Soulbonder.com - a glossary of soulbonding

Glossary

This glossary is divided into three sections.

One reflects words used by the existing community. The second is specific to my own experiences, some of which (for me) supplant those in the first. I also explain why I coined those terms. The third consists of imported occult terminology that I, personally, find helpful when talking, thinking about, or engaging in the phenomena we here call soulbonding. The latter terms typically relate to more traditional understandings of spiritwork, but are very useful in some respects.

As usual, I don’t intend this list of definitions to be the final word on these matters. I’m just typing up my own way of talking about these things, as well as (of course) what I’ve seen used by the community and other occultists. Also, the community portion contains many definitions that folks cribbed from the multiplicity community; I typically don't use those because I don't understand them well. I generally choose other terms nowadays.

All parts of this glossary reflect my own perspective on how these words are used - you may disagree, and you may well have a better perspective than me. I'm not saying I have this all figured out. This section was uploaded anew on September 12th, 2024 and will be subject to updates perpetually, I suspect. Feel free to contact me with additions or comments...

Community Terms

active adj., adv. When you have a tangible connection to your soulbond that you can feel, the soulbond is active. The opposite of dormant.
age slider n. Refers to someone whose age “slides,” as in, a soulbond who might appear to be nineteen at times, and twenty-eight at others, etc. Originated in multiplicity communities.
age static n., adj. Generally, this is the opposite of an age slider and refers to a soulbond who remains the same age regardless of what transpires. Originated in multiplicity communities.
archetype n. The spiritual source of a soulbond, whatever form it might take. In some old glossaries, this was apparently used as an alternative to “canon” for media-based soulbonds. Originated by Laura G.
back n. The “place” where your soulbonds exist when not interacting with you or making their presence known.
co-consciousness n. This refers to the ability or degree to which the soulbonder and soulbond share each other’s feelings, thoughts, and memories. Originated in multiplicity communities.
co-running v. When several people, soulbonds or not, are in control of a body, the term co-running is used.
continuum n. In this context, the term generally will reference the idea that everyone exists somewhere along a spectrum between being a single individual and existing as a multiple system. Relates to soulbonding because of the community overlap. Also called dissociative continuum. Originated in multiplicity communities.
dar'morende n. A very, very old term for a “permanent soulbond” (i.e., constantly active), but I’m not sure why it was coined as such. Originated by Catherine R.
day-tripper n. A soulbond that visits the soulbonder frequently, but spends the majority of their time in their own “world.”
dominant n., adj. (also primary) Refers to soulbonds that interact most frequently, but is (hopefully) not meant to imply favoritism on our parts.
dormant adj. Refers to a soulbond that has gone quiet, so to speak. Dormant soulbonds can’t be “felt” by the soulbonder, but haven’t left, and the connection remains.
fictionfolk n. Rare but beautiful term for those of us with a strong, inexplicable, but joyous connection to fiction. This often includes soulbonders, but also fictionkin. See also: my term, storyfolk.
fictive n. Refers to a soulbond, headmate, etc., that originates from a fictional source. Also used now within the multiple community by some people I know, but apparently originated in the soulbonding community.
fictosexual n., adj. Someone whose sexual (and maybe romantic) feelings center more around fictional characters and situations than those taking place in the physical world they inhabit. This isn't something that's ever been true for me, so I can't really write much about it. Some fictosexuals do use the term soulbonding, but not many that I've seen, and many fictosexuals see no metaphysical dimension to their feelings.
fantasy personality disorder n. Seems to have been a lay-person's (ie, a soulbonder, not an actual medical professional)'s attempt to medicalize soulbonding, fictionkin, and related concepts under the heading of a "personality disorder" where a person relates more to fiction than real life. Didn't catch on, thankfully, and seemed actively harmful to me.
fantasy-prone person n. An actual term used by psychologists trying to contextualize phenomena like soulbonding in a non-metaphysical way. I obviously don't vibe with it, but it's a genuine attempt at understanding, I think. Read more on on Wikipedia. Does it fit us soulbonders?
