The Giant Concept of "Tufti"—Decoding from the Author Interview "Afterword"

This time, I would like to introduce an interview about Vadim Zeland's "Tufti".

At the end of last year, I introduced author interviews from 2009–2010 in four parts on this note, and subsequently, I have been distributing the full translations via newsletter. That distribution recently reached a milestone, and next, I plan to deliver translations of interviews regarding "Tufti" as a series.
(Please rest assured that even if you have not read the previous series, this content can be read independently.)
※The magazine containing the interview articles is here↓

This time, prior to that series, I would like to introduce not the interview text itself, but the "Afterword" first.

Why the "Afterword" first?

This Tufti interview is published on both:
・Zeland's official website (original)
・the Transurfing Center website (re-edited and expanded).

Since there is no mention of an editor or media outlet, it is believed that this was compiled and published on the official website by Zeland's side in response to the likely large volume of questions received after the book's publication (the period being late 2017 to 2018).

※By the way, questions directed not to the author but to Tufti herself are compiled in the 2019 book "О чем не сказала Тафти (What Tufti Did Not Say)."

What should be noted here is the existence of an "Afterword" added only to the later-published "Center version."

What is discussed in the "Afterword"?

In this "Afterword," which does not exist in the official website version, Zeland provides a very in-depth explanation regarding the existence of Tufti.
Specifically—
・The concept of Tufti's "avatar"
・Behind-the-scenes stories of the production of the Tufti video series
・The relationship between Tatyana Samarina and Tufti
・Regarding the "channel" through which Tufti's information is received
—these are the contents.

Due to its nature, the existence of Tufti is an area where interpretations tend to precede, and misunderstandings or excessive meaning-making are prone to arise. I believe this "Afterword" is intended for Zeland himself to provide a certain level of organization and boundaries against such situations, and to guide the reader's understanding.
This is just my own interpretation, but it is one of the reasons I judged it worth reading before entering the interview text itself.

As a "guide line" to help you receive Tufti-related books, videos, and content more deeply—both for the upcoming newsletter series and for those who are not newsletter subscribers—I would like to start with the translation and commentary of this "Afterword."

Paragraphs marked with "※" are the "commentary" sections.

Afterword...

A message from Vadim Zeland
Tufti's Avatar

Dear readers,
The first season of Tufti videos (первый сезон видео Тафти) has concluded. Many of you guessed who played the role of Tufti. However, there is one thing you did not guess. That is that this role was not acted (НЕ СЫГРАНА). It is impossible to act as Tufti—that has already been verified. Similarly, it is impossible to write "Tufti the Priestess (Тафти жрица)" or "Priestess Itfat (жрица Итфат)" without Tufti herself.

※Tufti's video "Season 1"
This is a video series published on the YouTube channel [Тафти Итфат] linked below, consisting of episodes 1–10 (about 10 minutes each). It is a video series in a format where Tufti speaks, extracting important points from the book. It is entirely in Russian, but just feeling the atmosphere is well worth it. (Only episode 10 has an English subtitle version.)
※The person who "(did not act)" is Tatyana Samarina (mentioned in the previous article, founder and lead instructor of the Transurfing Center).

※After that, Season 2 was also created, which contains content from the book "Tufti 2: Controlling Events." It is uploaded to the Transurfing Center's YouTube channel.

※"Tufti the Priestess (Тафти жрица)": The first work in the Tufti series. The Japanese version is "Tufti the Priestess: A Method for Creating Reality That Changes the World"

※"Priestess Itfat (жрица Итфат)": The novel version of Tufti. A story in which Tufti and her companions adventure in the meta-reality world in search of the true nature of "reality."
(These two books have names and titles that are "mirrors" of each other.)

During rehearsals, Tatyana Samarina couldn't do anything right. However, when the moment of the actual shoot arrived, we witnessed the real Tufti (НАСТОЯЩАЯ ТАФТИ). It felt as if Tufti herself had come and entered Tatyana like an avatar (аватар). The entire film crew was literally overwhelmed by this phenomenon.

Throughout the filming, we felt as if we were participating in some kind of magical ritual. And not a staged one, but a real ritual. The footage already shot cannot convey the atmosphere we were experiencing—a state as if we were inside a sacred ritual. We stared at Tufti as if mesmerized. And she herself seemed to be in some kind of trance state.

Why is something like this possible? It is because Tufti is not a fictional character. In the 10th century BC, she was a priestess of the Temple of Isis in Egypt (жрица храма Изиды в Египте). Even her birth and death years (970–911 BC) are known. Her records might remain somewhere in an ancient manuscript but I do not have access to such materials. All I have is the Tufti channel (канал Тафти), and that is where the information comes from.

