You're all one person

pheonixrise wrote:@psipsi, is there really any need for that? there's nothing wrong with integration.

the general opinion we all have changes. most of us feel like our own people, but we also feel we're not complete people sometimes.

Sorry, but it's V's phobia. The thought of it makes her sick and sad

Well, that explains why I don't feel like integration. I feel like three people, not one shattered person

Different people. But still individuals who are connected by virtue of the fact that we exist in the same body and have some access to shared knowledge and abilities. So there is overlap. We also have become aware of a few key personalities traits that every one of us seems to share, good ones, and we know that is not a coincidence. No one tries to deny we are in the same body but none of us really like it except John, the host, who seems very glad we're all here.

We were having a silly internal discussion the other day and trying to figure out our basic relationships as if we were countries. Half the body's heritage is English, so we were thinking if England is the "mother" country, Adam, the core, is English. John, by virtue of his overwhelming power is the American and I, Jonathan, am Canadian, less aggressive and mostly cooperative with America. Hansel and Johann are non-confrontational Swiss, Marc-Dominic is Parisian French, and the Sphinx is from Antarctica. Jack is an Australian of the outback somewhere, with a very different life experience, less polished and a funny accent compared to us. I won't give the rest of the alters because they are based on even worse stereotypes than the above.

We feel we no longer have a choice about whether we integrate or not. Our system is inexorably moving toward integration. We have many littles and we know they can't remain their age forever, the deserve to grow up. But we firmly believe that we each must decide to integrate, that it cannot and will not happen without our individual consent, and the effect of several traumas need to be processed out before that will happen.

With the exception of Dante, everyone in Johann's system if you asked him, would tell you that they're all Johann, but with different personalities and opinions, and in some cases, different memories the host can't recall. Because even though their mannerisms and voices vary between person, everything else is the same; everyone has the same handwriting/grammar, everyone has asthma (some worse than others), everyone has allergies (some worse than others), everyone knows how to drive their truck (even the littles), everyone is left-handed but punches with their right first during a fight. So on and so forth.

However, if you asked Dante he would probably tell you something to the effect of, 'I'm not him. I don't know how I got here, I just am.', but Dante is, like the others, limited to what the physical body can do, and nothing about it changes dramatically when he takes over either.

MK91 wrote:With the exception of Dante, everyone in Johann's system if you asked him, would tell you that they're all Johann, but with different personalities and opinions, and in some cases, different memories the host can't recall. Because even though their mannerisms and voices vary between person, everything else is the same; everyone has the same handwriting/grammar, everyone has asthma (some worse than others), everyone has allergies (some worse than others), everyone knows how to drive their truck (even the littles), everyone is left-handed but punches with their right first during a fight. So on and so forth.

However, if you asked Dante he would probably tell you something to the effect of, 'I'm not him. I don't know how I got here, I just am.', but Dante is, like the others, limited to what the physical body can do, and nothing about it changes dramatically when he takes over either.

That is interesting. In our system there are lots of differences. e.g. I am allergic to peanuts, no-one else is. Mara (main) is lactose intolerant but no-one else is. Our eyesight changes according to who is out at the time, our eye colours change, ring size changes even our physical strength is different. I'm most interested that you said even the littles can drive. None of ours can; they're just little

Isn't it interesting how different systems can be to each other
Ker

My therapist said he is struggling to understand if we are different personalities, or just parts of "me". I said that these are one and the same. My alters are different personalities who are also just a part of "me". He confused me trying to seperate the two out.

Bourbon

Our eyesight changes according to who is out at the time,

Mine too!
Sometimes it feels like people crammed in one body, other times it feels like parts, except two, who say they are not of the body, I don't feel a part of them, nor they of I, but let's try to be civil.
re.integration; I don't adhere to either philosophy, just go with the moment, enjoy the ride, if we integrate before we die, cool, if not, cool. Just walk down this path, I see a light, I don't think it's a train, if it is, I just jump off the tracks, knock off the mud, and just keep walking, preferably straight, and forward.

Different people. I think there is some resentment towards me from my alters so if I'm honest with myself and others, I would have to say that my alters would never say we are one. There is me and then there is them. At least that's the feeling I get. Maybe someday there will be a "us" with me included.

Borg wrote:

Our eyesight changes according to who is out at the time,

Mine too!
Sometimes it feels like people crammed in one body, other times it feels like parts, except two, who say they are not of the body, I don't feel a part of them, nor they of I, but let's try to be civil.
re.integration; I don't adhere to either philosophy, just go with the moment, enjoy the ride, if we integrate before we die, cool, if not, cool. Just walk down this path, I see a light, I don't think it's a train, if it is, I just jump off the tracks, knock off the mud, and just keep walking, preferably straight, and forward.

That soundsalot like me... I approve of this

mosaicmonkey wrote:That is interesting. In our system there are lots of differences. e.g. I am allergic to peanuts, no-one else is. Mara (main) is lactose intolerant but no-one else is. Our eyesight changes according to who is out at the time, our eye colours change, ring size changes even our physical strength is different. I'm most interested that you said even the littles can drive. None of ours can; they're just little

Isn't it interesting how different systems can be to each other
Ker

Oh yes, eye color and physical strength vary from person to person too. Supposedly his eyes were gray when he was born, but now they go from gray to blue to blue and yellow, to blue and white, to turquoise, to green, to hazel to two different colors...etc. His driver's license says his eyes are gray. I keep joking that one of them is going to get arrested because his drivers license is lying unless Luke is in possession, and nine and a half times out of ten he isn't.

I don't know why the littles can drive. I usually try to discourage them from it, but Kiddo insists sometimes. At least he's a pretty good driver, he doesn't drive like he's playing a video game or anything, hahaha.

But you're right, I find it fascinating how systems can be different. Specifically because a lot of people here seem to be 'different people' and most of my boyfriend's personalities all claim to be the same person.

Two of our littles can drive, too. When they want or need to be out, it's hard to keep them inside usually, so our protector decided to teach them how to drive, just in case. The older of the two is actually better then the body's partner at driving, lol!