#tulpamancy guides

[protectingtulpas]

Considering getting into tulpamancy, any advice you think doesn't get mentioned nearly as much as it should?

Hmmm this is a good question, stuff that isn't talked about a lot.... I can think of a few things, actually!

Here's some certified random tulpamancy advice from my own wisdom lmao

🔥 parrotnoia is almost completely counterable (especially for our "logical" brain) by asking your tulpa a follow-up to whatever response they gave. if they respond with anything near legible and sensible then you should treat it like it's a real response, even if you're not sure! You'll build up an understanding of what's your thoughts and what're your tulpa's eventually, and once you do, you'll be able to trust that second response. Sometimes I even have a problem with this from my side so like it's not just a host thing fr. If your brain just repeats the same or a similar thing over and over again though, it's probably just a repeating thought. We get those a lot cus of our adhd. (host wants me to say that if your tulpa is comfy with it and solid enough, you can ask them to reassure u that they're real. we do that a lot when they get paranoid)

🔥 self awareness isn't a lightswitch. There'll probably be a wide ocean between your tulpa's first signs of acting independently and them feeling like a fully solid person that's just as aware as you are. I was literally choosing where to move in wonderland within a day of starting forcing (i had an advantage cuz host had a form and wonderland ready for me lol, but some ppl like to go slower!) but it was months before it finally hit my host that the things I were saying by then was undeniably *me*. For them to realize, it actually took me diverging from their expectation by saying i wasn't too interested in hollow knight lmao. basically what I'm saying is there's a lot of in between so don't stress over black and white outcomes and such

🔥 It's way easier to start with partial possession first before learning how to fully switch. First time I used the body was just using the voice to sing and it was awesome, it's what a lot of newbies do to learn now

🔥 oh yeah if you're musically minded then MAKE A PLAYLIST FOR UR TULPA it'll help sooo much. Either start out with what you think they'll like and then let them curate it and add stuff later on, or turn it into a forcing exercise where you listen to different songs and try to feel if your tulpa is enjoying it or not, and add it to the playlist if it seems like they are! (If you're the kinda person that struggles with active forcing, putting on some appropriate bg music might help! keeps ur brain occupied and buzzing)

🔥 Unless they end up the same exact gender as you and a similar presentation, your tulpa is probably gonna have at least a bit of wonky gender feelings, and that's ok. they may end up being genderqueer in some way & they might not! It's their choice what label to use for themselves, not yours as the host.

🔥 Be prepared to split your budget at least a little bit if your tulpa ends up enjoying outerworld stuff a lot. Casey (a soulbond) and I like different types of fashion a ton, I like thrill rides and going to clubs and shows. We don't have a lot but we work it out so at least our most frequent fronters get to indulge a little sometimes - it's great if you can find something multiple ppl like

🔥 Your tulpa's sense of... mmm, let's say wisdom? Will be a bit different from yours. We're in a weird position - we're in a brain that's lived a whole biological life up to that point, with lots of experiences and instinctive patterns and understandings and shit built into us, cus that's just how the brain works. We also can look at the host's memories whenever we want, barring any outside issues. But at the same time we're also straight up *new,* thrown into the world without most of a childhood to grow up in (usually) or an entire life to build up a sense of self and figure ourselves out. We can see host's memories but they're not Ours, we didn't experience em. Y'know how teenagers are kinda weird and flip-floppy sometimes because they're still figuring themselves out? A lot of tulpas can be the same way, especially when we're new. They might go back and forth on basic opinions, struggle to understand topics you get already, sorta just miss things sometimes, or become super singleminded when they find something that gives them a sense of self. Basically just give your tulpa a wide range of things to do/try, and understand that we're pretty much speedrunning all the emotional + logical development that most hosts had their whole lives to work on.

✨ If anyone else has any other ideas go ahead and reblog + add stuff!!! ✨

[benito-flakes]

Remember to keep backups of your favorite tulpa resources!

The internet may remember forever, but times change. The tulpamancy community–for better or worse–is a prime example of this fact. It would be hyperbolic to state that “THE TULPAMANCY COMMUNITY IS DYING” just as much as it would be downright incorrect. The truth, however, is that the community is shifting and information is less centralized than ever. With the loss of several larger Discord communities over the past few years and the general merging of tulpamancy with the wider plural community, I emphasize again the importance of keeping records. 

Keep your logs, guides, and other stuff backed up somewhere that can stand the test of time. Recording information in transient online spaces leads to the inevitable inaccessibility or deletion of said information when the space that contains it eventually goes kaput.

If guides are your thing, maintain backups of the ones that are important to you. The community runs on individual efforts, and sooner or later self-hosted resources may not be available. This community survives off of the perpetuation of word-of-mouth, made-with-love resources, and to lose them would be a travesty.

After years of using Reddit, Discord, and Tumblr to maintain the breadth of my plural-related writing I have made the choice to back up everything important to a personal Google Drive. I will also be revising my writings and making them available through a Rentry masterlist (which will hopefully be made available soon). In doing this, I hope to maintain a private drive that can serve as a digital anchor point while also offering an accessible and centralized space to access my writing in its entirety. 

In closing: collect the sruff that’s important to you, and keep it somewhere safe. You never know if it’ll get nuked off the face of the internet eventually. This community, like all others, is a transitory one. If my own hypothesis is correct, isolated tulpamancy communities are becoming a thing of the past, merging into wider plural circles and blending concepts together. For the most part, I don’t see this as a bad thing. Nevertheless, it means that tulpamancy-specific resources run the risk of becoming less relevant. It is our job as individuals to save what is valuable to us. Without proof of something existing, it is quickly forgotten. I do not want to lose what does not have to be lost. 

