Commemoratio Selenae ad posteritatem

What is a tulpa?

A tulpa is believed to be an autonomous consciousness which also exists in a self imposed hallucinatory body, which is usually much of your choice. A tulpa is entirely sentient and in control of its opinions, feelings, movements. It is perceived as completely real, and you don't have to constantly focus on it to keep it around.

What does tulpaforcing mean?

Tulpaforcing is the umbrella term used to describe working on your tulpa.

Why are you putting a Latin plural on a Tibetan word?

This question gets asked a lot and I think it needs to be officially cleared up. There are four main reasons for the Latin plural: One, because tulpas, tulpi and what not sound kind of awkward. Two, because Tibetan words don't really correct suffixes for plurals, they more or less change the word in some cases. You still want people to know what you're talking about, so they don't think the words are two different things. Three, because on the Wikipedia page about tulpae sort of implies that thought forms are tangible, and by adding the Latin plural suffix we're sort of separating ourselves from that belief.

Can you describe how this works?

By talking and fleshing out something to your own subconscious for so long, you start to get answers from it. The answers align themselves with all these preconceived traits you've given them (for the most part). When you talk to your own mind for long enough, it will answer back: this is an accepted fact. The answers you get will show independent sentience. The rest of the time is just building a form in your mind, allowing for deviation of that form, and finally trying to visualize the form and experience it in sensory detail in your own environment until this becomes completely natural.

What can a Tulpa do?

A Tulpa will be able to access memories you don't remember, things you've read to the T, it will work as a companion, it can help you solve problems by looking at them from another point of view, and things of the like. But you should not make a tulpa just to help you with school or something shallow like that. Make a tulpa because it is something you want to do. You can't expect to bring a sentient being into the world just to have it teach you math.

So this is magic, right?

Wrong. This is a Tibetan concentration technique that changes the subconscious.

Prove Tulpae!

How can you prove something only you see? You can't.

Wow, this is so new and unheard of!

Not really a question, but things like this go as far back as the deamonism of the time of Socrates. Religious sometimes make a sentient tulpa when they pray to god for an hour a day, until he talks back. Really that's just your subconscious sort of bubbling up to produce answers after a long time of narration. Having a tulpa is nothing new, although it has had many names in the past and even now.

Do tulpae mature over time?

Yes they do. They are not static and do tend to change as time goes on. Usually when they are newly created they are rather immature, shy, not talkative, or something similar, but as time goes on their personality reaches more of a base line. Subsequent to this, they react to stimuli and what not just like a person would, gaining life experience from what they see and do, thus resulting in maturity.

Will my Tulpa be a carbon copy of me in personality and opinions?

Your Tulpa is like a person. They can have opinions that differ from yours. They are their own being. (See: The Reaches of the Tulpa for more on what a tulpa can and cannot do)

So is this a replacement for all my friends?

No, because you have a tulpa that doesn't mean you're going to not need any of your friends or family anymore. You still maintain your social life (if you had one) and sometimes it might be within the tulpa's personality to persuade you to become more social. They're not going to hog all your attention as a rule.

How much attention/energy/interaction does my tulpa need?

During the creation phase you should aim to interact with your tulpa through tulpaforcing or narration for an hour a day. Afterwards, the minimum is basically acknowledging their existence. Of course people's individual tulpae may be clingier or have personalities that require more attention than others, but the minimum to keep your tulpa in existence is looking at it. Just do the opposite of completely ignoring it and you should be fine.