Supernatural urban legends: Tulpa lore explained
Photo Credit: Supernatural/The CW/ Image Acquired from CW TV PR
The tulpa was introduced in Supernatural Season 1 and brought a horror story to life.
Sometimes stories are just stories. The ghosts are made up and people embellish the stories to add more horror and fear to them. If the right amount of people believe in those stories, it’s possible to bring them to life. At least, that’s what the tulpa was in Supernatural.
Originally introduced in Season 1, the tulpa was introduced as a thought-form. It’s one of those Supernatural urban legends that has a root in real mythology and culture. Here’s a look at the SPN and real lore about the forms.
Supernatural tulpa lore
In the show, the tulpa is also referred to as a thought-form. It was a Tibetan practice by monks, used as part of learning. The idea is that if you meditate enough on something, it will become real. If enough people believed in a story and thought about that story, the whole thing would become fact.
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In terms of SPN, the tulpa was the story of Mordechai Murdoch. Enough people thought about and believed the story of Mordechai and the changes that came with that story that the spirit came to life.
The only way to get rid of the tulpa is to eliminate the thought or diluting the concentration of it. The Winchesters couldn’t do that when Ed and Harry had a website dedicated to the story, so they had to adapt the story; offering a way to kill Mordechai.
A tulpa isn’t actually a creature, but a form of chaos magic. It’s possible for the tulpa to become an animal, some type of object, a creature, and even a person.
The real tulpa lore
Most of the Supernatural lore stuck to the real mythology. It’s the ability to create objects through mental powers or thought. The term is based on the Tibetan “sprulpa,” which is the Tibetan practice mentioned in the series.
The SPN lore was mostly based on the 20th century view of thought-forms. The forms could develop from the auras around beings because of thoughts and feelings. They’re linked to astral projections, where some people (usually those practicing the occult) will be able to manifest through astral forms. The astral forms don’t always look like person projecting them.
Lore has developed in recent years. Tulpas have been connected to the belief in imaginary friends. People have also taken to the internet to say they created their favorite characters as thought-forms. Tulpas are now sometimes used to help with depression or anxiety treatment.
Next: Supernatural urban legends: Daeva lore explained
Did you know the truth about tulpa lore? Are you happy that the show connected to the real lore in so much detail? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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