Tulpa

Some of the most real things we experience are not part of what most consider
reality.

If you were told it were possible to convince your mind that something existed
when it physically didnt, and that it would become real to you, would you believe
it? Maybe down to small, inanimate things or superstitions seeing faces in
shadows or shapes in half-awake states that seem to be people. But what if you
were told that you could create a separate entity in your mind one that thinks,
feels, and acts for itself? An entity that speaks to you audibly, an entity that you can
see just as vividly as you see anyone or anything else? Could you believe it?

If youre interested, youve taken your first step into the world of the tulpa
phenomenon.

A tulpa is a consciousness that is very much like your own, in that has its own
opinions, preferences, personality and so on. It can communicate with you, can
have its own form, and can understand you like no one else could. It can give you
second opinions on things and come up with original ideas of its own. A tulpa lives
inside your brain, very much like you do.

The purpose of this site is to educate people about tulpas, help people make a tulpa
and be a source of information on tulpas from the scientific perspective.

On tulpa.info you can find our research section, where we research and discuss
tulpas and try to understand everything concerning them. We have internet relay
chat rooms (IRC) where people can quickly find answers about tulpas. You can also
read progress logs from other people that document their methods and
experiences, and what happened to them during the creation processes of their
tulpas.
Where Do I Begin?

You should begin by doing research. That youve made it here is a good first step.

We have a glossary hosted, with plenty of terms that are common things you should
know, such as visualization, imposition, wonderland, etc. If anything you read uses
a term that confuses you, check out the glossary. Its under constant scrutiny, so its
kept very up-to-date.

Also there are a plethora of guides spanning the length of time that we as a
community have been researching the phenomenon, each with different ways to
approach creation and development of a tulpa. The guides are worth reading, but
keep in mind that creating your tulpa is a process that is uniquely yours. Because of
that, what you experience might vary from others without it being bad for the
creation process. Dont copy these guides, but learn from them and use them as a
help to understand what you could do to help yourself when creating or developing
a tulpa.

Ultimately it will involve sitting and thinking, meditating and concentrating on

your tulpa, but the approach to these things is something you have complete
creative control over. Use the guides as a reference, not as instructions.

There is a rather large section on the website for progress reports as well. These are
the journals of creators as they go through the process of creation, imposition and
the like, and they chronicle a great many stories that are all good reads. Its easy to
draw inspiration from these stories. If youre a skeptic, then you might want to give
a number of these your attention you may find some more believable than others,
but remember that everyones approach and experiences are nigh unique.

Reading through the forums and consulting users on the IRC room #tulpa.info on
Rizon are also great ways to find answers for questions or concerns you might have.
The IRC in particular is a great place to talk to not only creators and interested
folks, but also many tulpas that are present via proxy or possession. It can a bit of a
trip to talk to a tulpa about tulpas at the start, but it can also help you understand
them better.
Creating a Tulpa

To create a tulpa, you simply have to think about and spend time with a sentient
being (a tulpa) that is living or being created in your mind or brain. Spending time
with your tulpa is often called (tulpa)forcing or (tulpa)forming, but it isnt forcing
something onto your tulpa its called forcing because you often work on your
tulpas form, personality, etc. during this time and can spend it in any way you like.
Sitting down or lying down and focusing on your tulpa as the main focus of your
attention is referred to as active forcing or just forcing, while focusing on your tulpa
while doing some other task is often referred to as passive forcing.

Many people like communicating with their tulpa when they are thinking about
them. This can help people concentrate on their tulpa, add some meaning to the
sessions with them, can make the sessions more interesting, can make the tulpa
more involved and can be useful in other ways as well. This is commonly referred to
as narration. You can talk about anything, and not just narrate what is happening
around you. You can talk to your tulpa in mindvoice or out loud, but it doesnt
matter much to most tulpas.

There are many ways a tulpa can communicate back: through head pressure, body
language, emotional response, mindvoice etc. At first their thoughts or mindvoice
may seem similar to yours, but they will get more and more distinct over time, so
dont dismiss them just because their mindvoice sounds like yours. If you cant hear
your tulpa yet, dont become frustrated; it might be that they dont want to talk,
dont have anything to talk about, you cant hear them yet or you cant discern their
thoughts from yours. In other words, it doesnt necessarily mean that you are doing
something wrong.

As you likely already know, tulpas often use form. This isnt strictly necessary, but
most hosts and tulpas prefer it this way. There are many reasons for a tulpa to have
form, some of them being that you might be able to direct your attention to your
tulpa more easily, or have a spatial representation of your tulpa. They will be able
to interact in a mindscape/wonderland (this term will be explained later), have the
ability to communicate by body language, etc. The form can be anything from a
realistic (or unrealistic) human body, a humanoid form, an animal (again, realistic
or not), to a cloud, energy or some other undetermined or abstract form. It isnt
necessary to have only one form your tulpa can use more than that or they could
just change form whenever they desire, like a shapeshifter.

