Dolls, Coffins & Tulpas

Dolls, Coffins & Tulpas

From The Unexplainers by The Sonar Network

February 9, 2026 · 31 min · Season 7 · Episode 1

About this episode

John and Rhys explore the chilling mystery of the Arthur’s Seat coffins and the concept of Tulpas in this episode.

In this episode of The Unexplainers, John and Rhys kick off a  new chapter  as they announce the show is joining The Sonar Network in 2026. From there, things get wonderfully strange. First, John unveils the chilling mystery of the Arthur’s Seat coffins: 17 tiny wooden coffins discovered on a hillside above Edinburgh in 1836, each containing a carved figurine in miniature burial clothes. Were they witchcraft? Memorials to lost sailors? Or a secret tribute to the 17 known victims of Burke and Hare, Edinburgh’s most infamous body-snatching serial killers? Then Rhys segues into the world of Tulpas—mentally created entities that, with enough focus and belief, start to feel autonomous. We meet Tibetan explorers, Reddit Tulpamancers, and a blue, 18th‑century, cider-fuelled road-digging Tulpa named Ian. Along the way, John and Rhys riff on: Theories behind the Arthur’s Seat coffins and why some of them vanished How toy soldiers may have been repurposed into the coffin figures The strange overlap between imaginary friends, dissociation, and creativity Online Tulpa communities and claims of Tulpas helping with things like math tests…

People in this episode

Hosts: John, Rhys

Topics covered

  • mystery
  • Tulpas
  • Edinburgh history
  • Burke and Hare
  • imagination
  • creativity

Keywords

  • Arthur’s Seat coffins
  • Tulpas
  • Burke and Hare
  • Edinburgh
  • mystery
  • imagination
  • creativity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Sonar Network

Books & works: Arthur’s Seat coffins

Places: Edinburgh

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