I don't know about you, but I had an imaginary friend when I was little - George was his name. He was kind, he would speak to me in a really loving way - offering advice, reprimanding me when I was naughty and supporting me through the rich tapestry of life that most small children enjoy.

I knew what George looked like - he was a portly, elderly gentleman who wore pretty much the same sort of clothes my own grandfather wore. Perhaps that's what I dressed him in because it was familiar to me - but one thing George wore that my grandfather didn't was braces.

What I do remember about George is that he was always there for me - he was a kind voice inside my head and I would snatch glimpses of him as well. I felt and heard him more than I saw him - he was my friend, my confidante and (as it turned out) my paternal grandfather who died a couple of years before I was born - but I didn't learn this until I was a teenager.

When I was around 7 or 8 years old the Christian missionaries came to my school - they would do an after school thing - we'd play games, sing songs and had a friendly competition with each other. I was raised in an agnostic home - we all believed in a power greater than us but we didn't follow any religion as such. We celebrated Christmas and Easter and our morals were based on the idea to "follow the 10 commandments - you cant go wrong with them". We were allowed to explore different religions and try different things so it wasn't an issue me attending the Christian activity group.

I recall they were talking about God, how He is the Father to all mankind and he is ever loving and all knowing. That he loves us no matter what - I immediately thought of my dear friend George and about all that wonderful loving energy I felt from him. In my immature brain I concluded that as George loved me unconditionally then George MUST BE GOD! WOW! So I piped up and said (very proudly) "I talk to God all the time, and He talks back to me too".

The missionaries looked at me in horror and one scoffed and said "why would God talk to YOU? Why would he, in all his infinite power talk to YOU? You must be mistaken, he wouldn't and couldn't possibly!".

I was heartbroken - here I was thinking I was talking to God/George and enjoying this wonderful spiritual experience of a love that knows no bounds and it was dashed all at once by someone whom I looked up to, respected and admired and felt was on the same page as me. So I believed them - that George (or God) couldn't possibly be real and couldn't possibly want anything to do with me so I pushed George away as silliness.

As a figment of my imagination George slowly faded from my consciousness. Sometimes I would be aware of him as a quiet voice inside my mind, sometimes I would feel him close to me but by this stage I was frightened by the spirit world. I had seen Poltergeist and other horror movies which painted an evil picture of the spirit world. The Christian missionaries had done some of there job of steering me away from my spiritual connections but I hadn't yet converted to Christianity.

I was talking to a like-minded person on the weekend - interestingly a man who is sceptical unless he has the experience (much like me). We were chatting about spirits, ghosts, the afterlife, spirituality and my role as a medium. He asked me what my thoughts were on imaginary friends.

I spoke briefly of my experience and I pondered aloud what my life and connection to spirit might have been had I not shunned George. Would our relationship have developed over time? Perhaps. I was always aware of George my whole life - after my son was born George made a BIG comeback! but I was frightened by that stage.

I recall my son playing with an imaginary friend - I cant recall if it was George or not but I remember feeling a chill when I knew his friend wasn't entirely imaginary. I didn't want my son to have the same experience I had where he might be belittled and treated differently because of his friend. I didn't want someone to scoff and sneer at him - I wanted to protect him from those unpleasant experiences I had with people (living people by the way, not spirit people).

So - are imaginary friends REALLY imaginary?

I think that sometimes they are a figment of a child's imagination - pure play and creativity. But I also do feel that our friends and loved ones in spirit do connect to us when we are children - before our brains mature and become clouded with real life. Sometimes we hang on to these friends and they become our Guides and helpers. Sometimes they stick around to fulfil a role and then move out of our physical life and stay in spirit.

There are countless accounts of children who have imaginary friends that are confirmed as real people. It has happened far too often across the globe to be a once off. It happens ALL THE TIME. I cannot discount all these experiences as imaginary play - there has to be something to it.

And no - there is absolutely nothing bad, evil, negative or malicious when dealing with the spirit world. A true spirit energy is loving and healing - nothing less - and if you have truly been touched by the spirit world you would have no doubt in your mind that this is fact.

So please, let your children play with their friends - if no harm is done, if they are not completely immersed in this imaginary world/with their friend then please let them have this very special and unique relationship. It is such a special thing to have, truly a gift from the Great Spirit that it would be such a shame to take it away from them.