Nautilus

Can You Treat Loneliness By Creating an Imaginary Friend?

Tulpamancers imagine talking to the tulpa, sometimes for more than an hour a day, and eventually, perhaps after several months, the tulpa will start talking back.Photo Illustration by LeaDigszammal / Shutterstock

id you ever have an imaginary friend? If you didn’t, chances are you know someone who did. Imaginary companions, as scholars call them, are quite common, and aren’t strictly associated with childhood. They can last into the upper teen years. One of the most striking things about imaginary companions, which are generally considered harmless, is, of course, their apparent autonomy. To the child,

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