I only say this becouse this group of people get made fun of alot for their belifes and while some of it is warented to some of the people, there are alot of them that are just a serious about this as any catholic is about god. What do you think about Otherkin. If you dont know what they are then please do some research before you post. I will warn you that there will be a lot of useless cr*ap and hate related sites you will have to sort through but if you want to put a serious post you should find decient information. one site you may try is othekin.net.

Something other than human? Surely that can't be the definitive definition? What would the actual definition of what the Otherkin are?

my thoughts also????

Being a scientist and a statistician I guess similar arguments can apply as it does in millions of stars there and possibility of life at least in one of those.
So with billions of people being born with a spirit I guess the argument can stand that the spirit distribution procedures (whatever they are) can also apply the spirit (energy,ether) of a different being to a different framework (Body).Would be rare never the less statistically a possibility.
Now a joke bit because I don't need no one to tell me to be serious. Where is my tail

I only asked that this remain serious in the manner that these questions usualy bring out the people who will jump straight to calling otherkin crazy or disalusioned and the like. There is nothing wrong with a good joke. I guess I should have said somthing to the effect of keeping the critisizing constructive.

on this site? that is a joke and a half

Otherkin is a collective noun for an assortment of people who have come to the somewhat unorthodox, and possibly quite bizarre, conclusion that they identify themselves as being something other than human. It is also the label used by a number of communities both on and off line. (The distinction between the two is not always drawn and can lead to some confusion).

There are a number of ways people reach this conclusion, and a number of possible explanations for it. On the face of it, it is a remarkably difficult conclusion to reach, not only is the evidence scant at best, but to define yourself as not human requires defining what human means - an exercise which philosophers for millennia have failed to complete.

The following is a brief overview of some of the possible explanations. [If someone wants to provide a piece expanding on a section, discussing the overlap and interactions between different perspectives or additional references, the submission form is here and I'll be happy to include things. -Ed]

1 - Appeal to biology
There are a very few people who claim a biological difference from humans. On the face of it this should be the easiest to prove - the biological requirements for species are fairly well defined. Life is rarely that simple and the existence of a subspecies that can occasionally interbreed with humans is at least somewhat plausible. Those that claim this tend to posit an initial technical, magical or deity intervention for the initial pairing. Thus the most frequent (if such a term can be used for such a small sample) such claims are for some form of elves (generally Tuatha de Danaan or Sidhe - for which there is some support in ancient texts), angels (for which there is some biblical support) or oriental dragons (such as the royal line of Japan claims).

To date, the variations encountered (including those unsupported claims made that were not utterly impossible) have been explainable variations and mutations of homo sapiens and unprovable without extensive DNA testing. (For which, if anyone ever volunteers an appropriate lab, there are a number of volunteers).

Those claiming such tend to expect even less belief from the general populace.

2 - Appeal to spirit
By far the most common explanation from those who fit the definition (even if they don't claim this specific label) is that whilst their physical forms may be human, their essence, soul or equivalent term is not.

Of those, the majority make their claim based on reincarnation - what they have been in a previous incarnation so strongly affects their current incarnation that they still identify with it. Obviously this requires a belief in reincarnation, and in the transmigration of souls. Both are reasonably common in a number of religions and spiritual beliefs across the world.

The less frequent explanations are "nature of soul" (where one is created as a specific entity, but failed to incarnate as such - sometimes including the "ooops! missed!" theory of incarnation), and "walk-in" (where the original spirit inhabiting a body vacated it for one reason or another - frequently near-death or severe trauma - and a separate entity took over).

Obviously this is a lot harder to prove, especially as the evidence for reincarnation itself is rather sparse (some are documented to varying degrees of veracity, such as the Dali Lama and a number of cultural mythologies). It is also more open to both intentional and unintentional abuse (see below).

People in this category sometimes (but by no means always) show signs of maladaption. The two main symptoms appear to be:

Problems not dissimilar to trans-gender issues - discomfort with the physical form not because of gender but because of species. This seems to be more common amongst younger people. (Many of the psychological arguments for and against transgender apply here, though for the most part the biological ones do not).
Phantom limbs - much as an amputee often gets sensation from the missing limb, so do some who claim species that have appendages that humans do not (wings and tails being the main ones). The conventional explanation for amputees is misfiring nerves and obviously this is implausible in this case. That such problems are psychosomatic seems possible, however some do have physically observable side effects that have to be handled (such as back muscle problems from 'supporting' wings).
3 - Appeal to psychology
Another explanation posited is that of using the concept of other species as a tool for self exploration. Thus one is not a member of that species, but takes on the traits of that species to learn from it. This could take the form of (at least the westernised distortion of) Totemic belief, or of Jungian Archetypes.

For the most part those using such techniques deliberately know what it is they are doing and do not claim the label. However, there are many people who have not been introduced to the concepts (or have inaccurate information if they have) and if they should find themselves in the position of having a Totem (if such can happen outside the appropriate culture) they may well mistake the effects as them being that creature rather than having an association with that archetype.

4 - Escapism and mental aberration
The vast majority of people on encountering the concept (and a fair proportion of those who subscribe to it) will favour this explanation - it's certainly the easiest one. Anyone who has actually claimed a label that fits under the 'otherkin' category has seriously considered this option (or should have).

The most frequent accusation is that all otherkin are lost in fantasy, they've played one too many D&D games and gone over the edge. Personal study seems to indicate this is actually one of the least frequent explanations. Most roleplayers know they are roleplaying, even if they are also otherkin, and roleplaying can be a very useful tool in self exploration.