There are two general ways you can see your tulpa: in your minds eye, or as a real
entity in real life. We will talk about how to see your tulpa in real life, but now we
will concentrate on seeing them in your minds eye. There are many ways to see
things in your minds eye, but here we will show you how you already do it. Imagine
a brown wooden chair. If you have done it correctly, you have just seen a brown
wooden chair in your minds eye and in the same way you can see your tulpa. Dont
become frustrated if your ability to see with the minds eye is bad it doesnt have
to be good to see your tulpa and it will get better with practice.

Dont forget that the forming of your tulpas personality, form or anything else
doesnt have to be done only by the creator. You can (and probably should) give
some freedom to your tulpa to change them, or you can even decide to give them
absolute freedom and choose whatever they will.

There are many guides that are here to accomplish something e.g. imposition (the
term explained will be later) or just to help you along the way. You can decide to
use them to help you or you can get to the goal your own way. There is no single
correct way to get to the destination; instead there are multiple correct ways, so just
because you are doing something differently doesnt mean you are doing something
wrong. Its also possible to use multiple guides at once without it affecting you
negatively. Its important to remember that creation of a tulpa is very subjective,
that you dont have to get the reactions or results that others do, and you can get
them faster or slower than others.

Planning out a Tulpa

Many people have an idea of the kind of tulpa they want to make. While it certainly
helps to know how you want your tulpa to look and what personality you want it to
have, it isnt necessary. You can even use a loosely defined form like a cloud or an
orb of light and allow your tulpa to choose its own form later. You can do similarly
with personality by not working much on it besides the tulpas core personality. Or
you can choose to not work on personality or form at all and see what your tulpa
becomes.

Occasionally tulpa will change something about themselves, and it may surprise
you, but there is no reason to worry about it as long as both of you are content with
it. Its important to remember that fighting deviation does not help your tulpa,
because more often than not the tulpa changes because it wants to. Imagine that
you had control over your physical form, and the person closest to you kept trying
to deny you some change that you wanted. You would likely find it very frustrating.
In the experience of the users we have, tulpas generally hate when you fight
deviation. So, dont be controlling of your tulpa and instead be willing to accept
change.

FAQ
General Questions
Q: What is a tulpa?
A: A tulpa is believed to be an autonomous consciousness, existing parallel to the creators
consciousness inside the same brain, often with a form (mental body) of its own. A tulpa is
entirely sentient and in control of their opinions, feelings, form and movement. They are
willingly created by people via a number of techniques. (See What is a tulpa? for more
information)
Q: Can you describe how this works?
A: There are quite a few theories out there about tulpas and how their creation works, but
none of them is perfect. We encourage you to look around the site to find theories that
people have created if you want to know how creating a tulpa might work.
Q: So this is magic, right?
A: No. This is an entirely psychological technique which allows you to create a separate
consciousness within your mind.
Q: Prove tulpas!
A: Tulpa are a highly subjective phenomena like hypnotic trance or lucid dreaming. We are
looking into proving them eventually via formal psychological and neuroscientific study, but
that is some time away from being realized. Your best hope of proving it to yourself is to try
it.
Q: Isn't this just trying to give yourself schizophrenia/multiple personality
disorder/dissociative identity disorder?
A: No. Those are mental illnesses that impair your ability to function in daily life. Having a
tulpa is a form of healthy multiplicity that does not impede your mind or body.
Q: Isn't this just an advanced form of hallucination?
A: A tulpa is more than just a hallucination, they're an emergent awareness and
consciousness. Only the imposition of a tulpa's form is an 'advanced' hallucination.
Q: If I have a mental illness can I make a tulpa?
A: In most cases you should be fine. We have yet to discover a mental illness that would
prevent the creation of a tulpa.
Q: Can I have more than one tulpa?
A: Yes, you can. It is even possible to make several at once, although the challenges and
merits of this are disputed.
Q: Is this really a new phenomena?
A: No, it's a practice that goes back in recorded history as far as the Greek philosophers
and their practice known as Daemonism. The present name of the phenomenon is derived
from the word used by Tibetan monks in the early 20th century. There's also evidence to
suggest dedicated prayer can lead to the development of 'religious tulpa' in the minds of
the particularly devout. Having a tulpa is nothing new, although it's gone by many names
throughout the course of history and does so even today. There are even people that are
born with multiple conscious minds in their body called multiple or plural. However, we
believe we are one of the first groups to address this practice as a psychological
phenomena rather than a magical, occult or divine experience.
Q: How do I make my tulpa leave me alone?
A: Have you tried asking nicely? If you make it clear that they're distracting or distressing
you, they'll usually happily be quiet and leave you alone, so long as you give them some
attention when you do have the time.
Q: How do I permanently get rid of a tulpa?
A: There is a way to get rid of a tulpa, but you should first think about if you really want to
do that. Tulpa is a person and if they made you angry at them somehow, then you should
talk about it together instead of trying to grab a gun. If you still think that this is the only or
best way to resolve the situation, then ask around.
Q: Do I need to meditate?
A: No, it's not necessary. We are sure meditation would help with making your tulpa and
perhaps concentration, but if you don't want to do it or can't, then that's fine too. It
generally does help those who do it, but is completely optional.
Q: I have a question that isn't answered by this FAQ, what do I do?
A: Feel free to check out the forum's Questions and Answers board. It may be that your
question has already been answered there, and if not, don't be afraid to ask. There's also
the official Tulpa.info chat, which may be able to answer your question immediately.

