#Inner World

[ghost-of-a-system]

living as a system with aphantasia, and no inner world.

we didn't know we had it until we were 18. it isn't a huge struggle, but it's quite the shock to realize all of the things you missed out on growing up that other people had. we are honestly still in disbelief that being able to picture things in your mind is something most people can do. to us it sounds like some sort of fictitious superpower.

and the idea that it is "standard" for systems have full worlds within their minds where people have told us they can feel and see and hear and so much more? yeah- we will never be able to even begin to process that. /npa

[sysboxes]

[Text: This system’s inner world has a different night sky than the outer world.]

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[lioness-of-the-north]

“You’ve still got your inner world—

a world that’s more real.

That’s why you’re different from the rest of us:

You have your secret garden;

to which you can retire.

And lock the gate behind you.”

T.S. Eliot

[selkra-souza]

Executive Function is elusive, preferring to prowl underground in the subconscious. However, they can be coaxed above to the conscious plains with their favorite treat: the fruit pods of a moringa oliefera. They don't taste the best, but just a couple of them are enough to finally let them permit you to ride them.

Their mouth is on the top of their head by the way.

[multiplicity-positivity]

Here’s some positivity for headmates who have magic in headspace!

Magic is a broad concept that covers a wide range of metaphysical or supernatural actions or events. Many systems may find that they have headmates who are able to use or wield magic within their system’s headspaces or inner worlds! This post is for those headmates!

✨ Shoutout to headmates whose magic is unpredictable or difficult to manage or control!

💠 Shoutout to headmates whose magic is tied to their own spirituality in some way!

🔮 Shoutout to headmates who regularly practice or study magic within their system’s headspace!

✨ Shoutout to headmates who are confused by or are struggling to understand their magic!

💠 Shoutout to headmates whose magic in-headspace can often or occasionally have real-life consequences!

🔮 Shoutout to headmates who are witches or are otherwise practitioners of witchcraft whose magic is a result of their craft!

✨ Shoutout to headmates with elemental magic, dark magic, or magic that is somehow connected to some other force beyond themselves!

💠 Shoutout to introjects who practice magic due to actions taken by or the identities of their sources!

🔮 Shoutout to headmates whose magic is tied to their role or place in their system in some way!

✨ Shoutout to headmates who use their magic to help, energize, or cheer up their fellow system members!

There is nothing wrong with having abilities in your headspace that your body is incapable of, and this absolutely extends to those who have, use, or practice magic in their system’s headspace! We hope that every headmate who uses magic in their headspace can have a wonderful day today. Whether you spend your time honing your skills, experimenting, studying, or using your magic in other ways, we hope that your magical abilities can being joy and happiness to yourself and your system!

[randomgirl005]

when does this joke of being an adult end!?

[reimeichan]

We don't have an inner world.

I mean, not really. Sometimes we can imagine a place really hard and see it there. The "safe space" we created with our old therapist is one such example. A cool, quiet place for us to visit to calm down and relax and enjoy ourselves when things get overwhelming.

Thing is, I don't really consider that to be my inner world.

I have to consciously think of it to bring it up. The other alters don't necessarily "chill" there. Sure, we can invite each other there as need be, but we're all more like visitors sharing the same daydream.

And we have other places like that, too. Places or scenes we imagine just to facilitate some form of communication with each other. A white room, a library, a forest, a spaceship.

But none of them are really an inner world for us.

No, honestly, any attempt an an inner world has actually made things worse for us. As in, made our dissociation actively worse, not better. For some of us, we would confuse internal experiences with reality too much. Others were basically get stuck in this daydream and experience a lot of difficulty trying to leave. Still others refused to leave; after all, the inner world was so much more pleasant than the external world.

And honestly, it's not too bad. We tried to force ourselves to have an "inner world" like all the other systems we seemed to hear about online. We were told how it could help with communication and having a safe space, or having things for other alters to do when they're not fronting. Even our old therapist originally tried to help build one with us. But honestly.... forcing one on us isn't the right thing to do.

