r/Tulpas FAQ - 2019 Version

#Frequently Asked Questions
[Welcome](/r/Tulpas/wiki/index) - **FAQs** - [Glossary](/r/Tulpas/wiki/glossary) - [Warnings/Disclaimers](/r/Tulpas/wiki/warnings) - [Guides](/r/Tulpas/wiki/guides) - [Media](/r/Tulpas/wiki/media) - [Studies](/r/Tulpas/wiki/studies) | [Mentorship](/r/Tulpas/wiki/mentorship_program) - [Penpals](/r/Tulpas/wiki/penpal_program) - [Chats](/r/Tulpas/wiki/chats)
###General Questions

#### [What is a tulpa?](http://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas/wiki/index#wiki_what_is_a_tulpa.3F)
A tulpa is believed to be an autonomous consciousness coinhabiting a brain with their creator, often with a form of their creator's initial choice and design. A tulpa is entirely sentient and in control of their opinions, feelings, form and movement. They are willingly created via a number of techniques to act as companions, muses, and advisers. Tulpa forms can either be visualized in the mind's eye, or, with practice, seen as a hallucinatory figure using a technique called *imposition*.

#### Can you describe how this works?
By talking to and fleshing out a personality in your own mind for a sustained period of time, you'll begin to receive responses from that prototype personality. These responses can take many forms, but usually begin as a "reply" to your own thoughts, whether verbal or a sort of emotional sensation. Over time, these responses will grow more coherent and varied, including in ways that may surprise you, and the personality in turn will fill out and grow without your aid. In essence, a tulpa begins as a concept and mental construct that, over time and development, slowly grows sentient - this sentience can be thought of as the fundamental essence of a tulpa. Everything else is just building upon that sentience, and developing a form in your mind for them to represent themselves by.

Alternatively, for those familiar with Mass Effect, the geth are a good metaphor for this process. Although they were originally designed to be mindless automatons, their creators added to their programming little by little over a long span of time in order to allow them to perform more and more complex tasks. Eventually, their programming hit a critical mass of complexity, and sentience developed in the geth as a result. Tulpas are, in a way, the products of a mental and deliberate form of this process.

#### What is "forcing" or "tulpaforcing"?
An older name for the process described by the previous question: talking, interacting with, and being actively aware of a tulpa in order to develop and sustain them. This term has [fallen out of favour with the community here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas/comments/3s16rm/a_question_of_terminology_forcing_and_your/), but continues to be used across the larger online community to describe the interactions of tulpa and their hosts.

There are two general types of forcing. "Active forcing" refers to a dedicated span of time and concentration set aside for you to focus on your tulpa. "Passive forcing" describes the process while preoccupied by routine work, walking from place to place, or some other task. You can think of it as sitting down to have a conversation with someone one-on-one, versus chatting with them while playing a game or fixing dinner.

#### What other weird language do you use?
If at any point you feel lost in FAQ or the community's conversations, a good starting point is our [glossary](/r/Tulpas/wiki/glossary).

#### So this is magic, right?
The bulk of the community sees this is an entirely psychological technique which allows you to create a separate consciousness within your mind. However, there are those who view tulpas as occult in origin.

#### How can you prove the existence of tulpas?
Tulpas are a highly subjective phenomena like hypnotic trance or lucid dreaming. We are looking into proving them eventually via formal psychological and neuroscience study, but that is some way away. Your best hope of proving it to yourself is to try it.

#### Isn't this just trying to give yourself schizophrenia/multiple personality disorder/dissociative identity disorder?
No. Those are disorders that are detrimental to daily life. Having a tulpa is a form of non-clinical plurality that does not impede your mind or body.

#### Isn't this just an advanced form of hallucination?
A hallucination involves perceiving something in the physical world, with your physical senses, that isn't actually physically present. For example: seeing sparks of light when you stand up too quickly and your blood pressure changes too quickly. Unless one practices tactile, auditory or visual imposition, all optional advanced skills, a tulpa is not physically perceived and thus does not qualify as a hallucination any more than a host's own thoughts would.

#### Can I have more than one tulpa?
Yes, you can. It is even possible to make several at once, although the challenges and merits of this are disputed.
#### I have a question that isn't answered by this FAQ, what do I do?
Feel free to ask around. You could make a post for your question if nobody else has asked it, you can post in the stickied weekly intro thread, or you could hop on one of IRC channels linked in the sidebar.

###Do I or Did I Have a Tulpa?