About Tulpas
Q: What can a tulpa do?
A: A tulpa can think independantly from its creator, can have different opinions, views,
tastes, etc. from its creator, provide companionship, talk directly to anyone inside the same
body (including its creator and other tulpas), control and manipulate the physical body like
you, recall the memories that you have if you give them the permission and more, but
basically a tulpa is a conscious mind like you and can do the same things like you can.
Q: What limits tulpas?
A: Tulpas are restricted by their creator, their own and their creator's beliefs, and ultimately
by their own morality and codes of conduct like any other person is. A creator can
consciously choose to enable or restrict their tulpa in various ways, although this is not
absolute control. A creator's beliefs about their tulpa can affect them too, but it's possible
for the tulpa to overpower these beliefs and thus making them ineffective. Even
unconscious beliefs can affect tulpas, but you can get rid of them if they are hindering you
or your tulpa.
Q: Do tulpas mature over time?
A: Yes, they do. They are not static and will tend to change as time goes on. Their initial
growth is rapid compared to that of a child, but they will eventually reach a level of maturity
whereupon they will develop and grow at a rate comparable to that of any other person.
Q: Can my tulpa harm me/kill me?
A: Tulpas cannot act in the physical world without using the host body and they can use
the host body only after they have learned how to do possession or how to switch, so they
could physically harm the body, but they won't do so unless you give them a good reason
to (e.g. by harming them).
Q: Will my tulpa be a carbon-copy of me in personality and opinions?
A: Your tulpa is like a person. They can have opinions that differ from yours, but they also
can have opinions that are similar to yours, but it's unlikely that they will be a carbon copy
of you in personality and opinions. They are their own being.
Q: Can I make items for my tulpa?
A: You can create items, that only exist inside the mind, which will last as long as you want
to, or you could buy physical items for your tulpa. Tulpas themselves can create objects
inside the mind like you can.
Q: How much attention/interaction does my tulpa need?
A: During the creation process you should aim to interact with your tulpa daily, anywhere
from a few minutes up to a few hours. Talking together when you can and want is
recommended although it's not necessary. After they're fully vocal and active, the minimum
is just acknowledging their existence and interacting together from time to time or letting
them use the body sometimes. Just don't ignore them for a long time, and you'll both be
fine.
Q: Should I talk to my tulpa out loud or in my head?
A: You can communicate with your tulpa in any way you want to.
Q: So can my tulpa help me with (memory recall, school)?
A: It's certainly possible, but even if your tulpa is capable of helping you, that doesn't
necessarily mean they will. You shouldn't force them to act as your personal notepad and
calculator.
Q: What if my tulpa sees my messed up fantasies or images and doesn't like me?
A: Your tulpa is likely going to accept you pretty much no matter what. They may
disapprove of something you've done or thought of in the past, but they aren't going to
hate you over it. Tulpas are usually pretty understanding and tolerant.
Q: Is this a replacement for having friends?
A: No, just because you have a tulpa it doesn't mean you're going to not need any of your
friends or family anymore. You can still maintain your social life and sometimes it might be
within the tulpa's personality to persuade you to become more social.
Q: What if my tulpa knows that they're a tulpa?
A: How they will feel about knowing that is going to vary; most of the time they don't care,
but they can feel about it and react to it in any way.
Q: Can I force my tulpa to (be quiet, go away)?
A: While you can't strictly force your tulpa to do anything, if you really want them to do
something (leave when you're angry, not bother you in school), then just ask them to like
you would ask another person and they will likely comply.
Q: I speak more than one language fluently. Which should I speak to my tulpa in?
A: Any language is fine, because tulpas can be capable of speaking all the languages you
can.
Q: Can I (grab, slap, hug, etc.) my tulpa?
A: Yes, within reason. Imagining or enacting a given action with a tulpa, imposed or
otherwise, will carry all the meaning and weight you associate with that action directed at
them.
Q: What does the tulpa do while you're sleeping?
A: Because the mind never totally shuts down, the tulpa continues to exist and be there.
What they do, however, is up to the tulpa. Some are known to interact with dreams, while
others may spend time in a mental environment (see Wonderlands), some go to sleep as
well, etc.
Q: Do tulpas sleep?
A: Some tulpa will sleep at the same time as their creators, others as and when they
please, and others do not seem to sleep at all.

