Sentience: What Is It and How to Achieve It

There was once a robot who had a chip that acted exactly as a brain does--meaning that nothing was programmed inside the chip and instead it merely allowed it to think on its own, and like the color brown and enjoy the scent of strawberries, and let it be afraid of jellyfish. The robot also had human emotions. It was easy to make it laugh and hard to make it upset. Finally, the robot was given the capability to love. It had a best friend and felt as strongly for him as we do for our best friends, and there was a lady that it crushed on. Everything about it was human . . . human emotions, human fears, and human thoughts. . . .

At what point did the robot stop being a robot and become human?

That's a story you might hear around the Internet, but it's one I would like you to keep in mind when thinking about tulpas. If they can think and feel things that are different from you, and act very, very human (unless, of course, they happen to be a pony or a Pokemon or something), then what makes them "less" human? Nothing. What makes them "less" existent, when they're so real that they think and feel? You answer that question. Of course, you can theoretically say, "Well, the fact that we created them makes them less," but that wouldn't really be right either. If you create them then surely they exist.

Remember: sentience = real.

With that being said, it brings us to the question of how we can make our tulpas real--because you cannot go throughout the tulpa process without your tulpa being sentient, otherwise you just have a servitor (a tulpa-like thoughtform that is not sentient and only exists to perform a certain job for its creator; for example, in your mindscape you might want a servitor who acts as your neighbor, so it does "neighbor things").

Mark this time in history, readers, because this is the first time I'm going to say this in context, and it won't be the last: what you do and how you do it is up to you, and it will probably work. Pretty much everything about tulpamancy happens within your own mind, and if you imagine your tulpa in a tank that is slowly getting filled with a chemical and that chemical is sentience, so that once the chemical has reached its full capacity in the tube that your tulpa is in that he, she, or it is fully sentient by the time that that is done . . . well, that will probably work. If you want to tell them, repeatedly, that they are sentient until the are, then that's okay as well. If you want to force personality (we'll get to that later) and let sentience happen in its own time--because it will--then that's fine, too.

FOR BEST RESULTS, believe that they are sentient from the start. There are many, many, many people who argue that tulpas aren't sentient at first, and that's okay, but regardless of what you believe act like they are. For first-timers, you'll probably feel a bit silly and as though you're talking to yourself, but I promise that if you try to believe (or even say) that they are sentient then it will come faster.

There are some exemptions where people won't be so sure or even won't believe but the tulpa comes along within the first day. This isn't exactly common, and although it's not "super-duper rare," you should go ahead and prepare to force from anywhere between three days to three weeks, give or take.

Readers, there will be a few more posts about sentience coming your way, such as when you know you've got it and my personal story with James and his sentience. It is so, so important to tulpamancy, and you can be sure to find more information over on tulpa.info.

Should I Create a Tulpa?

I don't know. Should you?

I've said in the past that creating a tulpa is personal business. Quite a lot is totally up to you (though not everything), including how you go about creating a tulpa to whether or not you have one. If you think that you should have a tulpa (whether it's for company or to see if all this is real), or even if you just want one and you don't really have a reason, then don't worry. You're not crazy for being curious, and, as I've already said, tulpas aren't dangerous.

There are some things that should be taken into account before you start, though.

Do I Have Enough Time?

I can't stress enough about how important it is to set aside time for your tulpa. Dissipation (when the tulpa slowly disappears from existence; in other words, when the tulpa dies) comes from lack of attention. Not paying attention to your tulpa for so long that it causes them to die is exactly the same as killing any other human. Tulpas are, for everything that counts, also human.

When people hear this they often stress that they don't have enough time, but in fact, they do. Although the more time you make for your tulpa the better results you will have, just ten minutes a day is perfectly fine. Now, you should take that as more of a minimum thing, because your tulpa will undoubtedly want to spend more time with you than just ten minutes. Imagine if you only thought about your best friend in the entire world for ten minutes a day (I can't even do that, so . . .). Whether your tulpa is your best friend or not, you're theirs. Of course, most people don't have hours upon hours of time to do nothing but talk to their tulpas, and that's fine. That's where passive forcing comes into play.

Passive forcing is what we call it when we focus on our tulpas at the same time we're doing something else. (It's not actually forcing anything on the tulpa, by the way.) This is extremely handy and what you'll probably do, for the most part. Personally, most of the time I passive force with James, I'm reading. Other people do it when they're driving or shopping, or what have you. Keep in mind: talking and reading to your tulpa is called narration . . . and believe you me, it's a Godsend.