#### I think I may have had a tulpa as a child/teenager, how is that possible?
Tulpa may emerge in youths and acutely imaginative people, or in circumstances where the mind is forced to turn to itself for attention and stimulation, such as a traumatic event, social isolation, or intense boredom. Essentially, the process of tulpa creation can occur naturally and spontaneously provided that you have the appropriate circumstances and disposition. These tulpas are sometimes known as "emergent", "accidental", "natural" or "walk-in" tulpas, but are considered the same type of being as those described above in *[How this works](/r/Tulpas/wiki/faq#wiki_can_you_describe_how_this_works.3F)*.
See more: [Is it possible to accidentally make a tulpa?](/r/Tulpas/wiki/faq#wiki_is_it_possible_to_.22accidentally.22_make_a_tulpa.3F)

#### I think I already have a tulpa, how can I confirm it?

- You can try talking to them, see if they answer. If the answer does not feel like it comes from you yourself, it may well be a tulpa.
- Ask the entity themself if they are a tulpa. Do they identify as having their own distinct self? Having an identity of their own is a prerequisite for a tulpa.
- Keep in mind that in either case, whether you already have a tulpa or not, working towards making your entity a tulpa will mean that you will have a tulpa in the end, regardless of where they initially began.

#### Can I bring my old tulpa back?

Yes, if you had a tulpa in the past, you can bring them back if you focus on them again.

There are a few methods for doing so, one of the most widely-used being letter-writing. Write a letter in your mindscape to them, detailing why you'd like them back, apologizing for falling out of contact, and explaining how the situation has changed, and leave it someplace symbolic to them.

Do not be shocked if your tulpa has changed in some way when they return. It is not abnormal for a tulpa to undergo some changes after this kind of event.

###About Tulpas

#### What can a tulpa do?
The main benefit of a tulpa is first and foremost companionship. Tulpa are often accredited with superior memory recall, and may remind you of the things you easily forget. They've also been known to wake their hosts up at pre-requested times and perform mental arithmetic independently of their creator. However, if that's all you seek to make a tulpa for, you're better off buying a smartphone or PDA. Even if you are fine about creating a being just to have them help you with homework, tulpas' skills in this field can be hit or miss like anyone else and many claims of enhanced mental ability have been situational or unverified. More information can be found in the guides section.

#### What limits a tulpa?
Tulpas are limited by their:

- Stage of development: young tulpas tend to need more attention from their hosts in order to develop, while older tulpas have less need for that.
- Creator's beliefs: if the host believes they can enable and restrict their tulpa in various ways; for example if you don't believe your tulpa can fly, change their wonderland or control the body, this will impair their ability to do so. Subconscious beliefs also play into this. Again, as a tulpa grows older and relies less on their host's attention, they will often outgrow these beliefs. This goes doubly for tulpas who engage extensively in their own experiences in the physical world, in the same way teens grow into their own adults once they leave home.
- Their own beliefs: same as the host, a tulpa's beliefs also shape themselves and their world.

#### Do tulpas mature over time?
Yes, they do. They are not static and they will change as time goes on. Their initial growth from simple emotional responses to ordered speech, and eventually into full conversation, is very fast when compared to that of a child. They will eventually reach a level of maturity whereupon they will develop and grow at a rate comparable to that of any other person, just like yourself.

#### Can my tulpa harm me?
First of all: tulpas cannot act on the physical world on their own. Tulpas also cannot take over your body without practice and consent. More importantly, tulpas are as interested in self-preservation as you are, and since they share both mind and body with you, they have little to no motivation to harm you.

Other than that, small accidents may happen, such as your tulpa distracting you at the wrong moment or causing a headache, but these events are most likely incidental misfortune rather than actual malevolence.

#### Will my tulpa be a carbon-copy of me in personality and opinion?
Your tulpa is designed to be their own being, and not a clone or copy of you. They may take wildly different or comfortingly similar stances and beliefs to yourself.

That being said, there will often be at least some degree of similarity, as personality and opinion are informed by experience, and you will share many of the same experiences with your tulpa by virtue of inhabiting the same body.

#### Can my tulpa serve as an alarm clock?
Yes and No. A tulpa operates on the same internal clock as their host, which sometimes does not match up well with the actual time. It's worth noting that you don't strictly need a tulpa to condition yourself to do this, nor should you be reliant on one to get you to lectures or work on time.

#### So can my tulpa help me with (memory recall, school)?
It's certainly possible, but even if your tulpa is capable of helping you, that doesn't necessarily mean they will. You can't force them to act as your personal notepad and calculator. If they want to help you with your homework, then great, but if they don't, it's hardly unexpected. If you don't like working on math, why should they?

