Definitions, Terms, and Language
In various parts of the plural community, one may find that there are particular terms and jargon being used. This page lists all of the definitions and terms particular to the community. This is not endogenic-specific, with some terms being used or known by multiple groups.
Plurality: The condition or state of having more than one person sharing a brain. This includes endogenic systems, as well as other forms and kinds of plurality. Some people may use the term "multiplicity" in place of the word "plurality"; they both are understood as referring to the same concept.
Alter: Short for alternate personality. This was a term used by psychologists to describe the other identities/people in a traumagenic plural system. It is a good idea to ask whether a group uses the term before applying it to them or others.
Headmate: A term that describes the other identities or people in an endogenic plural system. This term originated in the soulbonding community.
System/Collective: This refers to the group of headmates sharing a body together. Some use system, others use collective, and some may have their own terms to refer to their group, such as a "family" or a "pack". Others may also name their systems (e.g. an endogenic system calling themselves the Lionden System).
Alter: Short for alternate personality. This was a term used by psychologists to describe the other identities/people in a traumagenic plural system. It is a good idea to ask whether a group uses the term before applying it to them or others.
Headmate: A term that describes the other identities or people in an endogenic plural system. This term originated in the soulbonding community.
System/Collective: This refers to the group of headmates sharing a body together. Some use system, others use collective, and some may have their own terms to refer to their group, such as a "family" or a "pack". Others may also name their systems (e.g. an endogenic system calling themselves the Lionden System).
Innerworld/Otherworld/Headspace: A headspace is a mental space (or another realm for more metaphysical types) some may go when they are not controlling the body or are not "present". Some headspaces are created or serve as a symbolic mental construct, while others may have always existed and be large, vivid and realistic, or very expansive. There are a wide variety of headspaces systems can have, and some may even lack a headspace at first or prefer to not have one. These worlds are not limited to plurals either; singlets have been known to experience headspaces they can enter and interact with. Tulpamancers may call these worlds "wonderlands".
Outerworld/Meatspace: This is the name given to this world/shared reality by some plural systems.
Blurring: Refers to the experience of two or more headmates merging together and getting confused while in front, or just general identity confusion between various headmates.
Co-consciousness: Being conscious at the same time other headmates are. This may mean that a system member is thinking at the same time others are, are aware of what other headmates are doing internally or externally, or even outright communicating with other system members consciously. This is a common experience for systems of all origins, and there are different levels of co-consciousness for different systems.
Possession: When a headmate assumes control over specific localized parts of the body, instead of all of it at once.
Fronting: When a headmate assumes control over the body, but the person who was previously controlling still shares control and has not left. Different groups may define this term differently.
Switching: When a headmate gives up control and goes inside, and another headmate comes out to control the body. Different groups may define this term differently.
Outerworld/Meatspace: This is the name given to this world/shared reality by some plural systems.
Blurring: Refers to the experience of two or more headmates merging together and getting confused while in front, or just general identity confusion between various headmates.
Co-consciousness: Being conscious at the same time other headmates are. This may mean that a system member is thinking at the same time others are, are aware of what other headmates are doing internally or externally, or even outright communicating with other system members consciously. This is a common experience for systems of all origins, and there are different levels of co-consciousness for different systems.
Possession: When a headmate assumes control over specific localized parts of the body, instead of all of it at once.
Fronting: When a headmate assumes control over the body, but the person who was previously controlling still shares control and has not left. Different groups may define this term differently.
Switching: When a headmate gives up control and goes inside, and another headmate comes out to control the body. Different groups may define this term differently.
Singlet: Someone who is not part of a system or is not plural.
Median System/Mid-continuum: This is a system where boundaries between members are less defined, and may see themselves as all originating or being part of the same person.
Gateway System: A system in which the innerworld is perceived as a real place somewhere, or a (usually) large system with members predominantly from metaphysical origins, often coming and going as they please.
Multiple System: This is a system in which the members experience distinct separations between each other, and each member has their own personal identity regardless of the other system members sharing the body.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): In dissociative identity disorder there are two or more identity states, each having their own pattern of thinking, speaking and behaving. These identity states take control and cause severe and distressing dissociation of varying forms, especially dissociative amnesia. These symptoms cause clinically significant dysfunction in those afflicted. This disorder is thought to be caused by severe and repetitive early childhood trauma (Tracy, 2015).
Other Specified Dissociative Disorder-1 (OSDD-1): This refers to two dissociative disorders, OSDD-1a and OSDD-1b. In OSDD-1a, individuals have alters that lack the separation and differentiation seen in DID, and in OSDD-1b individualized alters as seen in DID are present, but dissociative amnesia is absent (DID-research, 2016). Both cause distress and dysfunction to those afflicted, and are thought to be caused by early childhood trauma (DID-research, 2016).
