Subsystem

A subsystem is a sub-grouping of members within a system, similar to a sidesystem or a layer. It originated as a term used in clinical literature for dissociative identity disorder and OSDD-1, but has spread throughout the plural community as a whole. It was coined around the 2000s or 2010s as a part of medical literature on DID^[1]. It is essentially a system within a system^[2], that may share a body or not share a body within headspace.

Subsystems frequently form due to trauma that needs to be compartmentalized away from other alters of the system^[2], but the term is currently in use by non-traumagenic systems as well.

Related terms[]

There are many community terms that have been coined for different types of subsystems:

Container Subsystem: A subsystem that shares a body inside headspace. Coined by Jelen of Kairos Court^The Temenē Alliance. An alternative DID/OSDD-1 exclusive term for this type of of subsystem is contained subsystem, coined by multiplemogai^[3].
Separated Subsystem: A subsystem that does not share a body inside headspace, but is otherwise connected to each other and not the rest of the system for various reasons. Coined by Jelen of Kairos Court^The Temenē Alliance. An alternative DID/OSDD-1 exclusive term for this type of subsystem is bordered subsystem, coined by multiplemogai^[3].
Semi-Separated Subsystem: A subsystem that optionally shares a body inside headspace that members are able to travel out of into the rest of the system. Coined by Shooting Star Collective^[4].
Disconnected Subsystem: A subsystem which has very high dissociative barriers to all other subsystems. Coined by multiplemogai, and exclusive to DID/OSDD-1 systems.
Base Subsystem: Coined by multiplemogai, and exclusive to DID/OSDD-1 systems. A subsystem which seems to act as the “base” to the other subsystems in a person’s system. This subsystem tends to:
- be linked to or overlapping with most, if not all other subsystems within a person’s system
- be the largest subsystem in a person’s system (due to more alters splitting within it)
- contain the host or commonly fronting alters
Floating Subsystem: A subsystem in which its dissociative barriers to other subsystems seem to rise and fall. If other subsystems are viewed as stationary, this subsystem would be fluid and moving. A subsystem of floaters. Coined by multiplemogai, and exclusive to DID/OSDD-1 systems.
Stacked Subsystem: A subsystem within a subsystem. This may refer to overlapping subsystems or subsystems fully contained within one another. Coined by multiplemogai, and exclusive to DID/OSDD-1 systems. A non-exclusive version of this term is Nested Subsystem^[5]. The headspace of a nested subsystem can be referred to as nested subspace, coined by Shooting Star Collective^[4].
Flicker Subsystem: A subsystem that goes between being a subsystem and not being a subsystem. Coined by plurgai^[6].
Ringed Subsystem: A subsystem with a core identity and a "ring" of differences applied to the core identity. Coined by The Indigo Orrery^[7].
- Chariklo Subsystem: A type of Ringed Subsystem where the ring mixes in with the core identities' kintypes, causing each orbiting difference in the ring to hold a kintype. Coined by plurgai^[8].
- Haumea Subsystem: A type of Ringed Subsystem where the ring mixes in with the core identities genders, causing each orbiting difference in the ring to hold a gender. Coined by plurgai.
- Chiron Subsystem: A type of Ringed Subsystem where there are two or more rotating rings of differences, which causes every fronting member of the system to look different. Coined by plurgai.
Intrasinglet: A member of a system who is not a part of a subsystem. Coined by Petrichor Voices^[9].