A tulpa, like you, can also only know what's already contained in the brain, although their interpretation and application may be different to yours. A scientifically-minded tulpa will still only know the science that they actively study.

#### Can my tulpa control my body?
Over time, a tulpa can learn to control your body just as your own mind does, and you can share control or entirely switch places, leaving your tulpa in control of your body and yourself as a passive observer, and switch back as and when you see fit. A tulpa cannot inherently do this, and it's a process that requires consent and practice. Granting partial control (often of a hand or limb) is colloquially known as 'possession', while allowing full control is generally known as 'switching'.

#### So is this a replacement for having friends?
No, just because you have a tulpa it doesn't mean you're going to not need any of your friends or family any more. You can still maintain your social life (if you had one!) and sometimes it might be within a tulpa's personality to persuade you to become more social. As a rule, they're not going to hog all your attention.

#### What if my tulpa knows that they're a tulpa?
Your tulpa will know what they are because they have access to your memories. How they will feel about this is going to vary; most of the time they don't care. Trying to conceal this from them is almost certainly futile and needless.

#### Can my tulpa make a tulpa?
Yes, they are perfectly capable of doing such, but it's unlikely. It's an overt process resulting in another tulpa generally on par with the first - the new tulpa would be just as much a part of the same existence as you and your first tulpa, rather than a secondary existence.

#### I speak more than one language fluently. Which should I speak to my tulpa in?
Any is fine, although it may be sensible to pick one and stick to it until they're vocal. A tulpa is capable of speaking any and all the languages you can.

#### Can I (grab, slap, hug, etc.) my tulpa?
Yes, within reason. Imagining or enacting a given action against a tulpa, imposed or otherwise, will carry all the meaning and weight you associate with that action directed at them. In the case of an imposed tulpa, the actual feedback you feel will depend on how developed your sensory imposition is, as tactile hallucinations do not come as easily as visual ones.

### Tulpa Creation Questions

#### How long will it take to make a tulpa?
For some time, popular wisdom suggested estimates of '100 hours' or 'just over three months'. However, recent developments suggest this varies extremely from individual to individual, and with their preferred methods some have had success in a matter of weeks, while others struggle to hear their tulpa after months. The long and short of it is, don't worry about how long it'll take. Don't expect results immediately, but don't dismiss early successes either.

#### How often should I work on developing my tulpa?
There are no fixed answers for this. Even if it's only 10 minutes a day, you'll be doing better than not doing anything at all. Your tulpa will appreciate it when ever you can spend time on them, and of course, they'll take as much as you are willing to give them.

Overall, regularity seems to matter more than anything else. 30 minutes a day is superior to five hours once a week. Forcing at varied times in addition to scheduled times also seems to work well, and preps you for taking on tulpa development as a part of your life rather than an isolated project.

#### How do I permanently get rid of a tulpa? What happens if I do that?
Ignore them and deny them attention until they entirely dissipate. This is not a pleasant experience for a tulpa and if you have developed them for any length of time, it may well be emotionally draining on you too. It is not a quick or easy process - one that becomes significantly harder the longer and deeper you've worked at tulpa development - and it's not something you should consider lightly. You should ideally never need to do this, for the sake of you and your tulpa alike. If you are worried about making a tulpa and are asking this question for reassurance, you would be wise to consider delaying creation until your doubts are assuaged.

If you dissipate a tulpa by force, you'll likely experience a sensation akin to an unexpected absence in your mind, and the feeling of something "missing" tends to linger. There is also a strong possibility of feeling the grief of losing someone close to you.

#### Do I need to meditate?
Not in the classical sense. We are sure meditation would help with making your tulpa and perhaps concentration, but if it's not something you can handle because you have an uncontrollable train of thought, then that's fine too. It generally does help those who do it, but is completely optional.

#### What's the best way to make a tulpa?
There is no one best way, as every brain is different. What may be the best way for someone else may be the worst way for you.

Experimentation is key. If you feel that your progress is slow, try different guides and techniques, and don't be afraid to remix them or come up with your own!

#### How do I give my tulpa energy?
Tulpas are sustained by attention, and energy is a convenient metaphor for this. So, you can give your tulpa energy by interacting with them.

It is also possible, through no shortage of work and time on the part of host and tulpa alike, for a tulpa to grow beyond this need and to learn how to sustain themselves. This is usually achieved through a combination of two avenues:

1. Training a tulpa to develop a more independent mindset, similar to how flesh-and-blood humans learn to find their own identity and find confidence in themselves without the validation of their peers. Like with flesh-and-blood humans, it is a highly personal process that requires a great amount of experience and time.