If anything, the void nothingness is more calming and relaxing for us. Our various trains of thoughts are always running anyways, we don't need the hubbub of an "inner world" to entertain us. We don't need internal avatars to know which train of thought is talking to us right now. Just letting ourselves... be, in this chaotic swirl of thoughts and memories, instead of forcing some kind of organization on us, has been a lot better for us. Accepting that this is how we work made our communication stronger. Working with what was already there and trying to understand that made things so much better for us.

So for those of yall who don't have an inner world, who tried to make one but just couldn't: its okay. You're no more or less of a system for having one.

[tales-from-systok]

Not me but I watched one of my friends get fakeclaimed for having An inner world At All

That's.. ?? I swear some people fakeclaim for the weirdest things

[subsystems]

Developing an Inner Safe Space for Parts

Note: This post was written for people with dissociative disorders, but anyone else can use the methods here if they're helpful!

This post is all about inner safe spaces! What is an inner safe space, though? Here's what Coping with Trauma-related Dissociation says:

"Inner safe spaces are images of places where you can be safe, relaxed, and cared for. These images have been shown to be helpful to many people, not just those with dissociative disorders. This type of imaginal activity is well known to produce a feeling of relaxation and well-being in those who use it regularly. If your inner experience feels so jarring, unsafe, and frightening, as it often does in individuals with dissociative disorders, the ability to imagine these spaces becomes especially important and helpful."

Inner safe spaces can be useful for many things. You can use it to relax & alleviate anxiety. It can be a tool for soothing dissociated parts of the self, or aide in your communication with them. You or other parts can enter your inner safe space to protect yourself from feeling overwhelmed or potential triggers. Overall, creating an inner safe space can help make your mind a safer, calmer place.

So, how do you make one? All you have to do is imagine it!

Your inner safe space can be anything you want to imagine. There are no rules and it can always be changed! You can create one imaginary place for all parts of your system to share & add to. Or, each part of your system can create their own inner safe spaces to match their own needs. Some people already experience some sort of inner world, too. This can always be changed in order to make it feel safer and calmer for all parts of the system.

🌟 Ideas for inner safe spaces:

Outdoor areas like a meadow, beach, forest, mountain, etc.

Buildings like a cabin, tree house, castle, library, etc.

Vehicles like a car, pirate ship, submarine, spacecraft, etc.

Something underground, underwater, in the sky, or in space.

An entire planet or world of your own.

A fictional world that brings you comfort.

An inner safe space isn't a safe space if it doesn't make you, including all parts of you, feel safe. A good place to start is by writing down things that make you feel safe. If you don't know what makes you feel safe, try looking at what makes you feel less unsafe. It might also help to ask a loved one or therapist for help!

Invite your system to include their own needs, too. Try not to judge them even if you disagree. It's important for all parts of the system to feel safe.

🌟 Ideas for things that you can add/adjust to make your inner safe space feel more comfortable:

Add games, food, and movies that you like

Create individual rooms for each part of the system

Give yourself an inner appearance that makes you happy

Add your favorite colors, sounds, smells, & sights

Add people, characters, animals & creatures that you like

Give yourself a comfortable bed, with soft blankets & maybe even some plushies

Add pride flags!

Create a protective force field around your safe space

You or other parts may want to have a safe space that no one else can intrude upon and that's okay. It's important to respect each other's privacy. You can also adjust the inner safe space to make communication between parts easier! For example, you could add intercoms, mailboxes, telephones, or even a meeting area for aiding communication.

🌟 Having trouble visualizing, or can't visualize things at all? Try...

Drawing or painting it.

Writing about it.

Building it. You can use a video game like the Sims (get it for free!) or Minecraft.

Basing it off of a real place.

Collecting photos/videos of what you want it to be like. You can find royalty-free images on Unsplash and Pixabay. Or you create a Pinterest account!

Filling a journal, document, blog, or discord server with pictures, writing, and anything you want about your inner safe space!

Trying guided exercises for creating inner safe spaces. (IMO this is best done with a therapist's help.)

Asking your friends, therapist, or loved ones for their suggestions.

Creating a physical safe space instead of an inner one.

