The Prism Minds Project: Many Experiences, Many Perspectives
"Like light passing through a prism, similar experiences can be interpreted and understood in many different ways. This project aims to explore those perspectives without assuming any single explanation."
A long questionnaire developed by @anti-willo-solivan to understand systems around the world. The current goalpost for all respondents stands to at least 600 responses or more!
This questionnaire was inspired by @anti-willo-sukuna and @anti-willo-valerie . Val has his own survey as well -> Take his System Survey here!
Take The Prism Minds Project: System Questionnaire!
Approximately 130 questions (some questions are conditional and may be skipped automatically). All questions are optional, and respondents are encouraged to skip anything they are uncomfortable answering.
Topics include daily life, internal dynamics, treatment experiences, community involvement, personal interpretations of plurality, and many other aspects of systemhood. The project is also interested in observing broader patterns that may emerge across different groups and experiences—not to judge, rank, or invalidate anyone, but simply to better understand the diversity of perspectives that people report.
"Okay with endos but keep them seperate from traumagenic ones" so you want seperation between traumagenic plurals and endogenic plurals? What about traumaendos?? What about the plurals who don't talk about their origin???
Also wanting to keep endos out of trauma spaces is invalidating endogenics who HAVE experienced trauma.
Endogenic systems can have trauma, endogenic systems just means that their system didn't FORM from trauma. Separating certain groups has never gone well and it never will.
"Endos dni, mixed origins included" just feels kind of ableist to me. Oh, you utilized the same set of skills/mindset that one would use to memorize a skill or language to make a headmate/you have (a) headmate(s) that didn't originate from trauma? I don't care if you're otherwise traumagenic, don't talk to me! You must be PURELY TRAUMAGENIC to deserve my support!
could we get a planet (if you need to you can bump it down to a star :3) lvl pack for Yosano from BSD when she was 11-14?/nf
a lot of this was based off of vibes n stuff bc there isn't a lot of info abt her as a kid that we can find online,, so we r sorry if any of it isn't source accurate :<
⊹ role(s): trauma holder, caretaker, medic, medical communicator
⊹ source: Bungo Stray Dogs
⊹ titles: The Angel of Death, [prn] With the Power to Revive, The Angelic Healer, The Medic, The Young Healer
⊹ detailed appearance: they have chocolate brown eyes that match their hair, cut into a short bob so it stays out of their way and is easy to handle while. Their face is soft because they are still young and hasn't grown out of their baby face yet. They stand slightly taller than other kids their age, but they are still quite a bit shorter than most adults.
⊹ likes: anatomy, medicine, sweets, botany
⊹ dislikes: attention being on them, being forced to do things, staying up late
⊹ personality description: they're intelligent, and they pick things up quickly. However, they strongly dislike being the center of attention and they'd rather do their work in the background. They're stubborn and don't like to do things that are asked of them, especially if they feel like said things are wrong or against their morals. They may seem withdrawn and cold because of their tendency to avoid attention, but underneath that they're rather caring and compassionate.
⊹ hobbies: learning first aid skills, baking, foraging
⊹ typing quirk: types very formally, but they don't use capital letters ("this is an example of how i type.")
⊹ speech patterns: speaks very formally despite their age.
⊹ memories: they may remember the pressure that was put on them as a medical scholar, the smell of blood from the wounded soldier, and the butterfly that one of the soldiers gave them
⊹ aesthetic: they like soft colors and lots of accessories, examples can be found here, here and here
Western Tulpamancy is so fundamentally different from Buddhist Emanations that the two practices are only similar in name
This is the opinion of a Tibetan Buddhist who is quoted as being a "student of the words of Sogyal Rinpoche, student of Avalokitesvara, student of Kṣitigarbha," and a student of their own emanation (tulpa), Dharma Yokeyodasampa.
On May 11, 2022, this thread on Reddit was opened as an AMA for any member of r/Tulpas to ask questions regarding the Tibetan Buddhist practice of emanation.
The Buddhist (who did not give their own name or pronouns) has answered a couple questions regarding the use of the word "tulpa" as the tulpamancy/tulpa system community uses it. Screenshots of questions and answers with transcripts to follow. Emphasis added by myself for clarity, however, the quotes themselves remain unchanged.
