanese neighbor saw my sadness and made a tiny paper doll of beautiful origami paper. She offered it to me as someone to let my sorrows out on. I will always cherish that paper doll; tho I believe the soul of her lies more with her maker and myself than the paper she is made of; there is more feeling, soul & spirit in that little doll than most.
My new Obitsu has such beautiful liquid eyes, she seems real. She is pure soul.

[Fireflies]

In all honestly, I never had a connection with any of my dolls. I like my dolls and they are beautiful. I wouldn't do anything to "harm" them. But they are objects to me. I never felt bad for leaving a doll in it box. Or not playing with them enough.

I may felt guilty for playing with them because they are expensive and it's a shame to have something that beautiful and not use it. That's not out of feeling for the doll. That out of my deep seed guilt about buying expensive things.

[cutup01]

Sometimes, I feel like that my boy has expressions. If he gets new clothing, he looks rather happy. If I pull him out of closet after many days, he seems sad and somewhat pissed.

[april]

My dolls aren't my friends. I love them, but they are just dolls.

Well, "just dolls" doesn't quite cover it, either. I feel for them. I feel they have personalities. I feel they have a sort of life. But it's humans who react to inanimate objects (or make such objects) that give them any kind of "life" at all. It doesn't come from them so much as how we all react to them.

So, no, I don't think they have souls or their own sort of life or feelings, but I'd feel bad if they were broken or mistreated!

[gloombox]

Fairly distant. Their have their universe, I have mine.

They're a bit like fish in my opinion - pretty to look at and entertaining, and definitely loveable! ...but not warm and fuzzy enough to bond with the same way you'd bond with a dog or cat.

[gelfling21]

I'm very close to my bjd, Kitsune. He hangs out in the same room as me, unless I am cooking something -- in that case he is put out of harm's way. I take him places with me if they are 'doll-friendly' and safe for resinoids. And I love coming home at the end of the day to see him sitting and waiting for me. He is a real comfort and has such a calming effect. I find it easy to feel affection for and delight in him.

[LondonAfterMidnight]

I've always had a connection with things that most people would consider stupid.

When I was little (up until about 16, actually) and I saw an abandoned or thrown away stuffed animal, I'd hold it for a minute. Sometimes I'd feel nothing and just toss it back. Other times, I'd get this overwhelming sense of abandonment and loss, and I'd know that this plaything wasn't "finished" yet. I'd take it home and love it until I could no longer "feel" anything, whether it be happiness, sadness, or love, at which time I'd throw it away. Sometimes it happened within a few days, some I still have ^_^ I also had the habit of naming dead animals on the side of the road, and willing my love to them, because I thought they couldn't be free without a name and some love. It's silly, I know.

But when I got Judas, it was a whole different story. I wouldn't call it love, but there is something there, something bigger than human affection. I talk to him all the time, and can see a slight change in expression, even though he is of resin and I know his face never moves a millimeter. He wants me to know he's listening. I got the confirmation of this a couple of nights ago. Something happened to leave me so lonely and scared, and on an impulse I went straight to him, clutching him to me. He felt warm. Not in the physical, sat in front of the heater warm, but like he knew, and he wanted to be there, and would I please pose him so he could hold me back?

I'm crazy, I know! Totally worth $400 to me, though ^_^

[toshirodragon]

Very close. Like LondonAfterMidnight I've always had a connection to inanimate objects. Maybe they don't have a soul of their own but they definitely share a piece of my soul with me.

[lolkat]

About $450 close XD

I've never bought into the whole bonding thing, my Daria is a chunk of well crafted resin and nothing more to me. But that doesn't mean she's not one of my favourite posessions. I have a lot of affection for her as an object I use as a creative outlet.
I know it's totally illogical but if she was replaced with an identical Zaoll Muse, it would bother me. I don't feel that way about, say, my keyboard or my handbag. (Actually I'd quite like someone to replace them with new versions!)

