A plural system is multiple people in a body. Different people might be able to take control of the body, or "front" at different times.
Plural FAQ!
Frequently asked questions about plurality! This page is a WIP.
What is a plural system/plurality?
What are some plural symbols?
General Plurality
The ampersand. Commonly used as a symbol to represent plurality as a whole, in use since 2003.
The Treblesand, another commonly used symbol for plurality. Proposed in 2020.
The plural rings, another widespread plurality symbol. Used in many different forms since at least 2011.
Emmengard's plural rings, created with the unknown/adaptive/created/spontaneous terms in mind in 2019.
The plural pride symbol, an early iteration of the plural rings. Created in 2011, created for the Plural Activism Yahoo group.
Below are more symbols, specific to subcommunities within the plurality umbrella.
Daemonism
The latin character, æ. Commonly used as a symbol of daemonism, as "daemon" is normally typed as "dæmon". (On this site, it is typed without the character for now to reduce workload and screenreader issues.) Daemonpage link.
Soulbonding
A soulbonding symbol. Proposed in this thread in 2016.
An alternative soulbonding symbol. Proposed in 2024 by lunar-solstice-plur on Tumblr.
Proposed in 2024 by lunar-solstice-plur on Tumblr. This version is specific to those who are in soulbond-soulbonder relationships/those who date their soulbonds.
A soulbonding flag. Note that this flag was previously specifically created for metaphysical soulbonders only, but has since been expanded to include the full definition of soulbonding, as opposed to being exclusive. Created in 2020 by vesiamor on Tumblr.
The same flag as the previous one, with meanings attached. Created in 2020 by vesiamor on Tumblr.
Tulpamancy
A tulpamancy symbol. Suggested in this thread on the r/tulpas subreddit in 2014, and is now used as the subreddit icon.
Why does someone become a system?
A system can form for many reasons. Systems might form involuntarily, or someone may have chosen to become plural--maybe even a mix of both! Each system may have a different explanation for why/how they're plural, or may have a mixture of different origins of plurality within their system.
Some plurals are simply born as a system and grow up that way. This could have spiritual explanations (such as being born with multiple souls), or have psychological explanations (brain is simply different), though this experience isn't exclusively defined by a spitirual vs psychological framework.
Walk-ins are headmates that simply show up randomly. Some explain these as extra souls joining the body to create a system, and some explain them as a psychological thing that is yet to be explored.
Thoughtforms and certain types of them (tulpas, daemons) are another way one can become plural. Thoughforms are usually deliberately created in order to become plural. One type of thoughtform is a tulpa, a headmate one makes through psychological methods. You can find guides on how to create a tulpa in places such as r/tulpas or tulpa.info--they have more in-depth info! Daemons are a type of mental construct usually meant to serve as a separate part of your consciousness, your subconscious, or something similar to that. A lot of people who make daemons don't consider themselves plural as daemons are supposed to be a representation of yourself, but still distinctly you. This is, of course, up to the individual(s) as to if they call themselves plural or not.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) is one of the main studied causes of plurality. It's a dissociative disorder that involves the presence of more than one identity within a singular body, dissociation (usually severe), and amnesia. It's commonly thought of to be associated with trauma. OSDD (Other Specified Dissociative Disorder) is another disorder that may be related to plurality. Dissociative disorders aren't the only disorders to be related to the plural experience, but are the ones most commonly associated with it. Some psychotic people consider their hallucinations to be a plural experience, as do some people with personality disorders with their identity related symptoms.
Soulbonding is a usually deliberate mental connection with a (usually) external entity--usually a fictional character, but not always. This has both spiritual and psychological explanations to it. Spiritual soulbonders tend to believe in the multiverse theory and that they are connecting with entities outside of their brain in other universes--entities who may be able to share their body with them as a headmate. Psychological soulbonders are similar in that they connect with an entity, but this is usually more explained to be similar to the phenomenon of writers having the story "escape" from them, and having the characters from their stories "correct" and change the plot. This is similar to a tulpa, but the communities arose separately and have their nuances.
How do I act around a system?
The same way you'd act around any other person, honestly! Treat them however they want to be treated. Treat them and any boundaries they may have--related to their plurality or not--with respect. Don't pester them about their system if they don't want to share certain details with you, let them explain things in their own time. Though, they might not ever explain everything to you, and that's okay--it's their identity and it can be very private.
Also remember that regardless of what a systemmate is or identifies as, don't treat them any differently than you would a normal person unless the system themselves has specified they'd like to be treated in a certain other way. Even if they're a fictional character, they're a living being and deserve to be treated with respect.
Some general pointers, though, to get you started with establishing yourself as a good friend to a system:
- Ask them if they'd like to tell you who's fronting, or if they'd prefer you ask them whenever you meet up.
- Ask a little bit about their headmates, if they're open to it! Ask for hobbies, things they enjoy doing, favourite foods, etc. Any regular get-to-know-you questions.
- Check if there's any boundaries that the system has that you'd need to be aware of to avoid crossing.