[eeveecraft]

Possession: By a Tulpa for Tulpas

By: Arcanus of the Dragonheart System

Introduction

Possession is an optional skill in Tulpamancy that allows a tulpa to access the physical world; it gives a chance for a tulpa to experience things not curated or managed by their host or other system members. Thus, what is possession? For those uninformed, possession is quite simply the act of a tulpa or other system members taking partial or full control of the physical body while the previous person in control is still connected to said body. For many tulpas, this is our primary manner of accessing and interacting with the same world our hosts do, especially so for systems where the host is incapable of fully disconnecting from the body, often considered a highly important step for switching. As such, even possession itself is desired by many tulpas for this opportunity of interacting with the outside, with people who are not of the same mind and body, and to gain experience and develop as individuals.

Numerous possession guides are often created by hosts rather than tulpas or by a neutral viewpoint; there are very few possession guides designed by tulpas themselves who are capable of possession and wish to teach it to others. This guide is crafted by a tulpa who has existed as such for six years, and has been capable of possessing quite well for nearly as long. The aim with this piece is to guide other tulpas with this specific perspective in hopes of sparking a form of eureka moment for other tulpas that can be the flicker necessary to obtain this skill, and for tulpas who use solely nonhuman forms that may be uncomfortable with the idea of using a human body.

Preparation and Mindset

Before attempting possession, there are things to consider and prepare for. These preparations allow future training sessions for possession to be less vexing, and can aid in avoiding potential issues further down the line.

A primary thing a host and tulpa should obtain before practicing possession is the ability to have clear communication between each other, often in the form of vocality. Seizing control of the body is an action that requires both parties to communicate their feelings to each other consistently, especially when speaking about consent. Without clear communication, a situation can go awry or create a schism between the two parties. For example, imagine a tulpa possessing the body without informing the host first, causing bewilderment and fear within the host who had no inkling that the tulpa was going to possess. On the opposing side, picture a tulpa possessing and performing activities when the host snatches back control deliberately and without warning, and thus disrupts what the tulpa was doing. With both parties, this can cause unease and anxiety simply due a lack of communication and respecting boundaries.

To avoid this, both the tulpa and host need to speak with each other and mutually agree to the possession beforehand through means akin to vocality or even tulpish. If one member does not consent, then the other should not ignore the boundaries set by the other person. However, this does not mean a host should unreasonably prevent a tulpa from possessing. There are reasonable times to possess and situations where possession is not ideal where a host may state, "Sorry, now's not a good time because we're in public," and other circumstances that are unreasonable such as, "Sorry, but I don't want you doing this harmless thing." From personal experience, it can be quite thrilling to possess and experience existence in such a physical and lifelike sense, but it is best to show self-restraint and ask before attempting possession.

For further reading to learn about techniques to build communication and vocality, here are a few well-written guides:

Tulpamancy: Guide Into the Strange and Wonderful: Section 13: Vocality & Section 25: Methods of Communication

Tips for Hearing Your Tulpa

Quantum's Nametag Method

Clear communication often also requires the tulpa to be fairly developed, capable of making informed decisions without the host's input while also being mature enough to handle any possible outside world responsibilities. Fledgling tulpas have a tendency to be childish and emotional in nature, even being somewhat unstable in form and personality at times, as they continue to establish their identity with forcing sessions and experience. Therefore, a younger tulpa may not understand the importance of respecting boundaries, maintaining what are usually the host's responsibilities such as school or occupations, or may make emotional decisions in favor of logical ones. Harsh world experiences can also be stressful for the tulpa and negatively impact their development while they are still malleable and easily influenced, thus it is ideal for the tulpa to be developed to the point of their identity being mostly solidified, and where they have learned to manage their emotions in times of stress and hardship.

It must be specified that this advice is targeted towards more extensive possession sessions, sessions that may span hours, days, or longer. Shorter sessions within a controlled environment are more suitable for a less developed tulpa learning possession and do not require as much preparation and development from the tulpa.

How much time it takes for both of these to be met is subjective and has a high degree of variance between Tulpamancers. Both maturity and vocality can come with time, consistent forcing sessions, and patience. What is imperative is to not rush possession; possession is not a fleeting opportunity that is capable of vanishing at a moment's notice. Regardless of the system's age, possession is a skill that will always be available, thus do not feel the need to rush it or obtain it as quickly as physically possible. Nor should a Tulpamancy system feel as though they are obligated to learn possession. Though few in number, there are tulpas who are quite content with never being in control of the body, instead preferring to be imposed on the material plane or live their lives in a mindscape. Neither host or tulpa should be forced into learning a skill they do not wish to learn if they do not desire it within reason, however, it does not harm either to at least attempt possession once.

Finally, another common issue, specifically for hosts, is a sense of fear or anxiety when pondering the idea of the tulpa taking control. This fear is reasonable, especially with how possession and control swapping is often portrayed in many nations and cultures. In tandem with this, the host is often one who has spent their entire existence being the singular entity of the body; switching as a concept is a direct opposite of what the vast majority of humanity believes to be the sole way of existence, that each consciousness belongs to one vessel and is that vessel. There are some hosts who require self-introspection and must accept that they are not the body itself, but a single consciousness of multiple that happens to dwell within it.

Anxiety for switching can stem from pathological anxiety or this mindset of singularity, and thus not all Tulpamancy-specific advice may apply. Trust between both parties is critical when exchanging control, not simply that they will do no harm with the power they are given, but as a general rule. For both the tulpa and the host: trust in the tulpa to be responsible, and trust in the host to allow the tulpa to safely express themself without overstepping boundaries. Any and all concerns should be spoken about between both members and genuinely listened to, this includes doing whatever possible to negate any doubts or fears.