front n., v. (to front, fronting) The “front” refers primarily to the soulbonder’s sensory experience of the outside world. To “front” as a soulbond means to access this in some way, shape, or form, even entirely. Originated in multiplicity communities.
headmate n. A general term used over the past fifteen years for someone sharing a body with another person. Used by soulbonders and multiple systems (of various identifications), especially on Tumblr. Much-maligned at times due to bad publicity from trolls.
host n. This term comes straight from the multiple community, and originally referred to the “first” or “primary” person within a multiple system. Originated in multiplicity communities.
middle space n. The “place” where a soulbond might exist when neither in the “back” nor the “front,” i.e., neither completely silent nor in direct interaction with you. Originated by La Senza Fine. See also: back, front.
multiple n., adj. (multiplicity: the state of being multiple) The state of having more than one identity, sense of self, or being. This is difficult for me to define because I’m not multiple. The term, while often tied with soulbonding, is much more related to the DID community and related multiplicity communities.
munbonding n. A newer term for soulbonding-like phenomena to which psychological origins are ascribed, i.e., a munbond is a sort of “imaginary friend” with extreme intensity rather than anyone with outside autonomy.
muse n. A casual term for a soulbond who inspires one to write or feeds one information that later becomes part of stories, etc.
natural multiple n. phr. (natural multiplicity) This is a term for those who believe that, through whatever means, more than one person/soul/entity might naturally exist within one body without the trauma typically seen in DID. I don’t know much about this or DID, but it can be researched elsewhere.
outsourcing v. (to outsource, outsourced) Refers to soulbonds that are not created (intentionally or otherwise) by the soulbonder. These typically originate in media. In other words, Anakin Skywalker might be an outsourced soulbond; a character you create yourself and ultimately soulbond would be considered insourced. Originated by Laura G.
plural adj., n. (plurality: state of being plural) This was originally meant to be a “catch-all” term for anyone who felt like they might be more than one person/entity within a single body, but seems really controversial these days.
projection n. (to project, projected) The ability of a soulbond to appear, either fully visibly or in a “mind’s eye” sort of way, within physical view of the soulbonder. Isn’t always possible and takes practice.
reality-version n. (RV, r/v; also settai) A soulbonder’s personal experience (via the soulbond, typically) of the soulbond’s life and world. This may or may not be the same as the way media portrays the soulbond (if outsourced).
sa/self, etc. n./p. A late 1990s neopronoun used specifically within the soulbonding community as a gender-neutral term to refer to abstract individuals (generally). I don’t remember anyone going by sa, but it was used in writing a lot.
settai n. See: reality-version.
singlet n. (singularity; state of being a singlet) Generally used online to refer to anyone who considers themselves the sole person within their body. Originated in multiplicity communities.
soulbond n., v., adj. (soulbonding; soulbonded) Uhhmmm…
soulbonder n. This is the person born within the physical body, who interacts with the physical world the most, and to whom the soulbonds are emotionally connected.
soulscape n. (also mindscape, headspace, headworld, inner world, other world, etc.) Refers to the inner world of the soulbonder, which can be “created” via visualization-like activities, or may appear spontaneously. A place where soulbonds and the soulbonder can interact.
source n. A term related to canon and archetype, referring to the media from which an outsourced soulbond originates. This can include books, movies, television, comic books, etc.
stereo-soulbonding v. Refers to situations where two people have soulbonded the same (usually outsourced) character. This can be a positive or negative thing depending on the people involved and the character’s source/archetype. Originated by Laura G.
system n. (also group, household, clan, collective, army, and many other terms) A general series of terms for all entities in one body, usually given one single name, i.e., “The Shoestring Gang,” or “Winters Household,” etc. Originated in multiplicity communities.
tai'morende n. A very old, outdated term (the reason for which is unknown) for a temporary soulbond; see also “walk-in.” Originated by Catherine R
telephone soulbond n. A newer term for a soulbond that never leaves their own world and communicates with the soulbonder nonetheless.
walk-in n. A term for a soulbond that visits, but doesn’t stay with the bonder, and frequently returns to their own “world,” so to speak.

