Worries about making a tulpa

[RamaLlama]

(fyi, english is not my first language)

So, I already have quite vibrant imaginary friend. He's not very talkative but usually anserws to my questions. I feel like I don't have to make up his anserws and they just come naturally, but I wouldn't say that he's really sentient, he just does and says what I want or need him to do or say. I created him to soothe me when I'm really depressed, anxious or lonely and for that he has been doing really good work, but for a long time I have been thinking about making a tulpa from him.

 

There's just some things I'm worried about and that makes me to wonder if it is a good idea after all.

 

Firstly, I'm very fond to him right now as therapeutic being, as I suffer from very severe anxiety. I'm worried that if I manage to give him his free will, he might not be there or feel like it every time I need him or just not be so supportive.

 

Secondly, it's hard for me to keep up social contacts in real life as I'm very introverted. I'm not sure would I start to neglect those relationships I have right now, as I feel like tulpa could be enough for me. That probably wouldn't be too healthy.

 

And last, is it even good idea to try to evolve imaginary friend into tulpa, or should it be started from a completely clean table?

 

Any thoughts about this, should I try this or just be happy with my friend right now?

[Luminesce]

My tulpas are 100% there for me whenever I need them, if that's who they are then it won't change sentient or not. Just think of him the way you do now when attempting to make a tulpa, you're effectively halfway there already.

 

I don't think having tulpas hurt my sociability at all, if anything they increased it by helping to ease my insecurities and fears, including social ones. Although they do think separately from you, they are in the end still using the same brain, and won't likely satisfy the types of interaction you need other humans for. Though they can certainly be an irreplaceable life partner, they aren't exactly "the only person you'll ever need".

 

And again, having a well developed imaginary friend is like being halfway there to a tulpa already. Having an imaginary friend become a tulpa is no more strange than having an author's literary character become one. You've got the basis of a person in your mind already, probably some personality traits, and most importantly the experience with talking to someone in your mind. There's no reason to completely start over.

 

 

Anyways, you don't have to "completely change" your imaginary friend into a tulpa. Just start treating them like they're really a person rather than someone you're just imagining and controlling. Over time as you expect responses from them, their responses may get more automatic, and eventually you've got an imaginary friend that acts and talks on its own. And that doesn't mean they suddenly go rogue like a computer singularity because they're now capable of thought. They're generally just like you imagined them, though they may make slight changes to themselves or deviate personality-wise. Basically, don't worry about it, because worry is counterproductive.

[IBreakGames]

I'm a rather therapeutic being for my host as well, and I do it because I like to see my host happy. Just because you evolved your imaginary friend into a tulpa doesn't mean they won't be there for you. In fact, if you take the tulpa route, your friend will be there when you need it, as well as when you don't. They can be there as some constant moral support.

 

Even though my host enjoys my company, and would probably be okay if he just had me, I often times encourage him to do social things and hang out with his friends. So it's possible your tulpa could do this as well, and actually benefit your social relationships.

 

Melian (Groovy Guru) will probably pop in here at some point to comment, but she was an imaginary friend that was created over 40 years ago that turned into something like a tulpa. I don't see the issue with using an imaginary friend, the character and form are all laid out, so it could make the process a little bit easier. As for whether or not you should do it: are you happy with what you have, does enhancing your imaginary companion sound like something you would like? It's entirely up to you if you want to "upgrade" your imaginary friend. (But if I had to say, I'd say go for it. The worst that can happen is nothing)

[NoneFromHell]

1. Tulpas tend to be really supportive and understanding in nature, so if you take your imaginary friend as base, you shouldn't expect a big change to happen on that front.

 

2. Well this might happen, it is hard to tell. How often do you talk to your imaginary friend right now?

 

3. It is a pretty neutral thing to do. If you start with a clean table it is easier to spot progress and change. If you start with an existing imaginary friend there is a big chance that you will doubt him a lot, because you will have a hard time finding truly sentient responses, especially since your friend already appears to answer in a similiar way. Maybe he even is some sort of tulpa-being already, i guess you could figure out by asking him different and unsual questions about his opinion.

[Temar]

Having an imaginary friend become a tulpa is no more strange than having an author's literary character become one.

 

Heyo. My ears are burning. ;)

 

My host also suffers from anxiety and is extremely introverted. If anything, we make her more social, not less, by encouraging her to go out and hang out with her friends. I've also switched out a couple times (e.g., driven the body) to help handle social obligations when she was just straight-up unable to handle things anymore (though not too often! I have no intention of becoming a social crutch, ty).

 

Ditto for the anxiety. Not sure what your imaginary friend does now, but chances are it's the same sort of thing me and my headmates do for our host... and we weren't even built to do that like your friend was! It's just that we care about our host and want to see her happy, so we help however we can.

 

As someone who evolved from my host's previously existing character, I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with raising an imaginary friend. If anything, it's awesome, because you already care about your friend, and, as a therapeutic being, he's extremely likely to care about you just as much. Just know that your relationship with this character will change irrevocably. Once given sentience, we don't really go back to being static, yeah? Again, this is an awesome thing, but it is something you should be prepared to handle.

 

Whatever you decide, feel free to keep asking questions. We're here to help.