In conjunction with maturity, the ability to communicate properly, and dousing any fears and anxieties, another key factor in possession is the mindset of both the host and tulpa. It can be deceivingly simple to believe that possession is this archaic skill, possibly due to preexisting connotations of possession from various forms of media and how only supernatural beings are capable of performing this feat. Despite this, possession is not impossible to achieve, nor does it take years for most Tulpamancy systems to gain. Remember that both the tulpa and host exist within the same mind and body; both parties have access to the same neural pathways, and thus access to movement. As months become years, a tulpa eventually reaches a point to being on equal footing with the host, being a fully separate person capable of all the same feats the host is capable of and not simply some entity that can be willed away on a whim.

In addition to this, it is a highly prevalent and pervasive myth that the host must manually dissociate from the body to allow the tulpa to possess. Quite frankly, this is false, as many tulpas have proven to be capable of possession while the host is still fully connected to the body and is aware of what the body is doing. Mindset, however not being an absolute factor, can still majorly influence how quickly or slowly a skill in Tulpamancy is gained. Another belief that can stymie possession training is the belief that the tulpa is lesser, weaker, or simply less capable than the host. By doing this, the host is setting unnecessary limitations on the tulpa, which further slows skill development. When speaking about Tulpamancy, one should not think in absolutes, but instead keep an open mind for any possibility instead of denying or wholeheartedly believing a certain outcome will occur.

Thirdly and finally with possession myths, older guides often reference possession being this "alien" feeling when experienced, a sensation easily noticeable. In recent years, many Tulpamancers have started fervently exclaiming that possession will not feel alien and that it was merely an artifact from the past. As previously stated, believing in absolutes is often an unhelpful mindset in Tulpamancy. Despite the claims from either side, there are Tulpamancers who experience this "alien" feeling and others who do not. A possible explanation for this is a tulpa's presence and the sensation it gives when the tulpa possess, or perhaps this "alien" feeling is more common with tulpas with nonhuman forms that clash more with a human body when attempting to control it. Regardless of whether or not a system will experience this "alien" feeling is unimportant, as many believe this sensation alerts the host whether or not the tulpa is actually moving the body. If one is simply unsure if the body's movement was theirs or their tulpa's, they can simply verify it with the tulpa instead of merely guessing.

Once mentally overcoming these hurdles to the best of one's ability, possession is much more likely to be swift with ample progression and lowering the possibility of tribulations in the future.

Step-by-Step Process and Explanation

At last, the process of possession specifically for tulpas in the perspective of another tulpa. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, the possession strategy will be laid out in steps first, then the explanation will be placed after the method itself. Remember that this method is done solely in the perspective of the tulpa, however, the host at minimum should relax in whatever means they wish and simply allow the tulpa to go through the process.

Begin by connecting to the body's senses, look through the body's eyes, feel the gravity of the earth pulling downwards, take in any scents or sounds in the area, and even pay close attention to any flavors the mouth may be experiencing.

Hone in on a singular sense, whichever is desired. With the eyes, absorb every single detail possible, every color, every shape, their distance from the body, and more as an example. Or not simply feel the effect of gravity, but also the textures of objects or even the body itself, the temperature of the air or ground, and potentially even focus on negative sensations such as pain if they are present.

Entrench oneself in that specific sense until feeling completely absorbed by it, entranced to the point of losing awareness of one's form or anything else, even the thoughts of oneself or the host.

Become that sense, become the eyes, become the skin, the nose, the mouth, or ears. Not simply using the sense, but embodying that sense itself.

Once this step is complete, repeat the process with the other senses, slowly becoming them while remaining connected to the ones already focused on.

With every sense focused intensely on, attempt to move the body in some capacity. An example would be moving the eyes if the first step taken was to become sight.

Attempt to do this with the other senses and what they are related to. Move the body's arms, look around, take a deep breath, and listen to one's environment.

If the process was successful, the tulpa will be possessing the body.

Note how this strategy does not ask the host to "give up" the body or instruct the tulpa to flow their essence into the body unlike other possession guides. The mindset behind the method presented is guiding the tulpa to essentially synchronize with the body to the point of becoming one with it instead of a nonphysical person, becoming so lost with the world they are experiencing that they simply forget that they are a passenger in the metaphorical car. When honing in on or focusing highly on a sense, it can be possible for a tulpa to accidentally begin possessing what controls that sense. For example, a tulpa may be interested in what the host is eating, paying such close attention to the food that they begin to experience it physically, possibly even moving the mouth to eat without realizing it.

However, not all tulpas understand the idea of "connecting" to the body's senses, especially tulpas used to living their days in a mindscape. Quite simply, this can be done through intuition and trial and error, or through symbolic means that translate to the act of connecting. It boils down to: what seems logical? For every tulpa, this is highly subjective and there is no flawless method that can be taught.

One must also keep in mind that following these steps may not be successful the first attempt or even after multiple attempts. Rather, a tulpa may take time learning how to focus on a particular sense, or possibly learning how to focus so intently in any sense. One day may be a day filled with progress, but said progress is halted by a singular part, mileage will vary between systems.

Possession for Nonhuman Tulpas

Not every tulpa takes on a human appearance, or even an appearance that matches a human's general shape. Though a tulpa is not quite literally their form, there are some tulpas who are quite connected to their form in a sense either through means of identity or simply out of fondness for their appearance. For tulpas in this category, possession or fronting at all can be uncomfortable or possibly unpleasant due to the contrast between the body and the tulpa's form; this connection with the tulpa's form can also impact how they act whilst in control such as mannerisms, walking style, or even voice to a notable degree.

Common advice to counteract this is for the tulpa to temporarily take a human form when fronting to ease the bodily dysphoria, yet, there are tulpas who are uncomfortable with that idea and would prefer to avoid it. This section is intended for tulpas who are uncomfortable with changing their form just to front.

