Ghostmate

"Ghostmate" is usually a form of self-identification for a headmate. Please do not force that role on a headmate who prefers to be called something else.
Ghostmates are headmates that share similar characteristics with ghosts (may look/act or share traits that ghosts commonly have) or may just identify as ghosts/ghouls.
Ghostmates can be identified as such if:
* Semi-nonsoma Ghostmate(s): The headmate(s) seemingly "glitch" or "flicker" in the headspace. In other words, it is hard for them to keep a physical form in the headspace and there may be no known reason for why they do this. This may cause issues with their soma (keeping their soma or relating/identifying to or with their soma), or may correlate with them being soma fluid.
* Doko-Ghostmate(s): The headmate(s) seemingly vanish or disappear from the headspace without going dormant and often disappear to unknown locations within the headspace. These separate locations may even be different sidesystems in the headspace or they may even vanish from the headspace without a separate location (they just disappear).
* Ghostmate(s): The headmate(s) identify as a ghost or someone who has passed away and entered the system upon passing away in the physical world/shared reality. This may be due to dysphoria or they may literally be a supernatural being in the headspace.
* Floating Ghostmate(s): The headmate(s) may be able to go through "walls" in the system, important and generally un-connected layers, sidesystems (often cloud sidesystems), etc- often without a known reason.
Ghostmates meet one or more of the criteria above and could potentially meet all of them.
Ghostmates are often, but not always fragmented, semi-fragmented, facets, segments, etc and it is possible that ghostmates can be human or non-human alters. And, as mentioned above, headmates can be Ghostmates if they identify as ghosts but aren't technically ghosts.
== Related Terms ==
* Ghoster: A headmate/system that may identify as a ghost/ghosts due to dysphoria in their body/bodies (Coiner: Asteroid Kingdom).
** Relation to Ghostmates: Ghostmates can sometimes be Ghosters if they identify as ghosts but aren't actually ghosts when it comes to official terms. This may often be due to dysphoria, but it may be disrespectful to the headmate to be called a Ghoster. Therefore, some headmates who fit the term Ghoster, prefer to be called Ghostmates instead and technically fit the criteria as well.
* Floater: A headmate who may traverse between subsystems or sidesystems/may not be a part of a specific system (Coiner: Unknown/Several).
** Relation to Ghostmates: Some ghostmates can go between sidesystems/subsystems and have no specific system that they are a part of. Though there may be a system that they identify with the most, there is a possibility that they just float between them. All Floaters are Ghostmates but not all Ghostmates are Floaters. 
* Liaison: A system group (or headmate) that doesn't necessarily exist within a specific system, and rather exists between them (Coiner: September Sanctuary of Souls Labyrinth).
** Relation to Ghostmates: Some ghostmates (who are mostly floaters) do not really exist within a system and exist between them. All Liaisons are Floating Ghostmates.
Category:Terms
Category:Headmate Terms
Category:Headmate Terms That Relate To Attributes
Category:Pages that define multiple terms
Category:Functional Role Terms
Category:Headmate Terms That Relate To Abilities
Category:Contains Content Warning
Category:Nonhuman Terms