Author Topic: FAQ  (Read 27236 times)

FAQ
« on: September 20, 2013, 01:45:20 PM »
Please search the Glossary for unfamiliar terms.

Core:

What is a tulpa?
A tulpa is an autonomous entity within a person's mind. They walk and talk like people, and are virtually separate from the host. A more detailed explanation is beyond the scope of this answer, but "No-one can say for sure" is the best summary.

Are tulpas mental disorders?
They aren't disorders at least. Typically, they aren't harmful nor do they cause instability if the process is treated maturely. We don't take any responsibility for any damage you cause by going through the process.

Is this magic (etc.)?
No. We think of tulpas as being entirely within the bounds of standard psychology.

What can a tulpa do?
Anything within your imagination. They can also take control of your body (consensually).

Can a tulpa hurt you?
Physically no, nor can they 'sap your life essence'. They can call you names and so on.

Can a tulpa become physical like in my horror stories?
No.


Creation:

How do I make a tulpa?
See How To Tulpa.

What do I need to make a tulpa?
Your mind, some patience, determination and a positive attitude toward it.

How long does it take to make a tulpa?
The time it takes to make a tulpa varies hugely between different people, and can be anywhere from a few days to a few months (or longer).

What are the risks involved in making a tulpa?
You run the risk of damaging your mind permanently, though such effects are generally not reported. Just be aware that the long-term effects of having tulpas are not well understood.

Should I make a tulpa?
If you want one, think you are responsible enough to go through with the process and are aware of the potential risks, go ahead.

I have a mental illness, can/should I make a tulpa?
Most mental illnesses do not make the process impossible. Making a tulpa can be beneficial for some with certain illnesses (including schizophrenia, reportedly), but it could also be detrimental; it's down to you to decide.

How old do you have to be to make a tulpa?
It's more a question of maturity, whether you can handle the responsibility and treat the process seriously. In any case, it's up to you to decide whether you are old/mature enough or not.

Can I get rid of a tulpa?
Yes, though not particularly easily in most cases.

Can I have more than one tulpa?
Yes. In fact, making subsequent tulpas is typically easier than the first.

Can I make a tulpa of an existing person/character?
It is common to have a tulpa with the form of an existing fictional character, but their personality tends to be different from said character. Making a tulpa exactly like a pre-existing character can lead to identity issues or crises later on. It is generally considered a bad idea to make a tulpa of an existing human being, but it is done.

Can I make a tulpa using only 'passive forcing'?
Yes, although it may be more difficult and take longer than with active 'forcing' since active forcing is usually said to be the best kind of forcing. A mixture of both is generally considered to be the best approach.


General:

Can my (or my tulpa's) form be x?
Yes.

My tulpa hates me, what should I do?
Figure out why they hate you and sort it out between you. This is a relationship issue that you need to handle yourself.

What is the 'mind's eye'/How do I visualise?
Imagine a green field with black and white cows grazing in it. You just visualised a green field. Congratulations.

What do I do when things go wrong in my imagination?
Ignore it, or make it stop. It's your mind and you are able to control it.

I heard a voice that isn't my tulpa, do I have another tulpa?
Not necessarily. You may hear things that are not your tulpa, but that doesn't make them new tulpas unless you treat them as such. Odd things happen in your mind, especially after tulpa creation.

My tulpa isn't speaking to me any more, did they die? What do I do?
This is quite common. It does not mean they're dead, and is no reason to panic. Be patient and keep forcing, and eventually you should be able to hear them again.

I've been forcing for months with no results, am I doing something wrong?
Probably not. For some people getting responses takes a very long time, while the creation process itself is very difficult to get wrong. You might want to try new methods, but most important is to persevere and remain confident in your eventual success.

Can my tulpa enter my dreams?
Presumably, yes. It has been reported that tulpas can enter the host's dreams and interact with, and even adapt them, but this is very hard to test. The best way of knowing would be to ask your tulpa.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2013, 11:43:34 AM by waffles »

Re: FAQ
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2013, 09:59:16 AM »
I like this FAQ, but it still missed a few things imo. Feel free to correct me if my answer is wrong/the question isn't asked so frequently.


My tulpa isn't speaking to me anymore, did they die? What do I do?
This is quite common. It does not mean they're dead, and is no reason to panic. Be patient and keep forcing, and eventually you should be able to hear them again.


What are accidental tulpas?
Sometimes, people will report tulpas appearing seemingly out of nowhere. There is still no general consensus on this, but most accidental tulpas seem to come forth out of intrusive thoughts that are treated as tulpas. Whether they are accidental or not is a minor detail, and it's probably best to just consider all of your tulpas intentional.

Can my tulpa enter my dreams?
Presumably, yes. It has been reported that tulpas can enter the host's dreams and interact with, and even adapt them, but this is very hard to test. The best way of knowing would be to ask your tulpa.


Can I make a tulpa of an existing person/character?
It is common to have a tulpa with the form of an existing fictional character, but their personality tends to be different from said character. Making a tulpa exactly like a pre-existing character can lead to identity issues or crises later on. It is generally considered a bad idea to make a tulpa of an existing human being, but it is done.


Can I make a tulpa using only 'passive forcing'?
Yes, although it may be more difficult and take longer than with active 'forcing' since active forcing is usually said to be the best kind of forcing. A mixture of both is generally considered to be the best approach. Techniques like switching and possession do require your undivided attention and can not be done passively.


I have been forcing for months and still see no results, am I doing it wrong?
Probably not. For some people getting responses takes a very long time, while the creation process itself is very difficult to get wrong. You might want to try new methods, but most important is to persevere and remain confident in your eventual success.