[nekokaburi-system]

hey guys

if its no secret what's your innerworld/headspace like????

ours looks mostly like different dreamcore/weirdcore spaces. parts appear/change/disappear there often. its pretty fun :>

-🐛🐣

[the-nova-council]

Would it be....weird and cringe to make a little dollhouse of our innerworld

Little....shoebox diorama

Would that make us look weird/bad 👉👈

I just think it would help us visualize it better than we currently do.....

[sysboxes]

[Text: This user's innerworld is extremely complex, vivid, and detailed from hyperphantasia.]

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[moonastrogirl]

As above so below - Astrology note

As above so below means everything on the outside is a reflection and a mirror of everything on the inside. So your reality, our reality is a reflection of the reality within you, within us.

The state of your well-being, our well-being will impact the world around you, around us.

Especially when it comes to relationships and how we view certain signs or placements. It’s because it’s directly linked to how our house system is.

Do you dislike a certain sign for no reason ? Or has an animosity toward them for no reason ? Are you cautious around them ? Then maybe this sign is in your 12th house or 8th house or the sign is your mars sign. Are the signs in these houses bad ? Not especially.

It’s all about self concept. How you view your signs within you will be how you will interact with the signs outside of you so in the world.

Every sign has weaknesses and strengths. We have all flaws and qualities. We are all imperfect and perfect at the same time.

What is the solution to live in harmony with yourself and others ? Love yourself unconditionally with flaws and all. Self love is the answer and self acceptance.

Accept the way your subconscious mind works do not go against it and you will appreciate your 12th house sign. Accept your own power plus your sexual power and you will appreciate your 8th house sign. Accept your strength and determination and how you get things done and you will appreciate your mars sign. And so on.

[wayti-blog]

Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. And that's what it is. The nature is your nature, and all of these wonderful poetic images of mythology are referring to something in you. When your mind is trapped by the image out there so that you never make the reference to yourself, you have misread the image. The inner world is the world of your requirements and your energies and your structure and your possibilities that meets the outer world. And the outer world is the field of your incarnation. That's where you are. You've got to keep both going. As Novalis said, 'The seat of the soul is there where the inner and outer worlds meet.

— Joseph Campbell

[selkra-souza]

Selkra is a lifelong critter doodler and chronic daydreamer who's been meticulously worldbuilding alien societies since first playing Spore in 2009. In the meantime, Selkra resides somewhere on Earth doing people activities such as arts and crafts on the floor, hugging plushies, staring at bugs and mustering up the patience to read sci-fi novels.

Broken Yolk Galaxy is a pair of galaxies merged into one within a cosmological void, and the sophant alien cultures that evolved and coexist in it. The main focus is on a trio of roommates who do interplanetary travel within the Spectrum Solar System on spaceship Appex looking for work and learning to get along.

lore tags: #broken yolk galaxy / #spectrum sol system / #aurora nation / #rhodo nation / #igneous nation

species tags: #nedal / #delorix / #masaka / #zrai / #smazel

OC tags: #Rutan / #Donelja / #Vertex

Emotionsonas is a personal paracosm that focuses on a group of personified emotions living in an inner world and how they deal with my day-to-day life, as well as exploring the fantastical conscious and subconscious-inspired setting of my mind.

lore tag: #emotionsonas

other art tags: #selkra scribbles (art tag) / #selkra squalks (talk tag) / #selkra scrumbles (craft tag) / #selkra sounds (music tag) / #fanart / #virtual pets (neopets, subeta, marapets, etc.) / #dream journal / #occult art

sideblogs: inspiration blog / aesthetics blog / OC blog

Elsewhere on the web: (I'm currently most active here on tumblr) / newgrounds / toyhou.se / art fight / pillowfort / bluesky / deviantart (archive/inactive) /

[multiplicity-positivity]

All About Headspaces!

We thought it would be a good idea to write a post on headspaces (or inner worlds) as we understand them. This post will contain information that we’ve learned along with our personal experiences. No two headspaces work the same way, and no two systems will experience headspaces in a similar fashion, so don’t be alarmed if your system’s headspace functions differently from what we describe in this post!

What is a headspace?

