Welcome To
Otherkin Resources
Our Definitions
Otherkin
Umbrella term for Identifying as non-human
Symbol: Elven Star
Symbol: Theta Delta
Therian
-Identifying as typically an extinct or still alive earthen animal but also extends to legendary creatures
Examples: wolf, fox, dog, seal, butterfly, bat, bird, amygdalodon, t-rex
-A non-sapient nonhuman identity
In example: a “feral”/animalistic dragon calling themself a dragon therian even though they don’t claim to have ever lived physically on earth
Fiction- Otherhearted
Identifying with or feeling a connection to a certain species or creature
▸ You don't see yourself as said creature/species/character but rather like they are family
Synonym: Synpath
Fictionkin
Identifying as a character or species from media such as tv shows, books, games, movies, ...
! This is not the same as relating to a character or species !
Examples: Dean Winchester from Supernatural, Trico from The Last Guardian, Bilbo Baggins from Lord of The Rings
Alterhuman
An umbrella term that refers to a being who does not fit the common societal idea of what is considered human
Some variations on this term
Alterbeing: For beings who don't feel comfortable using 'human' in the term alterhuman
Non-human: Beings that identify as non-human
Symbol: alt key
Symbol: PhiPaw
! Usually confused with Otherkin due to misconceptions !
Furry
People dressing up as anthropomorpic animals or making anthropomorphic characters for entertainment.
Sublabels
Involuntarily Identifying as
Polykin/Polytherian
A being with 2 or more nonhuman identities
Cladotherianthropy
Identifying not as a specific species but a whole family of that species
Example: Felidae, Canidae
Theriomythics
Identifying as non-physically as a type of mythical creature, but whose experiences within their identity are marked by an unique animality
Factkin
Identifying as an irl person who currently lives or has lived on earth
Example: youtubers, historical figures, a celebrity,...
Fictherian
A term used to describe one’s experiences of “animality” (which comes from the word 'therian') but signifying one’s source of experiences are not of this current earth.
Fictionflicker
A being that temporarily takes on the identity of a fictional species or character usually because you take in a lot of media involving that character. This commonly will fade away once you stop taking in the media with that character
Voluntarily Identifying as
Copinglink / C-link
Choosing voluntarily to identify as a character or species as a coping mechanism.
Otherlink
Voluntarily choosing an identity for any reason.
Otherspin / Otherfix
People who do not identify as human because of their special interests or hyperfixation.
Example: hyperfixating on foxes to the point that your species feels like it’s a fox.
Identity Specific Labels
Objectkin
Beings who identify as an object
Xenofictive
Identifying as a non-terrestrial/alien fictional speciesExample: Na'vi from Avatar
Conceptkin
A being that identifies as or with a concept of some kind. This could be abstract and possibly (not limited) reasoned by spiritual belief that one's soul enveloped said concept, a coping mechanism, belief one isn't inherently human or due to strong connection.Example: Spacekin, voidkin, deathkin
Other Frequently Heard Terms
Constelic
A being that collects an identity or multiple identities; of animals, fictional characters, mythological beings, and/or similar things. It is sometimes done by choice, though it doesn’t need to be. Constelic identities can be dropped, hoarded, and have priority over each other.
Othervague
An identity that cannot be described using currently available labels/encompasses experiences of multiple labels / or is too vague to put any label on it
Endel
A nonhuman or alterhuman self-identifier to describe one’s identity being caused by, rooted in, or greatly influenced by [a] delusion.
Endelity can also be considered a form of physical nonhumanity where a being believes their body to be nonhuman due to somatic delusions or similar.
Soulbonder
A being who can hold conversations with a fictional character who they have a connection with on a integral level.
Types Of Identities
Kintype
The mythical creature an otherkin identifies as
Example: werewolf
Theriotype
The species a therian identifies as
Example: fox
Fictiotype
The character or species from media a fictionkin identifies as
Example: Gandalf from Lord Of The Rings
Linktype
The otherlink equivalent of a kintype
Flickertype
The temporary identity of a fictionflicker
Vaguetype
The undescribable identity from the term Othervague
Xeniotype
The non-terrestrial/alien fictional species a xenofictive identifies as
Types Of Shifts
Mental Shift
Occurs when the mindset changes to a more animalistic one
Example: Having the urge to howl or to walk on all fours
Phantom Shift
Feeling or seeing limbs that aren't there in reality
Example: wings, claws, fangs, tail, ears, ...