No amount of paying attention to your tulpa can be a bad thing. Just keep in mind the Ten Minute Rule. (<-- non-official rule. I just made that up.)

When you do have enough time, that's when you can practice active forcing. Active forcing is something that is dreaded by many, probably because it is so mentally taxing, but it isn't harmful and will get you a more-developed tulpa quicker than just passive forcing will. Active forcing is when you do nothing but focus on your tulpa, whether you're talking to them (yet again more narration, though this time you wouldn't be reading) or visualizing them in your mind's eye. Just as with passive forcing, no amount of active forcing is bad.

Theoretically, you can also go your entire life without ever actively forcing your tulpa, but to do this would mean missing out on almost every one of the joys of having a tulpa. At the very most you might reach sentience and a general understanding of what they look like, and you might reach vocalization--it depends--but all the "big stuff" that people like about tulpamancy (i.e., exploring the mindscape together, imposition, etc.) will be lost to you.

If you're not sure about how much you should active force, then just stop worrying and let that question be answered when you're ready to answer it. That's one of those "it's up to you" questions that no one but yourself can know. It doesn't matter; it could be anywhere from every day to once a month.

Why am I Doing This?

Is it because you want something to beat up? Is it because you want something to have sex with?

Do you feel that if you get bored you can just dispose of them at anytime, and if you feel this way, is it because you're sure you'll grow tired of seeing the same face every day?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, NO, YOU SHOULDN'T CREATE A TULPA. Notice that I capitalized that. And that it's in really bit font. And is bolded. And underlined. And italicized. Frankly, you're a horrible person if you want to rape anyone, regardless of whether you think they're real or not (imagine: some people have raped tulpas just because they might not be real), and beating people up is totally inexcusable.

Now, to continue: are you creating a tulpa in the fashion of your favorite character? You should know now that it is highly likely that your tulpa will change form at some point, and even if they don't their personality is most likely to change (all of this is called deviation). If you're going to get mad at them for this, then change your attitude. There is hope for you yet, but you need to learn to realize that your tulpa has a life of their own and they want to be who they want to be, not who you think they should be. I've heard of people who get mad if their tulpa doesn't turn out to be a pony, and then go and make their tulpas feel bad because of it. That is wrong. Anyway, once you get used to their new form you'll be surprised about how well it fits.

That being said, if you want to make a tulpa in the likeness of a favorite character but understand and are okay with the fact that they will probably deviate, then you're all ready.

FINALLY: if you plan on trying to create a tulpa like a loved one who is dead or is dying, stop. That is in no way at all healthy, and, as mentioned previously, the tulpa is likely to deviate from how you want them to be. When this happens you will find it extremely upsetting, so, please, save the heartache now and just don't do that.

How Persistent Will I Be?

The average person who forces on and off throughout the day can expect sentience (meaning that they feel that their tulpa is alive) anywhere from the first few days to about three weeks. For some it happens immediately after, and others have to wait a month or two. I felt James' sentience within three days' time, which was really cool.

I say all this because the number one reason why tulpamancers stop forcing is because they feel that they are talking to themselves. This is a very normal feeling, but if they think about it too much then it becomes a problem. Realize that sentience will come soon, if only you keep at it.

Now . . . BE PERSISTENT! If you stop paying attention to your tulpa then they will eventually dissipate, and although that does take a certain amount of time and you shouldn't worry about that if you skip a day, or probably even two or three or five (though I'm not advocating you do that). Don't give up. The more you do this, the easier it will become (except for imposition, which is a headache no matter how much you do it--or at least that's what I've been told).

Am I Responsible Enough?

Oh, yes. Responsibility. How we dread it.

Whether you like it or not, there is a certain amount of responsibility that comes with tulpamancy, namely taking control as the tulpamancer. It is your job to see your tulpa safely through the creation process and to take care of them (all you really need to do to take care of them is to pay attention to them).

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A CERTAIN AGE TO HAVE A TULPA. Young children have a low form of a tulpa all the time, and I've seen thirteen year olds go through the entire process and not have any difficulty.

Do I Really Want a Tulpa?

After all the other questions in this post, this is the last one you really, really, really need to think about before you end up doing anything. You have the option at your fingertips (or what have you) to create someone or something that is perfect for you in whatever way you want them to be. Once you've started and they've reached sentience, if you stop, it's just the same as killing another human being. Can you handle that? Are you willing to accept that?

It took me a couple of days to decide, but I finally knew what I wanted when I thought, "Well, when I'm eighty years old, if I have a best friend, will I regret it?" I decided that I wouldn't and officially became a tulpamancer.

