V_V comments on Tulpa References/Discussion - Less Wrong Discussion
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't having a tulpa fit the diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia?
Not schizophrenia (though hallucinations are one feature of schizophrenia). The diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia from DSM-5 are:
I looked up Dissociative Identity Disorder as well:
I would be less hesitant to presume this might be the case for some people with tulpas (as a generalization). I doubt many people in the tulpa community would suggest continuing with tulpamancy if a person started to experience symptoms B and C -- though I can imagine it evolving into full-blown Dissociative Identity Disorder if a tulpamancer continued anyways. I do think the tulpa community as a whole (from what I've read) underestimates the dangers of creating a tulpa, but I don't doubt that a significant portion of people could do it healthily and successfully.
I think we need to be careful of connotations and the noncentral fallacy here. Personally, I wouldn't call having a tulpa a "disorder" if the tulpamancer did it on purpose and was in control of the process.
Edit: I would also consider "unusual coping mechanism" a better diagnosis like klkblake mentioned. Again, though, perhaps someone just made a tulpa out of curiosity for fun. Then it wouldn't be a coping mechanism at all. (Edit again: But I forgot about the possibility of "unspecified" like klkblake mentioned and I'd have to pretty much agree with that. This is where my remarks about noncentral fallacy apply.)
I'd also say that it's common enough it's disqualified as DID because of D.
There have been a number of reports on the tulpa subreddit from people who have talked to their psychologist about their tulpa. The diagnosis seems to be split 50/50 between "unusual coping mechanism" and "Disassociative Identity Disorder not otherwise specified".