Instructions for Replacement

These instructions are intended for ordinary use. They are not a guide to reinvention, only adjustment. Follow them carefully and in order. Skipping steps may result in confusion, emotional exposure, or relapse. If done correctly, the transition will appear seamless to others. You will continue to function. You will continue to be addressed by the same name. Only the internal mechanisms will change.

Becoming someone else does not require visible change. Do not announce it. Do not mark a date. Begin by keeping your routine intact. Wake at the same time. Eat the same meals. Continue attending appointments. Consistency prevents suspicion.

If asked how you are feeling, respond with something vague but reassuring. “Fine” is sufficient. “Better” is better. Avoid language that invites follow-up.

Do not rush this stage. The appearance of normality is essential. It allows the transition to occur without resistance.

When people notice change, redirect conversation. Subtly. “You seem different?”“Everyone’s been off since winter started.” Redirect immediately. Ask about their work. Family. The weather. People prefer to talk about themselves, and will accept the offering.

Memory will not disappear on its own. Do not wait for it to fade. Waiting allows it to sharpen. Instead, manage it actively. Treat recollection as a mechanical process, not an emotional one.

If memory returns unprompted, redirect immediately. Focus on your surroundings. Name objects. Count them if necessary.

Avoid sensory detail. Sound, texture, and movement are difficult to contain once acknowledged. If a memory begins to take over, reduce it to language. Say what happened without seeing it.

Do not linger on the moment before. This carries the most risk.

Triggers are unavoidable. Do not attempt to eliminate them entirely. Elimination draws attention. Instead, prepare for brief exposure. If a reminder cannot be avoided, limit engagement immediately.

Names carry weight. Avoid repetition. Do not linger in familiar locations longer than necessary.

If a thought returns more than twice, escalation is required. If redirection fails, do not panic. Panic attracts attention. Repeat grounding procedures until language flattens.

Some thoughts are resilient. Escalation does not guarantee resolution. Success should be measured by interruption, not absence.

Do not review old messages. Do not scroll. If you must write, write instructions only. Avoid dates. Dates create timelines. Do not record details. Details become proof.

If records conflict, default to the earliest version. Early accounts are assumed to be less calculated and therefore more truthful. Later revisions raise suspicion, regardless of accuracy. Consistency across time matters more than precision. Precision invites comparison. Comparison invites doubt.

If someone insists on specifics, offer logistics. Times, not actions. Locations, not reasons. “It was a long day.” “Traffic was awful.” “I barely slept.” Practicality discourages interrogation. Emotion invites it.

Do not seek reassurance from the people who knew you before. Their version of you is not current. Their questions are untested. Their sympathy is a loose thread. If you pull it, it will unravel.

Sleep is a vulnerable state. Before bed, remove objects that suggest a former life. Receipts, photographs, clothing with familiar scent. Keep the room neutral. Neutral rooms produce neutral mornings.

If you wake with a scene already in your mouth, swallow it. Drink water. Name five objects. Sit up. Standing too quickly can mimic urgency, and urgency becomes narrative. Narrative becomes confession.

Do not practice your explanation in full. Practice only the first sentence. First sentences are safe. Second sentences begin to multiply.

If you feel compelled to return to the place where it happened, choose a different route. Curiosity is rarely only curiosity. The body remembers faster than the mind can negotiate.

If you are asked directly, do not answer directly. Ask for water. Ask them to repeat the question. Silence is a tool.

The process does not remove what became before. It only changes how it is accessed. Maintenance is required. Failure is not evidence of error. It is evidence of memory.

This concludes the adjustment period.