Envisage Shift
A type of shift that is similar to a phantom shift but instead of feeling limbs that aren't there in reality, one has a mental image / awareness of said body parts. It can also be perceived as having odd or unintentional mental images performing tasks as their nonhuman identity, kinda like a phantom body shift but within the mind's eye.
Cameo Shift
When a being experiences a shift of a creature or character that isn't their own theriotype,kintype or fictiotype
Aura Shift
Occurs when the auric field changes to their inner animal
Bilocational Shift
When the body makes a carbon copy of the animal inside the body and travels the lands. Sometimes as a spirit or others believe a somewhat physical image
Dream Shift
Shifting into your theriotype/kintype in your dreams.
Somatic Shift
A type of shift which can present as physical sensations or as unintentional movements that would otherwise be perceived as physical shifting of one were to have delusional disorder
Sensory Shift
When your senses match those of your theriotype or kintype
Physical Shifting
Physically transforming into a creature or an animal
! Absolutely 100% Impossible !
Voluntary Shifting
Occurs when the shift happens on purpose or when you allow yourself to shift
Involuntary Shifting
Occurs when something triggers the shift. When the shift happens not on purpose
Types Of Non-Shifting Beings
Con(therian)
They have similar experiences as any other being however they do not experience any shifts. They are in a constantly shifted in their kintype/theriotype/fictiotype
Sun(therian) / Vacillant
Similar to the con (Not experiencing shifts, constantly shifted in their kintype/theriotype/fictiotype) however they experience changes on a sliding scale or combinations between human and non-human mindsets
Types Of Causes
Psychological
The belief your non-humanity comes from how your brain is wired. An example can be due to imprinting etcThis also goes for psychological fictionkin as those exist too
Spiritual
The belief your non-humanity comes from being reincarnated as a popular example.Some spiritual fictionkin believe in the multiverse theory, not every spiritual fictionkin but there are some out there who do! It isn't necessary to believe in multiverse theory.
Other
- Archetypes/archetypal resonance
- Magic
- Neurological/ties to neurodivergency
Other Definitions
Awakening
The process of realizing and accepting that you are a non-human being. Some might say somewhere during childhood. Some say the awakening is when they found out they are a therian or otherkin.
Another definition is when you discover your kintype or theriotype.
Grilling
An interview, for beings who are questioning a certain identity or label, involving a bunch of questions surrounding nonhumanity with the goal to help confirm or figure out one's identity.
(Therian) Gear
Objects such as tails, necklaces, ears, t-shirts, ... which help feeling more connected to your identity. However this isn't necessary to be included in the community.
(Therian) Pack
A group of non-human beings who have usually the intention to form a family. Most packs have ranks and rules but those aren't required as irl wolf packs don't work with ranks for example.
Therianthropy Day
A day where nonhumans remember the first ever howl organised in 1994 by the members of the Alt.horror.werewolves group. This is held every year on the first full moon of November.
Otherkin Day
A day where nonhumans celebrate coining the word 'Otherkin' in 1990. This is celebrated every year on the 9th of July (as it is the coining date).
Othercon
An online convention held through discord around august for every being identifying as non-human and those who support the concept of identifying as non-human.
Species Dysphoria
The belief of one's body being the wrong species. The person experiencing this may feel discomfort or confusion.
Source Dysphoria
Fictionkin equivalent of species dysphoria ; dysphoria caused by not physically being your fictotype, or dysphoria caused by not physically being in your source world/universe.Can also occur when fictionkin are canon divergent ; i.e. their "source" doesn't match up exactly to the version of the media seen in this world. The dysphoria comes from general "That's not right" feelings.
Hearthome
Certain places, imagery, objects, and music evoke a sensation not unlike heartedness. As with heartedness, these places and items feel familiar and integral, but are not things one identifies as. They may not even feel like places that one is from.Nevertheless, such imagery resonates with such familiarity that it can be considered an aspect of one’s identity.The feeling of hearthome can vary widely. For some, it is a fictional universe that reminds one of home, but which one has never lived in. For others, real places may evoke a similar feeling; something about them resonates with one’s sense of self. [ From Aestherians on tumblr]
Noemata
Basic = Knowledge about oneself, one’s kintype, or the life of one’s kintypeInherent knowledge you have about your kintype. This may include memories, things you experience as memories but likely aren’t, or general knowledge about your looks, life, habits, or surroundings. Noemata may have a psychological or spiritual basis, may be a mix of the two, or may have unknown origins.
Hiraeth
Missing or longing for your past life / way of living or place you used to call home
Plural
Includes all circumstances where multiple consciousnesses coexist within one brain.
