A container subsystem is a subsystem that shares an internal body within their larger inner world. This may function much like a system that shares a physical-world body, with the host of the container subsystem not being aware of the fact that they have system members of their own. It was coined by Jelen of Kairos Court (a sidesystem of The Temenē Alliance). An alternative term to this term for traumagenic DID/OSDD-1 systems who want a term exclusive to such systems is contained subsystem, coined by multiplemogai, who also designed the associated flag[1].
An example of container subsystems is "alters within alters" [2] in Dissociative Identity Disorder or Other Specified Dissociative Disorder, although the term is not exclusive to DID and may be used by any plural to whom the term applies.
Container subsystems can have their own alters with roles that apply to members of systems, such as protectors, gatekeepers, and persecutors, and are common in polyfragmented systems.
A related term to container subsystem is a semi-separated subsystem, which is a subsystem that sometimes shares a body in the internal world and sometimes does not, with members of the subsystem frequently being able to choose whether or not they want to share a body. The term was coined by the Shooting Star Collective[3].
- ↑ Subsystem types by multiplemogai
- ↑ Subsystems on did-research.org
- ↑ System Terms by Shooting Star Collective