Soulbonding

Soulbonding is an intense connection someone feels to a character, which results in that character becoming a presence in their mind, a soulbond. 
Soulbonder refers to anyone who gains soulbonds, and may be considered a kind of host. 
Soulbonds may be described as headmates based on characters or real individuals, and may be viewed as walk-ins from another world that existed independently from the soulbonder before arriving, or hold the metaphysical belief that they did. 
It may also be used to refer to a fictive that takes a separate sentience, especially among writershttp://www.karitas.net/pavilion/glossary.html#sb. 
It can also be a connection one feels to a fictional character to the intensity that they appear in their headspace or as an internal voicehttps://soulbonding.tripod.com/soulbonding_intro.htmhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160123210037/http://fictionkin.net/soulbonding/soulbond-a-short-definition/. 
Soulbonds may not front at all; rather, they often exist exclusively in the mind of the soulbonder without ever taking executive control.
== History ==
Originally, soulbonders were a separate community, but they converged with other plural spaces over time, starting on sites like LiveJournal. The line between "an individual who talks to their characters" and "a person with DID who has a few alters based on fictional characters" blurred over time. Before the addition of soulbonders to the plural umbrella in the early 2000s, many saw the existence of fictional introjects (fictives) & factual introjects (factives) in systems as taboo. There was some infighting between multiples/plurals/systems & soulbonders, including widespread mockery of the latter practice, but the divide seems to be healing.https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1120824.html
Tumblr user vesiamor posted a soulbonding flag to his tumblr on October 29th 2020, https://vesiamor.tumblr.com/post/633347566421016576 (archive), as well as a soulbond and soulbonder flag in a separate post on the same day.
On September 30th 2024, tumblr user Lunar solstice posted their take on a soulbonding symbol https://lunar-solstice-plur.tumblr.com/post/763066956540788736 (archive). Pluralpedia user "Ice" then used this symbol to create several flags, with them being posted to the pluralpedia page on November 13th 2024.
== Related Terms ==
Soulbonds differ from a kintype in that a soulbond is a separate person. However, a soulbonder may still have kintypes.
Fictive was used by soulbonders beginning around 2005 and is a much broader used term for a fictional entity in the system. 
Factive is someone in a system who is based on a preexisting person, and some soulbonders may have factives. 
Walk-in is a system member who came in from a different place, and can be used to describe many soulbond experiences. 
File:Vesiamor soulbonding flag with meanings.jpg|Soulbonding flag by vesiamor on tumblr with meanings
File:Vesiamor soulbonder flag.jpg|Soulbonder Flag by vesiamor on tumblr.https://vesiamor.tumblr.com/post/633363573642592256 (archive)
File:Vesiamor soulbond flag.jpg|Soulbonding Flag by vesiamor on tumblr.
File:Lunar soulbonding symbol main.png|Soulbonding symbol by lunar solstice.
File:Luner soulbond symbol alt.png|Alternate soulbonding symbol by lunar solstice.
File:Luner soulbond symbol hearts.png|Soulbonding symbol by lunar solstice for soulbonders & soulbonds who are in a relationship.
File:Luner soulbond symbol hearts alt.png|Alternate soulbonding symbol by lunar solstice for soulbonders & soulbonds who are in a relationship.
File:Soulbonding Pride Flag 1.png|Soulbonding Pride Flag 1 by "Ice" using the symbol by lunar solstice.
File:Soulbonding Pride Flag 2.png|Soulbonding Pride Flag 2 by "Ice" using the symbol by lunar solstice.
File:Soulbonding Pride Flag 3.png|Soulbonding Pride Flag 3 by "Ice" using the symbol by lunar solstice.
File:Soulbonding Pride Flag 4.png|Soulbonding Pride Flag 4 by "Ice" using the symbol by lunar solstice.
File:Soulbonding Pride Flag 5.png|Soulbonding Pride Flag 5 by "Ice" without any symbol.
File:Soulbonding Pride Flag 6.png|Soulbonding Pride Flag 6 by "Ice" without any symbol.
File:Soulbonder Pride Flag 1.png|Soulbonder pride flag by "Ice".
File:Soulbonder Pride Flag 2.png|Soulbonder pride flag without symbol by "Ice".
File:Soulbonder Pride Symbol 1.png|Soulbonder pride symbol by "Ice".
Category:Metaphysical Terms
Category:Common Terms
Category:Soulbonding Community Terms
Category:Headmate Terms That Relate To Relationships