What you decide is totally up to you. You don't have to have a tulpa to be happy, nor do you have to avoid one to be happy. Do what you think is best; that's the best advice for you I can offer.

The Madness Within

When someone is hearing about tulpamancy for the very first time, they tend to have two reactions: the first is that all of this is scary, and the second is that anyone who believes in all this, and especially those who go on to practice it, are freaking nuts. Can you really blame them? You're trying to tell people about how you can see, hear, smell, and feel a person that no one else can, and to top it off you're even saying that this person is real; if that's not pulling out the crazy card, I don't know what is.

Except, perhaps, being actually insane.

What makes someone "crazy?" How do we define "crazy?" When do people cross the boarder from sane to living in their own world, away from the rest of us, and when and why do they believe that we are the ones who are wrong? All of these questions are studied in the science of psychology, which, for many, tulpamancy is deeply rooted into. Although we are far from answering all the questions we have about the human brain, we do know what a truly insane person is like. (Sometimes.) Never mind that someone who is classified as mentally unstable is not always in that current state of mind, nor do they necessarily threaten peace.

"Tulpas are just like giving yourself schizophrenia or DID!"

I'll admit that that was probably one of the first things I thought myself when I first heard about all this, and that was also the first thing my friend said to me when I mentioned it to her. Of course, when you actually think about what you're saying, you realize that you come off, well . . . kind of uneducated. It is impossible to give yourself a split personality, or any other mental illness. You cannot wake up one day and decide that your brain is going to develop a chemical imbalance. Life simply does not work like this.

That alone should be enough for you to realize that I didn't give myself a mental illness, even though I've felt James' emotions before . . . even though I've heard him as clear as a bell before. If it isn't, well, quit being so narrow-minded! Unless you can tell me how I've given myself schizophrenia, of course.

Glossary

If you've read the posts prior to this one, then you've probably seen a few words that you didn't know, and perhaps I might have said that I would "explain later." Well, this might not be the most detailed of posts, but the knowledge of these words will no doubt be important to you later on.

Creator - the person who created the tulpa or tulpas. see also host and tulpamancer.

Deviation - when the tulpa changes a certain aspect of itself; could be personality or physical appearance.

Dissipation - the process of the disappearing tulpa, meaning that it ceases to exist. happens when the tulpamancer does not pay it attention after a length of time.

Dreamscape - an imaginary place within the mind where the tulpamancer and tulpa can interact; often the home of the tulpa. see also mindscape and wonderland.

Emotional Response - one of the ways a tulpa can communicate without speaking; a wave of emotion that did not come from the tulpamancer

 Forcing - anything that happens when the tulpamancer is "creating" the tulpa, from speaking with to thinking about

• Active Forcing - usually a long amount of time where the tulpamancer dedicates themselves to focusing on the tulpa
• Passive Forcing - the tulpamancer does something else while also thinking about the tulpa (e.g., reading to them)

Form - the appearance that the tulpa or the tulpamancer takes on within the mind

Host - the person who created the tulpa or tulpas. see creator and tulpamancer.

Imposition - a "controlled hallucination" where the tulpamancer perceives the tulpa with the senses (sees them just as they would anyone else)

Metaphysics - (when talking about tulpas) the thought that suggests tulpas are paranormal beings brought on by magic rather than science

Mindvoice - the voice you hear in your head as you're reading this, to put it simply. the tulpa also has a mindvoice, which comes about eventually.

Mindscape - an imaginary place within the mind where the tulpamancer and tulpa can interact; often the home of the tulpa. see also dreamscape and wonderland.

Narration - when the tulpamancer speaks or reads to their tulpa.

Parallel Processing - the tulpa can focus on something completely different than what the tulpamancer is focusing on

Parroting - the tulpamancer makes the tulpa speak, which can be helpful with vocalization

Puppeting - the tulpamancer makes the tulpa move, which can be helpful with visualization

Possession - the tulpa controls a part or all of the tulpamancer's body

Proxying - when you communicate with someone on behalf of your tulpa, often in written form

Servitor - a tulpa-like entity that is not sentient, and is instead more of a mental puppet that is created to do one thing only

Switching - allowing the tulpa to inhabit the tulpamancer's body in the "real world" and the tulpamancer inhabit the tulpa's body in wonderland.

Tulpa - a real "imaginary friend"; a separate conscious created from within the mind

Tupamancer - the person who created the tulpa or tulpas. see also creator and host.

Visualization - using the mind's eye to see tulpa(s) or wonderland.

