"Intrusive Thoughtforms" May Actually be Trauma Parts

[Ranger]

I prefer cocreation instead of tulpamancy and cobud instead of tulpa

 

Edit (3/5/26): I forgot about instances involving schizophrenia or similar conditions. While this could still apply, I don't think it would be as useful of a resource. 

Edit (3/9/26): I forgot about OCD, where intrusive thoughts also work differently
I think at this point, I should really emphasize on the may part here. I'm not a doctor or a therapist, just someone who wants to present the idea because it can be helpful advice for some.

 

In the past, we had some weird experiences with "intrusive thoughtforms". They acted like walk-ins/let-ins, but they were hostile. To deal with this in the past, we learned to recognize them as intrusive thoughts and then ignore them by having them sit in a "plush prison". And so we thought case closed, this is useful advice we could give later.

 

But more recently, we're starting to doubt this.

This is pretty rare, and suggesting intrusive thoughtforms are even possible to begin with isn't a great mindset for cocreators. Cocreation is a strongly controlled experience, in the beginning and even after once good communication is established. In the past, we were even "corrected" on them being "intrusive thoughts", not "intrusive thoughtforms".

 

I'm also thinking back on every story where someone cries out for help or gives up on cocreation because their cobud turned out to be "evil". Not all of them were trolling, I knew that. Not too long ago, we found another system's "evil cobuds" or "intrusive thoughtforms" turned out to be shadow work parts. We then self-reflected on our work with our unruly alter parts, compared them to our experiences with "intrusive thoughtforms", and realized... wait a minute. A plush prison? That's what we do for trauma parts so they can't hurt anyone or themselves. There was also something else that came up too, but I'd rather not get into it.

Thus, I want to leave you all with this- is your cobud or potential cobud-to-be lashing out, stressing you out deliberately, and/or saying they are evil and irredeemable? It's possible that's not a cobud, but an alter or an alter part. If it really is an intrusive thought... it will just disappear. I was wrong about "intrusive thoughts" that fight tooth and nail to stick around, that doesn't really make sense.

Then what? I don't recommend ignoring them. Instead, do a self-check. Is this too much for you to deal with right now? If it is, then you can simply tell the part they're not ready. Even if you have to walk away, that's still acknowledging them. If you can work on it, spending time with them will help build trust and you can go from there. They probably popped up because they were triggered by something recently. Regardless, I recommend seeing a mental health professional- trauma work is dangerous to do on your own.

I'm sorry for spreading dubious "advice" in the past. I can see how our old "advice" could be harmful to systems who do have trauma parts, and for cocreators who don't have trauma parts wondering if it could happen to them. And hopefully, maybe some of the systems lurking who are silently struggling with "evil tulpas" will finally get some answers and relief.

Edited March 9 by Ranger
Added context update

[bunnymustdie]

I think there are likely quite a few different types of beings/things that could act like the sort of intrusive thoughtforms you're describing.

 

There's a retired psychotherapist by the name of Jerry Marzinsky who specialized in paranoid schizophrenic patients who had mental voices that would clearly speak to the patients in negative ways and also fight tooth and nail to stick around even when the patients are trying to get rid of them. They are a lot like the sort of intrusive thoughtforms one sometimes see tulpamancers describe encountering, except on steroids. Much stronger.

 

Marzinsky took the time to try to understand the concept of mental voices to better try to help his patients. This book, which I learned about from him, talks about a different type of voice or intrusive thoughtform, presented as a more mental/evolutionary phenomenon. This type does not talk back, but rather blather on to tell stories, usually analyzing the past or fretting about the future in some way. 

 

If you're interested in the idea of intrusive thoughtforms or mental voices/emotions that seem to come uninvited, both of the sources, Marzinsky's materials or the other book, can be interesting to dive into.

 

A lot of these, be it the more malicious mental voices Marzinsky's patients deal with or different type described by the above book, are related to trauma somehow - empowered by, rooted in, or even attracted by them. My own experience is similar to yours in that addressing the subconscious trauma takes the oomph out of these types of intrusive thoughtforms in general, regardless of what they may be. And in a way, dealing with them so that they are no longer affecting you is a lot more important than affixing the "correct" labels on them, i.e, whether one is dealing with an unpleasant metaphysical entity or not.

 

On 3/3/2026 at 7:42 PM, Ranger said:

Regardless, I recommend seeing a mental health professional- trauma work is dangerous to do on your own.

 

I've seen you mention this a few times. Can you elaborate on how the trauma work is dangerous to do on your own? I did this type of work with the aid of my two tulpas, and the sources I learned from did not present such internal work as dangerous when done solo, maybe inefficient at the worst.

[Ranger]

2 hours ago, bunnymustdie said:

I think there are likely quite a few different types of beings/things that could act like the sort of intrusive thoughtforms you're describing.

 

There's a retired psychotherapist by the name of Jerry Marzinsky who specialized in paranoid schizophrenic patients who had mental voices that would clearly speak to the patients in negative ways and also fight tooth and nail to stick around even when the patients are trying to get rid of them. They are a lot like the sort of intrusive thoughtforms one sometimes see tulpamancers describe encountering, except on steroids. Much stronger.

 

Ah crap, I forgot about schizophrenia. Speaking with systems who seem to have it, their thoughts operate on different rules. Their experiences aren't always comparable to someone's without it, so this may not be super useful to them.

However, people with schizophrenia can still have trauma. Given that, trauma work may be necessary to ease symptoms

 

3 hours ago, bunnymustdie said:

If you're interested in the idea of intrusive thoughtforms or mental voices/emotions that seem to come uninvited, both of the sources, Marzinsky's materials or the other book, can be interesting to dive into.

Thank you!

 

3 hours ago, bunnymustdie said:

I've seen you mention this a few times. Can you elaborate on how the trauma work is dangerous to do on your own? I did this type of work with the aid of my two tulpas, and the sources I learned from did not present such internal work as dangerous when done solo, maybe inefficient at the worst.

It can be dangerous if you re-traumatize yourself, and/or get so overwhelmed you lose self-control and decide to self-harm. It's especially concerning if someone already struggles with suicidal thoughts. I can't know how much someone is at risk just by looking at them, so I just assume better safe than sorry.

Although... there may be times you really can't make progress without getting help from someone. And that can open its own can of worms if you're not with a professional.

[bunnymustdie]

18 minutes ago, Ranger said:

It can be dangerous if you re-traumatize yourself, and/or get so overwhelmed you lose self-control and decide to self-harm. It's especially concerning if someone already struggles with suicidal thoughts. I can't know how much someone is at risk just by looking at them, so I just assume better safe than sorry.

 

Oh I see. Thanks for clarifying, I can see how that might be the case for people with very strong traumas and triggers.

 

19 minutes ago, Ranger said:

Although... there may be times you really can't make progress without getting help from someone. And that can open its own can of worms if you're not with a professional.

 

The author of one of the techniques that I use to do this sort of inner work stated something similar. That their technique should not be used by people on themselves, but rather need be used by another person, preferably a trained professional on their technique, on the patient.

 

Their explanation was that doing this sort of work on oneself is similar to a person sitting in the driver side seat of a car, and then expecting to see and even clean the top of the car from their vantage point - another person, who can see the car from a different perspective, is needed. I used one of my tulpas to provide this outside perspective, though, and it worked out for me. I can still see where you're coming from, though.