Blending

blending ( v.)
Blended headmate flag by localhazard
Other forms	blended (adj.), blend (n.), blendy (adj.)
Synonyms	blurring / blurred / blurry, soup (n.)
Applies to	system functions
Coiner	Catherine Fine, M.D., 1999 or earlier

Blending or blurring may refer to a number of experiences:

• A phenomenon during which the boundaries between co-conscious or co-fronting headmates become blurred, and it can be hard to tell them apart, or even who is present. This can happen to the active fronters, or to anyone else who is co-conscious at the time. This state may also be referred to as "(front) soup" or being "soupy".
• An overlap of control and awareness between two members during a slow switch.
• A temporary merge of fronters, possibly for the purpose of therapeutic work.

History

The term blending as a sort of temporary fusion or overlap between fronters may have been introduced by Catherine Fine in 1999 as "the moment at which the personality states or fragments temporarily come together as a single entity, either spontaneously or with the help of a therapist." It is used similarly in later academic context as both a therapeutic action and a spontaneous occurrence during which members may temporarily share skills and abilities.

In community use, the term usually refers to a lack of distinction between fronters, most often under the synonym blurring.

Related Terms

Dissociation — especially depersonalization — is when one has confusion about their own identity, which can happen outside of a plural context. Blending is often associated with dissociation.

Front salad is a mix of fronters during which members retain individuality, and crouton fishing may refer to an attempt to make out distinct members of a blended front.

When the blending directly results in a new identity being created from the temporary fusion of headmates, the resulting individual is referred to as a blend.