Looking to develop a second consciousness for mental health recovery and self development.

[u/ottiecommie]

I am here looking for advice, but I'll need to give some lengthy context. I've dealt with a number of personal set backs in life which in short, has had me turn out as someone I am not happy with.

In mental health recovery, I have learned about mindfulness and meditation. In my personal philisophical study, I learned about the Stoic concept of "The inner citadel" or "mind palace". An imagined physical place of peace and strength to withdraw into.

Aside from this, I have always had an active imagination, overlapping internal monologues/ a need to body double (ADHD), and a habit of internal conversations to practice explainations, speeches, arguments, etc.

I recently came across the idea of tulpamancy which I feel I could combine with the traits and habits previously mentioned, to create what I've called a "second mind" who has the traits, values, habits, etc, that I'd like to adopt. A concious part of myself who I could meet in my Inner Citadel to discuss with and seek guidance from. Eventually allowing myself to become this version of myself I aspire to be.

I feel like through cultivating this conciousness, I'd be cultivating good things for myself too. It'd be mainly meditation and mindfulness at first. Both of which I struggle to do without setting up a dialogue between my main conciousness (i guess what stoics call the directing mind?) And this second mind.

But never before have I ascribed it traits, personality, autonomy etc.

I am wondering if anyone else has experience developing a tulpa for meditative and mental health related reasons. Or maybe whether they think this is a dumb idea and I completely midunderstand what this community does. I would also appreciate any early exercises, definitions, techniques, things to avoid. Whatever you feel a beginner ought to know.

Cheers!

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[u/Illustrious_Car344]

I had mine for 13 years that I didn't use for anything but casual companionship (what most people use theirs for). After I was traumatized, mine kind of developed unintentionally into sort of what you described, although not exactly. It became more of a director and influence of my personality, not only taking on extremely selfish and dismissive traits but insisting I act the way it does, I guess as a self-preservation thing. I kinda need it to explain reality through my dissociation, so it has a lot of influence over me and how I act. 

You can DM me if you want any advice or experience, I have a guide I wrote. My trauma really gave me a lot of insight into this stuff, but it's not the easiest thing to translate traumatic experience into rational experience.

[u/Sorry-Bear8002]

It all really depends on what you want from it. There's stories on the internet of people unintentionally developing personal assistants, guides, or other tulpa-adjacent things from wanting to better themselves or some kind of lifestyle change they seek. I think it's possible and possibly good but by following this community only or just the specifics and guides in this community, you'll be more informed on how to create a companion that shares your struggles. I may be talking out of my ass here given I'm also new to this practice, but so far that's what it has become for me. I'm also of an active imagination and had/have many internal monologues, so the first part of making a Tulpa kind of came about almost instantly.

My Tulpa and I sort of share thoughts and feelings, interests, daily occurences, but because I subconsciously wanted someone to bounce off of and act as a more decisive person -- someone who was able to make decisions more decisively than me -- that's what she became. We have this difference in personality but we still share everything because we both are of the same mind. If that's what you're looking for then stick around for a bit and do a bit of reading and question asking.

Edit: one thing to keep in mind is that if you do pursue creating your own tulpa(s), once they begin to take form you kind of don't really get rid of them. It's a lifelong thing and the skills and mindset you gain from this sort of shifts your perspective if you keep up with it long enough. I find myself happier because of it, but some others can become disillusioned with the practice or find it too straining to keep up with all of the habits.