Beyond the Beyond: Tulpas – Creating Life with the Mind
Is there a power of the mind? An ability to bring thoughts to life? For many centuries, occultists, mystics, and monks have whispered about such a power. In Tibetan mysticism, such creations are called tulpas, mental constructs so vivid and autonomous that they seem to gain minds of their own.
The concept comes from the word sprul-pa, a Tibetan Buddhism belief that translates to “manifestation” or “emanation.” Supposedly, highly trained monks could enter a state of meditation so deep that they could visualize a person, or creature, and bring it to life. They were known by many as thoughtforms, and would help their creators in spiritual practice, or to do certain deeds for them.
In the 1920s, Belgian-French explorer Alexandra David-Néel claimed to have created a tulpa through month of mediation. At first, this “jolly monk” would appear faint, almost like a ghost, but eventually its appearance was more solid and he would accompany her on day-to-day activities. She wrote that it eventually took on a mind of its own, became very mischievous, thin, and gaunt. It was menacing, and she felt its presence even when it was not summoned. Eventually, the exhausted and quite frightened David-Néel undertook an exhausting ritual of meditation to dissolve the tulpa.
Tibetan texts have long warned that tulpas can be unpredictable and even defiant at times. Once a thoughtform develops a strong sense of identity, it may act on its own, mirroring its creator’s deepest fears and strongest desires. The idea that these creations can be allies and present potential dangers are a common theme when discussing the topic of tulpas.
By the mid 20th century, many occultists began discussing tulpas in their literature, with many authors describing them as “mental servants.” If the creator was not careful, these tulpas could impose their will on both the creator and external world. Communities of “Tulpamancers” appeared on the internet in the early 2000s, where users shared meditation techniques to bring these entities to life.
Modern psychologists suggest that tulpas may be the mind’s ability to split into pieces and form inner characters, to dissociate and create what children might call “imaginary friends.” fMRI studies have shown that imagining someone else’s perspective can activate similar brain areas as interacting with an actual real person.
Are these people psyching themselves out, or is there more to it? Maybe these Tulpas are thoughtforms bridging mental and material reality, but so far this remains unproven. What if this ties back to the UFO phwnomenon? Men in Black. Alien abductions. Perhaps there are factions who have perfected the art of creating matter from mind and are using it for their own and known reasons. In the end, everything around us was created using imagination. From the chair you are sitting in to the house you are living in to the screen you are reading this on. It’s all from the mind. And maybe the boundary between thought and reality isn’t as solid as we like to think. Maybe the mind’s ability to make things tangible casts a much wider net than we had previously… imagined.
Have you created a tulpa? Message @beyondthebeyond1 on Instagram.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Sierra Now. Readers are encouraged to conduct further research and consult with relevant experts or professionals before making any decisions or taking any actions based on the information provided in this article.
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