My Personal Terminology

bounding n., v. (bounded) The practice or act of dressing up in fashions (typically those that can be mistaken for everyday, normal clothes) that your soulbond prefers. This is usually accompanied by an outing with your soulbond “present” in some way, or perhaps even when you’re channeling them to some degree. From the fandom term.
flicker n. The nascent feeling one experiences when encountering a character with whom one is likely to form a soulbond. This is always a strong emotion attaching you to them, but varies situation. If, when trying to forge a soulbond, you don’t have this strong emotional attachment, it’s unlikely to work. It will likely remain throughout the relationship.
haunted adj. A term I picked up from lurking Tumblr late in the 2010s, where one or two people seemed to use it as a facetious description for a soulbonder, ie, "(this person) is haunted (by their soulbonds)!" I use it for a situation wherein many, many soulbonds were present; ie, I was particularly "haunted" in late-2012, but many have since left, as often happens, ie, visitors.
manifestations n. pl. (also facets, masks, aspects) Refers to the different manners of interaction an average person will have with the world in different situations. This can be more true for some than others, though this may or may not relate to a propensity for soulbonding. A direct outward expression of the inner self rather than an autonomous being.
shrine n. A space, physical, digital, or even just on paper (like a notebook) where you express your feelings towards your soulbonds. Online shrines exist for regular fandom stuff, too, mind you - and I run a couple, but this is a bit different. It’s hard to explain and I’ll probably add a separate page about it; suffice to say it does not imply worship of your soulbonds.
sitting with v. A term for the experience of sharing a soulbond’s emotions, thoughts, and sometimes even vague physical sensations of an event within their lives. For example, if your soulbond has experienced being bitten by a rat, and you “sit with” your soulbond for the memory, you would share that experience to a degree. Often includes a conversational aspect. Similar to what Taylor Ellwood calls “experience-taking.”
snert n., v., (snerting) Term stolen from the days of America Online’s chatrooms. It was originally just a word for an annoying, childish chatroom user, but here, I use it for someone who decides they need to troll soulbonders or alterhumans or otherkin or whoever by pretending to be one and acting as wild as possible (think: @Weary-Turtle, @Trans-Cats, etc on Tumblr). Such people may actually be confused alterhumans ultimately, or, more frequently, just jerks.
storyfolk n. Word designating those with a strong connection to stories, narrative, lore, legend, and fiction. An alternative term to fictionfolk, implying a broader scope to the stories involved.
visitors n. pl. (also guests) Soulbonds who, rather than staying with the soulbonder, seem to come and go, or stay for only a short time. I have had many visitors (feels like, anyways) who were important to me, but didn’t stay long. Just like you might meet someone briefly and have a meaningful conversation, so it sometimes happens with soulbonds.
window soulbond n. A term I coined myself to describe situations where the soulbond and soulbonder do not directly communicate at all; however, the soulbonder observes the soulbond’s experiences, thoughts, and emotions. This often takes the form of “sitting with,” except without any conversation. See also: sitting with.