I cannot converse with Tufti verbally. However, there is an emotional contact. For example, I know that before she appeared in the world, she was very worried about how she would be received. And even now, she is pained when she faces misunderstanding or rejection. I myself do not know how she conveys information. This, too, is a kind of trance.

※аватар: Avatar
The word "avatar" is originally a religious concept referring to an "incarnation (manifestation)" of a god appearing on earth, but in modern times, it is also used to mean the "representation of an operating agent" in virtual space.
For Zeland, an avatar refers to "an interface with substance that a higher intelligence borrows to interfere with the physical laws of this world."It is most accurate to interpret this not as a simple unification of "Tatyana = Tufti herself," but as a state where Tatyana the human is used as a "connecting link (связующее звено)" (described later) to "bring down" the knowledge and concepts Tufti possesses into our reality.

※жрица: The female form of жрец (a priest who performs rituals by offering sacrifices).
The dictionary definition is as above. It means a servant to a god in ancient religions, not a Christian-style member of the clergy.
I have felt ever since I started reading that there isn't really a perfect single word in Japanese to express this... and there were inconsistencies in notation when I touched upon it in my note articles. This time, having re-examined the translation, I have decided to unify the term to "Goshinkan" (Goddess Priestess) from now on, considering the semantic meaning, historical consistency, and ease of understanding. (In the published Japanese version, it is translated as "Miko" (Shrine Maiden).)

※храм Изиды: Temple of Isis
The "Isis" mentioned here is a goddess who was widely worshipped in ancient Egypt, and is an existence that combines qualities such as maternity, rebirth, and magic. Isis worship did not remain within Egypt; in later eras, it spread to the Mediterranean world and continued to have influence over a relatively long period.

※канал Тафти: Tufti's channel
Although the word "канал" (corresponding to the English "channel") is used, Zeland does not provide a clear explanation regarding how information is received, repeating only that "I cannot explain what is happening myself."

Both books were written in a trance (И обе книги писались в трансе). My reason alone could not have created such things. When I look at these books, I do not have the feeling that they were written by me.

※писались в трансе: Written in a trance
It uses the reflexive verb [писаться], which has a passive meaning, to express that "(the books) were written," rather than "(I) wrote."

This is all I can tell you about Tufti for now. What is important is that she still exists in some mysterious way. Truly. I cannot even guess in what form or in which world she exists. Such things are outside our understanding and perception.

"Why Tatyana?" Some may wonder. The answer is, "Because Tufti herself chose her." An actress could not fulfill this "role." This is not just a role. It requires the ability to guide and convey "knowledge." Furthermore, the two have something similar about them, an elusive commonality. Tatyana's connection with Tufti is even stronger than mine. This is a fact. I receive information through Tufti's channel. And Tatyana has become the connecting link (связующее звено) through which Tufti can make contact with our world.

When Tatyana enters the Tufti state, Tufti enters her, and Tatyana becomes a kind of manifestation—an avatar.

※связующее звено: Connecting link
・связующее: Connecting, linking
・звено: (1) link (of a chain) (2) component, part (3) smallest unit, team
The point of this expression is that it is not a "bridge"-like existence, but a single "link" in a chain. It implies not just a mere medium or passage, but a connection point incorporated into a relationship, built in as part of a structure. It suggests that Tatyana is structurally functioning as an existence that "connects Tufti and the real world," and that she is a "link" that bears the "connection itself," rather than being an "interpreter" or "spokesperson."

However, the everyday Tatyana is a completely different person, which you can see by looking at two photos. But Tufti also has various aspects. Her character (характер) is best expressed in the book "Priestess Itfat" (scheduled for publication in the first half of February 2018).

※характер: Character
The novel version of Tufti, "Priestess Itfat," allows you to read about a human-like Tufti who gets lost, feels fear, experiences joy, and is kind, rather than the sharp-tongued priestess who guides snails.

In the newsletter, we will be delivering translations of the official Zeland interview [About the book "Tufti the Priestess"].
If you read the "Afterword" and want to read the main interview text, please register for the newsletter from the link below and wait.
(You can also read back issues.)

On note, starting next time, we will return to "Transurfing of Yourself" («Трансерфинг себя») and continue reading [Chapter 3: Effective Movement].

※Previously, I translated and explained an SNS post (reposted on the official site) where Zeland touched upon the "Tufti phenomenon in Japan." This was a post from January 2025, but the author's response to misunderstandings and critical opinions remains consistent. ↓ In this article, a new metaphor appears where Tufti is compared to Mary Poppins, which is interesting.

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