🔎Paranormal Insights: Tulpa

Can you will a ghost into existence?

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Would you believe that you could will a spirit into existence just by believing in it?

Some hauntings come from the dead, while others can be manifested into the world collectively by us. The tulpa is one of the most disturbing concepts in the paranormal world because it challenges the basic assumption that ghosts are always born from tragedy or trauma. What if a haunting didn't come from something that died, but from something you imagined? What if you could will it into existence? Not just in your mind, but into your home, your life, your reality.

What is a Tulpa?

The word "tulpa" comes from Tibetan mysticism. In ancient Buddhist traditions, a tulpa (or "sprul-pa") was an emanation. A being brought into form through intense meditation, often by monks as part of spiritual practice. The idea wasn't necessarily paranormal in the Western sense. It was more a demonstration of mastery over the mind and its connection to the fabric of reality.

But when the idea entered the West, it changed. In the 20th century, the French explorer and occultist Alexandra David-Néel claimed she created a tulpa during her travels in Tibet. She imagined a short, plump monk. Over time, she said, the figure began to take form, even appearing to others. Eventually, it developed a will of its own and she struggled to get rid of it.

In modern times, the tulpa has taken on a new life in online spaces. On forums like Reddit, people describe deliberately creating tulpas as companions. They use visualisation, journaling and dialogue to bring them into being. These tulpas often begin as imaginary friends, but many report that they gain independence, personalities, even opinions. Some are helpful, while others are not.

Tulpas in the Modern Age

Many online users speak of their tulpas as positive forces. They help with anxiety, offer advice or provide company during difficult times. One user said, "My tulpa comes in to motivate me and double check things so I don't miss a step."

But not every story is wholesome.

Some report their tulpas refusing to cooperate, speaking out of turn or appearing without being summoned. One user wrote, "If we hosts disagree with something our tulpas say and want them to say something else, they can and do refuse."

Another described waking up in the night and finding the tulpa still talking. Not as a comforting presence, but something with its own thoughts. Independent. Awake and willlful.

And then there are darker accounts. Tulpas that change over time. Tulpas that grow more powerful than their creators. Tulpas that seem to attract other sinister things.

Belief as a Creative Force

Some paranormal researchers believe that belief itself is a kind of energy. The more emotion and intention you pour into an idea, the more likely it is to take form. Not just psychologically, but externally. This is especially true in cases involving trauma, obsession or ritual. It is the same theory behind poltergeists and egregores. The idea that we feed energy into something until it becomes real.

Whether tulpas begin as mental constructs or something else, there is a line that, once crossed, leaves many people asking the same question. If it is not me anymore, then what is it?

Paranormal vs Psychological

Sceptics argue that tulpas are a form of dissociation or vivid imagination. They compare them to imaginary friends, coping mechanisms or internal voices shaped by stress or isolation. Some think of them as a mental illness. Others see them as a way to manage it.

But even sceptics admit that tulpa experiences often feel real. They can be so vivid and persistent that they mimic true paranormal encounters. Knocks, voices, footsteps, even apparitions.

And if enough people believe in something, speak to it, name it, interact with it, does it matter whether it started as imaginary?

Should You Be Worried?

Creating a tulpa, even without intent, carries risk. This is not about jump scares or dramatic possessions. It is about subtle changes. You begin to focus on the idea. You interact with it. Over time, the boundaries blur. What once felt like imagination begins to act independently. You may not notice when the balance shifts, only that something now feels present.

Many people start out thinking it is harmless. A ritual for fun. A character for writing. A way to cope with loneliness. But repetition is a powerful force. Attention is a doorway. Belief is the key.

If something responds to you, are you still in control?

Thoughtforms in Print

The concept of tulpas has made its way into both psychological literature and paranormal writing in recent years. While some approach it from a clinical perspective, others explore its occult roots or its real-world consequences. Here are a few notable modern works:

Creating Consciousness: The Psychology and Art of Tulpamancy by Nicholas Guillette (c. 2021)
Guillette combines mental health experience with tulpa practice, framing tulpamancy as a deliberate psychological process. He explores the therapeutic side of tulpas, particularly among neurodivergent individuals, while acknowledging the sometimes eerie autonomy these thoughtforms take on.

Tulpa by R.J. Maxwell (2012)
Though written as fiction, this novel draws heavily on paranormal themes and occult theory. Maxwell crafts a story in which a tulpa begins as a character but gains momentum and independence, eventually pushing into the real world. The book is often cited for its blend of horror and speculative metaphysics.

Walking with Magical Entities by Taylor Ellwood (2023)
Ellwood, a known figure in modern magic, explores how servitors, egregores and thoughtforms can be created intentionally through ritual. Though not using the word "tulpa" exclusively, his writing aligns closely with tulpa practices. He treats them as real presences that, once shaped and named, require care and boundaries.

"Tracking the Tulpa" by Joseph P. Laycock (Academic Paper via JSTOR)
This scholarly paper reviews how tulpas have evolved from ancient mysticism into modern subcultures. It situates tulpas within a framework of belief, culture and mental conditioning, offering a sober lens on how thought becomes form. It is frequently cited in paranormal psychology circles.

These works span belief, science and storytelling. Together they suggest that tulpa creation is not just a fringe practice. It is a serious phenomenon that keeps showing up across fiction, therapy rooms, occult rituals and group experiments.

The Philip Experiment

In 1972, a group of Canadian researchers set out to test a radical idea. Could a group of people create a ghost purely from belief?

They invented a character named Philip Aylesford. A nobleman from the 1600s with a tragic backstory. They gave him a full biography, a portrait and even personal quirks. But Philip was entirely fictional. He never existed.

The group gathered regularly. They meditated on Philip. They held séances. They imagined his presence in the room. For months, nothing happened. Then they decided to change direction. They moved away from a clinical scientific setting to darkened rooms and holding séances. Almost immediately the tables began to vibrate. Tapping sounds answered their questions. Lights flickered. At times, the table seemed to lift off the ground.

Philip responded to questions in character. He expressed emotions. He even made jokes.

But again, Philip was made up. There was no historical record. No real person. The group had willed him into being. Or something had come in his place.

The Philip Experiment remains one of the most famous examples of a tulpa-like entity in paranormal history. Whether it was a psychological trick, a group delusion or something genuinely summoned, the result was the same.

They created a ghost. Just by believing in it.

When Fiction Feels Real

While many writers speak metaphorically about their characters taking on lives of their own, others describe something far more literal.

In a 2012 Wired article titled "Who Really Writes the Stories?" journalist Brandon Keim quoted several authors who said their characters sometimes “walked into my head” and hijacked chapters or demanded their own narrative. These weren’t just vivid ideas. These characters arrived unbidden and shifted the direction of the story. In some cases, the writers felt more like writing tools than creators.

Another example comes from author Paul Whybrow, who contributed to a Litopia thread titled "Haunted by Characters". He described how, after long hours of writing, his fictional creations would intrude into his daily thoughts. He wrote: "By entering the minds of the fictional characters that I create, I sometimes find them intruding into what I previously considered to be my private thought processes."

These aren’t isolated accounts. For those who write fiction, especially deeply immersive fiction, it’s not uncommon to feel that their characters have become something more. Something present. Something that resists control.

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I know I have a lot of writers who read my work, so I want to put this question directly to you.

When you are writing a fictional novel, and obsessing over your characters, do you think you could unknowingly conjure and invite a tulpa into your life?