Your Hosts Tonight

On the Other Side

Of Tenants and Rent

Miscellaneous

The Paperwork

Soulbonding
the basics

Please take note that what is written here are entirely my own beliefs and opinion and is not the general consensus of the community as a whole. Opinons and definitions amongst the soulbonding community are even more varied than those of daemonism, and my word represents nothing but my own thoughts. More comprehensive definitions can be found at varying locations such as Intangible Reality.

'Soulbonding' is the most commonly recognised term, and as such is the one I tend to use in general discussion. That said, I am not particularly fond of the term, as I do not feel it gives the correct impression of my own experience; I do not consider what I do to be a matter of 'bonding to a soul' as the name suggests. Another way of referring to it is 'fictionbonding', which is marginally more accurate, and other terms that have been bandied about regarding the 'bonds' themselves include headmate, muse, and freeloader.

In its most basic form, soulbonding can be described as a strong connection to something fictional. This fictional subject can be a world, a creature, or, as is most common, a character. It can also be the work of either the individual, or the work of an outside creator. So Person A could consider themselves having a strong fictional connection to their personal comic character, and Person B could be connected to Harry Potter. Neither is a more legitmate experience than the other.

Person B might also simply feel very sympathetic and understanding of Harry Potter; soulbonding doesn't need to be something more complex than the connection one feels with a favourite character. However, for some it is. While I tend to connect quite intensely to many characters, my own and others - I have a bit of a velcro personality - only Alex has manifested in such strength that he is able to hold his own, as it were, capable of inputting his own thought and emotion into the maelstrom of my mind. But is he more of a soulbond that my other characters? No. Just a slightly different sort.

The nature of a soulbond differs depending who you ask. Some believe that it is a matter of cross-dimensional connection, with the soulbonder establishing a bridge to a being in an alternate universe. I personally stake my camp on the other end of the scale. As my friend Sherah so helpfully put it, I tend to consider soulbonds "not me, but made of me-stuff". Alex is not a part of my psyche in the same way Killy is, but nor is he a separate soul simply taking up residence within my body. In a more childish fashion, I have a lot of brain, and some of that brain has decided to call itself Alex and exist as such.