[Raouken]

I agree with lolcat. I do use the word bonding, but for me it's just an easy way of saying whether or not the doll works for me. My dolls are muses of some sort to me, the inspire me and looking at how beautiful they are makes me happy, so in that way, I am close to them and they are important to me. But I don't see them as having souls, or personalities in any way other than the one I gave them. In some way, they are parts of me because I put my ideas on them, but if they were to be stripped of that and given to someone else, that someone else could do the same thing. Because in the end they are beautiful pieces of resin. I am close to them as long as they are close to me.

Which, hopefully, will be a very long time as I enjoy them very much ^_^

[cydril]

I had never had a bjd before, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this, but after having my first doll arrive, I would definitely say we 'bonded'. I totally love her, and I love to talk to her and spend time playing with her. Maybe it is dumb, but I don't care because I am having a lot of fun.
As to the whole 'soul' dilemma, I know, logically, she is just a doll, and she cant think or feel, but it feels like she can to me anyway:p

[LovelyBadger]

Glad that this thread has been resurrected :) v. interesting!

I am still waiting for my first doll in the mail, and haven't witnessed any flaming of the more sentimental owners at The Other Place, and I'm a bit surprised that so much of it apparently goes on. After all, BJDs are almost more real than real; incredibly detailed simulacra of human beings (or close to it), how could anybody not feel that they might be in some way alive? I thought that was sort of the point of a doll. It's a reason why they creeped me out as a kid, and I avoided them!

I feel very excited and strangely shy about meeting my new boy (probably early next week)- and it feels very much like I am about to meet a person, rather than receive an object. I feel stupidly concerned that he might "hate" the clothes I've made for him..or even me. OTOH I am really relishing the fact that I don't know what his personality will be like, and hope that things like random eye colour, how the face-up artist was feeling that day etc. will affect his character.

I suppose this is the opposite of the customization ethos which makes the BJD world so interesting. Although I do have spare eyes for him, I'm also hoping that he'll be as much his own doll/person, without too much interference from me. When I saw that his flight had landed here, it was not so much "Oh, good. My package will be here soon", but "Oh! How exciting for him!".

I suppose I'm a bit lame. But I'm now big and ugly enough to be lame and shamelessly sentimental if I feel like it :P

[Okiama]

By the way some people react I think they are getting real souls confused with things they wished have souls. Yes, we can wish our dolls were alive and really listened to us because we need someone to listen to us. But, they are resin. They are objects. They aren't alive. Find a friend you can talk to. xD

I'm not going to lie. I'll talk to myself, my cats. At least my cats are breathing though. People do get OCD about objects. I know first hand. My mother is like that. If she sees a plushie by itself on a shelf she'll buy it in guilt because she thinks it's lonely. I used to be like that when I was little, but I grew out of it and knew that I was the one that made them have feelings, not themselves.

Also, DanceCat, you mentioned that you thought "anything with a face has some kind of soul.", but then you contradicted yourself in your next post by saying ""You're right in that not all humans have souls also." How can that be? Every object that has a face has a soul, but not a living creature? If anything I would believe something that is alive has a soul and not some man made plastic.

Sorry, if I come off rude, but like I mentioned my mother is like this too because of her OCD, so it is annoying to a point.
Edit: I don't mean you can't play around talk with your doll. I was referring to actual conversation or believing they hear you.

[Arkady]

Responding to something as though it were alive has nothing to do with OCD. Your mother is like that because that's part of her personality, not her obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's important to distinguish between the person and the illness.

[dollblue]

With the discussion taking this road, I begin to wonder what a "real soul" is. Nobody can know if something unanimate can have a soul. And nobody knows if something that is alive has one. "Soul", unlike "brain" or "mind", is a religious/spiritual term. It belongs into the realm of believing, not knowing.
But this thread is about opinions, not facts, and about closeness to one's dolls, and not only the soul question.
If one wants to believe his/her doll has a soul, it has one. If one prefers to think that the doll has none - well, then it hasn't one. There are possibilities in between, too. It is that simple for me.
I am close to my dolls. But I don't talk to them. Instead, I hear them talking in my head. And even though I know that it is just my own crazy brain activating the wrong circuits - who cares? :lol

[cydril]

Hear Hear Dollblue!
People often over-analyze things, but whatever makes you happy is probably best :)

[Umber the Kid]

By the way some people react I think they are getting real souls confused with things they wished have souls. Yes, we can wish our dolls were alive and really listened to us because we need someone to listen to us. But, they are resin. They are objects. They aren't alive. Find a friend you can talk to. xD

I'm not going to lie. I'll talk to myself, my cats. At least my cats are breathing though. People do get OCD about objects. I know first hand. My mother is like that. If she sees a plushie by itself on a shelf she'll buy it in guilt because she thinks it's lonely. I used to be like that when I was little, but I grew out of it and knew that I was the one that made them have feelings, not themselves.

