Plural

"Anyone who falls under the multiple spectrum, whether they're trauma-based multiples, medians, natural plurals, soulbonders, or any combination thereof" (Sylvans System, n.d.) This, however, is not the only definition the term has gone under.

Quick Details

Coined By: ???
Time Used: 1994? - Present
Locations Used: EVERYWHERE.

[LB Cataloging Note: Astraea's Multi BBS Records show no use of the term "plural" from 1992 through January 1995, except in reference to Stephen Braude's "First Person Plural".]

1994-1997 a.s.d. Synonym for "Multiple"

On alt.support.dissociation, "plural" was occassionally used as a synonym for "multiple." For example, Sapphire Gazelles writes, "being plural is my (our) only perspective so it seems normal to us..." (1994, November 15). Another commenter uses it the same way, while also referring to multiplicity as a continuum: "maybe it's not as simple as either singular or plural, [...] maybe this is another of those continuum things and i'm not on the extreme singular end but somewhere in between" (Gordon, 1994, November 7). Such uses continue through 1997, at least (Vineburg, 1997 November 4).

This may have been where Vickis got the idea.

1998 Vickis' Definition

From the start of the 1998, Vicki's page, the Wonderful World of the MidContinuum had as its heading quote, "I may not be multiple , but I'm certainly plural !" attributed to someone named Jaye (Vickis, 1998 January 15). Plurality appears to have been used as an umbrella term for midcontinuums and multiples alike; "Our culture tends to divide things in either/or categories, so 'if we are _not_ MP, then we _must_ be singleton.' Wrong. It's a continuum!" (ibid). This seems to be the earliest citation of the use of "plural" as an umbrella term.

2002 Pavilion Hall Definition

Pavilion Hall specifically banned MPD/DID multiples from being plural, equating them with lack of functioning. "Plurality and MPD should not be confused for one another. [...] Plurality is a functional, non-disordered state of being: MPD is a nonfunctional disorder, which may require therapy and perhaps integration" (2003, July 15).

Pavilion Hall's glossary contradicts this statement though; there, they define plural in the alt.support.dissociation way, as, "The state of being multiple, in which a body is shared by two or more persons" (2003, July 25). ~~Ouregaiya~~Since ~~seems~~their glossary was based on the one from Dark Personalities (ibid), it's possible they just copy-pasted their definition without thinking it through, but since none of the archives of the Dark Personalities glossary contain the term "plural," it's also possible that Pavilion Hall just wanted to ~~have~~use ~~adopted~~a ~~that~~more ~~definition~~moderate ~~from there (2016), but fortunately this definition is not~~term in ~~common~~the ~~use.~~more public pages.

2003 Astraea's Web Definition

~~Dark Personalities show no use of the term "plural" in their glossary (2002, December 24), making~~ Astraea's Web ~~glossary~~mostly lifts the ~~next~~Pavilion ~~citation.~~ Hall Itglossary, ~~too~~but ~~uses~~it does use Vickis' umbrella term, stating, "Plural: The state in which a body is shared by two or more persons. Includes multiples and medians" (2003, January 11). ~~It does not cite the originator.~~

From ~~Astraea's Web,~~there, the term seems to have spread into more general use.

Citations

Astraea. (2003, January 11) Glossary [web page]. http://astraeasweb.net/plural/glossary.html Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20030111103116/http://astraeasweb.net/plural/glossary.html

Dark Personalities. (2002, December 24). Terminology [web page]. http://www.darkpersonalities.com/terminology.htm Internet Archive. Retrieved 2019/03/14 from https://web.archive.org/web/20021224163501/http://www.darkpersonalities.com/terminology.htm

Gordon, Evelyn. (1994, November 7). On Thu, 3 Nov 1994, saphyre gazelles wrote [newsgroup post] Retrieved 2019/03/14 from https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.support.dissociation/26W5EQdnyhQ/MuqdbAS5BpEJ

Ouregaiya. (2016). ~~Healthym~~Healthy Multiplicity [web page]. Retrieved 2019/03/22 from http://www.ouregaiya.com/healthy-multiplicity-.html

Pavilion Hall. (2003, July 15). Policies : MPD/DID vs. Multiple [web page] http://www.tanuki.cx:80/pavilion/policies/mpdplural.html Internet Archive. Retrieved 2019/03/14 https://web.archive.org/web/20030715072732/http://www.tanuki.cx:80/pavilion/policies/mpdplural.html

Pavilion Hall. (2003, July 25). Terminology [web page]. www.tanuki.cx/pavilion/policies/glossary.html Internet Archive. Retrieved 2019/03/23 from https://web.archive.org/web/20030725121142/http://www.tanuki.cx:80/pavilion/policies/glossary.html

Sapphire Gazelles [saphyre gazelles]. (1994, November 15). hihi forum [Newsgroup post] Retrieved 2019/03/14 from https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.support.dissociation/60EWBIw-hFA/OA7aJcT-DjMJ

Sylvans System [plurality]. (n.d.) Dreamwidth community profile page. Retrieved 2019/03/14 from https://plurality.dreamwidth.org/profile

Vickis. (1998, January 15). The Wonderful World of the MidContinuum! [web page] http://www.asarian.org/~vickis/continuum.html Internet Archive. Retrieved 2019/03/14 from https://web.archive.org/web/19980115120006/http://www.asarian.org:80/~vickis/continuum.html

Vineburg, Jeff. (1997 November 4). How we got MPD *funny* [newsgroup post] Retrieved 2019/03/14 from https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.support.dissociation/plural|sort:date/alt.support.dissociation/KjgAkxQ03Qg/3XS3HncadhoJ