If I remember correctly, Daemonism was a type of practice that was relatively harmless ( except for the fact that Daemon was definitely the wrong word to use as a descriptor ) and was inspired heavily by the 'His Dark Materials' novel.
Well, that was what it was until non-traumagenic "plurals" got ahold of it.
They've twisted the use of the practice to mimic the way they've appropriated the use of Tulpas, and are also using it along side terms like soulbonder/soulbound and tulpamancer/tulpa.
Originally, the word 'Daemon' was used to describe something else, hence why I mentioned that Daemon wasn't exactly the correct word to use as a descriptor.
In Hellenism ( religious & spiritual ) and Platonism ( philosophical ), "Daemon" can be often used to refer to lesser deities, but it can also have a broader meaning, signifying "the experience of divine power."
"Daemon" can also refer to a supernatural being or entity that is between man and god. Daemons were also believed to be guiding spirits assigned to individuals by Zeus.
I would honestly suggest repurposing, rebranding, and renaming "Daemonism" because it's generally a good concept that could help a lot of individuals within the Alter-human community, but now it's been turned to go hand in hand with non-traumagenic plurality like Tulpamancy has.
For reference, here's a link to the Pluralpedia definition, and links to a guide of some sort that I've come across that explains its original purpose.
https://pluralpedia.org/w/Daemonism ( Yucky! )
https://daemonism.neocities.org/
https://daemonpage.com/faq.php#7
TDLR: Daemonism was once a legitimate, personal practice until non-traumagenics got to it, because apparently, all they can do is kill our spaces like a plague.
I genuinely hope this helped a bit more.
thank you so much for this submission! i have thoroughly read through all three links that you gave me. i feel like i've learned quite a bit. truly, thank you!
the original form of daemonism seems to be an incredibly helpful resource for an alterhuman, and not at all what i had feared! it is utterly terrible that the original term had been taken from this practice. it's been so disappointing to learn just how much endos have stolen from others.
here is a copy-pasted segment from daemonpage FAQ that i believe is helpful to add for the understanding of it, with some bits i found interesting highlighted:
"30. How is dæmonism different from therianthropy, otherkin, or totems/spirit guides?
Most spiritual therians and otherkin, to put it simply, have some spiritual connection with their animal theriotype or kin, or even believe that they were this animal in a past life. Non-spiritual ones will likely tell you they identify as their theriotype or kin, up to the point of feeling that at a core level they are this animal and feel trapped in their human body. All in all therians and otherkin feel that something about them isn't quite human.
Dæmians do not believe they are the animal that they choose as their true form. Being settled as a lion doesn’t mean that one feels a connection to the wilderness of a lion, experiences life as accidentally put in the wrong body or identifies with the animal. If a dæmian says that they’re a lion, they mean it as 'a symbol of a lion describes me best'. It’s interesting to note that you can be both a dæmian and a therian or otherkin, and that a therian's theriotype and their dæmon's form are very rarely identical.
The issue of totems is simpler. Basically, totems are believed to be independent of one's mind, unlike dæmons; they are believed to be an external spiritual force aiding the human and acting in their lives. The dæmon is not an animal spirit, but a part of your own consciousness projected in a, usually, animal form. One can project their dæmon as a human or an inanimate object as well. And while totems come primarily in dreams or during meditation, your dæmon is constantly there with you and doesn't require any special trance to communicate with. You can know your dæmon whilst also having totems or spirit guides, and the species of them all don’t need to overlap."
once again, thank you dearly! we appreciate these resources and your education so much.
here are the three links from the ask (the pluralpedia link is the default color because i don't like it):
Daemonpage - Frequently Asked Question #7
and the link to daemonpage's starting page:
Daemonpage - Getting Started