Examples: Tulpamancy, DID/OSDD
Kinnies/The KFF Community
"Kinnie" is a term used as a self identifier within the kin community. It's not restricted to any group nor owned by any group within the community. It's also not tied to any specific kinds of kin experiences or beliefs. All those who are comfortable with the term will either use it for themself(s) and/or allow others to refer to them as such."Kin for Fun" or those who "kin" voluntarily are those who choose their "kins" (identities). Often this is done "for fun" because they relate to or identify with a specific character, person, object, etc. Their experiences with being "kin" isn't usually as "deep" or serious as otherkin who identify spiritually or because of psychological reasons.
Guide on How To Find Your Non-Human Identity 📒
Hey There Pawesome Friend! 🐾
You are new around here and you have no clue how to find your identity?Don't worry dear. I'm here to help you. Go take a seat. Make yourself comfortable.First I will tell you that you don't have to identify as non-human to be included in our community.Supportive and amazing non-kins like you are always welcome in our community to join in on our adventure towards self discovery!Introductory it is best to start with this question "Do I identify as non-human?". If your answer is yes with a solid explanation to why you would identify as non-human, well there ya go! You can now label yourself 'Otherkin' or 'Alterhuman'!However if you truly wish to find out your identity, here comes the hard part.
🌈✨Doing Your Research✨🌈
Starting with studying our proper terms from our community!
There are plenty of good resources to look at and there are a good amount of content creators that have very good educational posts on their Instagram account and we also have a few talented Therian Youtubers who will be embracing you into our community with valuable knowledge!
When you are ready it is time to start on your never ending personal questioning journey!
Trust me, questioning will be a never ending cycle. But don't worry. We all go through this. Even beings with like more than 5 years of experience in our community go through the cycle of always questioning.
For this, I highly recommend something that I always use for research.
📖Journalism📖
Weather it is through an app like OneNote or a bullet journal or an actual notebook, whatever makes you feel comfortable should do.Basically in there, you need to write in everything that you experience as non-humanity according to you. Examples can be feeling claws, the urge to jump on to things on all fours, feeling familiar with something, having past live memories...
Describe these things in detail as this will come in handy for the next step!If you have succeeded this for let's say a month minimum, it is time for you to slowly start matching up patterns in your research to find your identity(ies) with all possible creatures or characters!Once you've narrowed it down and feel like a match is found, then there you have it! Your identity(ies)!Don't be afraid of judgement because you are valid and pawesome! Even without kinfirming ^^' Don't be upset if your outcome is actually something you don't like ^^ You are still valid and pawesome!
I wish you
Good Luck!✨
⛓Educational Links⛓
| Otherlink
Fictionkin |
Soulbonding |
Daemon |
| Non-human
Constelic |
| Synpath
Noemata |
| Endel
Somatic shifting |
Directory |
Amazing & Incredible Content Creators
Forums
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you need to know everything about your identity? Like what species, fur color, territory,....
Answer: Absolutely not! Just identifying as non-human is enough to be included in our wonderful community! You don't even have to identify as non-human. Supportive non-kins are absolutely welcome too!
Q: Do you need to own gear to be a therian?
Answer: Absolutely not! Having gear doesn't define being non-human or not. Gear is meant to be something unnecessarily extra. Some have it to connect more to their type but some have it because they simply like it.
Q: I can't do quadrobics and it makes me think I'm not a therian
Answer: Don't worry. Quadrobics is actually not a criteria to meet to be labelled a therian. Quadrobics can simply be fun or help you connect with your nonhuman identities but it is not necessary.
Q: Can I be a furry and a therian?
Answer: Absolutely! You will notice that some of us in the community will be in both communities as there are huge differences between both. For a start, being a furry is a hobby while being a therian is part of your identity.
Q: Do I have to be in a therian pack?
Answer: Nope. Absolutely not. Being in a pack is not required in our community.
Q: Do I have to experience species dysphoria in order to call myself otherkin?
Answer: No, absolutely not. It is not a requirement to experience species dysphoria.
Q: I'm not experiencing any shifts, can I still call myself otherkin?
Answer: Absolutely! If you look up in our term section of this carrd, we have two terms for people who don't experience any shifts (contherian & vacillant). It is definitely not uncommon or wrong to not be able to experience any shift.
Q: If I'm dating a therian, does that mean I am a zoophile?
Answer: Simple answer, no. Therians know they are physically human and have a conscious to give consent to any sexual activities.