Tulpa Creation Questions

Q: How long will it take to make a tulpa?
A: This varies extremely from individual to individual and on their preferred methods. Don't
worry about how long it'll take. Don't expect results immediately, but don't dismiss early
successes either.
Q: Should I create a base form for my tulpa?
A: You can create one, but you can also talk to your tulpa without any base form and let
them decide if and what form they want. It doesn't matter which way you go, both options
are good.
Q: Is it ok to base a tulpa off an existing character?
A: Yes. Your tulpa may have the pre-existing character's form or personality, but that
doesn't make them the actual character. They will develop and change over time as a
person would though.
Q: Can I take an existing roleplay character/imaginary friend and make them into a tulpa?
A: Yes, although as with all tulpa based on existing characters, you should be aware that
they will develop and change over time.
Q: This feels like I'm just talking to myself and making up answers. Why?
A: It can feel that way at the start, but it will stop feeling that way over time and as your
tulpa matures. But even if it feels that way, it's not a problem to the tulpas developement,
so don't worry about it.
Q: I'm getting headaches, pressure, sore eyes and stuff during creation, is that bad?
A: Some people get them while creating a tulpa, but they haven't been found harmful to
the process, they aren't bad so unless they are hurting you physically.
Q: It's hard bringing my tulpa's face into focus, why?
A: It can be hard to visualize faces, because they are often the most detailed part of the
body, but it will get easier to visualize them with practise.
Q: Is it bad to fall asleep while working on tulpas?
A: It doesn't hurt working on your tulpa, but it can annoy some tulpas a bit like it could
annoy any other person if you fell asleep while interacting with them.
Q: Do I name my tulpa?
A: You can give them a name, but bear in mind the possibility that they may change it. You
can leave them nameless, and let them name themselves.
Q: Is it okay to force while (high, drunk)?
A: It should be okay as long as you feel it's productive.
Q: Can I listen to music while I force?
A: Yes and it can be even helpful to the process.
Q: Is it okay to give my tulpa negative traits?
A: You shouldn't really think about traits as positive or negative. You should think about
them as what they are, not their moral connotations. If you want to give your tulpa a trait,
or a trait emerges naturally, then go for it! Traits are just aspects of personality, and
whether they're good or bad will depend on your own morality. So if you want a clingy
tulpa, an aggressive tulpa, a sarcastic tulpa, whatever, that's totally up to you.
Q: Can I make my tulpa vocal first and then work on form?
A: Of course!
Q: Can I do X and Y at once when I'm creating my tulpa?
A: You certainly can and it can be helpful too.
Q: Does putting too much detail into my tulpa stifle deviation?
A: No. Whether you're vague or not, your tulpa can and probably will change over time.
Q: So how exactly does deviation work?
A: Your initial plans or ideas for a tulpa may be altered by your subconscious or by your
tulpa. Some tulpas end up almost exactly as initially designed, while others end up
changing a lot as a result of these collective alterations, but neither is worse or better than
the other.
Q: Can I create a tulpa that's in charge of their own personality/form/creation?
A: Sure. Tulpas can always affect their personality, form or any other other aspect of
themselves, so if you want them to be completely in charge of that, then just don't control
them and let them change themselves however they like.
Q: How do I narrate/talk to my tulpa?
A: Narration is the same as talking with your tulpa. It can be about anything you want to
and in any way you want. It can be useful to think of the tulpa, when you talk with them, as
it can help with directing your words or thoughts at them in your mind.
Q: I'm having trouble visualizing, what do I do?
A: Good visualization isn't necessary for creating a tulpa, and it'll get better over time as
you practice it, so no need to worry about it. However, if you want to improve it faster than
by only practising then you should consider looking for a giude on the site or on some
different one.
Q: I haven't felt my tulpa in 'x' hours/days, what did I do wrong?
A: Nothing. It's not unusual for a tulpa to retreat back for a little while or go to sleep or
something else that makes it harder to feel them. This can happen when they are growing,
and is often followed by much growth. It's happened to some people that their tulpa have
left for almost a week, and when they return become vocal in a very short amount of time.
Even if you can't feel them, continue forcing and interacting with them as you normally
would and it will be fine.
Q: Does my tulpa have to be human?
A: No, you can have a tulpa with any form they or you want to.

