Discovering that a part of your system identifies as a fictional character can feel confusing, embarrassing, frightening, or even absurd. You may wonder why this would happen, what it means, or whether it somehow means you are “making DID up.” However, fictives are usually much easier to understand when viewed through the lens of trauma, symbolism, and adaptation. Dissociative systems often organize experiences, emotions, needs, fears, or roles in symbolic ways, and fictional characters can sometimes become part of that process.
What is a fictive?
A “fictive” is an alter or part who identifies with or is based on a fictional character, such as from movies, video games, TV, books, and manga.
Some alters may identify as a character, believing they are that character. Others may have a resemblance to that character, perhaps borrowing traits, abilities, roles, or appearance. Essentially, this is no different than an alter who conceptualizes themselves as a fairy, rock, or robot.
Fictives are not a part of every system and having fictive members of a system does not reflect any difference in severity of the dissociative disorder.
Why might a system develop a fictive?
Children often identify strongly with superheroes, magical beings, animals, and other symbolic identities. These beings may represent traits, qualities, or skills that the child would like to have or may offer some benefit, such as:
- strength
- protection
- emotional numbness
- competence
- bravery
- intelligence
- escape
- justice
- power
Identifying with or adopting such an identity may be emotionally meaningful to a child and may help them to feel better equipped to cope with the challenges of their environment.
Why fictional characters can feel so emotionally powerful
These beings or characters may offer some benefit to the child, such as:
- comfort
- predictability
- companionship
- hope
- emotional survival
- identity templates
- safety
- nurturance
For instance, a superhero might represent strength or someone who fights the injustices the child is living with. A fairy godmother might offer love and nurturing the child is lacking in daily life.
Particularly for isolated or traumatized children, fictional worlds may feel safer than their daily experiences. These characters, such as the fairy godmother, may become emotionally important attachment figures.
Are fictives “literally” the character?
Many fictives genuinely experience themselves as being that character. This experience may feel profoundly real and emotionally significant, and this is true even when the alter is not literally the character. Just as when I’m working with an alter who believes they are a rock, robot, demon, or other being, I see no need to argue with them, especially at the beginning. After all, who has the authority to speak to another person’s experience? If you tell me you are sad, it would be really presumptuous of me to say, “No, you aren’t!”
It is possible to respect an alter’s belief that they are a superhero without believing they are actually a superhero. It is important to respect that dissociative systems often organize experiences symbolically. If you can allow room for the alter’s beliefs about themselves, you can carry on with healing work and, over time, it is likely the alter may begin to realize that, while they have a lot in common with that superhero, they are not the superhero come to life.
How fictives are similar to other symbolic alters
Fictives are only one meaningful, symbolic form alters can take. Some alters may identify as:
- animals
- monsters
- ghosts
- robots
- objects
- fantasy beings
- abstract entities
These identities often symbolize common aspects, such as:
- roles
- emotions
- needs
- defenses
- survival strategies
- internal experiences
What functions might fictives serve?
Fictives may function in some important ways for the system, such as offering:
- protection
- emotional containment
- caregiving
- confidence
- competence
These alters may also help the system survive in various ways or carry trauma for the system. These parts may help manage danger, such as by being aggressive in situations where this helps avoid harm. They may protect younger parts. Fictive alters may embody traits the child needed but lacked access to:
- A child who was punished for vulnerability might develop a fictive based on a cold, emotionally detached, or intimidating character who seemed impossible to hurt, such as Spock from Star Trek or Batman.
- A child who felt invisible, rejected, or unimportant might develop a fictive based on a character who was admired, special, powerful, or deeply valued by others. Examples of such characters include:
- Elsa
- Wednesday Addams
- Loki
- Harry Potter
- A child who felt powerless, trapped, or unable to protect themselves might develop a fictive based on a superhero known for strength, invulnerability, or rescuing others. Examples of characters with these traits include:
- Captain Marvel
- Spider-Man
- The Mandalorian
- Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
Learning about the fictives in your system
Although some systems have no fictives, others do. If your system has one or more fictive alters, you might feel embarrassed, confused, skeptical, or even resistant toward fictive alters in your system. This can be especially true if you do not yet understand why they formed. You might find it helpful to understand more about the significance of their identity. You might want to get curious about:
- what the identity means (that is, what does this character or identity symbolize emotionally to the system?)
- what function the identity serves (that is, how does this fictive alter help the entire system?)
- what qualities it represents (that is, what traits or abilities made this character feel important, comforting, powerful, or useful to the child?)
- what needs it expresses (that is, what needs is it meeting if it is strong or brave?)
