Gateway

undefined:

A gateway system is one connected to other worlds via portals or gates that are experienced as real and external to the system, body, and brain. The body may be experienced as a gate itself, leading to one or multiple worlds besides shared reality. A gateway system may not have an innerworld that is experienced as internal to the system.

History
The concept was described as early as 2001 by the Shire on their personal site and on the Dark Personalities mailing list: "What if this body wasn't multiple? What if instead it was like a portal [...]? The connection point between two worlds." The concept was also described as early as 2001 by the Shaytar system: Stardance: "We come from different worlds which share a common portal with this world. That portal is this earth-body." Uses of "gateway system" as a personal identity label can be seen dating back to 2003, appearing on Bravadai's website some time between April 2nd and July 7th 2003. In this context, Bravadai mention temporary members as a part of their gateway experience: "By and large, we are also what has been called a gateway system, although there are some people who do stay here, and have been here in some form for as long as we can remember."

Astrea's Web ascribes the coining of the term to the Shaytar system: Stardance.

Some sources list alternate definitions of gateway that refer to innerworlds perceived as real or physical, or large metaphysical systems with members of spiritual origins that freely come and go. These definitions are likely reductions of the wider definitions to specific aspects or experiences of gateway systems.

Related Terms
A walk-in refers to a headmate who comes from elsewhere in the inner world.

In the context of a gateway system, a gatekeeper may be one with the role of allowing or denying access to walk-ins.