A headspace (or inner world) is an imagined, fantasized place that exists within a person’s mind. Headspaces are not exclusive to systems - all sorts of people can build or create their own headspaces. Many created systems or paromancers may call their headspaces “wonderlands,” but they’re in essence the same thing. Any system member can start the process of visualizing a headspace, and as other members are included and collaborate together, their headspace can grow to involve the whole system and become a place of solace and rest.

The creation of mental “safe spaces” is often used in therapy for treatment of anxiety, PTSD, and other mental illnesses. When feeling overwhelmed, it can be immensely beneficial to have a gentle, peaceful place in your mind you can return to in order to calm down and relax. Headspaces are a skill taught in dialectical behavior therapy, and many therapists may incorporate building headspaces into their patients’ treatment plans.

Who can have a headspace?

Nearly everyone is capable of building and maintaining their own headspace! The one example we can think of for individuals who may struggle to create a headspace are folks with aphantasia. Since headspaces are visualization tools, those who are incapable of visualizing places within their mind might find themselves unable to create a headspace.

You don’t have to have DID in order to create a headspace, you don’t have to be a system, you don’t have to be traumatized or even struggle with mental illness! Headspaces are for everyone, regardless of ability or state of being.

Are headspaces the same as paracosms?

In our experience, if headspaces and paracosms are not the same, they are incredibly similar. Both are imagined worlds that exist within the minds of the people who create them. Our paracosm exists as a part of our headspace, and many other folks may find their paracosms are similarly connected to their headspaces!

Are headspaces physical places?

No, headspaces are imagined or fantasized places and only exist within the minds of those who create them. While experiences within the headspace may seem quite vivid or feel visceral and may even have physical consequences and effects on each individual, events that take place inside the headspace are not happening in a physical sense.

Some systems with particular spiritual beliefs may understand their headspaces as physical places which exist in alternate dimensions or somewhere else in the universe. While these individuals are deserving of having their experiences heard and taken seriously, most headspaces in fact do not function in this way.

How can I make my own headspace?

To start, try to find a calm, quiet environment where you can be by yourself for a while. Close your eyes, and try to imagine the first piece of your headspace. This can be an area like a beach or a meadow, or something simpler like a plant or a piece of furniture. As you imagine this space or item, ask yourself questions like:

- What does this place or object look like?

- What does it feel like? If I imagine myself touching the object, or the things in the place around me, what textures might I encounter?

- What does it smell like? What does it sound like? How does it make me feel?

Envision using all 5 of your senses to imagine this place or object. Once you have a pretty good idea of what it looks, feels, smells, and sounds like, spend a little time just sitting in your space or with your object. Then, take a break from visualizing. Later, come back to it and try to imagine everything exactly as you did before. By leaving and coming back to it regularly, you can help ensure your headspace can somewhat exist even when you’re not actively thinking about it!

If you need help finding inspiration for your headspace, you can turn to image sites like Pixabay, Unsplash, or Pinterest to help you discover what helps you feel calm and safe. If you have access to other members of your system, perhaps consult with them to see what they’d like to have in a headspace and what you could create that would help them feel safe and comfortable.

Once you are able to comfortably and reliably access the place or item you’ve created, feel free to repeat the process to add to your headspace! Our system created our headspace in this way, and by this point it is a vast world full of different areas for our alters to exist in when they’re not fronting. But it started with one room - a living room with quilts tossed over couches, rugs all over the floor, and big, bright windows with sunflower curtains. Gradually we added rooms, then an outside, turning it into a treehouse, and just kept expanding from there!

Wrapping up

We know this post doesn’t go into much detail, but we hope this is useful to folks as a bit of an introduction to headspaces, what they are, and how to go about making one! We’re including some links below to posts and articles about headspaces and inner worlds - hopefully they can help even more! Best of luck to y’all with your endeavors to create a headspace that fills you and your system with peace and comfort!

^ this link uses “tulpamancy” language - our system has switched to “paromancy” language, which is less racist and less culturally appropriative! the guides on tulpa websites are still quite useful, but we wanted to include a disclaimer on the terminology.

(Image ID:) A pale orange userbox with a cluster of multicolored flowers for the userbox image. The border and text are both dark orange, and the text reads “all plurals can interact with this post!” (End ID.)