Resources on Plurality
First, a lengthy disclaimer providing context on the diversity of the plural community prior to your research (lolz, brevity is not our thing):
We view plurality/singularity as a spectrum rather than a polarized identity (e.g. we don’t do all or nothing statements like “you’re either plural or you’re not”). Making space for a spectrum also makes spaces for us, a system somewhere in the middle.
While spaces for plural pride are growing, plurality is an oppressed reality under global white supremacy and colonial Christianization, and so plurals are an oppressed group. Popular culture, and many medical and mental health providers have and still do pathologize systems as dangerous and deluded. Systems with DID/OSDD, amnesia, or with more overt presentation and less ability to pass as singular are especially vulnerable to this stigma. Many experience abuse, isolation and institutional harm as a result.
Like many oppressed groups, plural community includes a fair amount of infighting, mostly in the form of gatekeeping to discern who “counts” as plural and who does not. We honor the diverse experiences of plural systems and the disproportionate burden of pathology placed on DID/OSDD diagnosed systems and systems less able to pass as singular. We do not intend to diminish the trauma experienced by other systems by asserting that we, a non-disordered system, exist. We just do! We believe the plural umbrella holds space for many diverse experiences.
This blog is written with the intent to validate, affirm, and encourage exploration for all readers, wherever you see yourselves along the plural spectrum. It is okay to make mistakes, change your mind, or to be uncertain (many, many systems struggle with self doubt). There are distinct experiences along the plural spectrum that are meaningful to differentiate, including feeling like very separate people living in one body, and feeling like mostly one person in one body. Both experiences are healthy, human possibilities (not to mention all the other diverse plural experiences that exist!). Plus our experience of ourselves can change over time; in fact we think the pressure to be an unchanging, coherent person is likely constricting for many people, plural or not. Finally, no one distinct experience is better than the other (e.g it’s not inherently better/cooler/healthier/more interesting to be plural or singular).
May the resources below assist you all in exploring the full plural spectrum, and may you be guided by compassion and curiosity both.
-Peace, Nick + Jeremiah
Some useful resources include:
https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/self/plural-selves-faq/
https://thepluralassociation.org/
https://redwoodscircle.com/faq/
Plural Positivity World Conference
Also, the internet is a very plural place. A simple google search can return a lot of info.
