Definition of "otherkin"

[Hyraxylos]

This post is just to clarify a bit of a misunderstanding I've seen from looking around the forum as of late.

An "otherkin" is defined as an incarnated spirit with a "preferred" form that doesn't quite mesh with the incarnated body. A disincarnate spirit is not an otherkin and, by definition, cannot be one. Only living organisms can be otherkin. If you are a dragon who somehow feels some other presence inside you (there does seem to be a rather inordinate number of supposed multiples as of late, I can't help but notice o.O), YOU, the one using the keyboard, are the "otherkin". Any spirit hanging around you is just a spirit. That is all.
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[Namhias]

This raises an interesting question though, how do you define otherkin. Sure, we know what it can entail, but deciding on a proper definition has never happened successfully.

Personally, I think the term 'otherkin' is, and should remain a loose definition. I share Hyrax's view on this topic, though I'd like to see what other people think.

[salaiek]

I see Otherkin being defined as "someone who identifies as being something other than human in some way, while still being human physically". This covers spiritually, archetypally, etc. If, somehow, there were individuals out there who were non-human both spiritually and physically, I don't think they could count as being kin. Why? Because the spirit would be matching the body, and the spirit not matching the body is what seems to have sparked the entire idea of being otherkin in the first place. That is my personal take, anyway.

Many people might be in contact with non-human entities, or be somehow attached to such, but they themselves are still human and thus not falling under this particular definition of Otherkin. There may be those attached to non-human entities who are indeed 'kin, but the extra spirit isn't what makes them 'kin. It's "I share my body with a dragon soul" (not-kin, attached spirit) versus "I have a dragon soul" or "I am a dragon" (kin).

The only way to possibly 'talk' with their inner dragon/kin separately from themselves is as a sort of introspective dialogue, which is not limited to otherkin, but can be also done by plain humans to explore themselves better. A dialogue of the conscious and the subconscious or conscious fragment to conscious fragment, perhaps. Feelings versus logical thought, fear versus courage, one option versus another option, etc. In this case, though, most people don't go around saying they talked with their inner self about it, it's just "I looked at both sides of the argument".

I have never talked to my 'inner dragon', because that is me. However, I have inner debates on various other topics often enough.

Feel free to disagree or agree as you choose, this is simply my personal definition.

[QueenOfTheShadows]

first on common views concerning kin' and different ideas as to what defines it

Ok Ive heard of some kin who regard their others as"spirit guides" or"totems" and not a reincarnated other than human. To a degree the phrase otherkin in simply refers to a connection to a spirit, be it you your soul or a totem exct... that is in form something other than human.
some feel they had previous lives or other forms of existence, perhaps on other worlds, planes, parallel universe exct....
others feel that they perhaps drew the short stray or the result of some sort of cosmic prank as the "shape" as size of their soul simply does not match that of their body. so really it is sort of a loosely interpreted things


there are many different interpretations to this as well. I have seen those who identify as being therein resent being called other-kin, and have seen some who identify as being other-kin state they had therin like experiences including states of " phantom shift" these take the forms of mental and spiritual shift and astral shifts; in many cases these could result in many of those who early on swear they have achieved the controversial state of a physical shift (p-shift). I may get back to this at a later time.

Some kin and therians consider therians to be a type of kin, where as others in each group disdain being referred to a s being a member of the other; despite sometimes significant overlaps. there is another group gaining recognition among some kin that is worth mentioning though;
as far as I can tell their numbers are comparatively small but it bears mention in this discussion.they are referred to as being "walk ins". As the name implies another spirit has walked in as the one that had occupied you left I cant say i have met any who have discussed this openly (so far as I know)so I'm going off of what I've dredged up on the internet and some statements of those who ID as walkins. Some of these are born of events that were physically or emotionally traumatic, the changes when one steps out and the other steps in can be dramatic. literally a becoming of a "new you" with different attitude outlook and everything so far i have only stumbled upon a couple such accounts, so this one bears more looking into I think. Also i'e caught the implication that this sometimes occurs though some agreement between the two"selfs" for lack of better terms. XD

I hope that bit makes sense.


With multiples/dual souls or any other caste where one feels they have more than one spirit/soul in their body; It would probably depend on the individual's view of the situation, whether or not one or both of them identify as "human" soul/spirit and the nature of their spiritual connection to one another if any...

if one or both are "other" and/or there is a spiritual link between the two that goes beyond the "we share a body" link,then certainly they are kin.

should no noteworthy connection beyond the shared body exist then the second soul is possibly a rider or companion or perhaps we could even be looking at a form of possession.

i do not feel; however, that these individuals should be disregarded by kin communities as a whole; under the argument that they are not kin as there may be much more to the situation, as what i have seen from Walkins implies that some if not many of them spend a some time going through a phase where they feel the presence of two spirits the familiar self, and the eventual new self. With this in mind some multiples may just be individuals in a state of spiritual transition.
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[Jasriella]

Well what I find hard to differentiate at times is the difference between otherkin and furry. In my opinion my definition of otherkin is that your body is different of that of the species of your soul. A furry is someone that is physically and spiritually of that species who wants to be another kin. What gets difficult, especially for the furries who think they're otherkin, how do they tell? And how do we tell we're otherkin and not furry? (off-topic question though).
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[Namhias]

(offtopic)
It's an interesting question, I'll create a separate topic for it.

[Jaden]

(Yes, Im still alive, no one panic )

Heres an interesting thing I found on otherkin:
http://www.otherkin.net/articles/what.html

[Namhias]

Although that article is quite old, I think it's still correct. I don't agree with the appeal to biology though. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence to back it up.
*muses* Someone can however think that they are biologically different.