Glossary

Alter/Fragment/Aspect/Personality: Used to describe a headmate within a System.

Blurring/Spiraling: Used to describe disassociation, too many headmates attempting to front, new headmate forming, etc. Simply used to explain the feeling when front is overwhelming.

Co-Fronting/Co-Present/Co-Running: Used to describe when multiple headmates are fronting, usually with various levels of control over the body.

Covert Switch/Silent Switch: Used to describe when a headmate swaps with another without being noticed.

Dormancy/Dormant: Dormancy is when a Alter is inactive. This can be done in a variety of ways, from the body believing the headmate is redundant to, in Endogenic cases, sometimes death.

DSM-IV: Stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (of Mental Disorders). The usual and latest version, DSM-5, is typically used for clinical/legal situations. Sadly, this tend to be used similar to the Bible with Evangelicals and treated as law, which many argue hinder progress in understanding Plurality. It is heavily questioned, as it lists things such as shyness and bad handwriting as mental disorders (interpretation on how true that is varies), and is argued to only be there to help make insurance claims simpler to accept/deny, which is supported by the fact that the doctors who worked on the manual (who are the same ones paid by drug companies) be allegedly required to sign a non-disclosure agreement in making the manual. Very little was changed in the last version to accommodate cultural based Systems (aka mostly Endogenics). People tend to be misdiagnosed if their type of Plurality isn't on the list (sometimes on purpose) so the therapist and client can actually continue sessions.

Endogenic: A debated topic among the more medicalist side of plurality. Endogenic, whether headmate or System, is when a System/headmate formed via non-trauma means. Typically Systems with spiritual or some other beliefs are under this category, however cases of Traumagenic properties within Endogenics has been recorded.

Factive/Introject: A headmate whose Source is from the real world, past or present.

Fictive: A headmate whose Source is from a fictional piece of media. Some Systems tend to only call headmates Fictives if they are, "based," on a character, not if they are from the universe/media.

Fronting/Front: Used to describe who is in control of the body the System resides in.

Gateway System: A System, typically Endogenic, who hold the belief they are from another reality/dimension/place and uses the body as a vessel.

Headspace/Innerworld: Used to describe the space in which headmates exist. Can be a simple room, to complex planets/galaxies, or abstract spaces such as endless voids.

Headspace Perception/Transcription Trick: This is the action of using a messaging platform to have Outsider's, "interact," with the Headspace via putting the body on Autpilot and transcribing the Headspace in a Roleplay format. There are various ways to do the trick. This is seen as therapeutic by some Systems. This trick (at least the term) was coined by Iron Rose after they, with the help of a diagnosed OSDD System, was able to get it to work in the latter's System. The trick requires a Headspace, the ability to use the body's imagination (specifically the ability to perceive things that don't belong in Headspace), and the ability to put the body on Autopilot. Some use the Placeholder method to properly project Outsiders in the Headspace.

Host: A Host in terms of Traumagenic typically is the, "original person," to exist before the System. A Host to Endogenics can mean a multitude of things, from someone who is just a leader to someone who holds major power in Headspace.

Integration: A very controversial method of, "curing," plurality, this is when headmates are encouraged to eventually merge into one entity. There has been proof this is ineffective and not permanent, however it is agreed by the community it is a System's choice.

Merge/Merging: This is when a headmate merges with another headmate. This type of merging doesn't actually have a name and is usually slang, as most use Intergration and Merging in the same context. But in this case, it is different. It can be voluntary, or in unique cases, unvoluntary.

Non Alter Persons (NAPs)/Non Playable Characters (NPCs): Entities that exist in Headspace but are not headmates. Some are simplistic in Headspace while others can be complex, with unique cultures, identities, etc.

Outside: Used to describe the world outside of a System, typically by Alters.

Outsider: Used to describe the people outside of a System, typically by Alters.

Placeholder: A Placeholder is the projection of a Outsider within a Headspace. Placeholder rules can vary as System's realites and rules tend to control what people can/can't be. The term was coined by Iron Rose.

Split/Splitting/Form/Forming: Used to describe the formation of a new headmate.

Subsystem: A System within a System. Some Subsystems are inside of a headmate while others simply have connections to each other from formation.

Switching: Used to describe when a different headmate swaps to take control of the body.

Source: A Source is a person, character, thing, etc., that a headmate is, "based," off of.

System/Plural/Collective: Used to describe a body with multiple identities.

System Medicalist/Medicalist: A person/System who believes any other System that is not Traumagenic is faking or confused. They tend to believe Systems must work a certain way or fit certain boxes to be real. The term is coined by Iron Rose due to them being similar to how transmedicalists are.

System Hopping: One of the few actions the plural community seems to majorly agree on can't be real. It is the action of a person/other System's headmate jumping into other Systems as if they are separate realms. While some Systems hold such a belief about being things such as realms, there is no way a brain can actually just be entered. Some even claim they can do so without Host knowledge. This is usually used by toxic individuals for manipulative purposes.

System Transferring: A more debated action, this one has been theorized to be the thing System Hopping tried to mimic. System Transferring is the action of two Systems (only those with Endogenic properties have been recorded) transferring one headmate to another. This is usually done via a long process of writing down everything the System can about a headmate and giving it to the receiving System, who uses the info to form the headmate. The original Split goes into dormancy during this. While heavily debated, in the lens of Endogenics, it is agreed by many to be feasible, some even claiming to have done it. This term is coined by Iron Rose, since System Hopping has been used to identify both the fake and theoretical experience.

Traumagenic: Traumagenic, whether headmate or System, is when a System/headmate is formed via trauma. Typically, Systems with DID or OSDD are under this, however cases of Endogenic properties within Traumagenics has been recorded.

Outsider Interaction Section