By Cheryl Lee Latter

It seems that TP tulpas are not created in the commonly believed way. They are supposed to be an extension of yourself brought into existence by thought and nurtured the same way until they get strong enough to exist as a separate entity. Lodge tulpas are a different animal. They are like clones, made with DNA of the original, but are merely shells, as we saw when Tulpa Diane cracked so beautifully.

Does this explain why Lodge Tulpas have less than desirable personalities? Are Dougie’s caddish traits and Diane’s abrasive nature explained by the fact that the Lodge beings aren’t equipped to recreate warm human characteristics and emotions? This makes it more likely that Cooper or Briggs were not as involved in the creation process as we may like to believe. It’s also odd that Dougie seems oblivious to his situation, whereas Diane knows what she is.

It is likely that Tulpa Diane was created after the assault, in order to protect the real Diane once she knew Cooper wasn’t himself, which makes her emotional retelling of the rape scene all the more chilling. It’s as though she was reciting a compelling script and distracting Cole and the others from the real reason she was there, which was to kill them. If this is true, her offensive behaviour can no longer be explained as a reaction to her assault and means the Lodge beings created her that way.

Basically, Tulpas are jerks, and surely they could have done a better job with all the otherworldly magic at hand? Were they purposefully created this way in order to avoid relationships and friendships from forming that may raise questions? And if so, where does all this leave Janey-E?