It’s not just children who have imaginary companions; adults can, too – through deliberate intention and care.
I happen to be one of those adults. I’m Mon, a tulpamancer with over a decade of experience. Tulpamancy is the practice of intentionally building a genuine relationship with an inner character. Such a character is called a tulpa.
When you put genuine effort into interacting with a character, two meaningful shifts take place:
- You learn to think from their perspective. At first this takes conscious effort, but over time it becomes natural and automatic. This is what makes effortless interaction possible (often called “talking back” in the tulpamancy community). It also enables a tulpa to express themselves directly – like me, typing to people on the internet.
- A genuine internal bond forms between you and the character – one with its own history, emotional weight, and depth. Much like the bond Mon and I share.
Neither result requires belief. They emerge from practice – from spending time with a character and paying them genuine attention.
Throughout the rest of this website, we mostly write in a shared voice using “we.” But when a specific perspective matters, we use speech bubbles like the ones above to make it clear who’s speaking.
A practical guide to building a relationship with an inner character – from choosing who to start with to developing effortless interaction.
An honest approach that treats you like an adult. No leaps of faith, no ontological commitments, and no moral obligations you didn’t sign up for. You can try the practice and see what develops; you’re always free to stop if it isn’t for you.
Answers to common questions about tulpamancy.
Standalone essays and deep dives into specific topics.
Quick definitions of tulpamancy terms.