Occult Terminology

aspecting n., v. (aspecting) Similar to invocation, aspecting involves calling a spirit close to you, or into you, to influence your actions and mindset. You still remain in control, but your reactions and temperament resemble that of the spirit to some degree for the duration. It can be thought of as light invocation. Neopagans typically aspect deities; aspecting any spirit is, in theory, a possibility, if both parties are willing.
automatic writing n. The practice of a spirit writing, typing, or otherwise interacting with the physical world through similar means. This can take the simple form of you dictating what the spirit is saying (which is most common), but it can in some cases involve allowing the spirit control of part of yourself (ie, your hand, to write or type). This is really common amongst soulbonders but the term usually isn’t used.
chaos magic(k) n. A (non)tradition of magic dating back to the 1970s, largely originating in Britain. It tries to strip ideology from occult traditions, reclaim the parts that are useful, and potentially replace those that weren’t. Often involves working with “pop culture” entities like Chthulu or Superman, or spirits the magician “creates.” Promulgated by authors like Peter Carroll, Phil Hine, and Andrei Vitimus. Practitioners are called chaotes sometimes.
channeling n., v., adj. (channel, channeled) This word should be easy to understand for anyone even vaguely familiar with the occult. Channeling is, essentially, voluntary possession by a spirit. It can occur in different degrees, ranging from a strong sense of mental/emotional presence to near-full bodily control. I prefer this term to “fronting” when speaking of my soulbonds, but will use the latter if absolutely necessary to make my point clear.
chapel perilous n. An obscure (but extremely applicable) term in the occult community that references situations where someone isn’t sure if their experiences are really supernatural, or if they’re simply imagining things. This phrase has been used by many silly people, but is still quite useful for talking about how I personally felt when beginning to contextualize things. Read more on Wikipedia, I guess.
clair- combining form. pl. (clairs) From an older French term translated as “clear,” this word denotes (general) abilities to perceive occult phenomena. It is almost always combined with another word to describe the sensory experience. These include clairvoyance (“second sight,”) clairaudience (similar, but with sounds), and others, encompassing different senses.
cultural appropriation n., adj. (culturally-appropriative) When you take practices from a (closed, usually) culture that you're not part of, and have been given no real permission to access, it's called cultural appropriation. Usually, cultural appropriators do not understand the traditions they borrow, and thus end up misrepresenting them, causing confusion. It's something to be mindful of when viewing many spiritual traditions, especially closed or initiatory ones.
current n. A term from the Western esoteric tradition (but rather recent), this tends to refer to the passage of magical “power” within an organization or tradition (i.e., a secret society, fraternal group, or even just a group of friends working together). Egregores are often, but not always, the personification of a current of some sort.
egregore n. In Western esotericism, a group, organization (or even a corporation, good heavens) will have an egregore or guiding spirit. These can be created or shaped consciously by occultists within said organization, but usually occur spontaneously as a group develops. These are sometimes associated with the concept of a magical “current.”
energy model n. A sort of theory explaining the validity of occult practices, which ascribes paranormal occurrences to the nebulous concept of unseen “energies.” In my opinion, this is one of the more dubious ways of looking at the occult. It doesn’t preclude a belief in spirits, though, and is compatible with the spirit model.
evocation n., v. (evoking) Similar to invocation, this is the practice of summoning a spirit or similar being. In evocation, you request the spirit’s presence in your metaphysical vicinity. This is often done through ritual and within a very controlled spiritual space (ie, a magic circle), but not always. Common with Goetic operations where demons are summoned and given various tasks by the magician.
exorcism n. The term used to be a catch-all for those raising spirits, but linguistic shift happens. You probably already have a good idea of what this means nowadays, though. It’s a practice within certain religions and cultures where a spirit is driven forcibly from a person. Some exorcisms are relatively benign. Some may actually help a person struggling spiritually. Most exorcism methods aren’t like that, though. It’s been used as an excuse to abuse people for centuries, and I tend to expect it in that context more than any other.
experience-taking n. Term coined by pop culture magician Taylor Ellwood in his book Pop Culture Magic 2.0. Refers to experiencing a character’s emotions, feelings, etc. alongside them while consuming the media. Very relevant, in my opinion, to soulbonding, and honestly seems to be the same as what I call “sitting with,” though viewed differently. Not sure how Ellwood feels about soulbonding.