Polyfragmented System: This is a traumagenic system that has a large amount of members, usually one-hundred or more. These systems got their name from the theory that abuse caused "fragmentation" to occur psychologically, leading to the large amount of members (D, 2015).
Median System/Mid-continuum: This is a system where boundaries between members are less defined, and may see themselves as all originating or being part of the same person.
Gateway System: A system in which the innerworld is perceived as a real place somewhere, or a (usually) large system with members predominantly from metaphysical origins, often coming and going as they please.
Multiple System: This is a system in which the members experience distinct separations between each other, and each member has their own personal identity regardless of the other system members sharing the body.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): In dissociative identity disorder there are two or more identity states, each having their own pattern of thinking, speaking and behaving. These identity states take control and cause severe and distressing dissociation of varying forms, especially dissociative amnesia. These symptoms cause clinically significant dysfunction in those afflicted. This disorder is thought to be caused by severe and repetitive early childhood trauma (Tracy, 2015).
Other Specified Dissociative Disorder-1 (OSDD-1): This refers to two dissociative disorders, OSDD-1a and OSDD-1b. In OSDD-1a, individuals have alters that lack the separation and differentiation seen in DID, and in OSDD-1b individualized alters as seen in DID are present, but dissociative amnesia is absent (DID-research, 2016). Both cause distress and dysfunction to those afflicted, and are thought to be caused by early childhood trauma (DID-research, 2016).
Polyfragmented System: This is a traumagenic system that has a large amount of members, usually one-hundred or more. These systems got their name from the theory that abuse caused "fragmentation" to occur psychologically, leading to the large amount of members (D, 2015).
Endogenic (System): An origin independent of trauma or internally derived; a system who did not come from trauma.
Quoigenic (System): An unknown origin; many systems use this to denote refusal of origin-specific labels, or assert that that do not know how they originated (and in some cases, do not care to know.)
Parogenic (System): A created origin; a system in which members were purposefully created (often by an original preexisting person).
Traumagenic (System): A traumatic origin; a system who was caused by trauma. Some traumagenic systems are traumagenic, yet do not qualify for a diagnosis of DID or OSDD, and some do not differentiate themselves from other plurals.
Mixed-Origin (System): An origin composed of multiple kinds of the above; mixed-origin systems are those who may have both trauma-based and non-trauma based headmates, which may occur due to spiritual belief, odd quirks of psychology, or simply be the way their system developed over time in response to various environmental experiences.
Quoigenic (System): An unknown origin; many systems use this to denote refusal of origin-specific labels, or assert that that do not know how they originated (and in some cases, do not care to know.)
Parogenic (System): A created origin; a system in which members were purposefully created (often by an original preexisting person).
Traumagenic (System): A traumatic origin; a system who was caused by trauma. Some traumagenic systems are traumagenic, yet do not qualify for a diagnosis of DID or OSDD, and some do not differentiate themselves from other plurals.
Mixed-Origin (System): An origin composed of multiple kinds of the above; mixed-origin systems are those who may have both trauma-based and non-trauma based headmates, which may occur due to spiritual belief, odd quirks of psychology, or simply be the way their system developed over time in response to various environmental experiences.
For most of the groups in this category, these identities are not consciously chosen or induced.
Age-Slider: A person in a system who's age changes or slides. An age slider may be three years old one day, and a teenager another day.
Little: A child or minor in a system.
Big: A person who is an adult or otherwise not a little in a system.
Fragment: A headmate who appears to be not fully formed or incomplete compared to others; they may have only one task, action, or emotion they feel or were designed for.
Walk-in: A headmate who comes into the system from an external outside source (such as through spiritual means) and remains there. This term originates from New Age circles.
Tulpa: A created headmate. While the word "tulpa" does hearken back to a more supernatural origin in occult circles, the tulpas modern-day creators make tend to have little to do with the paranormal, with most being seen as psychological in origin and function.
Alterhuman: A personal identity referring to those who are beyond humanity in a social, psychological or spiritual way. Some systems consider themselves alterhuman, and others do not.
Otherkin: This term refers to those who identify as non-human, usually non-physically and psychologically or spiritually. Some people in plural systems may resonate with the term, while others may reject it as a meaningful descriptor of their experiences, or otherwise do not fit the definition.
Fictionkin: This term refers to those who identify as a person or creature from a fictional source, usually non-physically, and psychologically and spiritually.
Therianthropy: A term for those who identify as animalistic creatures, usually Earth animals. This may coincide with otherkin, and there are those who may identify as otherkin and therians at the same time.
