Otherkin

## What is otherkin?

Firstly, what is otherkin? Otherkin, or otherkind, is a subculture of individuals who identify as a non-human being on a non-physical level. Otherkins often identify as otherkin on a mental level, meaning it is never physical. Otherkins are often usually mixed up for mythkins, since they both can identify as mythical creatures. They are different because Otherkin individuals usually only feel non-human, or not fully human in a non-biological sense. While Mythkins are a subcategory of *otherkins* that identify as something from mythology. Otherkins consider their identity to be an involuntary identity, similarly to therianthropy. There are sublabels of otherkinity, such as mythkin, and some sublabes have considered theirself a separate community from otherkins, such as: Unicorns, Dragons, Fae, Angels, and more. These communities are not, or sometimes not, the same as having an angel as a kintype, a unicorn as a kintype, etc. This leads us to some otherkin experiences.

## What are experiences of otherkin?

What are some otherkin experiences? A few experiences are Awakenings, Shifting, Dysphoria, Memories, and noemata. First lets talk about awakenings, what is it? An awakening, for both therianthropes and otherkin individuals, is realizing you are an otherkin or therianthrope. Most people coming into the community have some idea of what they are, even if only a vague one. According to **https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Otherkin**, It states that: “As being otherkin is typically involuntary, people may undergo a realization and subsequent period of exploration. This is popularly referred to as awakening. Most people coming into the community have some idea of what they are, even if only a vague one. Many have experienced shifts, phantom sensations or abnormal instincts from a young age. While some otherkin know exactly what they are straight away, most discover the specifics over time. Common tools recommended for this include journaling, meditation, and studying real animal behaviour or mythology. Thorough research has been considered an extremely important part of confirming one's kintype for most of the community's history. Many people expect other community members to be able to justify and answer questions about their identity when asked. However, the emphasis on this has decreased with newer generations. Some older community members criticize this trend, believing that it leaves people without the ability to introspect or think critically. Others have stated that the culture surrounding questioning is excessive, harsh and damaging.” Next, let's talk about Shifting.

Shifting, What is it? In the otherkin community, it is the state of feeling as if your mind is becoming more like your kintype. Many otherkins experience shifts, but not all otherkins can experience shifts. Shifts originated from the therianthropy community for their experiences of “shifts.” many people have attempted to define, categorize, and list the types of shifts it is possible to experience. Such as: Phantom Shifting, Mental Shifting, Spiritual Shifting, Kotia shifting, etc. Next, we will talk about dysphoria in the community.

In the otherkin community, some otherkins experience dysphoria, or discomfort, with their physical body and their kintype. Most alterbeings call this dysphoria “species dysphoria.” According to **https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Otherkin**, it states that: “Species dysphoria has been compared to gender dysphoria, or an unease caused by a mismatch of one’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth. Some individuals who experience both species and gender dysphoria describe an overlap in the discomfort caused by the conditions.” Some otherkins species and gender dysphoria overlap because one's kintype may be another gender than the being that is otherkin. Now, let's continue on to memories.

Some otherkin beings experience memories, or past-lives for otherkin. Past-lives are memories of being one's kintype in a past-life. Some otherkin beings experience past life memories even before they have found out they are otherkin. Memories can form from episodic experiences, dreams, brain wiring, knowledge from their past-life, or traumatic events. Some otherkin practice spiritual experiences to find out their past-life as whatever their kintype is. According to **https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Otherkin**, it states that “Recovering past life memories has been a preoccupation for many otherkin. Particularly in spaces where spiritual explanations predominate, it has been assumed that most if not all otherkin will acquire them during awakening. The Lostkin Project was one such group that made this assumption, being founded to "bring the Lostkin more fully to themselves". They collected techniques described on various otherkin message boards, such as meditation, energy work, ritual, looking for signs in dreams, and the use of specific crystals. Other groups have focused more on techniques for analyzing and validating memories as legitimate. “ And lastly, let's go on to noemata.

A noema, in the alterhuman community, is any knowledge a person has about their identity. Noema doesn't really have “memory-like qualities,” but it can be anything from memories, past-lives, awakenings, and more. But in general, it is just knowing things about their kintype, such as appearance, actions, or habitat. Noema for otherkins are often experienced by “Psychological otherkins.”

## Otherkin and reconizing them

Otherkinity is said to be one of the most, if not the most, recognized and largest alterhuman label in the alterhuman community. Otherkinity has a long history in which it has a connection with unicorn and dragon communities. Many people even consider the Elf Queen's Daughters (EQD) to be the forerunners of the otherkin community. According to **https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Otherkin**, it states that: “Some time in the early 1970s, the EQD began writing letters to different covens and spiritual groups. Many of these letters were published in early issues of the pagan-focused Green Egg magazine. In 1979 and possibly 1980, the Silver Elves, then known as the Sylvan Elves, began to publish letters similar to the EQD, with a collection published in the book Magical Elven Love Letters. The Silver Elves used a heptagram as an elven symbol, which later became adopted as a symbol for the wider otherkin community. In 1990, an elf named R’ykandar Korra’ti started the Elfinkind Digest, a mailing list for other elves. However, as Korra’ti made the subscription to the Digest publicly joinable, many people who identified as creatures other than elves arrived. The word "otherkind" was coined to account for them - the "other" part meaning "as opposed to elvenkind".” In the 2010’s the otherkin community blew up on tumblr. Again, according to **https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Otherkin**, they state that: “Otherkin became incredibly active on tumblr starting in 2011, in spite of persistent harassment from trolls. This seemed to coincide with an increased desire for otherkin advocacy: people used tumblr to discuss the possibility of transspecies people being seen the same way as transgender people, and about options for physical transition. The otherkin community on tumblr became so prolific that many outside observers believed that otherkin were entirely a product of "tumblr identity politics". As more people were introduced to the idea of otherkinity, the community had to contend with drifting understandings of the meaning of the word. An increasing number of people calling themselves otherkin identified with a nonhuman entity - frequently an abstract concept - rather than as it. Debate surrounding this phenomenon in 2014 lead to broader adoption of the word otherhearted (then 'animal-hearted'), and the coining of the word alterhuman. “

## are otherkin furries?

Alterhumans, often otherkin and therian individuals, are often mistaken for furries, kinnies, and similar communities. From an outside perspective, it may seem otherkins are as such. But this isnt the case, otherkin individuals have even said they are different than furries, kinnies, and similar. If you look into the definition of furry, Being a furry is someone who has an interest in anthropomorphic characters and often makes drawings, or costumes, of their characters. While otherkin individuals are beings who non biologically identify as a non-human being.

## Other

The otherkin label is ever changing and this may not be accurate in the future. Some of the information in this article may be reworded in the future to make this article look “wrong”.

## Resources

**https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Otherkin**

https://www.otherkin.net/

https://alt-h.net/

https://otherkin.miraheze.org/wiki/Main\_Page

https://otherkin101.carrd.co/

https://otherkinresources.carrd.co/