Also, DanceCat, you mentioned that you thought "anything with a face has some kind of soul.", but then you contradicted yourself in your next post by saying ""You're right in that not all humans have souls also." How can that be? Every object that has a face has a soul, but not a living creature? If anything I would believe something that is alive has a soul and not some man made plastic.

Sorry, if I come off rude, but like I mentioned my mother is like this too because of her OCD, so it is annoying to a point.
Edit: I don't mean you can't play around talk with your doll. I was referring to actual conversation or believing they hear you.

I can see where DanceCat is coming from. There are some humans who appear as if they are born 'without souls' or rather, the capacity to feel regret or sympathy for their fellow man and simply use other members of the species for their own gain. The bad seed I believe it was called is an older movie about a sweet little girl who is a sociopath. She killed several people and simply used her age to get out of it. She got what she wanted from the people in question and so didn't think anything else about it.

But that aside, I think that all objects with carefully rendered human features have a sort of air about them or a personality you could say. I don't think an object can have a 'soul' as it were but rather a kind of personality imbued with the feelings of the owner. I think everyone can speak for a few quirks that their dolls have that just seem to be peculiar to what the doll represents.

[yukifrein]

I do see her as my own daughter. she's sitting beside my bed and it makes me happy whenever I see her. I change her clothes from time to time, Bring her when we have a convention, and sometimes talk to them...alone in my room :D

[DollyGirl]

I believe what "soul" they have is the reflection of my own energy, of all that I have put into them. They're like works of art that I am constantly perfecting, but will never be finished. I have put a lot into them--I'm proud of it and I enjoy it, so I cherish them very much. They make me feel happy when I look at them, and I admit to a little personification as well, but they're just not the same as other human beings, just less complicated. =P

[SB91]

I won't use the term soul, but I believe objects store 'energy' so something you spend a lot of time on would definitely start to harbor a bit of your personal energy, so it makes sense you'd feel a connection to it more than say someone who leaves it up in a case on a shelf, or away in a box.

That being said, I'm finding the more time I spend working on or even just holding my dolls, I start feeling more and more attached to them. I talk to them, but not like to carry on conversations. Mostly if I'm trying to dress them and they won't cooperate with me xD.

[ChibiJaime]

I wouldn't necessarily say Sakiyo has a soul or anything like that, but she does have her own unique charm and personality. I have single-handedly turned several of my friends, non-doll people prior to meeting her, INTO doll people just by handling her. She isn't merely a possession, and isn't just a doll, but she's also not like a real child or something similar to me. She's... a special piece of me. A piece of my mind made real, in a tiny resin body, that I take care of. I am close to her in the sense that I fuss and worry and dress her up and make and buy her things and clean her when she looks grimy, but not in the sense one would be a child or a pet. I don't really know how to explain it. I guess it's a bit beyond explanation.

That said, I don't take her out and play with her nearly as much as I'd like to, but I'm shy among groups and my best doll-loving friend lives an hour north of me.

[strange_grrl]

For me, the "personality" or "soul" of my doll is part of the creativity and fun of the hobby!

It really evokes the creativity involved in my play when I was a child: using the physical features of a toy to build a feel for it's character. I enjoy expanding on that with Lillian. Really, the imagination involved in thinking about her character and coming up with a sort of life-story for her is as much fun as making outfits. I know that the reality is that she is inanimate. However, make-believe is fun ;) (it also doesn't hurt that I'm totally head-over-heels for how pretty she is :blush)

[wordfiend]

All the dolls have personalities that we've created, but I don't think of them as actual people. That being said, we have a ball with them, and they're part of the fun we have together as a family. They get hauled all over the house, ride in the car when I pick my daughter up from school and go on vacation with us. We do crazy stuff with them for fun - last weekend my husband gave Halo a Tequila Sunrise and showed her how to play poker!

