#polymultiple

"O Superman, Laurie Anderson // "I Do Not Want This", Nine Inch Nails // "The Man Who Sold The World", David Bowie // "Comfortably Numb", Pink Floyd

• feel like every headmate is made of fragments, just depending on whether all those fragments agree to be seen as one or not.

• feeling like you split snapshots of time very easily e.g. I'm dissociated, I feel like a different person with these pronouns. Set up a simply plural/lighthouse. Only for them to never appear again in that specific design.

• having snapshots of younger times instead of age sliding

• very strong front block / inability to commune with headmates because of masking

• feeling like the mask is another separate person to the rest of the system

• subsystems within subsystems within subsystems

• having personifications of the brain and complex links between alters

• having an upper management that is unknown to you

• emotional and somatic flashbacks

Or what are some things that tipped you off/are common with being polyfragmented.

From our understanding, the criteria can change based on whatever or whoever you are listening to. Not to say one is right over the other, but that can cause a bit of confusion as well as overlap within the community when wanting to find the right label that can apply to your system.

Blossom defined being polyfragmented as “A large system of normally 100+ that also has many fragments. These systems normally have a complex structure of subsystems and layers, but not always.”

I’ll be breaking down what that means, because it can be tricky and again, not apply to every system. 

What are fragments? Fragments also have different meanings for different systems. Some take this to mean that system members that are not entirely formed or system members that aren’t “complete people.” The reason the term is ‘polyfragmented’ is due to the notion of the mind being fragmented and therefore some portions being incomplete or not fully formed. However, some systems do not like identifying with the term polyfragmented or as having fragments because they see that as dehumanizing/or their “fragments” identify as their own individuals. These systems often prefer terms like polymultiple or polyplural. (Also I feel that I should note that fragments absolutely do not have to stay fragments or they can stay fragments for their entire existence, there is no wrong way.)

What are subsystems? Subsystems are systems within a system. It may seem confusing but it can be plain and simple! Sometimes subsystems can be on layers, which is a place that houses different types of system members based on their needs/groups/functions/etc.

What about the large number? Sources I’ve seen list anywhere from needing 75+ members to 100+ but there is no general consensus. 

How do I know if I can identify as polyfragmented/polymultiple/polyplural? That is entirely up to you to decide! I think it can be experienced differently because a lot of the terms are subject to so much personal experience and definition so it’s very hard to pin down exactly how something works. And it will never work the exact same way for two systems. We asked members of a system discord we’re in and found their answers quite helpful.

I'd say, hmmm... To identify with a system origin or a system modifier is to have this said origin and modifier impact your system in a way that's important enough to you. For example, our polyfragmented-ness impacts our system in a way that our fronting roster is completely irregular as people, fragments or not, go and take front in seemingly random spurts and bursts, despite having people who are assigned co-hosts. This is noticeable to outsiders and thus we feel the need to let people know about it and ID as it. But if we didn't experience this, and had a regular fronting roster, we may think twice on ID-ing as polyfragmented? This isn't us gatekeeping or anything, just our personal experience. I'd say that if the label seems significant and important enough for you, specifically, then why not try it on?

            - Variety

All in all, I think you should be able to grow and identify as you want as long as you’re not hurting anyone. And no label has to be permanently binding. You are free to change, your opinion, your mind, your identity. It is okay for these things to be fluid. Good luck with figuring it out.