Escapism from what is seen as an increasingly hostile and unpleasant culture (especially in the United States) is somewhat more plausible and more common. The irony there is that modern society is becoming increasingly magical - in what other era could you speak instantaneously with someone a thousand miles away with a simple ten digit incantation, see images from the past or distant present or rain fiery death from the skies from half a world away? The potential for being one step further than a mythological SCA is certainly there however.

Not being "like them" is a much more common cause, whether "them" is classmates, family, coworkers or everyone you meet. For some it's perhaps real - otherkin really *are* different. However the relationship is not reciprocal - being different does not make one otherkin. The alienation that many teenagers go through, both as part of normal human development and the social aberration that many high-schools seem to be, can easily have people looking for an explanation. For some it's that they are the only goth in a conservative area, others have less obvious affiliation, but take a deep interest in dragons and extrapolate.

The other side of that particular coin is looking around you and seeing the many terrible things that humanity is capable of and deciding that you are not like that and thus cannot possibly be human. (ref "behaviours - differentiation by repudiation").

There are also those for whom it is simply wish fulfillment - is being an elf not so much better than being Joe Smith who flips burgers at McDonalds?
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Hmmmm!Well very interesting 2 say the least.To each their own hey?My stance on this subject= Godspeed!Cy

i define human biologically so i would categorize most of those who consider themselves otherkin as humans who simply display the wide variety of emotional characteristics which i view as essentially human.

your computers copy and paste seems working very well

Briefly, the belief in reincarnation is not unfamiliar to me as I believe in it myself.

I am not going to say that these people are nuts or delusional because no one knows from where their spirit (soul) comes. All human bodies need animation or they will simply die unexplained deaths shortly after birth.

Otherkin seem to be people who indeed have incarnated as humans but were not humans in recent previous lives.

This is certainly possible to believe and understand from a person who does believe in reincarnation.

Most humans are incarnated from higher selves who are here to experience life as human. Some believe that there are only a limited number of higher selves incarnating into different timeliness on the earth. Each higher self can be living around 1500 lives in different time lines on the earth which are like layers.

The higher selves animate the bodies provided on the earth which are created through the normal means of birth and reproduction.

The earth has reached a point in the game where the new age is approaching and the higher selfs are pulling up their life streams in preparation for moving to the next level of existence.

However, babies are still being born on the earth and they need animation. (souls) so the earth spirit (a planet higher self) animates many of these human forms. Some of the souls are animal spirits and other spirits from different dimensions who want to experience being human.

These are my thoughts. My opinion is, that anything is possible.

JB

Leaving the religious discussion aside I almost agree with your conclusion in saying that anything based upon given statistics is possible

Being a pantheist these kinds of issues aren’t very meaningful to me. ( haven’t looked up otherkin on the Internet but having read this thread I think I have some idea of what the concept is trying to get at)

From my point of view we are all manifestations of the same underlying essence. And this includes all life on earth as well as all life in the universe.

The only thing that disguises one life from another is it’s physical manifestation. I personally believe that all humans on earth are biologically related and have all evolved out of the earth.

I do hold as a possibility that other beings from other places (other places within this universe, other dimensions outside of this universe, etc, etc,) Could in fact be on the earth appearing to be humans even though they are not. They could be some kind of shape-shifters, or whatever. I certainly leave that open as a possibility. I leave everything open as a possibility. Do I believe that it’s actually happening? Not really. I have to reason to believe it at this point in my life. But I don’t rule out the possibility.

I don’t think anything could shock me today. About the only thing that could really shock me is to discover that the biblical picture of God is true. Although, I would be shocked, and grossly disappointed, in both creation and God if that turned out to be the case.

That would be like waking up and discovering that life is really just a poorly made sci-fi thriller that was made on a very cheap budget and ended up deteriorating in to a demented sadistic porno flick.

That would be the most shocking thing I can imagine. Other than that, I’m game for just about anything.

On the contrary cypoet it is not that they dont belive they are human now, given a few do, but that they were once not human, usualy their original form. Jeanniebean that is a very impresive explination of how this is possible and I agree.

I have a great talent for making sense out of just about anything but I have not been able to connect the dots yet on Christianity but I'm really getting close.

I believe I was shot in another life because i am terribly afraid of guns and any thing that sounds like artillery or pos like balloons and fire crackers.I have had this fear since infancy.weird.

Or maybe it is as simple as you are overly sensitive to loud noise.

and there's that.

How could we know? We cannot.

So I will not mock or say it is not possible. When I see multiple cultures with similar mythology it makes me think that they must be based on *something*,

E.g. elves, faeries, dragons, vampires, werewolves, etc. have so many histories in different locations that it seems they must have been based on some who seemed inexplicably different.

However, for the vast majority of the people currently calling themselves "otherkin" I think the most likely explanation is that many people feel isolated and so very different from the main stream of society around them that it would be a comfort to them to have some kind of explanation for their separateness, their difference.

And so feeling different, feeling that most cannot or will-not understand them, they cling to the thought that this is because they actually *are* different. That they are not human.

But of course that is just my feeling...

Peace to all human and non-human alike.

(in reality this whole post is just to cover up the fact that I am secretly a water sprite )

I'm an ogre.

Are not.

You only pretend to be an ogre but everyone knows that you're not... choose another species please...