Interpretation Of Thought Form

A thoughtform is a manifestation of mental energy, also known as a “tulpa” in Tibetan mysticism. The concept of thoughtforms is related to the Western philosophy and practice of magic

A thought form is held to be a combination of mind, energy, and consciousness manifested by a sentient being. In the Dzogchen view, thoughtforms of kye-rim type are sentient beings in their own right. Thoughtforms may be benevolent, malevolent, or a combination of both, and can come about as either an intentional or unconscious manifestation of mental energy. In the Tibetan tradition, these are considered an emergence of the Five Pure Lights — the "radiance" or "Clear Light" which is acted upon by mental energy.

This is related to the concept of mindstream, which is a confluence of the “Eight Consciousnesses”, and thus forms the "root" of the Western scientific conceptions of matter and energy. From the Dzogchen perspective energy is disconnected from spiritual energy or vital force, which has medical implications in traditional Tibetan medicine

Parapsychologist H. H. Price, held that once an idea has been formed, it "is no longer wholly under the control of the consciousness which gave it birth" but may operate independently on the minds of other people or on physical objects. It is contended that a meme is not a thoughtform, unless it is sentient Though, memetic theory can be considered an information-based relative of thoughtform phenomena

In Buddhist phenomenology, "appearances" and "phenomena" are English renderings of "dharmas". The communion undertaken by the wife of Marpa in the quotation is an ancient mode of "mind transmission" in the Himalayan traditions, documented in the folklore and anthropological studies of Himalayan and Siberian Shamanism. The Russian Psychiatrist Olga Kharitidi published her direct experience of this phenomenon in the Altay Mountains, where a shaman merged a stream of his consciousness or spirit with hers. This phenomenon is a variation of the spiritual discipline of Phowa and is often rendered as "spirit possession" within English anthropological discourse.