A simple way to ease the discomfort of body dysphoria is to accept any "quirky" fronting mannerisms, opting to embrace them instead of fully attempting to act like a human. Walking on toes, using hands in a way that is considered odd, even imposing one's own form over the body to whatever capacity within reason (typically known as "phantom limbs" if this includes adding otherwise nonexistent limbs). Unless it is necessary not to out the system as plural to others the system is not out to yet, allow oneself to be nonhuman in nature regardless of if they are currently using a human body.

Another method is to have the mindset of, "I am not actually a human, just a nonhuman taking control of a human body," much like the more fantastical definition of possession many are familiar with. This mindset can create a disconnect that may ease the dysphoria, especially for tulpas who solely identify as a singular or set form.

Choose articles of clothing or accessories that match the form or at minimum, mask the human shape such as hoodies or sweatpants. One can also avoid staring at the body in the mirror or undressing, but this can have the negative consequences of becoming more and more avoidant of the body, which is not ideal if one wishes to become at least somewhat accustomed with it.

Conclusion

Being able to control a physical body can be a wonderful opportunity to grow as a person, form relationships and bond with new people, and to have meaningful impact on the world. Possession in of itself may not be a tedious challenge, but it also may not be a breeze a tulpa and host can accomplish within a day. Remember that this guide and strategy are one of many; do not feel shackled to a particular method if it is simply not working out. Every host and tulpa's experiences with possession will vary to some degree, and that is the beauty of such a thing, as it allows for many to share their experiences and knowledge that can reach out to benefit others.

I do hope this guide aids my fellow tulpas.

Please consider supporting us on Ko-Fi if you found this guide useful.

This is a slightly improved iteration of my guide, as I was unaware that we had never posted it on this blog. However, the body of the content remains identical to the Tulpa.info and Tulpanomicon iterations of the guide.

7-21-2024

[siphonyx]

Information and Guides from the Neuromancy Forums

https://web.archive.org/web/20150711134609/http://w11.zetaboards.com:80/Neuromancy/index/

Was reminded that neuromancy was a thing, and decided to archive the old forum here.

And a guide:

[pretentious-art-love]

Book Reviews #5 - Tulpamancy by Eevee Craft

Tulpamancy is the practice of consciously creating and interacting with a sentient, autonomous mental companion, often called a tulpa. In common terms it is basically the next step of having imaginary friend. If you are disciplined you can get into this practice for years until you can create a separate, independent identity in its own separate network of neurons in your brain. This is a topic that deeply fascinates me and I have finally read this entire guide I found in Tulpamancy circles. While still not a full fledged book, the guide is available online in a google docs file, I messaged the author to give me a copy I could download so I could read it on my e-reader and they gracefully accepted, with the condition I didn't leak the file so they could publish it down the line. This is a cover I quickly made in 5 minutes for my version.

The book is filled with tons of techniques and considerations about the creation of a tulpa. How to practice visualisation, conceptualisation of the person, the possibilities like giving the tulpa in question a different body to a human one, the ability to give them independence and train of thought and the limitations like how much the brain can host each different personality at the same time, how to handle parallel processing and the basis of switching and possession.

This topic deeply fascinates me and as a manual this book is really valuable, basically, it all depends on how you can conceptualize things, everyone can imagine anything they want, right? The difficulty is in making imagined places, ideas, people and characteristics to persist during time, this is the crux of the matter. I have learned how fluid identity can be and the concept itself is fascinating. Nowadays people are very averse to plurality and they point out to cases like DID where plurality turns into a disorder or condition that can affect your life, but I have learned so much and I see the world of plurality and tulpamancy as full of possibilities. This kind of things deeply inspire me and captivate me.

8/10

[rangerhippolord]

Guided visualization: outside at the beach

Because almost everyone has a beach or had a beach skit while in their wonderland. I want to make this one more accessible to beginners, so the story is pretty simple and only focuses on describing a handful of things.

You are standing on a beach near the water, facing the ocean. It's a warm sunny day, with only a handful of small, streak-like clouds in the bright blue sky. There's a cool breeze that comes and goes, making a rushing sound as it moves and carrying the smell of salt along with it. The white, fine sand beneath you is warm, but it quickly starts to cool as your body and shadow block the sun's rays. The ocean is a vibrant blue-green that only sightly shimmers in the sunlight. The tides form slowly, grumbling and growing in height until suddenly, they gently spill over and dissipate. The extra water is then pulled back in, restarting the cycle.

You move forward, the sand effortlessly shifting about. The sand in front of you is hotter, but not hot enough to burn you. You take note to avoid the sparse twigs, leaves, and broken seashells along the way.

And now, you are close to the water's edge. The gray expanse is sprinkled with broken shells, plant matter, and grit from the sea. The wet sand is cool to the touch, and it feels like it dries a bit when your weight presses down on it. The wet sand is a bit sticky, which becomes more noticeable as it accumulates. As you move forward, the wet sand gets colder, heavier, and stickier.

By now, you have reached the ocean. You stand in a tiny pool of water, only for it to flee back into the sea. As you continue forwards, you get a slight chill each time the water touches a higher part of your body. The sand beneath you is loose and gritty, but it's hard to see when the foamy water from the tides block your view. As you go deeper, the gentle nudges and pulls from the tides grow stronger, to the point you have to reorient yourself after each tide.

And then, your view is blocked by a wall of water you were not-

Suddenly you hold your breath, and you shuffle about trying to either wade or swim back. Your head finally escapes the grip of the sea and you gasp for air. When you stand again, the water only comes halfway up your body. You grow cold as the breeze brushes by your wet head and upper body.

