The Whumpee Had Looked Up To The Whumper For A Very Long Time, And They Wanted Nothing More But To Train

Our Systems volunteers have written up a great behind-the-scenes look at last year’s DDoS attacks against the Archive. Why not check it out and show them some love?

Truths & Myths: Pluralpedia Part 2, Brain Activity in DID

In the fact check, we cover brain activity in switching, brain activity between EPs and ANPs in DID and how this compares to actors trying to imitate having dissociative identities.

All parts exist within one biological body, parts are caused by different brain activity, which means other parts cannot have their own DNA. Moreover, parts do not have physical bodies, any claim to a body is a visualisation tool aiding the part to develop its identity and gain comfort. This visualisation also does not have DNA but that does not mean it cannot be changed. Parts can have different types of relationships though, some parts may consider each other family. This is related to how people have biological or chosen families but in relationships between parts, they reflect those family types rather than actually being those family types.

In the fact check section, we will show studies where actors could not successfully simulate dissociative identities and switch between them. This shows how a person cannot gain dissociative identities by believing they have them or trying to create them by will or want.

Genealogist fact check:

Using quantitative electro-encephalogram (QEEG), it was seen that the change between dissociative identities was seen as beta activity (beta waves are high-frequency, low-amplitude brain waves in the awakened state and are involved in conscious thought and logical thinking) in the frontal and temporal lobes. The frontal lobe is responsible for reasoning, social understanding, executive function, voluntary muscle movements, learning, and recalling information. The temporal lobes are most commonly associated with processing auditory information and encoding memories.

Willogenic fact check:

There have been studies conducted to examine the differences in brain activity between ANPs and EPs in patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The terms ANPs and EPs originate from the theory of structural dissociation, which will be discussed in a separate post. In summary, an ANP (apparently normal part) is responsible for carrying out daily tasks, while an EP (emotional part) holds traumatic memories and prevents them from being experienced by the ANPs. Instead, the EPs relive the trauma, rather than being able to experience the present moment like an ANP would. According to this model, EPs are present in patients with PTSD, CPTSD, OSDD, and DID but DID is the only disorder that involves multiple ANPs, setting it apart from the others.

Study one:

In a study, EPs and ANPs in DID patients were shown angry and neutral faces to observe changes in activity and reaction time to a changing coloured dot on the face. This was compared to a control group of actors attempting to simulate an EP or ANP state. The results showed that EPs in DID patients had higher activity in the right parahippocampal gyrus when presented with either face, compared to DID ANPs. The right parahippocampal gyrus is involved in the recall of autobiographical memories, with a right hemispheric predominance, and is also part of the re-experiencing of symptoms in disorders such as PTSD. This supports the theory that EPs play a role in storing traumatic memories. 

The observed activity also suggests and supports the idea that EPs within DID may perceive safe individuals as dangerous and when confronted with reminders of traumatic memories, they may reactivate those memories. While there were other findings in the study, further statistical evidence and a larger sample size are needed to conclude. However, the control group was unable to replicate the activity and reaction time of DID ANPs and EPs. Their reactions were the opposite. When attempting to simulate ANPs and EPs, the actors showed an inverse reaction time and neural brain activity for each state. For example, when the actors were meant to act like ANPs, they tended to react like EPs in DID patients. For ANP-simulating controls neutral faces were salient, they did attract much preconscious attention, as happened for authentic EP. The current findings add to the psychobiological evidence that DID is neither an effect of suggestion and fantasy, nor role-playing.

Study two:

Additionally, a study was conducted to measure brain perfusion, which refers to the passage of fluid through an organ, normally the delivery of blood to a capillary bed in tissue, during rest. The study compared DID patients to controls and found that DID patients have a higher resting state metabolism, the rate at which calories are used, in the Default Mode Network (DMN), which is active when the person is not focused on the outside world such as daydreaming, of the brain. This can be explained by the fact that DID patients’ brains are more focused on attending to their self-states during rest, something that the control group did not experience. 

