Plurality Through Imagination
Believing in Bits November 28, 2019 C. Laursen
Starting around 2009, online communities began practicing tulpamancy—imagining a sentient being, or tulpa, into existence through heightened imagination. Originating in Tibetan Buddhist mysticism and paranormal lore, users create tulpas as distinct personalities within their minds and bodies for companionship. Advocates emphasize healthful aspects and the plurality of identity in one body, promoting the practice to overcome depression and loneliness. Tulpa creation arrived because avatars, anonymity, and inward-focused creativity in online environments enabled radical identity experimentation. Tulpamancy shows how online communities act as participatory spaces where supernatural possibilities are evaluated and repurposed.