my suggestion....dont try to "see" them, most people I know with DID, and most all the treatment providers here in NY that I know say with DID one can not usually usually /literally "see" their alters. its more of a once you know or can imagine what the alter looks like then the mind conjures up the mental image, similar to daydreaming or using your imagination to create a work of art, write, tell stories, plan your day,...you know things like that where your mind can know no boundaries and just imagine what if, lets pretend and other normal every day dissociative skills. if my bipolar and other forms of depression meds were working I could not literally see my alters simply because I knew almost nothing about them so my mind had nothing to conjure up a conscious/willful/wishful image of them. which is why when I did see my alters my treatment providers called it a psychotic symptom rather than a dissociative one.

making contact with alters comes with time and your ability to have co consciousness. thats when a person with DID can hear their voices, know they are there, know what they need, know what ever memories, emotions, their lives that you and the alters want to share with each other.

how do you develop this...you keep working with your treatment providers taking care of you, your present day problems, gaining stability and as you become more able to handle what went on in the past those things will be shared with you.

how do you communicate/find out things about them as co consciousness develops ...well thats an individual choice....since everyone has their own coping skills, traumas, what makes them happy sad angry....how they deal with their emotions and because each DID type alter has their own jobs, purposes, reasons for being.......my point is how you communicate with your alters depends on many different things so its very individualized and most times theres some differences in how to communicate with each alter, even when the method is the same theres going to be slight differences in the communication tones, methods, .....kind of like how you and those around you dont communicate in the same way even if you verbalize the wording, tones, topics, emotions, are different...I certainly would not talk to my mother the way I do my sister, and wouldnt talk to my wife like I do my children, wouldnt talk to my children the way I talk to my wife....each alter depending upon their job, purpose and reason for being created has their own ways they do those things and communicate about those things and their selves....

with me i would hear one of my alters talking when I was out rowing my boat, camping, fishing and other out door activities. Another alter i would hear when I was stressed, another I would hear when I was excited....

keep working with your treatment providers and you and your treatment providers will find the way that works for you.