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This is not a definitive or extensive guide. It is just a guide for individuals looking to learn the basics and what to do or not to do.
Every system has a different journey, so please ask if they are okay talking about their journey before asking them to talk about it.
What does plurality mean?
Plurality is when multiple individuals share one body, heart, brain, etc.
They can be different species.
They can all have differing sexualities and romantic preferences.
They can also have different ages. Make sure to watch your language and such.
Medical terms include: O.S.D.D, D.I.D, and M.P.D. These terms are avoided by some systems. These individuals are all different. Just like your friend Jerry and your friend Greg are two different individuals.
These individuals are members
of a system.
A system, or (less often), a collective, is the term for a group of individuals sharing a body.
There are many terms for what an individual individual may be referred to as, but my own preference goes to "sysmate" or "member". Other terms include residents, headmates, members, alters.
NEVER personalities. Members are NOT personalities, they are different living individuals. Just like your friends Jerry and Greg, who are two different individuals.
I, myself, don't like "alters" as "alter" means "to change" or short for "alternate". It is also short for "alter ego" which is Latin for "other self". Members are not alternate versions of someone. They are separate individuals.
A host is a member that fronts the most often. There can be more than one and some systems have none.
The core is the member with a direct connection to the system's pre-system self. Not every system has one, and some systems are systems from birth.
The headspace is where all members live.
"Singlet" is someone who isn't plural. I don't like the word much, as it sounds kind of derogatory. I recommend: "She's not plural", "She's singular", or "She's not a member of a system".
Addressing a System and Talking about a System
Some systems may choose to use the pronoun "we" all the time, or limit it to when members are cofronting.
Some systems do not have a preference as to whether you address them in the singular or in the plural. Others may have a preference, and the preference may depend on cofronting circumstances.
Some systems have their own pronouns for when referring to the entire system.
Fronting and Cofronting
Fronting is who is controlling the body at the moment.
Cofronting is when multiple individuals are controlling the body at the same time.
"Ash and I are cofronting" and "Ash and I are fronting" are both possible sentences.
"I'm fronting alone" is fine too, obviously.
Switching is, for example, when one member stops fronting, and in exchange, another begins fronting.
Sharing Memories, Emotions, and More
Please ask your friends if they are okay talking about their experiences! It is different for every member of every system.
Not everyone will share memories or emotions with each other.
For example, emotions: Ash might like you romantically, but Alex might not.
Or maybe they will share memories, but not emotions.
Memory loss is referred to as amnesia, and can have a lot of different causes. Members not sharing memories after a switch may also be referred to as amnesia.
Sharing or not sharing are not the only options. There is sometimes a sometimes factor, or other factors such as a gatekeeper.
A gatekeeper is a member who can control who is allowed to front, or even stop memories from being shared between different members. Memories being controlled this way is called managed memory.
Communication Among Members
Members may share internal or external communication with each other.
Internal communication is the ability for members to communicate with each other by speaking to each other in the headspace.
External communication is usually done when internal communication is not a possibility.
External communication can be done with making notes for each other, or other ways of communicating outside of the headspace.