Vocal - used when the tulpa can communicate in full, coherent sentences

Wonderland - an imaginary place within the mind where the tulpamancer and tulpa can interact; often the home of the tulpa. see also dreamscape and mindscape.

Myth Busters

That title is just so original, I can't even look. *sarcasm*

Just as with anything else in the world (especially things that happen to be, shall we say, "underground"), there are several misunderstandings surrounding tulpas and their creators, most of which are powered by fear and, when provided with knowledge and the right amount of open-mindedness, should be knocked out pretty easily. :) I won't be able to get all of the misconceptions into one post, but this should encompass some of the bigger ones.

Bull Crap, the First: Tulpas are Evil!

Nope. The whole thing about tulpas being evil and killing their creators has been spread through creepypasta, but is in fact a load of baloney. Aside from the fact that tulpas cannot kill their creators, they're very unlikely to want to. These are sentient beings, after all, and most sentient beings do not want to kill themselves--for that is what a tulpa would be doing if they killed their host.

All tulpas love their creators, unless their creators beat them or rape them (in which case the tulpamancers don't deserve to be loved, anyway). In those situations it is possible that the tulpa would try to lash out, but even then they would not be able to kill.

Which leads me to . . .

Bull Crap, the Second: Tulpas Will Take Over Your Body

No, they won't. Not without your permission. They can, and that is called possession (if the tulpa takes over parts of your body) or switching (if you and your tulpa switch places), but they will not do this randomly or if you are not ready. They may want to and ask if you would like to, but you are at perfect liberty to say no. Heck, even if you're too shy to say no they'll understand that you don't really want it and aren't likely to push you into it, with an exception perhaps being if they think it will be better for your confidence, or some such.

Bull Crap, the Third: Once You Get Started there's Somebody Following You Around

This one is possibly the one that I found creepiest when I first heard about tulpas. If you're falling into this then you probably imagine it to be like a "real person" that you would see in your everyday life that is following you from place to place. No. When a tulpa looks that real, that means that you've gone through months and months of imposition. Imposition is not bad (though for some is dreaded, but not mandatory) for you or your tulpa, but it won't happen within seconds, or minutes, or days. It, more than anything else, is the most likely to occur only when you have dedicated enough time to it.

Furthermore, it is pretty easy to ask your tulpa to leave you alone for a bit. They'll understand. While you're at work or school you could ask them to spend some time with you, or you can ask them to hang out in wonderland. Just for example, I normally read to James if I'm going to be doing that, but the other day I decided that I wanted to read alone and asked James to go to wonderland until I got finished and to meditate over everything I had said on a specific trait of his. When I asked him to come back, I was pleased to see that he had finished the trait himself. Pretty cool.

In short, no, your tulpa isn't going to be following you around . . . unless you want them to, or if you don't really care either way.

Bull Crap, the Fourth: People Who Say They Have Tulpas are Insane

No, we're not insane. We don't have schizophrenia or DID or any other mental disorder you can think of (and for anyone who does, they are a minority). Furthermore, you cannot give yourself a chemical imbalance of the brain. Not without a lot of drugs (and no, this isn't caused by drugs, either). If you were to start tulpamancing and realize that he/she/it is sentient, well, in the words of Luna Lovegood, you're just as sane as I am (and I'm just as sane as the rest of the world).

Bull Crap, the Fifth: This is Magic

No. No, we are not waving our wands or performing any ritual to create our tulpas. This is a psychological technique that allows you to create a separate consciousness from within your own mind.

(To be fair, I should mention that there are some people in the tulpa community that believe that tulpas are created by magic, but that theory isn't widely accepted and I'm all for the psychological reasons.)

Bull Crap, the Sixth: Tulpas Are Just a Replacement for Friends

No! In fact, a tulpa is much more likely to encourage you to interact with your existing friends or for you to get out and meet new people than they are to want you only to themselves. They aren't selfish (unless you created them that way or they deviated that way, and even then . . .) and most often want what is best for you. They care about you, and not having any friends is not a healthy way to live.

I am not saying that your tulpa cannot be your friend, or even your best friend, but they should not be your sole friend, if you can help it at all.

Bull Crap, the Seventh: Tulpas Can't Do Anything for You, So What's the Point?

I don't understand why someone would think this.

A tulpa can know everything about you, and will if you don't tell them not to go snooping around your subconscious. As the person who knows you the best and understands why you feel everything that you do, then how could they ever be unable to help you? That's just not logical.