EDIT: Applied suggested changes. Thanks waffles.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2013, 11:38:39 AM by Zero »

Re: FAQ
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2013, 11:07:53 AM »
My tulpa isn't speaking to me anymore, did they die?
It happens to quite some hosts that they have periods where their tulpa's mindvoice is very weak or even unhearable. This does not mean they're dead, and it's no reason to panic. Be patient and don't stop forcing, and eventually you should be able to hear them again.
I would just rewrite it slightly as
Quote
My tulpa isn't speaking to me any more, did they die? What do I do?
This is quite common. It does not mean they're dead, and is no reason to panic. Be patient and keep forcing, and eventually you should be able to hear them again.
I shortened the first line because you don't need to describe what's happening when it's in the question.


What are accidental tulpas?
Sometimes, people will report tulpas appearing seemingly out of nowhere. There is still no general consensus on this, but the two strongest opinions on this would be "Tulpas can appear out of nowhere without any input from the host" and "Tulpas always need to be forced, regardless of whether the host is aware of forcing or not."
I'm not sure about this. I think the common question about accidental tulpas is "can they/how do they happen?". In any case, you haven't really answered the question, only said that the two opinions are that they do and don't exist.


Can my tulpa enter my dreams?
Yes. Just like the wonderland, most tulpas can witness and even interact with their host's dreams, as well as alter them in some cases.
I would rewrite this to be in the second person, for consistency. The comparison to wonderland is a bit strange I think; I don't really see where you're coming from with that. Above all I'm not sure your answer is completely true, given that: firstly, someone who acts like your tulpa in your dreams isn't necessarily your tulpa; secondly, this isn't very common as far as I am aware.


Can I make a tulpa of an existing person/character?
Quite a few tulpaforcers have a tulpa with the form of an existing fictional character, though their personality tends to be different from said character. It is generally considered a bad idea to make a tulpa of an existing human being as this may cause confusion, but some hosts do have a tulpa in the form of a relative or friend. The answer to this would be that technically, yes, you can, but it is generally not considered a wise thing to do.
I think I'd rewrite as
Quote
Can I make a tulpa of an existing person/character?
It is common to have a tulpa with the form of an existing fictional character, but their personality tends to be different from said character. Making a tulpa exactly like a pre-existing character can lead to identity issues or crises later on. It is generally considered a bad idea to make a tulpa of an existing human being, but it is done.
A few stylistic changes, and the last line is gone because it's just summarising the part two lines. I'm not sure "confusion" is the only reason that people advise against making a tulpa of another person, and I think identity crisis should be in that answer somewhere as well.


Passive forcing seems to be working just fine for me and my tulpa, can I just passive force all the time instead of active forcing for small amounts of time?
That depends. What do you want to achieve? You can probably make a vocal tulpa with an imaginary form through sheer passive forcing over a certain period of time. However, replacing active forcing with passive would also mean that you would always be giving your tulpa secondary attention - and tulpas love attention. So, if only passive forcing is what your tulpa prefers and it works better for you, sure, why not. But for making significant progress, active forcing is the best medicine. Of course, the very best combination in terms of progress would be to passive force throughout the day, and active force for a few hours each day, but as the host, it's up to you to decide what is best for you and your tulpa.
I'd summarise as
Quote
Can I make a tulpa using only 'passive forcing'?
Yes, although it may be more difficult and take longer than with active 'forcing' since active forcing is usually said to be the best kind of forcing. A mixture of both is generally considered to be the best approach.
I think the FAQ answers should be short and sweet. The main message is the same. I also put the terms in quotes.


I have been forcing for months and still see no results, am I doing it wrong?
"Doing it wrong" is near-impossible in tulpamancing as the techniques are so simple. The only way to "do it wrong" would be to not do it at all, or barely do it. Progress comes at different paces for everyone, and also at different paces for each technique in every individual. Some may easily achieve vocality and possession, but have trouble with visualization and imposition, and vice-versa for others. It is generally a good idea to put a lot of work into your goal (i.e. vocality) and then put a lesser amount of effort into something else that you already adept at (i.e. visualization). Most tulpamancing techniques do not require a tulpa to be practiced, but can be applied to your tulpa (such as imposition). The most important thing is to never give up, in due time you will witness results.
Again, I think this is too long. I'd make it
Quote
I've been forcing for months with no results, am I doing something wrong?
Probably not. For some people getting responses takes a very long time, while the creation process itself is very difficult to get wrong. You might want to try new methods, but most important is to persevere and remain confident in your eventual success.
Answered the question right at the start, made the key points (can take a long time to get results, process isn't easy to do wrong, don't give up), removed a few sentences that seemed redundant and added two points (try new methods, confidence).

Re: FAQ
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2013, 11:40:01 AM »
Because we didn't say this anywhere, please do submit questions to the FAQ if you think they are asked frequently enough. That's why this thread isn't locked. Answers also accepted and I hope we can go through them together like this in case we can word them better. Short is sweet.

We'll be adding the new questions and answers to the FAQ itself, thanks a lot for your submissions, Zero.

Re: FAQ
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2013, 11:46:13 AM »
I've added all of your entries except the "accidental tulpas" one, which I'm still not sure on. There is an entry about it already, though not explicitly, and I don't think "What is" is a frequently asked question. Maybe the question should be changed to something more like "How do accidental tulpas happen?".

The entries should be under the right sections, but then again my sorting is a bit inconsistent.

Re: FAQ
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2013, 12:05:10 PM »
I agree, the question was a bit redundant in hindsight. Even "how do accidental tulpas happen?" isn't quite common, so it shouldn't really belong in the faq. Regardless, I'm glad I could help with the other questions.