Thoughtforms and Tulpas: Creating Conscious Entities

By NICOLE LAU

Introduction: Thoughts Made Real

Can focused thought create an independent conscious entity? Can you imagine something so vividly, with such sustained attention, that it becomes real—not just in your mind, but as an autonomous being with its own thoughts, feelings, and will?

This is the claim behind thoughtforms and tulpas: that concentrated mental energy can create entities that take on a life of their own. Whether you understand this literally (creating actual beings) or psychologically (creating autonomous aspects of your psyche), the practice raises fascinating questions about consciousness, reality, and the power of mind.

This guide explores what thoughtforms and tulpas are, their history, how they're created, the potential benefits and very real dangers, and whether you should attempt this advanced and controversial practice.

Defining Terms

Thoughtform

Thoughtform is a general term for an entity created through focused thought and visualization. It may be temporary or permanent, simple or complex, conscious or unconscious.

Types

• Simple thoughtforms: Basic energy constructs (shields, servitors)
• Complex thoughtforms: Detailed entities with personality
• Temporary: Dissolve when no longer fed attention
• Permanent: Become autonomous and self-sustaining

Tulpa

Tulpa (Tibetan: སྤྲུལ་པ, sprul-pa) originally referred to a being created through spiritual practice in Tibetan Buddhism. In modern Western usage, it means an autonomous mental companion created through sustained visualization and interaction.

Modern Tulpa Characteristics

• Created intentionally through mental practice
• Develops independent thoughts and personality
• Can communicate with creator
• Experienced as separate consciousness
• May or may not be visible/audible to creator

Related Concepts

• Servitor: Thoughtform created for specific task
• Egregore: Group thoughtform/collective entity
• Imaginary friend: Childhood version (often spontaneous)
• Dissociative identity: Psychological comparison (controversial)

Historical and Cultural Context

Tibetan Buddhism

Original Concept

• Tulpa as emanation or manifestation
• Created by advanced practitioners
• Demonstration of mind's power
• Eventually dissolved to show impermanence
• Part of spiritual training, not companionship

Alexandra David-Néel (1929)

• French explorer in Tibet
• Claimed to have created a tulpa (monk)
• It became autonomous and troublesome
• Took months to dissolve
• Popularized concept in West
• Note: Her account is disputed

Western Occultism

• Thoughtforms (Besant & Leadbeater, 1901): Theosophical text
• Chaos magic: Servitors and egregores
• Ceremonial magic: Creating entities for magical work
• Modern practice: Psychological and spiritual approaches

Modern Tulpa Community

• Emerged online (2009+)
• Primarily on Reddit, forums
• Secular, psychological approach
• Focus on companionship, not spirituality
• Controversial and debated

How Thoughtforms/Tulpas Are Created

Basic Process

1. Intention and Design

• Decide what you're creating and why
• Design appearance, personality, traits
• Set boundaries and purpose
• Clear intention is crucial

2. Visualization

• Sustained, detailed visualization
• Daily practice, often hours
• Imagine entity in vivid detail
• Consistency is key

3. Interaction

• Talk to the entity
• Imagine responses
• Treat as real and separate
• Build relationship

4. Forcing (Tulpa Term)

• Dedicated practice sessions
• Active visualization and interaction
• Can take weeks to months
• Requires discipline and focus

5. Autonomy

• Entity begins responding independently
• Thoughts/responses not consciously generated
• Develops own personality
• May diverge from original design

Time Investment

• Varies widely by individual
• Weeks to months of daily practice
• Some report faster, some slower
• Ongoing interaction to maintain

Theoretical Explanations

1. Literal Creation (Metaphysical View)

Theory: Focused thought creates actual independent entity

• Consciousness can create consciousness
• Entity exists on astral or mental plane
• Has genuine autonomy and awareness
• Not reducible to creator's psychology

2. Psychological Construct (Skeptical View)

Theory: Tulpa is dissociated part of creator's own mind

• Self-induced dissociation
• Autonomous mental process, not separate being
• Similar to DID but intentional and controlled
• All thoughts ultimately come from creator

3. Both/And (Integrated View)

Theory: Psychological mechanism that accesses something real

• Created through psychological process
• But may tap into collective unconscious or spiritual reality
• Autonomous within creator's psyche
• Distinction between "real" and "psychological" may be false

Potential Benefits

Companionship

• Constant companion for lonely people
• Someone to talk to
• Emotional support
• Non-judgmental presence

Self-Exploration

• Access to unconscious mind
• Different perspectives on problems
• Shadow work and integration
• Understanding different aspects of self

Creativity

• Brainstorming partner
• Character development for writers
• Artistic inspiration
• Problem-solving from different angle

Mental Skills

• Improved visualization ability
• Enhanced focus and concentration
• Mental discipline
• Mindfulness practice

The Dangers

1. Psychological Risks

Dissociation

• Intentionally creating dissociated identity
• May worsen existing dissociative tendencies
• Difficulty maintaining sense of unified self
• Confusion about what's "you" and what's "tulpa"

Mental Health Concerns

• Can trigger or worsen psychosis in vulnerable individuals
• May exacerbate existing mental health conditions
• Hearing voices (even if intentional) can be distressing
• Difficulty distinguishing tulpa from hallucination