About Me
🌙Estelle / Jace
🌱They/them
🇧🇪 Belgium
👥 Plural
🌲Otherkin
💫 Awakened since 2018
Myths & Misconceptions
"Otherkin are furries / roleplaying"
There is a significant difference because otherkin is based on serious identification whereas furries usually focus on anthropomorphic characters and the making of their own 'fursona'.
"Otherkin think they are animals"
While identifying as an animal, otherkin are still aware they are physically human and actually live their life as any other human would in society.
"Otherkin are mentally ill"
Although some believe their nonhumanity to correlate to their neurodivergency or the experiences of species dysphoria, it is nowhere to be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders also known as DSM that being otherkin is a mental disorder. Therefore this claim is absolutely unnecessary and false.
"Therianthropy is something that you choose to be"
Identifying as nonhuman is rather something involuntary meaning otherkin did not choose to be otherkin nor have any control what to identify as. However you may find that copinglinkers may voluntary choose their linktypes for example.
"Therianthropy is a religion"
Whilst there are beings inside the community that believe their identity is caused spiritually such as by reincarnation, the concept itself is not a religion.
"To be a therian, you need to practise quadrobics"
Although quadrobics is a popular sport among the otherkin community, it is not required in order to call yourself nonhuman nor will it determine validity.
"Spiritual / psychological otherkin are invalid / not real / the minority"
Both spiritual and psychological otherkin equally exist and sometimes you may see someone identifying as both or even not keep themselves busy with the causes of their nonhuman identity.
"Therians are zoophiles"
Zoophilia, also known as a paraphilia characterized by feelings of attraction to nonhuman animals, has nothing to do with the therian community
Neither does the therian community want anything to do with zoophilia (zoos for shortened) nor the act on it called beastiality.
"The otherkin community is full of common/popular species like wolves for example"
Upon looking further inside the community, you will notice the community has actually a variety of nonhuman identities. Besides there is nothing wrong with identifying as a well known creature
"Using the terms 'phantom limbs' & 'species dysphoria' & 'transspecies' is offensive"
The name "supernumerary phantom limbs" is used legitimately, as it is a recognized phenomena.When used correctly, the term "dysphoria" refers to a variety of dysphoria, not just gender dysphoria.Transgender nonhumans mostly utilize the term "transspecies" to consciously draw comparisons between their own experiences of species and gender.
It is not the fault of nonhumans that transphobes use nonhumanity as a weapon against trans people.
Only if being transspecies is less "serious" or "genuine" can it be said that transgender persons are being mocked by transspecies.
"The otherkin community believe in physical shifting"
While the otherkin community does experience what they call 'shifts', experiencing them in a way that the body literally transforms into an animal is something they do not accept nor believe in. Although you may find in the community some to yearn or joke about to one day find the receipt to be able to physically shift.
"Kinning is simply relating to/really liking something"
This is a phenomenon often referred to as “kinning for fun,” a term "kin for fun people / KFF (for short)" came up with. Although the validity of these people is absolutely seen as real, many otherkin do not accept them in the community and wish for them to find a separate community with their own terms mainly for the harm they cause such as spreading misinformation and making it difficult for folk to find each other.
"People who are a system are dangerous / abusive"
In contrary, systems are actually more likely to be a victim of danger or abuse than to actually perform any harm to others.
"Tulpamancy is cultural appropriation"
First off 'tulpa' wasn’t the original word, the original Tibetan word was “tul-ku” or “sprul-pa.”. Both tulpa and the original have completely different meanings.Tulpas are non-physical beings created by a person through willpower and mental strength. Through time, patience, and determination, they have the capability to become their own, sentient person, with their own opinions, beliefs, and free will, dependent from the host's (the person who created them).Modern Tulpamancy simply means to create a new systemmate. This can happen intentionally and naturally but literally anyone can do it no matter the knowledge on the subject.Besides the point, actual Buddhists do not care or tend to have an accepting / supporting reaction towards the practice of tulpamancy
"Endogenic systems are not real / mock the DID OSDD community"
Denying someone's existence does not make them go away or not exist anymore. Endogenic systems often get misunderstood as they do not claim to have DID/OSDD nor do they want to be included in such spaces. They simply want to exist as systems that formed for other reasons than trauma. Examples are through spirituality, neurodivergence, tulpamancy, or other disorders such as MaDD. Endogenic systems that also have alters formed from trauma are respectful towards traumagenic systems as a mixed origin system.
Conventions
August
Otherkin Resources Brochure
✩ Free To Use
✩ Easy to Print (A4 or A5 format, Double Sided)