There is a problem inherent in the very phrase "multiple personalities." It implies multiples of someone or something, and this is simply not the case. Multiplicity is not always about many "versions/aspects/alternates" of one self, although it can take that form. More frequent, and less acknowledged, is the reality that multiplicity means many distinct and complete individuals sharing one physical body. The body is simply the portal through which they interact with this Outside world.

Sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, doesn't it? People can accept the reality of alternate dimensions, parallel worlds, alternate timelines - but only if it stays within the bounds of a novel. Just a figment of somebody's imagination. A nice bit of escapism for a Sunday afternoon. But never reality. Oh, no, that's too far fetched. To accept it as reality would be like stepping into the Twilight Zone^TM, or something worse. It would mean expanding one's horizons, having an open and flexible mind, and not judging reality only by what is tangible and three-dimensional.

Multiplicity breaks all these unspoken rules of society's "consensual reality¹." It transcends gender, time, space, and tangibility. It exists in more than three dimensions, more than one physical reality.

For those who experience the world as many sharing one body, Other-worlds are as "real" (in terms of tangibility and consequences), as this one you now occupy. These worlds have flora and fauna, geography, politics, economics, languages, and customs all their own. Why argue that they aren't real simply because YOU can't go there? I can't go to Japan, but that doesn't make it any less real to the Japanese.

Why are we so stuck in seeing this earth world as the only "reality"? Why can we indulge in a little fantasy or science fiction on the side, but not allow ourselves to embrace the fullness of vision that such alternate worlds offer? Reality beyond our reality is part of every mythic culture that I can think of. There are realms of the gods, of the dead, of the fey, and sometimes, they interact with humanity. Why did we stop accepting the possiblity of these alternate realities? Why discard them as "fairy tales" and "nonsense"?

Oh, yes, right. I had forgotten.

The "Enlightenment." Science showed us the way. Technology made us happier. Fairies and gods are for the simpletons who can't keep up with change.

I think we're missing a vital point here. Over and over, one finds among the gurus, the wise men, the shamans, the truth seekers -- whatever name you call them by -- the message of simplicity. Live simply. Trust and accept. But we would rather live on the bleeding edge of technology, where things are happening. Where the future is.

Or so we think.

Consider the movie "The Matrix." Haven't seen it? You should. It's one of those mind-bending movies that makes you think.

Oh no. I said the "T" word. Never mind, punch the ESC key (or the ANY key, if you can find it) or hit your back button and escape while you can.

It makes you Think. It challenges reality. It dares you to think outside the box, outside the Matrix. Kind of like the old question about whether this world is all someone else's dream, and what happens when they wake up. It makes people uncomfortable for the same reasons multiplicity does - it's unconventional, it doesn't fit in the neat little boxes that make up consensual reality.

And besides, it's one thing to watch the movie, it's another to actually consider and/or discuss its message once you leave the theatre or shut off the VCR. If all you do is watch, it's no different than reading a book. A little more in your face, perhaps, but you can still shut it off, tune it out, forget about it.

If such is the case, you probably don't want to attempt to understand multiplicity either. After all, multiplicity is as "unreal" as a computer generated reality.

If, on the other hand, you find yourself intrigued, challenged, and willing to discuss visions of life beyond the "3D" ... Welcome to the world of multiplicity. Rules are subject to change upon manipulation, courtesy is a pre-requisite for exploration, and reality is what you make of it.

Have a nice day.

~*~*~
Oct. 22nd, 1999

1) "Consensual Reality" is the reality that exists because it is commonly accepted to. Mass consensus of what is "real" in turn creates the reality it envisions.