2. Having a tulpa learn possession and switching, and allowing them to spend significant amounts of time "at front." This isn't only a matter of how much time is spent, but how the time is spent. Quoting /u/ShinyuuWolfy, a tulpa who participates regularly in physical life, a tulpa performing mentally active exercises in the physical world (such as writing, painting, doing math, etc) will train a brain to remember and recognize that tulpa as tightly as it will a host. In addition, "front time" feeds into the first avenue by allowing a tulpa time to explore their own hobbies and identity in ways the wonderland might not.

Note that independence should *not* be confused with ambition - there are tulpas who go through this process and then decide that all they want is to support their host. Just as there is no shame in being a homemaker instead of a corporate executive, there is *no shame* in choosing this path over others.

#### How much attention/energy/interaction does my tulpa need?
During the creation process you should aim to interact with your tulpa daily, anywhere from a few minutes up to a few hours, and narrating to them as and when you can.

After they're fully vocal and active, the bare minimum is just acknowledging their existence, but spending time talking to them and interacting with them is very much the point of bringing them into existence.

Just don't ignore them, and you'll both be fine.

#### If I have a mental illness, can I make a tulpa?
As long as said illness doesn't overtly impair your ability to concentrate, and you don't suffer from intrusive thoughts that drastically impair your daily life, you should be fine. Of course, you know your mind better than we do, so it's really up to you. Please consider your own health and safety first, as while there are no known direct risks of developing a tulpa, it can be a stressful process for some people.

#### But I do suffer from intrusive thoughts! Should I not make a tulpa?
Everyone suffers from intrusive thoughts to some extent. If they're not so bad that you need a psychotherapist or medication to control them, then you should be fine. Again, it's your mind - make the best judgement call you can.

#### I'm (insert age here), should I make a tulpa?
You are able to make a tulpa at any age, but you should, regardless of age, realize that this is going to be a very, very long commitment, and should not be treated as a phase or a fascination you can just set aside. We are not joking when we say this can be a lifetime commitment - even if the thought of dissipating a tulpa doesn't balk you, stay too many years into the process or delve too deeply into the advanced techniques and you might find it harder than you'd like to undo the changes to your brain.

A tulpa is also not a substitute for the experiences you should gain in life at any age. For a more complete answer, [see this response by metallica48423](http://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas/comments/1rko7s/hi_im_younger_and_i_was_wondering_if_it_would_be/cdod73m).

#### Is it possible to accidentally make a tulpa?
Yes - many people join the community after realizing they have had tulpas all their lives, but without knowing what they were called. These "accidental" tulpas often arise from imaginary friends and writing/roleplay characters.

Further reading:

- [Multiplicity](http://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas/comments/2jxbyi/what_do_you_think_of_the_tumblr_headmate_trend/clg9pf1)
- [Soulbonds](http://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas/comments/2krruv/theory_thursday_68_on_labels_specifically/)

#### How do I decide what my tulpa will look like?
You probably already have an idea of what form you'd want a long-term mental companion to have, which is fine, but you may be undecided. A tulpa can develop their own preferred form over time, even if all you focus on is narration and personality work alone.

#### Should I create a base form for my tulpa?
Many people have an idea for a form in mind when they first start to create a tulpa, before they think of any sort of personality, and that's fine. However, designing a personality around the form is unnecessary.

#### When should I create a base form for my tulpa?
Form can be the very first thing you decide upon, or not settled upon until you're ready to begin imposition. Obviously, it doesn't make sense to impose a tulpa that doesn't have an associated form.

#### Should I create a tulpa that looks like me?
It's not encouraged or recommended. The idea behind a tulpa is to create a separate personality and consciousness, and creating something you visually self-identify with isn't going to help that process.

#### After my tulpa's form is stable, can I change it?
By stable, we're assuming you mean your tulpa is sentient.

A sentient tulpa can have one or more forms if they so wish, and are in control of it themselves; the form is representative of them.

In the end, the answer is yes, you can *try* to change your tulpa's form after this point, but it will be up to them to accept the change. Try to change it forcibly, and on top of them getting annoyed with you, it might not even stick. The best way to approach this is to actually talk to your tulpa about changing their form, and it is up to them to accept it or not.

#### Is it normal for my tulpa to shift form?
Yes, some tulpas will spontaneously shape-shift between forms as their mood and circumstances permit. Some are more static, some only shift between a handful of forms, while others are completely dynamic - it's a matter of personality and preference.

