New to System Life - Ivek

Well hello everyone, I guess I am the first to be making a blog post (Well now the second… nope Third! Because Wes beat me to not one but two). Anyways, I am surprised we don’t have more blog posts since Harper is all over this website constantly but hey, might be time for some more connections outside of the system itself. Letting people who are curious into a piece of our world(s).

As of this moment I am the newest person to come into the Astra System, which I find hella confusing as I don’t understand much about the headspace but a lot more about the outer world where the body is. Our outer world ambassador tells me this is not normal, so I went and asked people in the headspace what was normal for coming into the system. The effects on the physical body, inner world workings, signs that someone new is going to show up and other things! As a final note; these are just from our experiences and do not have any research backed into these claims, just me asking people “Hey, coming into the system, what was it like for you?”

I have divided this blog into some parts, kinda like an essay but with more tangents!

First: Effects on the body!

The physical body tends to get ”sick” symptoms when a new person is coming to join the Astra System/Family including longer “wait” times when switching people in and out, severe headaches or migraines, and overall more confusion day to day, such as forgetting where we are, who we are, glimpses into memories or times we have no recollection of, etc. Overall- not very fun and very weird! When Taylor was peeking into the headspace it was when No’va was drawing and each of the body's hands would do “call and respond” with each other- each with a different color crayon! I see the notes now and it looks like chaos but it worked for them.

Second: Effects on the Inner World!

Most permanent effects in the inner world do not take effect until the person is at the house, and settled in (not phasing in or out from the House). Such as having their own room, a new chair at the table, new areas, etc. But there can be temporary warning signs that someone is coming, just as there are effects of the body with a new person, the body and mind affects how the headspace interacts with us and presents itself. Depending on the emotional state of who is coming to the headspace we can get a wild variety of different weather patterns, fog on the outskirts of our vision, even making us isolated from each other or from the front (Where we can’t communicate with each other or the front). Most of the time Dominik gets a sense that something is up with the Headspace and does patrols of the area to check it out.

Third: Other Effects!

The people who are fronting sometimes get drives or needs to do things they normally wouldn’t or haven’t before and don’t really have a trigger or reason (such as eating a LOT of sweets) or being more afraid of the dark. According to Verse this is because the new headmate is in The Static and can only communicate with emotions and drives before forming words and coherent thoughts. Also some people can sense new headmates easier than others. We have been waiting for a headmate that Teddy is aware of for a while now but for some reason the conditions have not been right for them to come to the Head Space yet…? I don’t know.

Fourth: What happens when the new Headmate Appears?!

Usually someone gets a warning, either they sense something, they hear a voice, they have a dream, something- but when the time is here- It. Is. Here. It is go go go time, because soon after appearing in the headspace (if they appear there first) they will be forced to the front. Usually when a person comes into the headspace they are forced to the front as that seems like the easiest way into the headspace is from Origin to front to headspace for our system. The body of the headmate could be in the Headspace or at the house but the consciousness will be at front- usually kicking whoever is in front back to the House/headspace. Then a looooonnnnngggg switch happens, sometimes painful sometimes not, but very very confusing. And then BOOM, they are here!

Fifth: Our Process for New Headmates!

Well, there isn’t a defined one- YET! (I need to talk to Dominik, Harper and Verse about this). Usually when they appear they are front-facing or fronting so things can be very overwhelming, the light, the sounds, the colors, textures, so much information to sort through! When I first fronted I had to keep my eyes closed then block large portions of my vision with my hands to help me process what was happening a little bit at a time, now I can look around without problem. Even over stimulating locations for some people are okay by me. We are all working on a system journal right now so the ambassador has some help in directing the new headmate where to go when they need help.

So, when coming into the system the body and mind and headspace prepare themselves but sometimes, like with Teddy, there is very little warning, where there is no time to prepare. Either way everyone’s experience of how they get headmates is valid and this is just our experience! Thanks for reading!