Plurality and the concept of the dual soul
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A real-world related discussion of systemhood and plurality, explaining the core concept.
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 6 Apr 2023, 15:31.
[comments] plrtycultureplurality The concept of having several people in the same body is something that many find foreign, and nobody can blame you for that. This idea is central to the Niflikin society, so it stands to reason that I explain it to give people a chance to understand. This isn't a worldbuilding post, but about a real phenomenon that I personally experience. It's vital to understand a lot of
At it's core, it's exactly what it says on the tin: Two people within the same body, sharing a brain, or having two souls in one body. Some may look at this and wonder, isn't this Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)? And they'd be right, in part. There is a large amount of real world medical politics involved in this. Plurality, this whole thing, is definitely part of what DID is. There is a range of other causes for it though, such as simply spending a lot of time talking to a construct in your mind, attaching very hard to a character or concept, or any other amount of reasons. There are also more pathological reasons, like OSDD, pDID, UDD, and DDNOS, but I won't be going into those. For now, keep in mind that this phenomenon has no set reason for why it exists, and that this isn't restricted to my worldbuilding. This happens and is real in the world you live in as well.
So what do these people live like, these systems? They can:
- switch who is in front (who's actually controlling the body)
- engage in activities in their headspace (a metaphysical space that exists inside the mind, where you as a system member are when you aren't in front)
- talk to one another mentally, give support to each other or share banter
It isn't anything big, really. This is all just a lifestyle that some people happen to require for functioning or is otherwise unavoidable. You can't wish it away, once you're plural, a system, it's most of the time permanent. At times, a system member (headmate) can go dormant. Often this is a sad event, but think of it like a bear going into hibernation. They're gathering energy for a while, but they aren't dead.
This article has a lot of new words, so let's go over them before finishing this introduction so we are all on the same page.
System - A body with more than one person in it, with several people or beings or souls.
Headmate - A system member, one person within the plural brain and body.
Plural - In this context, a descriptor of a person with a system. Not everyone identifies with the term.
Front - Where a headmate is when they control the body and interact with the physical world.
Switching - Changing who is in front.
Headspace - A metaphysical space many systems have within their minds, where their headmates hang out while not in front.
Here is another helpful website that answers a few questions I didn't.
Hopefully with this you have a frame of reference to what my other articles are discussing, but if you ever don't you are free to leave a comment! ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
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