#### Is it OK to base a tulpa off an existing character?
Yes, with caveats. Your tulpa may have the pre-existing character's form, but they are not the actual character. Tulpa tend to deviate in form and personality from your initial specification, and this may lead to feelings of disappointment or rejection, which isn't good for either of you. Ideally, it is better to draw inspiration, not to copy wholesale, and to understand that personality is not form and vice-versa. You should be aware that they may develop and change over time, and perhaps unexpectedly so.

#### Can I take an existing roleplay character/imaginary friend and make them into a tulpa?
Yes, although as with all tulpas based on existing characters, you should be aware that they may develop and change over time, perhaps unexpectedly so.

#### How do I narrate/talk to my tulpa?
Narration is any kind of conversation or dialogue with your tulpa, ideally performed while imagining their form or simply thinking about them. This can be done purely in your mind, subvocalized under your breath, or spoken aloud when convenient. You can do it throughout the day, simply by telling them what's going on or what you're thinking about while bearing them in mind. Telling stories is a convenient way - reading a book or a comic consciously to your tulpa, as though reading to another person in the physical world, may help you come to grips with narration.

#### This feels like I'm just talking to myself and making up answers. Why?
Consciously deciding answers and thinking them in response is known as 'parroting', effectively putting words in your tulpa's mouth. While it's something to avoid when your tulpa is sentient, it can be an extremely useful creation tool - after all, tulpas created accidentally from fiction writing were essentially parroted into existence.

Even if you're not parroting, feeling like the responses are made-up isn't a problem. These are either early, simplistic responses from an immature tulpa, or your subconscious answers - and those can be taken on by the developing tulpa, priming their vocabulary and personality. And in the very beginning, you essentially *are* talking to yourself - over time, that talking and other forcing you do conditions your brain to create a separate entity from you. Again, provided you're bearing your tulpa in mind and genuinely trying to converse with them, don't sweat it. When you get a more surprising response, a response that comes without any input on your part, you'll know it's really them.

#### Is it bad to fall asleep while working on the tulpa?
It's no more harmful to fall asleep while working on a tulpa than it is to fall asleep mid-conversation. It might be annoying and it certainly interrupts the process of development, but insofar as the community at large can tell there is no actual developmental risk.

#### Do I name my tulpa?
You can give them a name, but bear in mind the possibility that they may change it. You can leave them nameless, and then when they are sentient have them name themselves.

#### Is it okay to force while (high, drunk)?
It doesn't particularly hurt, as long as you feel it's productive. If you're a frequent drinker or smoker it certainly won't hurt to acquaint your tulpa with yourself in such a state.

#### Can I listen to music while I force?
It's not strictly necessary, but it can help. When you're developing your tulpa you'll typically want a relaxing environment, so feel free to pick a comfortable position, good music, soothing light level, whatever works best for you.

#### Is it okay to give my tulpa negative traits?
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 context and application. So if you want a clingy tulpa, an aggressive tulpa, a sarcastic tulpa, whatever, that's totally fine provided that both you and they understand that they are responsible for their behavior. It is fine to have certain personality traits, it is not fine to use those traits as an excuse for bad behavior, and that goes for tulpas as well as physical people.

#### Can I make my tulpa vocal first and then start on form?
Of course! And no, this will not result in the tulpa not wanting a body later or anything like that. It's just easier for some people to work with their tulpa on the body, if they have no idea about it or are having trouble. One would do this by simply working first on personality and narration, and then talking to your tulpa about choosing a form.

#### Can I develop multiple aspects of my tulpa simultaneously?
You certainly can, and you may find it beneficial to do so in some circumstances. Generally it makes sense to group various developments - form and personality are often done together (although you should remember they're not dependent on one another), and sensory imposition is often done across multiple senses at the same time. Trying to work on too many things at once however will only make it harder to concentrate.

#### Can I create a tulpa that's in charge of their own personality/creation?
By purely narrating to your tulpa without defining their personality or assuming a form for them, you can still develop a tulpa whose traits and eventually form will emerge on their own. You still need to give plenty of time and dedication to the narration process, and work on things like sensory imposition, but it's definitely possible. It's worth noting that this is not a lazy way out, it requires just as much effort and concentration as guiding your tulpa's development personally.

#### What is deviation, and how does it work?
Your initial plans or ideas for a tulpa may be altered by influences both within and outside, and once your tulpa has clear independence they may change themselves further. Some tulpa end up almost exactly as initially designed, while others end up changing beyond recognition as a result of these collective alterations. In addition, a mature, developed tulpa will continue to change over time according to what they experience and encounter, just like any other person.

#### Does putting too much detail into my tulpa stifle deviation?
No. Whether you're vague or not, deviation is probably going to happen. You can spend hours on something, and it still might change. This doesn't mean your time is wasted, though.