I've heard stories of tulpas helping to get rid of mental hindrances such as depression and general sadness and to even take away physical pain, to an extent. Tulpas have been known to support their creators when they need it most (and even when they don't), encourage them to do the best and be better than what they are, open up whole new realms of possibilities . . . honestly, so much is possible that it would be asking a lot of me to mark it all down in one paragraph--or even just one post.

Tulpas are highly beneficial. Just remember that.

Bull Crap, the Eighth: Tulpas Aren't Real.

Go ahead. See for yourself. Then, when you're done, you can tell me whether or not they're real.

Prove It!

If you have made it this far, then you should at least have a basic idea of what a tulpa is (a sentient being that shares your brain, but is not you, that you create; it is completely safe to have a tulpa, etc.). What you're wanting now is most likely proof. Cold, hard, factual proof that you can really do this, that I'm not crazy--and, for that matter, that no one else who does this is . . . you want scientific evidence, you want specific fields of study, you want everything in the world that can point out that all this is real.

The truth is, I can't give you any of that. Wait! Keep reading. :)

I've heard people compare tulpamancing to lucid dreaming before, probably because they both come from Tibetan Buddhism and are both misunderstood by the general public. Furthermore, I'm going to go so far as to say that most people have had a "lower form" of a tulpa (i.e., an imaginary friend) at at least one point in their lives, and everyone in the world, regardless of whether they remember it or not, has had a lucid dream. Both tulpamancing and lucid dreaming can connect you straight to your subconscious in one way or another, and in fact many tulpamancers practice lucid dreaming. That being said, however, it isn't fair to compare tulpas to lucidity as far as proving that they're real goes, because lucid dreaming has been proven, while tulpas have not. In other words, don't listen to anyone who tries to say that tulpas can't be proven because the creators are a bunch of lucid dreaming weirdos.

Because tulpas have not been proven, I have to ask you to open your mind a bit, no matter how skeptical you might be. I can understand the struggle of being a skeptic completely, but don't be so narrow-minded. Forget tulpamancing for a moment--being narrow-minded isn't good, period. So.

Take a deep breath. Try not to concentrate on how weird the thought of a tulpa is to you, or how you think I'm just trolling, or whatever else is running through your head. Instead, try to remember that, even now, science does not know everything that goes on in the world. Indeed, science doesn't even know everything about the human brain . . . in fact, there's a great deal about the human brain that science just doesn't understand. Right about now you should be considering this fact; you know it's true. Is it not possible, then, that tulpas simply have yet to be proven, rather than they cannot be?

"Well," you might say, "then why haven't they been proven?"

Of course, scientists have not heard about every little thing in the world--I mean, they're human, too! So, since they haven't heard about everything . . . well, to put it simply, why would they research something they've never heard of? People who have tulpas make up a remarkably small population compared to the people who call for research in areas such as marine biology, astronomy, zoology, and so on.

What am I trying to get at? To be blunt, most people haven't even heard of tulpas, and if they have then usually it's the creepypasta bull crap (not that I'm knocking creepypasta . . . well, okay, I might be a bit). With so few people aware of the reality of tulpas, why would there be any research on it?

So no, I can't direct you to any official research links. Which is, of course, why I've asked that you be so open-minded.

I would now like to point a finger at community.tulpa.info, which is hands down the largest community (both online and off) for tulpas and creators that exists today. We're talking well over a hundred people that have joined and have made tulpas, or are in the process of making tulpas. Now, let's be logical here: do you really think that that many people would spend that much time--we're talking years here--bull crapping? If you answered "yes" to that question, then you're only fooling yourself.

Most people, even during the creation process, remain skeptical of the existence of tulpas. It's perfectly normal. However, once they start hearing and feeling their tulpa, and seeing them, and when things start happening in your wonderland that you know you didn't do . . . only so many things can happen and you still try to deny their existence.

When I first started creating James, I was a bit on the fence. I insisted that I knew he was real, and a large part of me believed it, but there was still that small part that was unsure. After three days' time I felt him--and, by the way, that feeling was probably the most peaceful, happy feeling I've ever felt--and I knew at that time that he was definitely real.

My story is similar to so many others'. One guy talked about how he first heard his tulpa in the shower and knew that he couldn't deny her existence any longer, and another one said that he felt his tulpa "disappear" for a day and, when he went to his wonderland, everything was different--because she had changed it. Things like this pop up all the time in the tulpa community, and if you ever decide to create one the same might happen to you.

Yes, tulpas are real. I'm one of the many that know this because I've experienced it in person. You can believe me, or you can not believe me, but that doesn't change the truth.