As I child I thought imaginary friends were real people that just couldn't be with you at the moment, so they sent themselves as invisible people.
A childhood belief about imaginary friends

others believed things like this
- That unicorns were real. They simply had invisible horns that only people with special eyes could see
— Katie - I used to believe that the people in the TV were real people and if you unplugged your TV they would die.— Konfuzed
- I used to believe that boys were like robots and had no real feelings, that they were not even real people.— Lisa
- I used to think that mannequins were real people who had been beheaded. Creepy thought....
Anon - When i was a child i used to believe that i became invisible when i covered my hands with my eyes.
— Owen - I thought my imaginary friend was real and he imagined me
I hope he still believes I existAnon