Alterreality Coining Post 3.0
On August 9th, 2023, I posted “AlterReality: A Coining Essay”. The purpose of that post was to coin a term that describes my personal experience while getting out my thoughts on metaphysics, imagination, and perception in writing. However, due to the personal nature of that essay, I wanted to make this post in collaboration with Lav (@WinreyPlace) and others to clearly and plainly state what alterreality is. While it is a broad term, there are limits to what it does and does not include.
As defined by someone else in the alterreality server: “Alterreality is a process of creating one’s unique sense of reality via imagination and belief. It can be described as a lifestyle or a philosophy, with one central idea: what makes something ‘real’ is nothing but the belief that it is real.”
Another definition Lav gave was “imagination as a lifestyle”. Alterreality can also be interpreted as daydreaming or imagination-based fantasies overlaying or interacting with consensus reality.
What alterreality covers:
Many experiences of those in the self-shipping community, such as going on dates with your f/o in the “real world”
Adding a fantasy narrative to your life (i.e. tests at school becoming monster fights) as long as you choose to believe in the fantasy narrative as part of your perceived reality
Many experiences are classified as roleplay, again, as long as you choose to incorporate the roleplay into your perception of what’s happening in your own life
What alterreality doesn’t cover:
Involuntary spiritual, psychological, or metaphysical experiences
Any alternative reality experiences you were born with or had awakened within you
Identifying as something while living a non-altered life (i.e. if you’re wolfkin and you are going to mundane human school while only experiencing that physical reality, that's not alterreality)
Manifestation and law of attraction concepts. Alterreality, while it interacts with the shared reality we all experience, doesn’t change its course; instead it builds onto or reframes it. Alterrealizing should not and does not make struggles in consensus reality disappear or cause the universe to provide a more positive life.
In short, alterreality has three aspects: intentionality, imagination, and belief. Alterreal experiences are incredibly varied and diverse; however, they all require these elements.
Now, with the above fully explained, let’s understand the why and how. Starting with the why.
There are infinite reasons as to why one would alterrealize their own life. I do it because I find mundane existence to be boring, and I want to engage with something that is beyond mundane human life without believing in anything, particularly spiritual or supernatural. Any reason is a valid reason to create alterreality. You can do it for fun, as a coping mechanism, to connect better with your alterhuman identities, because you love fictional characters or worlds, to help you understand complex things better, as a tool of exploration, personal growth, and creativity, and so much more. You don't even need to have a why at all! There is nothing wrong with fucking around and finding out with your life :3.
In terms of how to do alterreality, I repeat, there is no one way. I’m still figuring out all the ins and outs of doing it myself. But my best piece of advice is to give yourself permission to fully live inside of whatever fantasy narrative you choose to and let yourself believe in it. This can sometimes be a demanding or difficult process, especially if everyone and everything around you is conforming to consensus reality, but just like they find meaning existing in consensus reality, you are allowed to find meaning existing in alterreality! Another way to phrase all this is to just “fake it until you make it”. Ask yourself questions like “What world or narrative do I live in?”, “What form does my alterrealized self take?”, “How would I act and speak in my alterreality?”, “What would my tasks, goals, or challenges be?”, and things like that. If you cannot do something in shared, mundane reality for whatever reason, make-believe a reason why you cannot do it in your alterreality too! As you develop your alterreality and discover what works and what doesn’t for your brain, you’ll find it will come more naturally to live out your imagination-fueled life.
This world is in desperate need of whimsy and wonder. While there are various ways to make your life more whimsical, there are not many that involve actively living a lifestyle of fantasy. In a world where time is a finite resource, where the “have-tos” outweigh the “want-tos”, and where playing pretend is shunned once you age out of childhood, alterreality is a way to live in the physical realm, while embracing the fantastical. So, what are you waiting for, step into a world of your wildest dreams!
On Quoilterreality, Imagireality, and the origins of alterreality
Many people feel that the term alterreality intuitively implies any altering of reality, and not only altering via imagination. These people...are correct! I originally coined the term talking about my own imagination based experiences, however, the term has grown into its own little community, and as such it must adapt and change. If you feel this term applies to you and you use it in good faith, I welcome you to use it. I would also not wish for conflict or drama over any definitions hereon out.
However for me, alterreality will always be about the power of imagination at its core. I would kindly ask the community to not lose sight of this, and to always remember the power of making your beliefs and "playing pretend" things into existence. I want everyone here to know that yes, you can engage in alterreality even if you do not have any spiritual experiences or if you are not a spiritual person. Your solo ttrpg games (or group ones if they are all down for it!) can be real, and you can roleplay your magic into existence. Before we go, just a quick refresher on terms:
Alterreality: any reality experience altered by ones subjective perception, that cannot be explained by organized religion
Imagireality: The standard alterreality experience, coming from ones imagination. Exclusively voluntary
Quoilterreality: any alterreality that is unlabeled by voluntary/involuntary, or seen on the spectrum of voluntariness but not quite one or the other