Have you felt parts outside of you?

I know almost anything is normal in DID, I'm not asking because of that. I'm just wondering is it common to feel your parts like they would be outside of the body, have you felt that way?

Some time ago, like months ago I was minding my own business and suddenly felt Jules, he was still called Fourteen, close to me. Like he would be sitting next to me, on my right side. I didn't see or hear anything, I felt he was there, and felt how much I had missed him, he had been away for months because he was feeling too bad. I imagined wrapping my hands around him and he kind of leaned towards me and I leaned my cheek on top of his head. I didn't physically move, so in a way this was happening inside our mind, but it felt like it would happen out here.

Not long after that he came back, same way, I hugged him again and suddenly he changed into little who had their hands wrapped around my arm and really scary feeling was coming from the little one. At first it felt like the little is the scary one, before I realized of course not, they were sharing emotion of being really scared, but then they were already gone, before I had time to say right things.

Now it has happened twice with Sami. I've been missing him, actively thinking of him (writing about him) and felt like he would hug me from behind. Both times I was siting on the sofa, so it kind of happens inside the mind, it doesn't make even sense otherwise, and I don't actually feel, hear or see anything, just have feeling about it happening. Not even a picture, just feeling, without feeling physical touch. That has happened now twice, same way, him hugging me from behind, putting his head on my shoulder.

It feels like it would happen in there, where I physically am, but in a way inside the mind because it's not hallucination. I can't access inner worlds, and other than these 4 times I've felt their presence like they're inside the head or in body or just "close".I don't know where "close" physically would be.

Do you have experiences with your parts, like you would kind of have two separate bodies, although you can't access the place where they have their own bodies?

I'm not used to being physically touched. We were never touched as kids, like hugged or anything, there has not been any physical closeness but the things that had to (when really small). I'm also introverted and don't feel hugging is anything that usually feels good. It's crossing physical boundaries. But maybe that's all learned, because I've been really close with my pets, and these experiences with parts, it feels really good and safe to be hugged, like someone cares. I'm not used to anyone caring about me that way.

I don't know if I could ever feel cared like that if someone other bodied person would hug me, even in same manner, I think it would feel uncomfortable who ever it would be. But now I know how it can feel like if you feel comforted by a hug. But that's kind of OT, this was just to ask if you have experienced anything like this in your system? Are you physically close with other parts?

Yea, at the moment I feel Paul to me left. He's kind of lounging. And in my mind's eye I see him over to the left of me. Not hallucination like he's there but in my mind's eye and I can feel him there too. When the bf was shouting and screaming and said "that's it you're on your own with this" that's when it was strongest and Paul said "nudge that" and I pretty much felt him nudge the left hand, kinda like how I'd imagine a ghost might feel, like a feeling around the hand but not actual like physical contact with another person.

No-one

We have that quite a lot.

Littles appear quite often outside of the body and want to snuggle, or hold hands.

We have this one protector, which was present a lot as some sort of appearance next to me, when the body was a kid/teen. Back then I thought it was a guardian angel, despite of him being rather un-angelical (imagine some sort of good looking biker ). There were also others, but I mostly was scared, because of all the believe of demons and stuff with which we grew up.

There was a lot going on back then... we just didn't get what was happening

I was baffled by this before I learned about DID. At one time I believed Wolf was a ghost who haunted a forest in real life. I thought there were wolves that had been hunted until they disappeared and someone should bring back the wolves. I believed the ghost got inside my mind when I was flooded with his trauma that seemingly had nothing to do with my life. Then the wolf ghost was a part of me now and I would feel him walking beside me sometimes for a few years afterward. I thought the wolf was my totem animal or something. Then I was breaking down and visualized him dead and rotting in the forest because I thought he was a real-life ghost and could rest in peace if he knew he was dead.

But I was always skeptical about what happened too, because don't believe in ghosts or gods. I just didn't know what it was. It was obvious the whole time and yet I didn't know I was multiple. After I learned I have OSDD, I was searching for a lost self who sent Corpse as her proxy to answer. He came back to life inside my mind and said, "I'm still right here where you left me..."

At one time I thought he was a supernatural ghost from outside of me, but he is an alter who's posted on the forum.

It happens here with some interactions we have with each-other. Usually, when one "looks above the shoulder" of the one fronting to have a look at what's up. Or when we offer support to each-other, we can feel the hug or shoulder pat almost physically, or feel the supportive presence of others around.

I guess it makes more sense to feel it around us, than to constantly visualize the inner "control room" to have an idea of what interactions happen inside.

I used to think it was touch starvation that made me hallucinate. I don't mind anymore. The support feels good.

--Zami--

Yes I have and quite often. I often feel their presence or see them. Often happens when I am out and about, in town or away from home. Though is common when I am in my home as well.

- Purple Haze

This used to be a really common thing for us. It was one of the ways henry (host) would cope with things by being able to turn to me and knowing i was there. It is the same way you described where its not a hallucination but in your minds eye. It doesn’t happen to often anymore. We would even use it to play cards together when we were alone. Good memories ^^
-scar

We experience this in our system. For a long time, we only ever experienced Jake as being physically near to us and never fully fronting. We've had several experiences like the hug you described, and it's always been very good for helping the system to grow closer and feel safer together.

Sev3

Wow, really interesting question and replies. Before we realized we had DID, this happened strongly with Little John, whom we knew about but thought he was just our "inner child." We would take walks and hold his little hand. It felt pretty real. Similar things have happened occasionally with others since, not as powerfully as most others describe here though.

Jack often said he could feel me hanging over his shoulder "like a mother hen." He didn't like it but it was really difficult for me to leave him alone. He's a kid and almost got hit by a car once because he wasn't used to urban life, so that didn't help.

There's still a deep longing among many of us to have our own bodies, they way we knew or envision them. And a longing to be able to be physically affectionate (in a good way!) with each other. That may be why we hug our son so many times each day. I'm sure not the only one doing the hugging.

Can be seen as normal. To the first paragraph