Fictives: Fictives are those who appear in the system with their identity partially or entirely resembling a fictional character. This term was coined by non-traumagenic groups.
Factives: Factives are those who appear in the system with their identity partially or entirely resembling a factual person in history or the present day. This term presumably originated in the non-traumagenic groups.
Age-Slider: A person in a system who's age changes or slides. An age slider may be three years old one day, and a teenager another day.
Little: A child or minor in a system.
Big: A person who is an adult or otherwise not a little in a system.
Fragment: A headmate who appears to be not fully formed or incomplete compared to others; they may have only one task, action, or emotion they feel or were designed for.
Walk-in: A headmate who comes into the system from an external outside source (such as through spiritual means) and remains there. This term originates from New Age circles.
Tulpa: A created headmate. While the word "tulpa" does hearken back to a more supernatural origin in occult circles, the tulpas modern-day creators make tend to have little to do with the paranormal, with most being seen as psychological in origin and function.
Alterhuman: A personal identity referring to those who are beyond humanity in a social, psychological or spiritual way. Some systems consider themselves alterhuman, and others do not.
Otherkin: This term refers to those who identify as non-human, usually non-physically and psychologically or spiritually. Some people in plural systems may resonate with the term, while others may reject it as a meaningful descriptor of their experiences, or otherwise do not fit the definition.
Fictionkin: This term refers to those who identify as a person or creature from a fictional source, usually non-physically, and psychologically and spiritually.
Therianthropy: A term for those who identify as animalistic creatures, usually Earth animals. This may coincide with otherkin, and there are those who may identify as otherkin and therians at the same time.
Fictives: Fictives are those who appear in the system with their identity partially or entirely resembling a fictional character. This term was coined by non-traumagenic groups.
Factives: Factives are those who appear in the system with their identity partially or entirely resembling a factual person in history or the present day. This term presumably originated in the non-traumagenic groups.
Gender Dysphoria: A sense of discomfort or mismatch between what gender a person perceives themselves as and what they actually are.
Species Dysphoria: A sense of discomfort or mismatch between what species a person perceives themselves as and what they actually are. Often used by psychologists (Probyn-Rapsey, 2011).
Dysmorphia: A condition in which a person views perceived or imagined flaws in their physical appearance.
Exotrauma: This refers to trauma which did not occur to the physical body, and describe experiences which impacted a system member without equating them to physical current-life trauma. This term was coined by a traumagenic system.
Species Dysphoria: A sense of discomfort or mismatch between what species a person perceives themselves as and what they actually are. Often used by psychologists (Probyn-Rapsey, 2011).
Dysmorphia: A condition in which a person views perceived or imagined flaws in their physical appearance.
Exotrauma: This refers to trauma which did not occur to the physical body, and describe experiences which impacted a system member without equating them to physical current-life trauma. This term was coined by a traumagenic system.
Sources:
A. (2007, September 14). Astraea's Web. Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://www.astraeasweb.net/plural/glossary.html
D. (2015, February 22). Polyfragmented Dissociative Identity Disorder facts. Retrieved from https://traumadissociation.wordpress.com/2015/02/22/polyfragmented-did1/
DID Research. (2016, May 11). Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://did-research.org/comorbid/dd/osdd_udd/did_osdd.html
Matulewicz, C. (2016, August 31). What is Other Specified Dissociative Disorder? Retrieved September 8, 2018, from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/2016/08/what-is-other-specified-dissociative-disorder
Tracy, N. (2015, May 14). History of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/the-amazing-history-of-dissociative-identity-disorder-did
Probyn-Rapsey, F. (2011). Furries and the Limits of Species Identity Disorder. Society and Animals,19, 294-301. Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/probynrapsey.pdf.
A. (2007, September 14). Astraea's Web. Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://www.astraeasweb.net/plural/glossary.html
D. (2015, February 22). Polyfragmented Dissociative Identity Disorder facts. Retrieved from https://traumadissociation.wordpress.com/2015/02/22/polyfragmented-did1/
DID Research. (2016, May 11). Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://did-research.org/comorbid/dd/osdd_udd/did_osdd.html
Matulewicz, C. (2016, August 31). What is Other Specified Dissociative Disorder? Retrieved September 8, 2018, from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/2016/08/what-is-other-specified-dissociative-disorder
Tracy, N. (2015, May 14). History of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/the-amazing-history-of-dissociative-identity-disorder-did
Probyn-Rapsey, F. (2011). Furries and the Limits of Species Identity Disorder. Society and Animals,19, 294-301. Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/probynrapsey.pdf.