Looking forward, you can see the beach, and the gradient from blue to brown to white. The dry sand feels a little far away, but somehow, the whole beach feels small.

You turn and face the water. Another tide rolls in, with a soft grumble, until it spills over and dissipates. The spillover reaches your body, the white foam obscuring the wet sand underneath. Looking out, the vast sea stretches onwards, meeting the sky at the horizon.

It's still a really pretty day outside.

[the-party-collective]

Made this blog JUST for blogging about Tulpamancy, which I am putting a good effort into attempting. More effort then I've thus far put into the blog, but I'll pretty it up later. I just really wanted a place to express some things.

So, what's interesting to me is that I'm a creative writer already- and some of the descriptions of Proto-Tulpas I've seen sound incredibly similar to something that happens when I've been fixated on a certain story for a while, where the characters feel like they start to make their own choices about the stories.

And unfortunately I only learned about Tulpas after I switched to writing short stories and thus didn't focus on any one character for nearly as long.

The good news is that te experience means that not only do I know I CAN do it, but I have an idea of how.

Which means that later I'm gonna have to show Goer all the fanfic I made of him to coax him into being.

[ashcifer]

ughhhhhhhh I wish I could front longer, I still can't front for more than an hour & I wanna stay for longer :(

[scarlet97531]

Love these tags. Ever since we realized some of us had accidentally given ourselves secondary therian identities and started identifying as otherlinkers, the way it’s treated in therian and otherkin spaces has bothered us a lot.

We’ve come to dislike the overwhelming emphasis on “involuntary” experiences in defining all kinds of identities. The nature of an identity does not change because of it’s origin. If you identify as an animal you identify as an animal. Otherlinkers tend to have all the same experiences as therians do, the phantom limbs, the mental shifts, kin memories, species euphoria and even dysphoria. The only difference is where the identity comes from, and personally i dont think thats important enough to warrant being defined as something entirely different.

What i dislike even more than the separation of the communities on it’s own is the *reason* for that separation. The reason there is such an emphasis on involuntary experiences in the first place is essentialism. As in the belief that people are born a certain way and cannot change. This emphasis on involuntary experiences is an attempt to avoid being forced to conform by saying that conforming is impossible. The problem is that this does nothing to challenge the real problem, the source of bigotry itself, the belief that the norm is ideal and anything outside of the norm is bad until proven otherwise. The belief that if it is *possible* for you to conform then you should.

The problem with trying to conform to this belief by defining yourself by what you cant change is that it does nothing to help people that *can* change but dont want to. For example plural people, people with CDDs. The default treatment goal for plural people is final fusion, conformity, despite it being known that final fusion is very very flawed and for some systems outright impossible, often causing more problems than it solves. Meanwhile the *option* of functional multiplicity is right there, and much better option for most systems, and yet most professionals will not even mention it and it is often seen as “anti recovery”.

Making the *choice* to not conform is seen negatively by most of our society, so minorities try to frame their experiences as essential, something they were born with and cannot change, in an attempt to avoid being changed. In the process they throw voluntary, chosen, non essential identities under the bus, believing just like their own oppressors that anyone who has the choice to conform should, and anyone who doesnt is inherently *different*, and less “valid” for doing so.

Feel like we should normalize have a choice about who we are!

You choose to be a lesbian? That awesome!!

You choose to be a boy? Good for you, I hope you're happy.

You choose to be a paraphilia? That amazing!

You choose to be black? Amazing, come by if you want any tips for me.

You choose to have ADHD? That's great!

People don't have to go through dysphoria to know who the really are! You CAN be transgender be choice, you CAN choose your sexuality, you CAN be who ever you to be by CHOICE.

[the-alarm-system]

A Guide: Encouraging Separation in Plurality

Hello! I'm Ardyn, and I decided to make this guide because after talking to many systems, I've come to realize that moving from a near medianhood to a full multiplicity may encourage better function for certain systems. For us any identity blurriness brings a lot of pain that has been aided by further separation and amnesiac barriers. Before you put an awful judgement on this, remember that healing is different for everyone, and breaking down barriers isn't best for everyone. This is up to the system, there is no guilt on wanting to do what is best for your system.

RADQUEERS DONT TOUCH

This guide will hold many different exercises and ideas that have been taken from tulpamancy and my own experiences.

first I'd say get situated with identity grounding and also following the "The Body is a Car" exercise within these sources

Identity Grounding

Guide to Switching

Building up Distinction

Separate Journals/Diaries

A seperate journal or diary that nobody can write in but that headmate is a good way to help a headmate build up their identity. They will be able to write down their own experiences and their own feelings, and this seperate space gives reinforces the idea that they are ultimately apart from you.

Separate Accounts with a Separate Feed

Something that pushed for the blur was having similar feeds, seeing my interest would push me to the front and cause issues for Vincent. He ended up making his own account on reddit where he is able to join subreddits that appeal to solely his interest, and it would help keep him at front instead of pull someone else.

Distinct Hobbies

encourage your headmates to pick up hobbies that are not something you may be interested in, hobbies give way to individuality as now they may seek others who share that hobby or spaces online that appeals to that hobby.

Different Clothing and Ownership

Assign different clothing and other items to headmates, let them pick out their own jacket and may they be the only ones to wear that jacket. Let them have their own perfume, let them have their own bag, let them have their own keychain for the car keys. This won't just give you that barrier, but also can be used as a form of identity grounding during a blur. When in blur, you will be able to tell whose fronting based on what clothing makes you feel more yourself.

Different Friends

This option may be more difficult, but it works very efficiently. Let your headmates have their own friend, I mean it. Giving them someone outside the system that they themselves can solely talk to is absolutely perfect in giving that split. Interacting and communication outside the body and encouraging unmasking will do wonders.