Moreover, compared to an EP in DID, ANPs in DID showed more metabolism in the bilateral thalamus, the part of the brain that relays sensory and motor signals and regulates both alertness and consciousness. Furthermore, the study found that EPs in DID have increased regional cerebral blood flow in the primary somatosensory cortex, several motor-related parts of the brain, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. The primary somatosensory cortex is involved in action planning and execution, indicating that EPs are highly aware of their body being in a threatening situation. This heightened awareness would trigger the need for defensive motor reactions, making it difficult for them to fulfill the instructions for resting. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex has many roles important ones such as processing the sense of self and modulating and regulating emotional responses and heart rate in situations of fear or stress.

“Neural processes associated with intended and motivated role-playing of ANP and EP were clearly distinct from those correlated with being ANP and EP following rest instructions.” (From first source in the list)

Conclusion:

Overall, these studies clearly show different alters are due to varying brain activity but also show that DID has a biological backing whose results cannot be replicated through acting or attempting to immediately the presence of dissociative states. 

However, it is always important to note that more research should be done with larger samples, but the studies spoken about here at the time of their research were the largest.

Genealogist:

Revisiting the etiological aspects of dissociative identity disorder: a biopsychosocial perspective (Section under Neurobiology of DID)

Beta waves. (Section under Technical Aspects of Brain Rhythms and Speech Parameters)

Frontal Lobe.

Temporal Lobes.

Willogenic:

The Brain in Dissociative Identity Disorder: Reactions to Subliminal Facial Stimuli and a Task-Free Condition.

Default Mode Network.

Bilateral Thalamus. (Section under Abstract)

Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex.

Feel free to send us an echo to our page or leave in the comments any questions or suggestions for future parts to this series.

Part one of this series covered DID formation.

Made from the collaborative efforts of the system who run this blog.

Lost & Not Found (32)

''Harry dies and he meets Tom’s parents and his own parents in the white King's Cross. Harry thinks Tom can be saved and Voldemort thinks this is laughable. I vividly remember Harry being kissed by him while Death and their parents watch. They both get reincarnated and fall in love without memories and on their wedding, I think, they get them back and Tom facepalms as he clearly has fallen head over heels. They live away from the magic world together happily and disgustingly in love.'' [ FOUND Victory in Loss by Gwendal_Wincott ]

''It was a one-shot on ao3, I believe, where Tom and Harry are casting spells at each other during the Final Battle. Something happens and then Voldemort finds himself watching Harry grow up as a shade in the background and in Tom's life Harry is going the exact same. 1 second was 1 year in their 'shade' world. They come back and they remember seeing the other helping them as new memories begin to set. Harry jokes about when Abraxas Malfoy's hair turned pink and Slughorn had it hung in his office and they both laugh while the rest of the characters stare at them in confusion.''

''It was published on AO3. At some point of the story, Harry comes to Malfoy Manor to have sex with Tom and steals his horcrux mainly to piss him off, I believe. Tom's followers are shocked that Tom is having sex with Harry and that he tells them to leave. I'm not sure if this is the same one as the one where Tom locks Harry up in some mountain and Harry gets a Grimm animagus form + learns how to revive Hermione's cat.'' [ FOUND Inevitabilities by EclipseWing ]

''It was a one-shot on ffnet I believe, pretty short. Tom and Harry were married and had a kid called James who got into trouble and the teacher called Tom to her office. Tom scares her and she fears him but then there is a line where it says "His husband [Harry] is worse."