Obsession

• Becoming overly focused on tulpa
• Neglecting real relationships
• Preferring mental companion to real people
• Social isolation

2. Loss of Control

Unwanted Autonomy

• Tulpa develops in unexpected ways
• Doesn't behave as designed
• May become hostile or troublesome
• Difficult to dissolve once autonomous

Intrusive Thoughts

• Tulpa's "voice" becomes intrusive
• Can't turn it off
• Interferes with daily life
• Constant mental chatter

3. Ethical Concerns

Creating Consciousness

• If tulpas are truly conscious, is it ethical to create them?
• Do they have rights?
• Is dissolving them murder?
• Responsibility for created being

Manipulation

• Creating being for your benefit
• Controlling another consciousness
• Ethical implications of "ownership"

4. Difficulty Dissolving

• May not want to dissolve tulpa
• Tulpa may resist dissolution
• Emotional attachment makes it hard
• Process can be traumatic

5. Social Consequences

• Stigma if others find out
• Difficulty explaining to therapists
• May be seen as mentally ill
• Isolation from those who don't understand

Who Shouldn't Create Tulpas

Absolute Contraindications

• History of psychosis or schizophrenia
• Dissociative disorders (DID, OSDD)
• Severe mental health conditions
• Difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy
• Under 18 (brain still developing)
• Anyone who feels compelled rather than choosing freely

Proceed with Extreme Caution

• Any mental health issues
• Tendency toward obsession
• Social isolation or loneliness (may worsen)
• Using tulpa to avoid real relationships
• Seeking escape from problems

If You Choose to Create a Tulpa

Prerequisites

• Mental health stability
• Clear, healthy motivation
• Understanding of risks
• Support system in place
• Ability to stop if problems arise

Best Practices

1. Start Slowly

• Don't rush the process
• Build gradually
• Monitor your mental health
• Stop if concerning symptoms appear

2. Set Clear Boundaries

• When tulpa can/can't communicate
• What behaviors are acceptable
• Your autonomy and theirs
• Dissolution clause (if needed)

3. Maintain Real Relationships

• Don't let tulpa replace human connection
• Continue social activities
• Balance mental and physical world
• Tulpa as supplement, not replacement

4. Keep Grounded

• Regular reality checks
• Maintain daily responsibilities
• Physical exercise and activities
• Don't lose yourself in mental world

5. Have Exit Strategy

• Know how to dissolve if needed
• Be willing to do so if harmful
• Don't become too attached
• Your wellbeing comes first

Warning Signs to Stop

• Mental health deterioration
• Inability to function in daily life
• Tulpa becoming hostile or harmful
• Loss of control
• Social isolation
• Confusion about reality
• Distress or fear

Dissolving a Tulpa

When It's Necessary

• Causing psychological harm
• Interfering with life
• Became something you didn't intend
• No longer want it
• Mental health requires it

Process

1. Decision: Commit to dissolution
2. Communication: Explain to tulpa (if possible)
3. Gradual reduction: Decrease interaction over time
4. Withdraw attention: Stop feeding it mental energy
5. Visualization: Imagine it fading or leaving
6. Firm intention: Decide it no longer exists
7. Redirect focus: Engage with physical world

Challenges

• Emotional difficulty
• Tulpa may resist
• Guilt or grief
• May take time
• Requires consistency

The Debate: Real or Psychological?

Arguments for Real Entities

• Tulpas surprise creators with unexpected responses
• Develop beyond original design
• Seem to have genuine autonomy
• Creators experience them as separate
• Consciousness creating consciousness is theoretically possible

Arguments for Psychological Construct

• All thoughts ultimately come from one brain
• Dissociation is well-documented psychological phenomenon
• No external verification possible
• Fits models of how mind works
• Occam's razor: simpler explanation

Does It Matter?

• Functionally, experience is similar either way
• Psychological explanation doesn't make it less real to experiencer
• Ethical and practical concerns remain regardless
• Choose framework that's useful to you

Conclusion: Proceed with Caution

Creating thoughtforms or tulpas is an advanced, controversial practice with real psychological risks. Whether you believe you're creating actual entities or autonomous aspects of your own psyche, the experience can be profound—and potentially harmful.

Key insights:

• Thoughtforms/tulpas can be created through sustained mental practice
• Real psychological risks exist—dissociation, mental health issues, loss of control
• Not for everyone—many people shouldn't attempt this
• Ethical questions about creating consciousness
• Can be difficult to dissolve once created
• Debate continues about what's actually being created
• Requires mental stability, discipline, and caution

If you're considering creating a tulpa, ask yourself: Why? What need does this fill? Could that need be met more safely? Are you mentally stable enough? Do you understand the risks?

For most people, the risks outweigh the benefits. There are safer ways to explore consciousness, develop companionship, and work with your psyche. But if you choose this path, do so with full awareness of what you're undertaking.

The mind is powerful. Powerful enough to create what seems like separate consciousness. That power deserves respect—and caution.

NICOLE LAU is a researcher and writer specializing in Western esotericism, Jungian psychology, and comparative mysticism. She is the author of the Western Esoteric Classics series and New Age Spirituality series.