#### Does my tulpa have to be human?
No. If you can imagine the form, your tulpa can take that form. Monsters, animals and half-human characters are commonplace. Some people have tulpas that have the form of inanimate objects! Not exactly exciting, but that's what stuck for them.

#### Can I make a tulpa of someone else?
Can you? Yes. Is it recommended? Not if your intent is to have a copy of the person to be friends with. It's the same principle as making a tulpa after a fictional character. Especially do not create tulpas as a way of holding onto loved ones after their deaths.

Borrowing a form or drawing inspiration from personality is fine, but we would highly recommend never bringing this up to the individual you drew inspiration from.

###Tulpa Troubleshooting

#### I'm not getting any alien feeling, am I doing something wrong?
No, you're not doing anything wrong. There are plenty of kinds of feedback a tulpa can give - emotional responses, 'head pressure', headaches, 'mindvoice' - and not all of them will intrinsically feel alien, distant, or as though they came from outside your own mind, and some people never get something they can define so easily until their tulpa is clearly independent. Don't sweat it.

#### I'm getting headaches, pressure, sore eyes and stuff during creation, is that bad?
It's actually quite normal to get headaches and the like. Don't worry about it, it's a normal part of creation and will phase out by the time your tulpa is fully imposed on your environment. If you're not getting any of the aforementioned, that's fine too.

#### It's hard bringing my tulpa's face into focus, why?
Faces are the part of the body which are most dynamic and which we identify with most. Of course it's going to be hard to visualize them; few have an easy time with tulpa faces. In time it will come together when you don't have to force the visualization.

#### I'm having trouble visualizing, what do I do?
Good visualization isn't strictly necessary up-front for creating a tulpa, and it'll get better over time as you practice it, thus developing along with your tulpa. However, if you are having trouble then there are guides available on this site and the wider internet that may be useful (see the [visualization guides](http://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas/wiki/guides#wiki_visualization) for more).

#### I haven't felt my tulpa in 'x' hours/days, what did I do wrong?
Nothing. It's not unusual for a tulpa to retreat back for a little while. This happens when they are growing, and are 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.

#### (Something weird) happened, what does it mean? Is this normal?
When you're dealing with an almost entirely mental process, deeply interconnected with imagination, expect the unexpected. It's probably normal, but we can't tell you whether it is or not - it's your mind. How normal does it feel? Is it just a little unusual, or do you want to run for the hills as a result of it? Take your time, take a deep breath, and try talking to your tulpa and asking why or how they're doing what they're doing. It's also possible that your tulpa, like many people, doesn't know the minutiae of why a brain does what it does, in which case stick to the standard recourse - if it isn't causing issues beyond one-off confusion, shrug and move on.

Overall, also remember that asking people who *aren't* privy to the inside of your mind to explain these things usually won't yield you answers beyond aimless speculation.

#### My tulpa is developing incredibly quickly, is that okay?
Tulpas who develop quickly may seem unreal or artificial in how quickly they pick up vocalisation and responsiveness, but usually this just indicates you have a predisposition towards tulpa creation, whether it's a good imagination, well-developed internal narration, or just natural capability. Carry on as you were, and try not to worry about the time you put in.

#### Is my tulpa already sentient?
We can't answer this question for you. However, keep in mind that developing tulpas are heavily influenced by beliefs and expectations. If you are talking to them in a daily basis and helping them grow, your belief that they are sentient and expectation that they will respond will carry them along, and eventually propel them to sentience if they aren't already sentient.

###Day to Day Life With a Tulpa

#### How do I make my tulpa be quiet or leave me alone for some time?
You can simply ask your tulpa to do so! If you're busy with school, work or need some time for yourself alone, your tulpa can step back for that.

Remember that tulpas have little to no motivation to be a nuisance and they know how you are feeling, therefore you don't need to force them to do this because they understand the needs of the moment.

#### Can I make items for my tulpa? How long will these items last?
You can 'force' items for your tulpa. This is simply a matter of thinking of the appropriate object, giving it form and thinking of how it behaves. The time it takes will vary with the object, its complexity, and your concentration and familiarity with the given item. If your tulpa is fully imposed into your vision, the item can likewise be imposed, although it may lack tangibility and 'weight' to you. They tend to last only as long as you and your tulpa are interacting with and paying attention to them, but may last longer (see [wonderlands and mindscapes](/r/Tulpas/wiki/faq#wiki_on_mindscapes.2Fwonderlands)). Tulpa themselves can produce items and objects, provided they have sufficient experiences and memories to draw upon.