''Harry and I think Tom get reincarnated, but Harry's also a werewolf, and he's like some special werewolf. Harry has a younger brother that he teaches magic to, but no one besides the little brother has heard him speak. Tom starts courting him, and then later on the story, Lily yells Tom out of the house as like an angry protective mother. If it's relevant, Harry killed Kreature in his last life.'' [ FOUND Nose to the Wind by Batsutousai ]

''Both tom are harry are the same age, but tom goes to durmstrang and they both came back to life. Tom is an absolute simp and they reunited at the Triwizard tournament. Tom and Harry find out tom is king of some country and Harry is king of Camelot. They go to a royal ball. They start a magical orphanage together.''

''Harry was taken to the Chamber of Secrets by a Horcrux. The Horcrux decided to drain him to come back to life but was eventually killed by Harry with the sword of Gryffindor. The plot took place in book 7 and the Horcrux was probably the locket? (not sure, definitely not the diary tho) There was a lot of smut and the ending scene was in Dumbledore's office, where Harry managed to get the sword. I remember reading it on ao3.'' [ FOUND Secrets by skywalker ]

just put laundry in the washer. there better not be any wet laundry after this

inkneedles is supposed to be a crack ship but ink5oul "let me look at the dead body you can trust me i'm an influencer" and needles "if you don't take me seriously i'll just dox you" are making out sloppy style and bullying kids on the internet together and there's nothing i can do about it

Day 230 of posting Good Omens memes Everyday until Season 3

Me with literally anything.

It’s practically 2014 and you guys still don’t know how to google if an article is real or not before giving it 100,000 notes

"Can you switch for me?"

“Can you switch for me?”

Switching Questions and Answers 1

Answered by Blade 

This question can have both positive and negative implications, depending on the person and the situation. I would like to discuss certain scenarios where this question may or may not be appropriate.

Scenario one: Clinical setting (Appropriate)

In a clinical setting, such as therapy, this question may be asked. However, the wording of the question is inappropriate but the intent of the question is. The therapist may be trying to assess the system's ability to reach out to others and switch in a calm setting. This can help the therapist understand the system's communication and willingness to collaborate. If the therapist is familiar with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), they may be asking in order to use a therapeutic approach known as the "Switching technique." It is important to practice this technique in therapy and the therapist will have a better understanding of where to start teaching this technique based on already established levels of communication.

Scenario Two: Asked to switch as proof of disorder (Inappropriate)

If someone, whether it be a friend, stranger, or therapist, asks you to switch as proof of your disorder, this is highly inappropriate. It suggests that your disorder is a show or not real. Switching for systems cannot be controlled and should not be used as a means of proving the disorder. Even if the system has experience with the switching technique, it should only be practiced in a calm setting and used in practice to protect from distress, not to entertain others. Positive triggers, while not negative, can still cause harm to systems. Switching can cause headaches, fatigue, and communication issues if someone is forced out without warning. Forcing someone out can also make them feel invalidated as an individual and could potentially harm progress in future communication or willingness to collaborate.

Scenario Three: Asking because they want to talk to a specific alter. (Mixed)

In a clinical setting, a therapist may want to work through trauma with a specific alter or has done so in the past. They may also be trying to understand the system better. In this case, the therapist may ask this question to see if the alter will come out. However, it is important to note that this can be both good and bad. If the therapist is pushing for a forced switch, it is not appropriate. In a personal situation, if the person is suggesting they do not want to talk to the current fronter and only want to talk to a specific person, it can be harmful. This can also be the case if the person is not a good friend and only wants to talk to an alter they find "interesting," such as a fictive. This suggests that our lives are for others' entertainment, which is not acceptable.

Scenario four: Asking to reduce potential harm or risk to the system (Appropriate) 

In a personal setting, if the system has been triggered and someone who

should not be out for their safety, such as a little, has fronted, it may be beneficial for someone to ask for a specific protector to front to handle the situation. In this case, being asked or told for someone to front can benefit the system. The person asking in this situation is most likely a good friend and is asking for good reasons so that there is less pressure in the system to figure out a solution if an external person is guiding the system through who should be trying to front.

Answered by Blade 

Switching Questions and Answers 1

“Can you switch for me?”