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In my world, a Fae (spirit) can enter the human world at severely dampened power and will be injured if it spends too much time there. Faes are not dead people, they are forces of nature more than anything else.

What would motivate them to enter and stay in the physical world.

Clarification edit: Yes these fae do feel like humans, but love is a foreign idea of them as they don't breed the way humans do. Basically, they were forces of nature that got into a war with humans which ended with the humans taking the physical world and the Fae settling the spiritual world. I apologise for being unclear, I was referring to why a large number of them would want to come to the physical realm, rather than why a few would.

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    $\begingroup$ This question sounds primarily opinion based in that motivation is often a personal and subjective set of drivers for any individual. Traditionally these scenarios are entered for love in fictional writing, but to give a more complete answer we'd need some more context. For instance, these Faes; do they even feel emotion the way the rest of us do? If not, their motivations will be most alien to us and impossible to understand. If not, then take your pick of love, fear, anger (revenge), power; the list goes on. Hence the need for context. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B II
    Feb 12, 2018 at 0:16
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    $\begingroup$ What kind of injuries will they get if they stay too long? Will they simply be in pain? Will they be temporarily crippled? Will they die? Whether or not it's physically possible for them to survive in the physical world for extended periods is important, because that determines whether or not it's possible to remain out of pure will power, despite the injury. I, as a human, could survive in 102 F weather for an extended period, but I would not enjoy it. I could not survive in 130 F weather for any more than a short period, or I would die. $\endgroup$
    – forest
    Feb 12, 2018 at 2:08

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See Bob from the Dresden Files. He is forced to live in a skull to survive. If he went back to the Nevernever, he would be free and stronger. But Mab wants his proverbial head.

The simplest solution is that staying is better than going back. The Fae is wanted, hunted, hated on the other side. Here, at least he/she can hide out. ANd because being here hurts, the pursuers are less likely to pursue.

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Boredom

Fae are ancient being who are essentially eternal. They have lived longer than any mortal and know far more. They could probably die but would probably just come back weak with some less memories.

Once you are old, really old, most stories show that people gain really quirky characteristics. Arrogant, uncaring or childish are really common.

In folk lore Fae are extremely childish(or monsters), they find most things boring and like to mess with people. I mean who are easier and more fun to mess with than those young mortals, they are so active and make alot of interesting stuff, they also have the funniest reactions.

I imagine it could be as addictive as watching tv or playing a video/vr game.

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It could be for the same reason 4,000 people a year climb Mt. Everest. Its incredibly expensive, dangerous, uncomfortable, and has no real logical point. there is no profit, there is no discovery. They simply do it because its there and they want to say they did it. There will always be a portion of humanity that are willing to accept inherent and obvious danger and risk for an immaterial reward like "satisfaction" or "bragging rights." Why cant the same be true for the spirits in your story? Maybe in your story the spirits entering our real world are seen as somewhat unhinged and impulsive daredevils by their more mundane peers.

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Its in love with someone in the physical world, or its looking for a way to stay in the physical world without being hurt and cant find its answer in its own reality. Or both.

But I dont think we should be writing your story for you. Motivations are what you should come up with. We should only answer the "how".

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