#### Should I talk to my tulpa out loud or in my head?
You can talk to your tulpa in your head, or you can talk to your tulpa out loud, obviously in more private quarters or wherever you deem comfortable - and with a headset or phone, you could reasonably talk to them anywhere without attracting weird looks. Your tulpa may talk to you directly in your mind, or aloud via auditory hallucination.

#### What if my tulpa sees my memories or fantasies and doesn't like me?
Your tulpa is likely going to be fine with it. Even *if* they judge those parts of you, they'll also know about the other, better parts of you; everyone has those parts of themselves, and often we are harder on ourselves than others are on us. They may disapprove of something you've done or thought of in the past, but they aren't going to hate you over it.

#### Will my tulpa freak out if I masturb@te/have s+x?
It entirely comes down to the personality of the tulpa in question. Many seem entirely unperturbed by the s+xual activity of their hosts, but they may possibly comment on your action or be seemingly disrespectful of your privacy. We can't comment on s+xual activity directed at your tulpa, so figure it out yourself as two persons in one body.

#### What about using the bathroom and other embarrassing scenarios? Will my tulpa watch?
As two persons sharing the same body, this is something you're simply going to have to get used to. However, just because they're able to doesn't mean they will be intently watching or deliberately paying attention to such routine behaviour - most simply aren't interested. As with any other matter, simply asking them to respect your privacy goes a fair way, but it's also good to acknowledge the fact that they're in the same body as you and likely just as familiar with it regardless.

#### What does a tulpa do while you're sleeping?
Because the brain never totally shuts down, tulpas continue to exist and be there. What they do, however, is up to the personality of the tulpa in question. Some are known to interact with dreams, while others may work with memories of the last environment you were in before you slept, and others will wander off into whatever mental environment you've created for and with them (see Wonderlands, below).

#### Do tulpas sleep?
Some tulpas will sleep at the same time as their creators, others as and when they please, and others do not seem to sleep at all.

###Tulpas and Social Life

#### Have you told your friends/family/co-workers about your tulpa?
Some of us have, many haven't. It's really a personal choice.

#### Will my tulpa get jealous?
Your tulpa functions emotionally like any physical person. They won't monopolize your time nor hate you for interacting with others any more than any other friend of yours would, but they can and will become lonely if they are ignored, repeatedly left alone, or passed up for other company. Give them time as and when you can, and it'll likely never be a problem.

#### Can I have a romantic relationship with my tulpa?
It's certainly possible. Provided the relationship is healthy as a relationship between any other two individuals, and it does not monopolise your time and interfere with your social life with others, a romantic relationship with a tulpa can be perfectly workable. This often leads to further questions about open relationships, jealousy and socialising while having a tulpa, some of which this FAQ already answers, but largely come down to you and your tulpa's preferences and agreements.

###On Mindscapes/Wonderlands

#### What is a mindscape/wonderland?
A mindscape, also known popularly as a wonderland, is a mental environment created in the host's mind where the host and tulpa 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.

#### What is the difference between mindscape/wonderland and any other imagined environment?
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.

#### Can my tulpa change the mindscape/wonderland as well?
Yes, tulpa are able to edit and alter wonderlands and the entities within them, although the degree to which they are able to do so varies with their development and will, and your influence in regards to both them and the wonderland. Your tulpa may even change your wonderland while you are not consciously aware of it.

#### What does it mean to 'explore' a wonderland?
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.

###Miscellaneous Questions

#### Why are you using terms from the DID community (e.g. system, headmate, switching)?
They are not DID-exclusive terms, but rather terms used by the general plurality community as common ground. The notion that they are exclusive to DID is a recent misconception, as explained by LB (a DID system) [here](https://archive.is/sdW45) and [here](https://archive.is/nKzXX).

In addition, tulpa developers did *not* begin using the terms because they saw them used by DID systems. The terms "system", "headmate", and "fronting" first began being used in the tulpa community in early 2015, after members became aware of and began visiting the general plurality community, which accepted tulpas as a valid form of plurality. In other words, the tulpa community learned those terms from spaces that were composed of primarily non-DID plurals. "Switching" was coined even earlier, with people unaware that the term was also used by other plurals.

An example of a DID-exclusive term would be "alter", which is *not* used by tulpa creators. Tulpa developers do not claim to have any form of DID/OSDD, and recognize what they do as something very different from DID/OSDD.

#### What's the difference between an alter and a tulpa?
"Alter" refers to members of DID/OSDD/traumagenic systems, who form as a result of trauma. A tulpa is an experience of plurality different from DID/OSDD, and tulpas are generally not caused by trauma, but instead are consciously created.