[Mahoro]

Hmm, I'd say that I don't think of my daughters as "Humans" by any stretch. However, I would still not hesitate to think of them as ethereal beings with souls. Its what keeps me coming back for more, and why they eventually became a complete replacement for my figure collecting addiction. I'm very close to Feena and don't for a second really think she doesn't have some kind of soul. Maybe not a body that can move on its own, but definitely a soul. I think of it in a similar way maybe to Shinto, where many "inanimate" objects have a kami. Or even more commonly thought of things like mountains or volcanoes that have a god associated with them.

[nagamaki]

I guess I talk to him but I also talk to groceries in the supermarket. I also leave him lying on the piano or in pieces in a box for weeks. I'd say I love him but only in the same way I would love a painting or fine china.

[stephaniefoo]

I just got my doll a few days ago and I sleep with him sitting next to me on my bed.:DI haven't spoken to him yet, but I already know that the mini sumo-domo plush is his closest friend.:oops

[Teruchan]

My dolls are special to me- very special, though not in a "best friend" sort of way. When it comes right down to it, I'd probably trade some of 'em for real time for my real best friend whom I haven't seen in several years. (I moved away and I miss her!) But my dolls occupy their own place, the same place that every doll I've ever owned occupies. I love them dearly- the same way a little child loves a favourite blankie and can't bear to be without it. I guess I never grew out of that! I cried when my mum gave away my old dolls (I was 12 at the time >,<;;) but if any member of my family were threatened or in need in any way I'd sell off my bjds without a backward look. Is that odd?

[ZiMaze]

For me, the "personality" or "soul" of my doll is part of the creativity and fun of the hobby!

While I KNOW they are a bunch of well crafed resin items, I would like to believe that as I develop their characters they kind of adopt to it. When my imagination goes berserk (happens a lot to a fantasy artist...) I tend to notice those personalities showing.

Thought character-wise the mini family is kind of in a distence to me. I developed their story, personality, I love them to the bits but not the ones I would allways bring around, talk to them or spoil them.
My only SD boy is /will be when he gets the body/ the one for that kind of bonding. Like a little companion to me.

[Shandrel]

Personally, i believe that anything, you put as much care, time, interest and love into, will always, have a soul. Be it a BJD, or a babies first stuffed animal. I don't care of other people can not understand where i am coming from, or view me as any less of an intelligent person for it. I really don't care if i get flamed, i will and have said the same thing on DoA. It's a personal belief. I know my "baron" head, is Johnathan, and he's a very shy, sweet zombie, and i know that my Crystal, is a very quiet, reserved sweet creature, who is very hard to buy clothes for... even though i have yet to order either of them. I know that when i DO order, it will be the right time, to get the two, that called out to me. I am just a very.. spiritual, person.... this house is already filled with them, so there is no reason, a Doll, is any different.

[Teleri]

I'm in agreement w/many people here, that anything made to look human can take on energy and that we can project energy into objects. I also believe there is energy/beings/ whatever that sometimes might take up residence in objects (call them brownies or pixies or whatever - my CATS see them LOL). Who knows! It's energy of some sort. Couple that w/my tendency to anthropomorphize (sp!!) things & talk to inanimate objects all the time, well, yep, my dolls have personalities!
I'm very interested here lately in Shinto - the idea of a spirit in objects seems to agree w/my world view.
I LOVED the poster who picks up discarded stuffed animals/dolls! Precious!

[Ryuichi Sakuma 13]

I'm very close to my 2 SDs and 2 70cm dolls. Don't get me wrong, while I love my 2 MSDs, they're just so small, they seem more like pets, while my larger dolls seem more like people to me.

I spend 90% of my alone, so my dolls are who I end up talking to, whether its fussing over their clothes, positioning them just so, or watching something online with them.

And when I get upset and can't find my plushie bunny George or want to hug someone more substantial, I go for Ryuichi, my Delf/F60 Shiwoo hybrid.:heart

Ryu