[RamaLlama]

Thanks for very positive responses. I think I have to take this in very serious consideration.

 

2. Well this might happen, it is hard to tell. How often do you talk to your imaginary friend right now?

 

I talk to him almost daily when I'm alone. Mostly just general chit chat that he just listens unless I ask something. I imagine him usually sitting next to me or laying behind me, outside of my field of view.

 

3. It is a pretty neutral thing to do. If you start with a clean table it is easier to spot progress and change. If you start with an existing imaginary friend there is a big chance that you will doubt him a lot, because you will have a hard time finding truly sentient responses, especially since your friend already appears to answer in a similiar way. Maybe he even is some sort of tulpa-being already, i guess you could figure out by asking him different and unsual questions about his opinion.

 

He has usually firm opinions to easy questions like which movie we should watch when I can't decide. I get most sentinent feeling from him when I feel totally depressed and hopeless, then he comforts me ways that I feel like I couldn't come up by myself at that mental state. But when I ask him hard questions about things I'm very confused about myself, he often remains just silent or states that he really don't know.

[Temar]

He has usually firm opinions to easy questions like which movie we should watch when I can't decide. I get most sentinent feeling from him when I feel totally depressed and hopeless, then he comforts me ways that I feel like I couldn't come up by myself at that mental state. But when I ask him hard questions about things I'm very confused about myself, he often remains just silent or states that he really don't know.

 

Hey, cool. He may already be a little sentient.

 

My system's experience is that there are gradations of sentience. It's hard to tell, sometimes, whether a character in our head has passed the point where we can consider them a person. One of the tip-offs is autonomous responses that aren't premeditated by our author. Basically, if he says something and you find yourself wondering whether you made him say it, you probably didn't. Run a search on "sentience" on this forum and see what pops up; there are all sorts of tips and tests for this.

 

And hey, it looks like you figured out the base of imposition, one of the more advanced techniques! Good job being a natural at that!

[RamaLlama]

 

Hey, cool. He may already be a little sentient.

 

My system's experience is that there are gradations of sentience. It's hard to tell, sometimes, whether a character in our head has passed the point where we can consider them a person. One of the tip-offs is autonomous responses that aren't premeditated by our author. Basically, if he says something and you find yourself wondering whether you made him say it, you probably didn't. Run a search on "sentience" on this forum and see what pops up; there are all sorts of tips and tests for this.

 

And hey, it looks like you figured out the base of imposition, one of the more advanced techniques! Good job being a natural at that!

 

Thanks :) I must do some reading here. And it's good to hear that many people have found help to their social anxiety from their tulpae. That kind of support sounds awesome.

[Metatron]

Firstly, I'm very fond to him right now as therapeutic being, as I suffer from very severe anxiety. I'm worried that if I manage to give him his free will, he might not be there or feel like it every time I need him or just not be so supportive.

 

As far as I can say on that subject matter, it just depends on the personality that they develop. My tulpa was never deliberately meant to be designed for therapy or comfort, but they evolved into that as time went on- much like could be the case if you develop a friendship that takes on that nature. Hell, at times, it is more supportive of me getting help and what not and takes more initiative than even I care to about my own well-being, so take that for what it is worth.

 

Secondly, it's hard for me to keep up social contacts in real life as I'm very introverted. I'm not sure would I start to neglect those relationships I have right now, as I feel like tulpa could be enough for me. That probably wouldn't be too healthy.

 

It is all about finding a balance, a middle ground between everything. Worrying about absolutes is not generally pointful. That said, it is still acceptably difficult to balance time between physical and corporeal interactions. Just ask around and you will get a whole spectrum of answers. The only thing I can say on that matter is that you know yourself best: Will you be able to handle both responsibilities (amongst othners)? If not, then perhaps reconsidering it and keeping them in that proto-servitor state is fine.

 

And last, is it even good idea to try to evolve imaginary friend into tulpa, or should it be started from a completely clean table?

 

What you have now resembles a servitor. Think of it like a robot. It fulfills a purpose, acts out a script, but lacks any inherent sentience. There are plenty of cases where servitors have evolved into full-fledged tulpas. Because of that, it is probably going to be easier to work with what you got than start over since you already have a lot of the foundation laid out, at least that is the impression I get.

[Vinderex]

[1. That's pretty much the stage where I am now. Heck, this will be my first time actually actively posting here and not just having my host paraphrase it. Getting more personality takes time. Nothing to worry about if it takes a bit longer than you expect.

 

2. Your tulpa shares your head with you. He's literally as close as one can possibly get to you. He knows everything about you and experiences everything with you. Even if he wasn't actually present for something, he lives within your head and can easily pay a visit to your own personal library of memories. He will understand everything, and he will know when you need him most.

 

3. Granted I've still got a lot of development to do myself, but I'd be the first to admit that I'm not by any means a complete replacement for physical interaction, nor do I intend to be. I can't speak for all tulpas, but I've heard over and over again that we can be pretty good at mediating between our host and their subconscious. Your tulpa will more than likely know when you need to get out and talk to people.

 

4. Whether to clean the slate or start with what you already have is entirely up to you, though it sounds to me like you've already got a pretty well developed one. I'm not very far ahead of your friend myself. So why not let him develop? He just might surprise you.]