Tulpa π±
A Tulpa is a being that is created within one's head. It could be considered an 'imaginary friend'. But is much more than that.
It is sentient and has it's own opinions, thoughts and personality separate from the 'host' and can communicate with it's host. If it becomes developed enough, it can even share control of the body with the host, known as Possession or Switching π±.
Hosts say they feel as real as any person.
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Hosts can have more than one active Tulpa at a time.
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The term originally comes from Tibetan Buddhism.
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Creating a tulpa makes you a Tulpamancer.
Tulpas are experiences through a mix of auditory, visual and somatic visualizations.
Having a Tulpa is not the same as a mental heath disorder like DID or Schizophrenia, (there is not amnesia, depersonalisation or other traumatic symptoms) and actually, there have been many reports of Tulpas actually helping their hosts with their mental health struggles or clinical diagnoses like autism and schizophrenia.
Researchers have found that many people who create a Tulpa do it because they are lonely and don't have many outlets or places to socialize with others, and people who do it do it because they see it as a way to build a relationship with someone that can understand and accept them, and not only that, but understand them in a way that is difficult in normal person-to-person relationships.
Some tulpamancers also have romantic relationships with their Tulpas.
See also:
Creating a Tulpa π±
Backlinks:
Sources:
- Tulpas and Mental Health- A Study of Non-Traumagenic Plural Experiences by Jacob J. Isler
- The Tupla subreddit
- My own brief experiences talking to someone who was a Tulpamancer in the 2010s. (which has sparked me to finally do a deep dive into it becuase I remember being so curious about the concept. )
Notes: