Core vs. Host
Core is one not emotionally attached to the body. There is no pain inflicted on the Core, who is also known as a Regulator: kind of like a default, auto-pilot insider. The Core's duty is to keep the body alive and in working order until another insider is able to resume control. The Core is activated as a last resort, usually in the face of great danger, fear or pain, when the body needs to react, and no one Inside is capable of doing so. The Core's responisbilities include basic functions, such as sitting, standing, and walking, but is also encouraged to speak, eat, bathe and sleep, so as to not arouse suspicion. We have been told that when our Core, Zephyr, is out, we appear to be like "the walking dead", or in a daze. We are also often numb to pain or other stimuli in this state.
Host is the original personality. This is the one listed on the birth certificate, the one who is to be protected. Unlike the Core, the Host may be introduced to various traumas. Sometimes other insiders may despise the Host because they may want full control of the body, or they are angry they have had to or still have to take abuse for the body, for the Host's protection.
Switching
Switching is different depending on the circumstances. Sometimes it happens before I realise it, and I am just in a different place or in an unfamiliar situation some time later. At times it is triggered; for instance, Molly will come out in a toy store, or Logan will if he senses a conflict. Other times, it is a gradual process, taking a minute or two. When this happens, there are a set of symptoms I go through, and if I concentrate, I can stop the switch. The following symptoms are by no means all-inclusive.
Symptoms
Numbness or tingling in the back of the head
Numb or burning eyes
Numb lips
Headache behind the ears
Vertigo
Slurred speech
Sudden relaxation or tightening of muscles
Shivers up and down the spine
Incoherent thoughts
Intrusive thoughts unusual to age or sex
The Visual System
Some systems have neither co-consciousness or co-presence, which is a very strange idea to us. Furthermore, some systems, I am told, are auditory only, meaning that all the Host hears are voices.
Our system is visual.
I can "go Inside" and see any of my others at any given time. They live in what they call the Haven, with a myriad of rooms suited to all their needs. I can also see what my others look like. They each have a distinct look about them, and they live their own lives, so to speak. For example: while Molly plays on the floor with a plush, Logan might be going over personal paperwork and nervously chewing on a lit cigarette. In the meantime, Ethan and Siroun might be in the rec room, shooting pool, and Isoceles would be alongside them, ready to play the winner. Mjollnir, being the loner, might be in the Anger room, or wandering aimlessly through the forest beyond the Haven. They are active and individual, just like any real family, with their own desires, aspirations, and traits.
Imaging as Communication
Every system is different, as I continually reiterate. One thing unique to ours is our way of communicating. Several call it "imaging".
There aren't any "voices" inside, in the conventional sense. When one or more of the others speak, there is a sense of volume, in that a whisper would be low, and a scream would be mind-shattering. The excess "noise" can place a fog over the mind, just as someone yelling Outside would make it difficult to concentrate.
Because we have a visual system, we can see one another's actions as we speak or go about our daily business. The helps to determine the mood of the message or action. It is also probably why everyone would rather image than use verbal communication. Imaging is much like a series of photographs being shown in rapid succession to tell a story. For instance, a sense of longing, with a picture of Molly sulking, followed by a picture of a meal would indicate that Molly is hungry. It sounds difficult and a little unweildly to some, but think of it as a type of telepathy. I know what they are conveying to me in less time as it would take to say it. To me, it is easier to image them, and vice versa, than it is to speak. It's faster, less cumbersome, and there is no need for exemplary language usage. It especially works well with those of mine who haven't developed their English skills yet, or are still struggling with language in general.
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