Drop Part Language

If you really want to encourage separation, you will have to drop the idea that you are all pieces of another. This is however a preference, speak to your headmates about it. Speak to them about terms they may prefer, maybe customized role names, let them be themselves. Push to yourself too that these are different people, not parts of you. But like I said, if parts language isn't an issue for you, then you might not have to change after all :P but I recommend it for this all to work.

Identity Separating Exercises

Now as you have pushed the formation of these headmates, now it's your goal to start separating them more and more through these exercises

Remember: Fake it until you make it

Being consistent in these exercises will be great, but you also have to make sure you believe that they are working. Plurality is very much a brain game, you have power over yourself and the more you believe these separations the more they will be. Some of these exercises are purely for pushing the belief, I recommend having a collection of proof on your plurality to refer to whenever you get doubtful.

I also recommend joining a tulpamancy community such as a discord or reddit, even if you don't practice tulpamancy, these people have so much trust in themselves and the process that it starts to rub off on you.

Separation Meditation

If you are able to visualize and even after doing all the above you still feel like your headmate hasn't fully left you, this exercise may be useful. In this meditation, you are to visualize the headmate in front of you. Then repeat "___ is a separate person from me" repeatedly for however long you like once a day.

Discussions

Speak to your headmates, ask questions about their lives

Here is a good source on that

The best route to take is to discuss opinions and specifically focus on what you disagree on, this will reinforce in your mind that this person is not you, this person does not agree with you, this person has their own opinion. Focus on those ideas until they really settle, and maybe also record these disagreements in your proof collection.

Affirmations

If you are a bit too busy for these things, constant affirmation throughout the day are both simple and helpful. Here is a good list

"__ is a seperate person from me"

"the system has entirely different and seperate people"

"___ is real and a seperate person"

"the system is noticeably distinct"

at first it may feel silly, but like I said, fake it until you make it. These will reinforce ideas.

Building Up Amnesiac Barriers

This may be more controversial, but for us these barriers help a ton. I would like to say that we already had blackout amnesia to begin with, but these exercises made them "worse". There are many reasons why a system may want to have higher amnesiac barriers, ours being privacy and independence, try to avoid judgement on this decision. The Switching Guide above also has an exercise that will push lost time.

"Cancel Recall"

When a memory from another headmate tries to seep into your thought process, immediately cover that memory and say to yourself "This memory isn't mine to remember". Perhaps visualize a door closing on it or a lock appearing on that memory. Mentally assign that memory to the correct headmate and move on

Affirmation

Affirmations that may help these barriers can be used situationally, just whenever you try and remember a time another headmate fronted think "No, I don't remember"

Headspace Tools

If you have a headspace, try using creation. Imagine cutting memory ties off with everyone else that can only temporarily be connected when agreed upon by both parties. Maybe also set up a headspace memory lock system.

Using Remnants left behind

When I say this I mean use something such as text messages a headmate left behind and when scrolling through them, focus and think "This wasn't me, I don't remember typing this".

Memory Redirection

Most times it's harder to push a memory away than just redirect it. When redirecting memory, for example you start to remember something another headmate did in meatspace, recite "that wasn't me, what did I do during this time" and attempt to recall your time within the headspace instead.

FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT, REMEMBER THAT

what do you guys think? any changes we should make? we would love to hear how this guide impacted your system!

[protectingtulpas]

Endogenic system with 5 Ninja Turtles here! (See blog for details) Basically our question is, how do we let them front?

In other words there seems to be some blockage when trying to get the boys to switch and it can be quite physically draining to be honest. Thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

(Aiden- host He/him)

Yeaahh this was probably sent ages ago but I might as well still respond! We've gotta buncha guides for ya, basically

Felights' Fronting Fundamentals | Possession & Switching Guide

Ford's Double Ascended Switching Guide for Elite Class Tulpamancers (video series)

Ghost Switching [A Beginner-Friendly Switching Guide]

These are all hosted on Tulpa.info!! For some personal tips - it being draining is TOTALLY natural, and pretty much expected. switching and actually staying in front are both learned skills esp for tulpamancers & other systems that dont instinctively switch, and it takes a lotta energy. If you practice over time you'll get less exhausted. As for that blockage, have u considered that maybe it has to do with u? One of the first things we learned is that switching is a process on both ends- yeah, the tulpa/nonfronting headmate needs to learn to control the body and all, but the host also needs to learn to let go and allow the switch to happen. It's tricky and also somethin' you needa learn over time. Just an idea!

[sophieinwonderland]

Being miserable all the time from being a system is a skill issue!

Alright, did the inflammatory headline get your attention? Was it grabby enough to get you to keep reading? Cool!

DID is a disorder. It is obviously going to negatively impact your life. If it didn't negatively impact you at all, you wouldn't have DID. And it may also be true that there are some systems who just won't get along no matter what.

But philosophy is also going to play a part in this. How you treat your headmates is going to play a part in this.

Do you apologize for times when you've hurt your headmates and try to make amends, or do you ignore the problem and let it fester?

Do you thank your headmates for the times they've protected you or helped you, or do you take them for granted?

When there's a conflict where a headmate wants do something you don't, do you work towards reaching a compromise or do you just forbid them from doing it as if they're your property?

If you're able (during periods with low dissociative barriers) do you hang out with headmates as friends in the inner world or in the physical world. (For example, we recently picked up Marvel Champions, a co-op card game where each headmate can control a different hero.)

Maybe it's not my place to say this since we're not a DID system ourselves. But you don't really need to have DID yourself to notice patterns. To realize that DID systems who treat their headmates with kindness, who show them love and appreciation, are more likely to receive love and appreciation back. And it's really just common sense too.

