Extreme imagination or delusion?

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I have always had a very vivid imagination, but sometimes I worry if it crosses the line into delusion. For example, if I have a special interest in a fictional storyline, that storyline might seem so real to me that I have a hard time telling the difference between reality and fiction. I live in my own world, so to speak, with every number and small occurrence having a meaning, and my inner world sometimes seeming more real than reality. I have had this my whole life. Is this common in autistic people or could I be delusional? I have heard of autistic people having a vivid inner world but I wonder if I take it too far.

It really depends on how much difficulty you have distinguishing between reality and fiction. If you start believing that the fictional characters are real and exist in this world the same way you and I exist, then that would be a delusion, as it is not true. However, having a sense that the characters exist in the fictional world, in your mind, or in your 'inner world' etc. is perfectly valid and healthy.

Unless you lose touch with reality when engaging with your 'inner world' and imagination, I wouldn't be worried.

Maybe you have MCDD?

Yeah that’s why I was asking. Thing is MCDD isn’t in the DSM 5 so I don’t really know if it’s possible to have it. And a lot of my MCDD traits could just be chalked up to autism and an extremely vivid imagination and other comorbid mental illnesses. Also I’m diagnosed with autism and other mental illnesses, but not with MCDD (which is kind of impossible to be diagnosed with).

This autistic woman seems to have similar traits to mine as well, which is an example of how a vivid (almost to the point of delusional perhaps) imagination is possible in someone with autism but not MCDD. Then again, she could have MCDD but be diagnosed with autism instead because it is not in the DSM 5.

Edit: after doing more research on MCDD, I have determined that I probably do not have it.

I think it is quite common in autistic people- as a child I couldn't tell my dreams or even most of my daydreams from reality.

Even now I struggle at times.

It seems different from delusion. I say that because my sister is schizoaffective and it seems distinctly different.

Like with all forms of autism, you don't have to have all traits, only 70% or so.

Yeah, I probably only have 40% though, which isn't enough to have it. And a lot of my MCDD symptoms are also common in autism (like uncontrollable laughing for example).