how do you switch

[Ember Vernon]

i have been practicing tulpamancy for abt a month now and i have forced passive and active. i also have done a little possession and imposition.

but all the guides for switching are confusing so how exactly do you switch and i also could use some tricks and pointers for possession and imposition.

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

This is one of those things that one day you just get it. In the meantime the more you learn about it from different sources, sometimes the less useful it is. 

 

The way we stumbled upon switching was around month 9 we were using co-fronting (just posession) and what I did was try to let one of my headmates do everything. At first I played the game 'what would Ashley do'. Later I asked her before doing anything all the time, so she was controlling me by proxy. After that we did some trigger fronting, which in hindsight was actually switching by trigger.

 

 

When we figured that out it took a little more work to do it on demand and understand how it feels.

 

The best confirmation was when Ashley put me in dormancy. Then it was really hard to doubt and significantly shifted my perspective of what we are, in other words, an awakening.

 

Don't worry too much about it. Switching requires confidence and it helps a lot if your headmate is well established and independent.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Bear

[Ember Vernon]

thx bear that answered some of my questions 

[Ranger]

Most of all switching methods boils down to two approaches- possess until switching occurs naturally or figure out how to trigger switching on command.

 

There's still lots of potential possession may naturally develop into switching. Try to practice full-body possession for several months to the point Ember and or Ryuk are comfortable possessing for several hours or days in a row (it's okay if there's issues with blending).

 

Practicing full-body possession for a few months will build a foundation for trust. Testing the waters and giving Ember/Ryuk a shot at managing life will give you a better idea if you guys want switching and reveal any possible trust related problems that need to be sorted out. Even if this doesn't lead to switching months later, you will have made important progress to getting switching.

 

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I think switching guides can get confusing because you have to establish a mindset before you switch, a lot of the steps taught happen really quickly during a switch, and there's an awkward back and forth of explaining what the tulpa is supposed to do and what the host is supposed to do. As for wonderland switching, I am highly suspicious it's even possible without parallel processing, assuming that in of itself is real. Most of the common switching methods out there are not walk though a door and it just works, but even without that extra layer of confusion, switching guides can be hard to understand or follow.

 

First, switching guides generally teach a mindset that explains what the front is and how to tell apart yourself from the physical body and its inner workings. The car metaphor has been used to explain this so many times that it has become cliché (fun fact: it originated in the DID/OSDD community). Typically though, most systems find their own mindsets that work best for them (ex. Lumi's system's meta-tulpamancy model, the Bear system's body OS (he explains it in his previous link), our ghost theory, etc.). If you mix up what is your body/brain and what is you, you will struggle to grasp switching.

 

Switching methods and guides usually teach some way of tying the switching front to an abstract 3d space. This aspect is usually involved in imposed space (when you visualize or impose objects or tulpas around you in real life), in wonderland, or both. Some examples are stand infront of the host, walk to each other's spots, step to the side, ths host slams into tulpa to push them out, etc.

 

Even though the front is generally explained, what's less focused on is the application of the front in a switching method. Moving around in the front does two things- it triggers dissociation and it associates switching behavior with symbolism, forming a trigger. Regardless if you are in wonderland or in imposed space, running around in the front causes you to focus on that and not your physical surroundings, causing you to enter a trance. I personally believe practicing meditation on top of doing this is almost redundant unless you need to meditate to help you enter a trance when doing the front symbolism. The other part is moving around in the front acts as a trigger for switching. Once you figure out how to switch, the brain will associate switching with whatever ritual you performed. As a result, doing the ritual triggers the switch, and now you can switch on command.

 

Once that is achieved, some guides talk about the tulpa needing to associate with the body's senses. I usually see this in the form of symbolism (wearing the body like a suit, filling the body with your form, filling up the body as if you were a fluid, etc.) I think things get funky here when the guide confuses these two steps because they're both symbolic. I think most guides are usually pretty good about keeping these separate, but not always. It can also be tricky to talk about this step because by this point the tulpa is controlling the body and the switch is usually half baked or almost done by this point.

 

A lesser discussed component of switching is affirmation, or the tulpa affirming they are switched-in. While I can't explain why this works, insisting you are in fact switched-in can be enough to stabilize a switch or help cause a switch. This also ties into belief and mindset, with some systems finding this to be a more critical component to switching than others. During the switch itself, it helps to think "I am switched-in, I am the host, I am strong/powerful", etc.

 

Trust is an important part of switching, but I think it's purpose can be a little bit misunderstood. Trust in of itself doesn't cause dissociation, but a lack of trust can lock a switch and prevent it from happening. The actual dissociation is going on in the symbolism/wonderland step, you won't "let go" unless you are already dissociated. Stress can cause you to associate with the body, so stress and a lack of trust are usually seen as the bane of switching, despite the fact trust is not always the main reason why a system can't switch.