On Mindscapes/Wonderlands
Q: What is a mindscape/wonderland?
A: A mindscape, also known popularly as a wonderland, is a mental environment where
the host and tulpas can interact visually with eachother, without the need for the host to
impose their tulpa into their physical environment. A wonderland can be revisited time and
time again, although it may change under your own will, your tulpa's will, or
subconsciously.
Q: What is the difference between mindscape/wonderland and any other imagined
environment?
A: An imagined environment is any given temporary mental scene or scenario, such as
those experienced when day-dreaming. A wonderland or mindscape is a more permanent,
albeit dynamic, environment that persists even when you aren't consciously thinking of it,
that you or your tulpa can return to repeatedly.
Q: Can my tulpa change the mindscape/wonderland as well?
A: Yes, tulpas are also able to edit and alter wonderlands and the entities within them. Your
tulpa may even change your wonderland while you are not consciously aware of it.
Q: What does it mean to 'explore' a wonderland?
A: A mindscape/wonderland can be imagined in such a way that large areas of it are
undefined or lack clarity. Traveling within the environment outside of areas you've
consciously defined can lead to a subconscious, dreamlike generation of environments
and landscapes. This has been known to provide interesting and exciting activities for tulpa
and their creators alike - it is quite literally letting your mind wander.

Glossary
Creator, Host, Tulpamancer

The individual who has created and is responsible for the tulpa or tulpas. Some
people have preferences on which they prefer to use, but all are synonyms.

Deviation

The change that occurs to a tulpa's personality or form during and after creation,
seemingly against or independent of your own conscious will. (Note: Some people
prefer to simply use the word change instead)

Dissipation

The process of a mind fading from existence, becoming less distinct and sentient
over time. Sometimes happens to young tulpae starved of attention or stimuli.

Emotional Response

When a tulpa responds to external stimuli or the thoughts of the host with a wave of
emotion as opposed to speaking.

Forcing

Any act relating to the host focusing on, developing, speaking with, etc. the tulpa.

Active Forcing - Often a dedicated span of time used to focus solely on the tulpa
while the host generally tries to avoid any possible distractions.
 Passive Forcing - The host does something with the tulpa while not focusing solely
on them. A host talking to their tulpa, while they are at work or in school doing
something else is a good example of passive forcing.

Form
The mental appearance of a tulpa or a host. Can be literally anything. Isn't
necessary, but is often used.

Imposition

The act of percieving your tulpa by your physical senses. Considered to be

controlled hallucination.

Metaphysics

In relation to tulpas, it's the school of thought that suggests tulpas are supernatural
or paranormal beings brought about by means beyond modern science.

Mindvoice

The internal voice created by tulpa or host, which can heard when host and tulpa
talk together. Not to be confused with voices heard as external auditory
hallucinations.

Narration

When the host speaks to or with their tulpa. A common form of passive forcing.

Parallel Processing

When the tulpa can focus and work on something completely different from what
the host is focusing on.

Parroting, Puppeting

When a host consciously and purposefully controls the tulpa's actions. Parroting
generally refers to controlling their speech while puppeting generally refers to
controlling their movement, but the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Possession

When a tulpa controls part or all of their host body.

Proxying

Communicating on behalf of a tulpa, relaying what the tulpa says to facilitate

communication. Usually in writing, but can also be in speech.

Servitor
 A tulpa-like entity with seemingly no willpower, volition or sentience of its own; a
mental puppet that may seem to act independently but acts only as a servant to its
creator.

Switching

Letting the tulpa take full control of the body while the host enters a tulpa-like state.

Tulpa

A tulpa is a conscious mind that is not the first mind to come into existence in their
brain. Often created intentionally by their host. (For more information see What is a
tulpa?)

Visualization

Using the mind's eye to sense things within the mind like seeing your tulpa or
mindscape or hearing them or feeling the tulpa's form. Often refers to all senses,
not just sight

Vocal

The stage when a tulpa can communicate in full, coherent sentences as opposed
to Tulpish or relying on Emotional Response.

Wonderland, Mindscape, Dreamscape

A mental environment where the host and tulpa can interact.