The total beginner’s definition of plurality
It’s normal to have parts of self (sometimes called “subpersonalities”). Parts mean that people can disagree with themselves and vary their behavior. They might have an “inner child”, “critic voice”, or “work self”. They might even think in dialogues with themselves.
There can be a lot of variation in one person’s behaviors and beliefs. Despite all this variation, most people experience these variations as parts of themselves, and they maintain control over their behavior across their parts. It all registers as “me”. They are one person in one body.
Some people have a different experience. They feel that parts of their mind do not belong to them; instead, those parts are perceived as belonging to other selves sharing their mind.
The experience of having more than one self in the same mind or body is called plurality.
Plural people have parts too, but these parts often behave a bit differently. These parts are not fully experienced as belonging to the same person. They’re at least a little bit separated from the rest of their mind, meaning that they can act more independently than the parts of non-plural people.
The parts of plural systems often have their own senses of self and/or beliefs about the world. They can have their own traits and preferences. They might be able to take full executive control of their body and act in ways that are perceived as “not me” by other parts. This often comes with experiences of being “out of control”: watching your body act without you, being confused by your past decisions and preferences, or feeling like you’ve become a different person entirely.
Plural experiences vary considerably, and no two systems will be exactly the same.
In cases where a lot of dissociation is present, parts may not share memories. This can mean that they might not remember significant periods of time in the past or present. They may not be able to talk to or perceive each other, either, making it harder to work out what happened.
In cases where there isn’t very much dissociation, parts may still have a shared sense of self. They might be experienced as “different versions of me” that are out of each other’s control, but still part of the same person.
All of this is only intended to give a loose idea of what plurality can look like. Ultimately, plurality is a framework for understanding the inside of one’s mind. Some people find that it makes more sense to see themselves as a group of selves working together to live life instead of seeing themselves as one person. These people might call themselves plural.
Why does plurality happen?
Under psychiatry’s current pet theory, plurality is caused by chronic trauma in childhood, particularly when a child doesn’t receive support in processing what happened to them. Normally, a child develops a unified sense of identity as they grow up. Severe and ongoing trauma can make it necessary to dissociate away memories and traits in order to stay safe. If this happens early enough, then a child might be prevented from forming a unified sense of self, instead developing in dissociated parts. All parts in a system therefore add up to one whole person but are unable to recognize themselves as such.
The medical model of plurality isn’t the only way to understand it. Some people argue that it should be possible for a child to develop multiple selves without ever experiencing trauma. Others argue that the medical model ignores spiritual and intentional experiences of plurality. Still others argue that their selves are whole people in their own right, not parts of a larger person. Even within the psychiatric system, there is a lot of debate over whether plurality exists and what it looks like; there is no theory of how plurality develops that’s been entirely proven.
We’re all messy and complicated and multifaceted. The difference is whether we draw lines and where we place our centers. Plural systems define the self as a subset of the mind; non-systems define the self as the mind. Neither side denies that we’re complicated inside, yet both declare the other to be insane or mistaken.
Self-authored, Discord conversation, 2024