"How can you create a tulpa unintentionally?" Here's how

People sometimes seem to forget or be confused with how tulpas can be created unintentionally. After all, the definition of tulpamancy itself, "the art of purposefully creating headmates through various techniques, typically known as forcing" (Pluralpedia), contradicts the idea.

However, even if this definition is mostly correct, it isn't entirely. Tulpamancy is usually purposeful (see willogenic) to some extent, but the definition excludes tulpas created "by accident" or "unintentionally" when the tulpamancer sometimes wasn't even aware tulpamancy was a thing.

Sometimes, an imaginary friend will end up getting more self-conscious. Sometimes, a character will grow independant from their author. Sometimes, a spiritual or religious concept (guardian angel or otherwise) will take on a more psychological form.

These are not purposeful, yet they're still tulpamancy. Because what truly characterises tulpamancy is the separation of a consciousness into two or more by the means of repeated interaction and forcing, which can be done purposefully or not, but is most usually accepted by the tulpamancer.

My only tulpa was created accidentally before I even knew the term existed and I know many other people have had similar experiences.

Not all tulpamancy is intentional or willogenic. But all tulpamancy is beautiful and all tulpas are valid.

Love y'all