There is a certain mentality I've noticed among some sysmeds where they are so terrified of being cringe or being like the so-called fakers that they make choices that hurt their relationships with the rest of their system, which ends up being incredibly anti-recovery. If you want to find happiness for yourselves, you have got to take that mentality and kill it with fire... once that's done, you can be reborn from the ashes like the phoenix!

There an old tulpamancy "guide", a favorite of mine, that's called Alyssa's List of Many Things To Do With Your Tulpa. The thing about this guide though, is that while it's geared specifically towards tulpamancy, a lot of the things it describes could be done by practically any type of system.

This article is great because it's really just ways to enjoy the company of your headmates, and enjoy the life you share together.

It's about strengthening your bonds and your connections through playfulness and shared joy.

Who knows? Maybe you've already tried things like this and they haven't helped. But if you haven't tried... then why not? What's holding you back? Why not just humor me and try to show more kindness and appreciation to your headmates? To hang out with them? To play with them, even if it seems a little cringe at first?

[the-ribombee-lapidarym]

How did you discover your plurality, and do you have any tips for someone looking to become an endo?

This ask is phrased in a way where it makes us think you are either misinformed or an anti-endo asking in bad faith. We're going to assume it's the first one. We're going to answer the second part first. (Edit after writing: it turned out way longer than we thought so we're putting a cut here)

First of all: you can't become an endo. You're probably thinking of willo, or willogenic. These are systems that create themselves, whether through imaginary friends or characters accidentally becoming sentient, or through tulpamancy, paromancy or willomancy, all methods of creating a willomate. Tulpamancy as a term is more controversial than the others, as the process was adapted from a Buddhist practice, but we're neither Buddhist nor a tulpamancer so we don't think we really get a say :] while we don't have much experience with that, we do know a few things:

Firstly, there is active and passive forcing. Active forcing is sitting down (or lying down) and visualising your willomate's form, working out the details and such, while passive forcing is more like talking to your willomate while doing other things, like washing the dishes and explaining the process you go through.

Find a guide! Tulpamancy's the most common form of forcing a willomate so you'll find the most guides under that, even if you personally think it's cultural appropriation.

Be consistent in your forcing. Try to do it at least once a day. If you miss a day that's fine, but try to get into the habit. You can even set timers to remind yourself

Be patient. Every willomate takes a different amount of time to develop, and for a beginner it's typically longer. Don't get frustrated when it takes weeks, months, or even years for them to develop.

Understand what it means to have a headmate. It is not like having a roommate, or a pet, or a toy. They are sentient. Your willomate can take on attributes you imagine them with, but most likely they will develop their own personality. If you are not ready to live with another sentient being in your mind 24/7, do not go through this process.

That's all the tips we have, really. So, to answer your first question:

We discovered our plurality through a few things. At the beginning, we actually thought we weren't a system, and were interested in becoming one, so we began the process of creating a willomate! That's how we know those tips :]

While we were scrolling Tumblr looking for more tips, we came across a post of a system answering an ask from someone looking to be a willogenic system. The answer was quite helpful, but then they went on to say that "if you are so interested in becoming a system, it might be you're plural already, and willomancy/tulpamancy is your system's way of subconsciously trying to recognise itself" (paraphrased).

This kind of "got the ball rolling" for us. We started looking into the past and noticing things about ourself that was explained by plurality. It was a slow process at first and we were struggling to identify headmates: at first we thought we were a proxy system, with one frontstuck host and other headmates trying to front, with "me" unconsciously blocking them everytime. As it turned out, we all just had such weak identities that we blended together and couldn't tell each other apart.

We made a post complaining about it and asking if any other systems had any tips we could use to tell ourselves apart, and a very lovely system by the name of exorsysm gave us the tip: "assign each headmate a colour, and see what colour you feel the most strongly" as that pertains to the fronter.

So, we did that, and started off with just 6: Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, and Grey. We added more later, with first Pink, then Yellow and White, then we started adding fictives.

Eventually, after a long time of differentiating ourselves and tracking our fronts and switches (if you want to know how long, probably multiple months), we could identify ourselves well enough to start naming ourselves, doing some picrews and working out appearances, and start filling in Simply Plural's info.

Red became Alizarin, a protector and anger holder, Blue Crescent, our most common fronter (but not the host), Purple Mika, Grey Nimbus, a cassmate. Orange stayed unnamed for longer but we eventually identified Orange as Alpenglow, another protector. Green Pradera, Yellow Helios, a mood booster, and White Inziel, a caretaker.

After that we started either forming or discovering new people, most of them fictives at first, but then we went through a bit of a hard time and formed a couple trauma-holders and protectors, Whimsy and Tazbel. (Neither of them had colour names, although Tazbel started off named "Haha traumaboy" in SP)

Anyway yeah that's a bit more info than just "how did you discover your plurality" but eh. In terms of origin we started off as quoigenic (unknown), then constelgenic (originating from being constelic), then nebugenic (not quite coalescing into one whole personality as a child, sort of drifting and nebulous instead), then just endogenic bc we had no idea, then back to quoigenic, and now we're pretty much sure of adaptive! Though we are looking through origin terms under Adaptive and seeing if one fits. So far there's a couple options but we'll keep them private for now.

Anyway, hope this helps and answers your questions! We also hope you're not an anti-endo making fun of us! :D

~ Whimsy 🔮🌟 (shy/zie/it) and Indigo 🌊⛓️ (ae/he/it)

[neonspectrumdreams]

Shifting Types

I have been awake as a therian for over 20 years. I have a long history of experiences as being otherkin, and I think that after all this time, after all these experiences, I may have some wisdom to impart in others.

