>>17201
>What catalysed my passion for tulpas wasn't so much a deep personal attachment to a fictional character insofar as my want to explore different types of sapience.
Same for me, actually. I'm a tulpamancer going back to 2005. I didn't know that tulpamancy was what I was doing until sometime in 2012. I've had a couple tulpas over the years, presently one, and none have ever been based on established fictional characters beyond borrowing a name for my first. They are all unique characters, originally intended mostly for companionship and a source of second opinions, but we have come to see things in a way a bit closer to the life tutor model of old in more recent years.
>On that note, what do you consider esoteric in regards to tulpas and waifus?
An interesting question. To answer the question in a painfully direct way, I'd say "esoteric" would be a certain number of viewpoints, experiences, and practices existing as a subset of tulpamancy and waifuism. I'm not really a part of the tulpa community anymore despite still having a (non-waifu) tulpa, but my answer in regards to esoteric tulpamancy would typically entail the umbrella of the more spiritual outlooks, where a tulpa is considered either a fragment of a soul or a captured soul of sorts. Not sure how common this view is anymore, but I used to see it fairly often in days past.
For waifuism it's a bit more varied, but I feel it is also a far younger field with more room for development due to the relative breadth of the concept. There are some that are trying to meet their waifu through the lucid dreaming route and some with notions, usually somewhat vague ones at present, of meeting them in a possible afterlife, or interacting with their waifu in their next incarnation.
I myself am on what I can best describe as a shamanic vision quest in which I live a second life in an Equestria through my spirit body. In this other world, I became friends with Twilight, had a moment where I realized I loved her, talked to her about it, and we started a relationship. I see her there every day, I do little favors for her and hang out with her sometimes, and just generally love being around her. We've even agreed to marry one day, likely far in the future. As a footnote I'd say that this love is certainly an important piece of my journey to me, but the journey is more than just a wish fulfillment fantasy. I am learning and growing a lot through my various experiences in that place.
>>17181
Here is a screencap of the schizoquestria topic in isolation with most of the rabbit holes and other discussion on the side cut out. It will probably be easier to follow than trying to pick through that novel of a thread directly.
https://files.catbox.moe/28cxfz.png