 

On top of all of that, parallel processing makes all of this more confusing. I saw it as a requirement in Within's guide, but you don't actually need parallel processing to follow their guide. As for wonderland switching, that's the kind of switching you have in Fuliam's guide and in the walk though the door guide. Without knowing how to parallel process, steps in these guides simply don't make tons of sense. In some cases its not necessary like in Within's guide, in other cases it can lead to harmful mindsets like the idea of black out switching. Unless you are seriously considering learning how to parallel process, I would read these guides understanding that you won't end up with the same result.

 

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Overall, switching is complicated and hard to teach. It's a thick read and it usually starts off with challenging your own thought process. Hopefully this helps explain what the guides are trying to get at when they teach switching.

 

Even though switching guides can be confusing, I highly recommend you read them. Even if the methods don't work for you, there may be a few things that apply to you or mindsets you agree with. Remember that there is no one correct way to switch, and looking at other people's experiences is one of the best ways to build your own way.

 

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Edit (4/26/21) I wrote all of that and I didn't explain our process for switching. Well, better late than never I guess.

 

Since we started switching on command since December of 2019, our switching method has largely remained the same. While the actual switch probably happens in the middle of the ritual and usually during the second phase, we stick to using all of our steps. In 2019 We came up with the acronym CAA- Consent, Affirm, Associate. In short, we exchange our consent, the person switching in affirms they are switched-in, and then they associate with the body. While there have been a few tweaks to our method, we consistently do more or less the same process.

 

During our consent phase, we close our eyes and talk to each other and then establish consent. First, both of us visualize ourselves in a void. Depending on how much time we have and what's going on, Gray and I sometimes take a moment to talk to each other just to check in and make sure we're both doing okay. After that, we may discuss who wants to switch in when or just verify who's supposed to be switched-in when. If all goes well, I will ask "Gray, do you consent to switch out?", "I do, Ranger do you consent to switch in?", "Yes, I do". We tend to ask the same question again but phrase it differently, "do you consent to the switch"? I think the redundancy makes us feel better or it helps us focus or something. If we stumble, feel lost, or felt the consent was too automatic, we may do it all over again. Once we exchange our consent, Gray will walk into the horizon and disappear. I usually feel like our wonderland camera goes from third person to my first person and then I say "consent achieved", being ready for phase 2- affirmation.

 

During our affirmation phase, I will tell myself phrases to establish the mindset I am now switched-in. I will usually tell myself the following phrases: "My name is Ranger", "I am the host", "I am one with the body", and "I am switched-in". I may only say some of these phrases and I may repeat them if necessary. I find that saying these phrases helps strengthen my sense of presence and makes my mindvoice louder. While I do not believe the body is owned by the host, we find that phrase helpful. We also sometimes use imagery, like using our form to fill up the body and sometimes move our fingers. This starts to drift into phase 3- association, but I do this during phase 2 until I open my eyes.

 

During our association phase, I focus on the body's sensory experience. The first thing I look for is feeling my cool eyelids when I wake up from a trance. It's a weird thing that makes us feel good about the switch. Sometimes everything seems really bright once we open our eyes, but it's less consistent and I don't count on that happening as a matter of preference probably. Next, I focus on what I can feel. While I can associate based on what I can see, I find it more helpful to think about how tired the body is, any pain or strain I'm experiencing, how warm I am, how soft my blankets are, etc. I may or may not feel the need to snap my fingers, sometimes it feels numb when I do this and I try to gain a sensation. On rare occasions, I may feel like everything is coming to focus, even though my vision isn't blurred. I may or may not think about what I'm hearing. Once I feel content with my state, I usually log on Discord I finished switching in and then write about what we experienced.

 

I find logging and doing something I normally do like talk on Discord to be helpful to stabilize. After I'm switched-in, I don't feel ready to talk on voice chat or talk to my headmates. I need at least 15-30 minutes to myself to feel good about being switched-in, and I may write about the switch, talk on Discord via text for a bit, or work on one of my projects. This experience may be unique to us because of our mindset about switching or the fact we have two fronts and the switching front needs time to close while the possession front opens, this isn't normally something other systems report struggling with. At the very least, I find I doubt myself less during a voice call if I have had more time to stabilize and think about myself.

 

I probably didn't originally post this because our method is not a universal way to switch. Someone else may have extra steps or they may just focus on the affirmation step and do the other stuff really quickly. After reading this post again, I felt it would be helpful to have my personal example of how I switch.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Ranger