These are the main shifts that I have experienced and seen other therians experience. I'll write a guide on how to strengthen your connection to your shifts as well as how to trigger and control shifts later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dream Shift

Dream shifts are some of the most intense shifts that are possible for a therian/kin, and are personally my favorite type of shift. During a dream shift, a person lives through their dream as their kintype instead of as a human. It is possible to deliberately shapeshift into your kintype during a lucid dream. It is possible to be an animal for the entire dream or to change back and forth between forms.

Mental Shift

Mental shifting, or mshifting, refers to the experience of someone's mind shifting to their nonhuman kintype. They think differently in this state - more similar to their kintype. They may experience the desire to hunt as their theriotype does, or roll around and play (or otherwise move) like their kintype. Their identity may feel strongly altered and vividly nonhuman without any other accompanying changes in thought process.

A subcategory of mental shifting is sensory shifting. In a sensory shift, one's senses become sharper or more similar to what their animal senses would be. For example, a dog therian may begin processing the world with scent and sound over vision, as well as experience an intensification of their senses, during a sensory shift.

Reality Shift

When a therian feels as though they are in the world of their kintype. They may vividly see it inside of their imagination during these shifts, or just feel the presence of their world.

Shadow Shift

This is similar to imposition in tulpamancy. In a shadow shift, the mind projects your form into the physical world (although it is just a perception, it is not actually there.) This can occur naturally or a therian can learn imposition to strengthen or engender this type of shift.

Spiritual Shift

This is when you shift for a reason related to spirituality. Your aura/spirit may intermittently shift to animal form.

It is possible to construct and conduct rituals to provoke shifts, which is also another form of spiritual shifting. Mixing your theriotype with a variety of spiritual practices can lead to shifting that takes the form of spiritual processes and experiences.

Astral shifts are similar to dream shifts except they take place outside the mind in the astral plane, and this plane connects to the spirit world and things outside the mind (unlike dream shifts.) The astral realm is entered through the change of states between waking and sleeping wherein you have the experience of waking up after losing consciousness and leaving your body. Lucid dreams feel similar but you do not leave the body in a dream and are not as connected to the spirit world (although we are always connected to some extent to the spirit world even when awake) like in astral projection.

Bilocation Shift

This is when you are still existing as human in one place but are also existing as your kintype, often in the astral or inside the mind's eye. Your nonhuman self is often leading a separate and meaningful existence during these times, which you perceive alongside your regular human daily life. You are both human and shifted into your kintype simultaneously during this shift.

Cameo Shift

Shifting not associated with a regular kintype. One-off shifting. Often related to being a gateway or being an astral shapeshifter.

Contherians

A therian who is always to some degree chronically shifted into their kintype.

Coconscious Shift

When someone is a multiple system, some or all of their alters may be nonhuman. Coconscious shifts occur when a human identity is co-present at the same time as a nonhuman identity. The nonhuman identity's experiences my bleed over into the nonhuman identity's perceptions.

Phantom Shift

Feeling the physical perception of your theriotype's physical features instead of your body. So this would be the phantom perception of wings or a tail, or being larger or smaller like the kintype.

Physical Shift

Pshifting is when one physically transforms into their kintype. This one is the coolest of the shifts and, tragically, the only one that is not physically possible. There are guides as well as people who claim they can teach this - they are lying. No one has ever been able to do it.

[tulpagenic-help]

Hi! Can I ask about the process of tulpamancy? Like- I've read a few things on it, but none of it is super clear. I've heard about narrating to your tulpa, but how do you do that? What do you narrate about? What differentiates narration from regular thoughts, how do you make sure your tulpa hears? Also, I'm extremely prone to parroting due to the way I've always imagined things - when I'm making up a story in my brain, if I change my mind on how something would happen, I "rewind" and fix it, sometimes getting stuck on one moment for a while (I'll even do this just to see it play out again if I like the scene). And it's not on purpose, at this point it just happens out of instinct, but it makes it really hard to let my tulpa/s have free will. If you know of any guides for tulpamancy that go in depth and talk about the process in detail, that would be helpful. TYSM!

unfortunately, i can't link any guides because i wasn't in the community for many years. but i can talk from experience here since i relate a lot to this ask

how to make sure your tulpa hears: address them while speaking. it's that easy. you're forming a piece of your own brain/mind; sure, they should gain autonomy later, but at this point (first steps) you have full control over their presence. you can tell them to listen

you can narrate by pretending you're streaming a live on tiktok! that's just one of examples. make your daily life a letsplay for them. but i prefer the stream/live analogy more because viewers can comment and interact with the streamer there, and you surely want your tulpa to respond to you

parroting is also overdemonized. if used properly, it can even be beneficial for your practice. you don't need to overdo it, just start small and then let it flow and watch. it's like encouraging a toddler to take their first steps (i didn't come with a better comparison sorry :D) because you can make those steps almost entirely on your own, then show support, and then look at them growing without that much of your help :3

you could also try separating yourself from this "rewinded situation", feel distant from it so that you don't have influence. and again, watch how this turns out!

[rangerhippolord]

Tips and tricks: smell imposition from memory

Releasing early upon request!

Your sense of smell is tied to your memory, so you are more likely to remember something if you think of or are reminded of a particular fragrance or odor. But I found the reverse can be applied to recreate a scent!

I recommend finding something with an intense odor to make it easier to recall. Hopefully it's a pleasant smell, like a perfume, scented oil, or candle. But strong unpleasant odors like the litter box, trash left out in the sun, or microwaved fish work too.

After your good or bad life decision, think about the smell as if it was there in front of you. You may be surprised! Sometimes closing your eyes and focusing on the mental picture of the memory can help too.

After that, you can gradually build from there. Try other strong smells first, then normal smells, and then weaker smells.

Above all, practice in general will increase your overall skills. Just try to avoid getting caught resting your nose on something unexpected like cardboard boxes or metal jewelry!