Question

[arimle.livejournal.com]

Do you think multiplicity is rare? How common do you think it is?

(I ask this because it ties in to a lot of things I've been thinking about lately. I won't talk about it yet, I want to hear what everyone has to say first. This is a new one for me, of course, as the chief opinion-spewer.)

I guess that I should clarify that I mean either natural multiplicity, or the tendency to multiplicity brought to the surface by childhood trauma (or any other event really). Also -- if I hear anybody say anything along the lines of "Everybody dissociates, some more than others..." I'll roll my eyes and think "Boat-misser!"

Comments

[kiya]

I'm really not sure that I have enough information to be able to make a jdugement.

I went most of my life without being aware of knowing a multiple, functional or otherwise, natural or trauma-born. I first encountered an out system a few years ago on a usenet newsgroup.

Since identifying myself as median, I've encountered a number of other systems, partly because I'm seeking out communities such as this one that are for us.

But also, we've found that being out has meant that people we've known for a while came out to us. People I'd never have guessed were plural, people I suspect I'd never had known were plural if I didn't, say, have a discussion about system management with my boyfriend while giving them a lift home.

So at the moment I suspect I know a lot more plural systems than I would if I hadn't sought them out, just because I'm hanging out here -- but I don't know how many people I've known in my life who were plural and silent about it. I don't know how to know.


Just a little excessive cerebrality from the system geek . . .