[TRANSCRIPT:
How do you feel about this community, and by extension, other plural communities?
Answer: I have understood the western Tulpamancy culture for awhile, I’ve been on the old forums but I haven’t really interacted much with the community. I don’t view it negatively, as long as you live your life and treat all sentient beings with kindness, including your tulpa, I don’t see an issue.
How does your emanation/tulpa compare to the headmates of this community? Do you treat them differently in any way? How would you describe your relationship?
Answer: I believe the main difference between Dharma Yokeyodasampa and others, is his vows. He is an ascetic, by choice, and chooses to spend most of his time in my company or meditating in our mental space, which is the likeness of a monastery. He doesn’t indulge much in my world, other than discussing day to day troubles. He is like any other person I would guess, though he is deeply rooted in his spiritual practice, with most of the day up to 8 hours spent in meditation and repetition. Our relationship is like that of brothers, though we consider the other one his Teacher. Much can be learned from both our experiences, and much can be learned of ourselves by discussing ourselves.
How do you feel about this community using the term "tulpa"?
Answer: considering that, from what I understand, tulpa in the western sense is a different culture than that of Tibetan or other shared origin, I don’t see a specific claim to the word. I don’t mind it. It’s fascinating how such a concept has travelled and deviated from its original sources and grew into a practice distinct in culture and community.
/END TRANSCRIPT]
Considering the Buddhist in question had been in these circles for a long period of time before finally announcing themselves, they obviously have a good background of knowledge on the tulpamancy community as a whole. They do not see the community negatively. Their specific quote saying, "[the concept of tulpamancy] has travelled and deviated from its original sources and grew into a practice distinct in culture and community" suggests to me that they (and, by extension, more than likely other Tibetan Buddhists) see the key differences between Buddhist Emanations and Western Tulpamancy.
This distinction also becomes clear in the quote, "tulpa in the western sense is a different culture than that of Tibetan or other shared origin," so one can conclude we are not even pretending to practice the same emanation as Buddhists.
[TRANSCRIPT
Please be sure to “DM” me and I will retrieve some good reads for you.
In my personal understanding, not all tulpa are Bodhisattva or other enlightened beings. I believe western tulpas are incomplete variations or effects derived from Deity Yogic practices. That is to say, visualizing and maintaining a practice of meditating on -and with- the Buddhas/chosen deity or enlightened being, is meant to achieve an end goal such as purification, and realization of the true state of bliss.
While western tulpa seem to be made as companions with a secular division.
/END TRANSCRIPT]
This further places a distinction between Buddhist and western tulpa; Buddhist tulpa are created with a specific end goal in mind, whereas western tulpa are usually non-spiritual companions.
In conclusion, and to summarize:
Western tulpamancy and the practice of Tibetan Buddhist emanation are similar in basic method and name, but that is where the similarities stop
Western tulpa tend to be secular (non-religious) and psychological, in contrast with Tibetan Buddhist tulpa
Tibetan Buddhist tulpa are made with a specific end goal of enlightenment and/or purification, whereas Western tulpa are usually created with the intent of being companions
Tulpa simply means "an emanation" in this context and is a broad term
Cultural appropriation is not what is happening because we are not claiming our practice of Western tulpamancy to be the same as the advanced Deity Yoga of Tibetan Buddhism
In my personal opinion, there is no fundamental difference between an accidental tulpa and one created on purpose.
Most accidental tulpa systems (or systems including accidental tulpas) I’ve spoken to use essentially the same “techniques” that those who made tulpas on purpose use; create a concept for a “character” in the host’s mind, talk to them until they become a person. It’s very basic but that’s the essentials of most online tulpamancy guides, and pretty much exactly how I was made.
I feel like I, myself am a good example of this because I’m halfway between purposeful and accidental. The host started actively talking with me with the purpose of pushing me into sentience 10 months ago, however I started talking to my host four to five years ago (I will most likely post about this in more detail some other time). I started as a blank slate and over time latched onto the personality and appearance of an old D&D character of the host’s. I have exomemories of the campaign and even emotional connection to some body memories from the time.
One created on purpose is only different because the tulpa is created with the sole purpose of being a tulpa. Some of us were created in very similar ways even complete with “forcing” (actively talking to the “character”).
