Alternate Personality: Alters always have sense of self and agency; are usually inside, conscious, monitoring, pulling strings; occasionally “out” and in control.

A person with multiple personality has a host personality (“host”) and alternate personalities (“alters”). The host is the regular personality, who is “out” (overt) and in control of behavior most of the time. The alters have some characteristics always, some usually, and some occasionally.

Alters Always

1. have sense of self: “I am,” “I think,” “I feel,” “I remember,” “I can,” “I want,” self-image

2. have sense of independent agency (a mind of their own)

     An alter always has a sense of its own selfhood or personhood, a sense of “I” or “I am.” It can think. It has a self-image (age, gender, appearance). It has memories and a past. It has characteristic feelings, abilities, and preferences. It has a will and can do things, either in the person’s inside, subjective world (where it is most of the time) or outside in the real, objective world.

Alters Usually

1. inside

2. conscious, monitor

3. pull strings

     

Alters are usually inside the person’s mind. They are usually not “out” and in control of routine behavior, which is the job of the host personality. Alters come out and take overt control of behavior only when the situation calls for it.

For example, an alter who specializes in playing the piano will tend to come out only when there is a piano. An alter who fights will come out only if the host is threatened. In short, alters are usually conscious, and they often monitor what is going on with the host out in the real world, so that they know when to come “out.”

However, even when inside, an alter may be able to pull strings by speaking to the host (who hears a voice) or giving the host ideas or feelings (which the host may ascribe to inspiration, the unconscious, etc.).

Occasionally Alters are

1. “out” and in control

2. usually incognito

3. even simultaneously

Alters may or may not have their own name. If they do, and you know their name, you can usually bring them out if you address them by name.

In most people with multiple personality, when alters do come out, they do so incognito. That is, even if they have their own name, they usually pass for the regular, host personality by responding to the person’s regular name. They have found life is simpler that way.

You know that an alter had been “out” if the person (really, the host personality) has a memory gap (for the time and behavior when the alter was “out”). By inquiring about the lost time and forgotten behavior, you may be able to bring the involved alter out to discuss what happened and why. Of course, as soon as the person switches back to the host, the host will have a memory gap for your conversation with the alter (unless work has been done to increase co-consciousness and communication).

Occasionally, more than one personality is “out” at the same time. For example, the host may have a visual hallucination of an alter either in the mirror or as an apparition. Or a group of personalities may hallucinate each other and hold a meeting. Or writers may converse with their characters. As long as the person can distinguish between what is subjective and what is objective, and it causes no distress or dysfunction, these things are normal.