Is creating a tulpa for companionship really worth it?

A tulpa is an imaginary entity that, according to those who practice it, develops a presence and will of its own after months of concentration. There is no scientific evidence that it exists outside the mind, so it is no substitute for a mental health professional.

The idea of making yourself a companion with your mind is not new. A tulpa is, in the definition that circulates in internet forums and communities, an entity created by the imagination that eventually manifests with its own appearance and judgment. The term comes from Tibetan Buddhism, where it referred to mental objects built by the meditator. Popular culture picked it up in the 20th century and, since the 2000s, online communities have adapted it to a more domestic use: creating a presence to talk with.

## What it takes to create a tulpa

Those who practice it describe a slow process. Daily concentration sessions, often of **30 to 60 minutes**, are devoted to it for months. The goal is to imagine the entity's voice, appearance and way of acting in detail until the mind perceives it as separate from oneself. Some accounts mention **six months** before noticing independent responses. There is no single protocol and no medical record validating it.

## The scientific evidence on tulpas

Psychology does not recognize the tulpa as an external entity. What it does study are related phenomena: inner voices in people without pathology, vivid imagination and states of mental absorption. A study published in **2016** in the journal *Consciousness and Cognition* found that people who say they have tulpas show a greater tendency toward fantasy and absorption. That does not prove they exist outside the head, only that the mind can generate very intense experiences.

## Real companionship versus imaginary companionship

Sustained loneliness has measurable effects. The World Health Organization considers it a risk factor for mental health and links it to depression and anxiety. A tulpa may ease the feeling of emptiness while you talk with it, but it does not respond to the unexpected or offer an independent second opinion. Nor does it replace a friend who calls you out of the blue or a professional who listens to you.

## What those who have tried it say

The accounts of people who create tulpas mix enthusiasm and doubt. Some describe fluid conversations and a constant sense of companionship. Others give up because the entity does not respond as they expected or because the effort is exhausting. There are no reliable figures on how many people try it or how many succeed. The practice is unregulated and has no clinical oversight.

If loneliness weighs on you, a psychologist can help you more than an imaginary entity. Creating tulpas is no substitute for professional treatment.