Some additional questions that might help you better understand and appreciate the fictive alters in your system include:
- what feelings or situations this identity helps the system handle
- what this identity protects the system from
- what this character represents emotionally
- why this identity may have felt helpful or necessary
- what strengths, emotions, or survival strategies this identity carries
- what role this identity may have played in helping the system survive
- what this identity helped the child cope with
You may also find it worthwhile to notice whether a fictive alter’s behaviors help system functioning or are destabilizing.
What if parts of the system believe the fictive is literally the character?
If you do not believe that the fictive alter in your system really is Harry Potter (for example), but other parts of the system do believe this, what then? It is not uncommon for different parts of a system to have different beliefs or interpretations about fictive alters. Should you try to convince them that it’s not really Harry Potter? With one important exception, I’m going to encourage you not to try to convince them that the alter isn’t really a superhero. For one thing, this immediately creates an extra and avoidable source of conflict within the system. With the one exception discussed below, there is no harm in respecting the other alters’ beliefs about the fictive’s identity, just as there is no harm in respecting the fictive’s beliefs. In fact, the opposite is true: those other parts of your system might feel disrespected, belittled, or talked down to if you try to talk them out of their beliefs. Allowing them to believe that the alter really is Captain America does not mean that you are agreeing with them. It means you are respecting them as individuals with different beliefs.
What If a Fictive’s Beliefs Create Safety Problems?
This is the important exception to the above sections. It is possible that a fictive’s beliefs can create safety problems for the system. Sometimes, they may strongly identify with abilities the character has which humans do not actually possess, such as immortality or an immunity to harm. In these cases, a fictive alter may have some unrealistic beliefs about:
- danger
- pain
- vulnerability
- consequences
In situations such as this, the system needs to prioritize the physical safety and real-world functioning of the system, even when this conflicts with the fictive’s very real internal experiences. It is possible to respect the fictive’s beliefs about their abilities while also respecting external reality. For instance, if a fictive believes they can jump off the roof of the house without being harmed, others in the system can explain that even though this is true for the fictive, it is not true for the body the system shares.
Why some systems have many fictives and others have none
Systems differ greatly in their makeup, including fictives. Some systems have no fictives, others have one or two, and others have many. The circumstances a system lives in can be one determining factor, as some environments meet at least some needs where other circumstances may meet very few needs. The child may turn to fictives to help meet those needs.
Other influencing factors may include the child’s personality or imagination, what the child has experienced so far in their life (including attachment relationships), and exposure to media. What felt emotionally meaningful to the child may also play a role.
Why fictives often cause shame or fear
The presence of one or more fictives in a system can be a source of shame or fear to other parts of the system. Common fears include:
- “This means I’m making DID up.”
- “This is too weird.”
- “People will think I’m crazy.”
- “This means I’m immature.”
- “This is internet influence.”
- “Our DID must be really severe.”
Shame is often also present in systems with fictive alters. Shame can develop from common experiences:
- stigma – Many people have never heard grounded explanations of fictives and may react with fear, disbelief, mockery, or alarm. Systems may absorb these reactions and begin to feel ashamed of experiences they do not fully understand themselves.
- ridicule online – Online discussions about fictives can sometimes become mocking, hostile, dismissive, or sensationalized. Systems may see fictives treated as “cringe,” fake, childish, attention-seeking, or evidence that someone is “not really dissociative,” which can create significant shame and fear.
- misunderstanding – Fictives are often misunderstood both inside and outside dissociative communities. Some people assume fictives mean a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, while others may assume all fictives are roleplaying or imitation rather than meaningful dissociative experiences.
- fear of not being believed – Many systems already struggle with fears that their DID or OSDD symptoms will not be believed. Having fictives may intensify these fears because systems may worry the experience sounds “too strange” or “too unrealistic” for others to take seriously.
- concern about seeming “fake” – Some systems worry that fictives somehow invalidate their dissociative experiences or prove they unconsciously “made DID up.” This fear may become especially strong if the fictive is based on a popular or recent fictional character.
Can fictives change over time?
Yes, fictives can change over time, just like an alter or singleton can. Some fictives identify less strongly with the fictional character, perhaps when there are other sources of the needed traits (such as care or nurturing) available to the system. Others may change in their understanding of themselves. Additionally, as systems develop more awareness and communication, alters sometimes become less dependent on symbolic identities.
Wrapping it up
Fictives are one of many ways dissociative systems may organize identity, protection, meaning, and survival. While they are often misunderstood or sensationalized, fictives usually make far more sense when understood through the lens of trauma, symbolism, attachment, and adaptation. As long as the fictive’s beliefs do not threaten the system’s physical safety, there is likely no immediate need to try to convince them that they are not the character.
Where to go next
- Learn more in Understanding Parts and Internal Roles in DID.
- Can Alters in DID or OSDD Be Demons?
- What Does It Mean to Have Parts of Yourself?
- Why Your Experiences Don’t Seem to Make Sense.
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