familiar n. A spirit, of whatever sort, that forms an intense attachment to a magical practitioner and helps with their practices. Many witches (especially witches, but also other occultists) think that their pet cat is their familiar. In reality, the term historically referred to spirits, not physical animals, and the familiar didn’t always even take the form of an animal.
high strangeness n. Coined by Czech UFO enjoyer J. Allen Hynek, this term was initially used to describe UFO "encounters" that didn't fit the paradigm of UFOs as alien ships and creatures from outer space, ie, those that seemed to have a psychospiritual element or occult aspects. While I don't like all uses (or all people using) the phrase, it is broad and a good word for spontaneous, bizarre spirit encounters.
invocation n., v. (invoking) The practice of calling a spirit into your body willingly, and seeking out such an experience. In neopagan and especially Wiccan communities, this is a common practice (ie, “Drawing Down the Moon,” or “aspecting” a deity). It doesn’t always refer to interactions with the divine, and can describe calling on another sort of spirit, too.
new age n., adj. Refers to occult traditions and practices originating in the mid-20th century (or slightly earlier) in the aftermath of the Victorian-era occult revival. These teachings tended to appropriate heavily from cultures colonized by the British. They also emphasize pseudohistorical narratives (the kind you see on the “History” Channel at night) and often feed cult-like groups. In bookstores, etc, it can also simply reference alternative spirituality, though.
occult n. Uhhhh…
possession n., v., adj. (possessing, possessed) Where a spirit gains total or near-total control of a person, usually without their consent. This word was used (and is still sometimes used) in mainstream religions. It shows up more frequently in pop culture narratives than religion or occultism. The term seems extremely inappropriate for any consensual activity (like soulbonding) because of its existing negative connotations.
psychological model n. A model that explains occult experiences (to some degree) with the placebo effect or other psychological events and forces. It is usually mixed with another way of viewing the occult, and is compatible with them. When taken by itself, though it really isn’t occult at all. In those cases, it’s occult practices used outside of an occult context, without actual belief in them. Some soulbonders adhere to a completely psychological model, but this site does not focus on that.
scrying n., v. (scried) Ever seen a movie where a fortune-teller peers into a crystal ball or a magic mirror? Maybe even a mystic-looking bowl of water? That’s a depiction of scrying. Scryers induce visions (and spirit communication) by gazing into mediums like crystal, blackened mirrors, and even flames. This can be a useful skill for soulbonders to pick up, in my opinion.
servitor n. In chaos magic, this refers to a “small” spirit with no autonomy. Created by the occultist, they are usually assigned a single one-off task, and disperse easily. Have almost nothing in common with soulbonds, besides the fact that they, like some soulbonds, are consciously created. See also: thoughtform, egregore.
sigil n. While in some chaos magic circles, this word has an insufferably-specific meaning, it usually just refers to any signifying symbol used for occult purposes. A sigil often just symbolizes the intent of the magician. It’s sometimes meant to create and connect with a servitor or thoughtform. You can, of course, create and use them for other purposes, if one defines the term broadly.
spirit model n. Within the occult, most practitioners adhere loosely to their own “model” or theory about why and how occult practices have validity. The “spirit model,” by which I am most heavily influenced, argues that such experiences result from interactions with living, independent spirits that have autonomy outside of the magician.
thoughtform n. This term, typical of chaos magic circles, refers to a type of spirit that was created by the magical activities of an occult practitioner, usually working alone. The word does not imply sapience or the ability to hold a conversation, and many chaos mages create thoughtforms for a specific purpose (i.e., guarding) that have little else to them. Some people online do use this term in a wholly-psychological, non-occult sense for a purely internal mental construct, as well. See also: servitor, egregore.
tulpa n. A (relatively obscure, I’ve been told) concept in Tibetan Buddhism. The word was appropriated by H. P. Blavatsky, who, working it into the Spiritualist movement, convinced a lot of people that it meant “magic-generated spirit” (it doesn’t). Years later, Reddit and 4chan rather misguidedly took up the term as a word for their magically-crafted companion spirits.
visualization n., v. (visualized) This refers to an intense act of imagination, where you’re able to see (to varying degrees) or even feel what you’re imagining. Everyone “visualizes” to some degree (ie, when reading a novel, we picture the events). In occult texts, though, the word usually refers to more immersive experiences. With practice, a person can become more adept at visualization.