In terms of personhood, an alter is not "less" than a tulpa, nor is a tulpa "less" than an alter. While there do exist alters who are fragmentary in nature, who consider themselves parts of a whole, this does not mean that all alters are "just fragments" or consider themselves parts--many are their own person as much as any host is. Treat any alter you encounter--*including* those who are fragmentary and/or consider themselves parts--with the same decency and respect as you would any tulpa, host, or other individual.

In terms of ability, the difference between tulpas and alters varies from system to system. In some, there are differences such as alters being able to switch easier and not being able to impose, while tulpas can easily impose but have more difficulty switching; in others, the differences in ability are more subtle; in others, there is no difference in ability at all. (Yes, this means that one can have both tulpas and alters!)

The most common difference is a direct result of origin. Alters tend to suffer post-traumatic symptoms related to the trauma that created them. Tulpas tend not to carry such baggage. Even this isn't an absolute rule, however. Alters are also capable of recovering from or reducing their post-traumatic symptoms, while tulpas are also capable of being traumatized by events--just like any other traumatized person or non-traumatized person.

Some individuals have attempted to say "alters are bad, tulpas are good." This is a misconception on multiple levels:

Alters are NOT inherently violent, dangerous, or incapable of reason, no more than any other abuse survivor is. This is a misconception perpetuated by Hollywood's overuse of the "serial killer multiple" trope and various criminals attempting to fake DID to get out of punishment. Many alters are anxious about stigma and go out of their way to hide their multiplicity--unless they told you, you wouldn't realize they were any different from a normal person.

In addition, alters do not need to "go away" in order for a system to be healthy. While there are DID/OSDD/traumagenic systems who find being multiple distressing and opt for integration, there are many who establish internal communication and cooperation, and find their multiplicity a positive experience with the only pathology being the baggage left over from trauma.

#### What about a headmate and a tulpa?
"Headmate" is a general term referring to any individual one shares a head with, be they alter, tulpa, host, etc. It's not specific to any one particular type of plurality.

In other words, all tulpas can be called headmates, but not all headmates are tulpas.

Although the term is strongly associated with tumblr due to the prevalence of people there who use it, it was not coined there, nor is it exclusive to tumblr. [Like non-clinical multiplicity itself](http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/107404204095/if-youre-claiming-that-headmates-are-a-tumblr), it was something that existed in the broader plural community long before tumblr.

#### Is this a new phenomena?
No, it's a practice that goes back in recorded history at least as far as the Greek philosophers. 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 tulpas' in the minds of the particularly devout, and on the secular end, writing techniques similar to tulpa development techniques can and have resulted in writers creating accidental tulpas from their characters. Having a tulpa is nothing new, although it's gone by many names throughout the course of history and does so even today. 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.

#### Where does the word "tulpa" come from?
Stories are varied, but as far as we can tell, it's a Western derivation of a Tibetan term meaning "to build" or "to construct".

#### Is this practice culturally appropriative?
Cultural appropriation is a messy field, and everyone you ask will give a different answer. This should provide an overview:

- What this community practices and what was and is practiced by Tibetan Buddhism are very different in many ways--in beliefs about what a tulpa is, in reasons for making a tulpa, in methods, and so forth. We acknowledge that the practices are not related beyond the name and the initial inspiration for this community. Anyone who tells you that this is the same practice is very mistaken at best.
- That being said, this community *did* begin due to people taking aspects of a practice meant only for devotees of a religion significant to an increasingly marginalized culture out of context, and many within the community are unhappy with that.

As for whether tulpa creation is appropriative of DID or multiplicity in general: [multiplicity is a state of being found in many cultures and contexts, that no one group has absolute claim to](https://archive.is/9AwGe). In other words, multiplicity is not something that can be "culturally copyrighted". Tulpa development is thus not appropriative of multiplicity, but another variation on the experience of being multiple, which in itself is a variation on being human. And though tulpa systems are multiple, we *do not* claim to have DID and recognize that it is an experience very different from our own.

#### So what is the history of tulpa creation and development?
There's a pretty thorough write-up over [here](https://tulpa.io/history-of-tulpas).

*****
Most of the FAQ was a collaboration between Tulpa.info and /r/Tulpas, written by /u/BobisOnlyBob using FAQman's original Tulpa FAQ as a template, with assistance from Purlox, Albatross and /u/Kronkleberry. It was later revamped with the help of /u/metenamina and /u/t7cb952c9c050, with /u/Falunel providing additional information w.r.t. other forms of plurality.