Otherkin FAQ
What is otherkin?
Otherkin is the state of identifying as something nonhuman, whether it be an animal, mythological creature, or fictional character. This identity is involuntary, or sometimes quoiluntary. The entity an otherkin identifies as is called a kintype.
Why do people think they're otherkin?
There's a lot of reasons for this, ranging from spiritual to psychological, with some other explanations as well. Some of the more common explanations include:
Can I become otherkin?
Not voluntarily--you don't choose to be otherkin--though you can definitely otherlink something, which is the same thing as otherkin, except you're choosing that identity. It's a debated topic as to whether you can become otherkin involuntarily, though the general consensus is that if you can change and grow, so can your identity itself.
What's the difference between otherkin, fictionkin and therian?
A therian identifies as an earthly animal (dog, cat, bird, etc), an otherkin identifies as a mythological creature (though is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all three), and a fictionkin identifies as a fictional being.
How many kintypes can you have?
There's no real limit. You can have as many kintypes as you have nonhuman identities, as long as you identify as all of them to some degree.
Otherkin is the state of identifying as something nonhuman, whether it be an animal, mythological creature, or fictional character. This identity is involuntary, or sometimes quoiluntary. The entity an otherkin identifies as is called a kintype.
Why do people think they're otherkin?
There's a lot of reasons for this, ranging from spiritual to psychological, with some other explanations as well. Some of the more common explanations include:
- Past lives/reincarnation
- Imprinting
- Parallel lives
- Neurodiversity
- Misplaced souls
Can I become otherkin?
Not voluntarily--you don't choose to be otherkin--though you can definitely otherlink something, which is the same thing as otherkin, except you're choosing that identity. It's a debated topic as to whether you can become otherkin involuntarily, though the general consensus is that if you can change and grow, so can your identity itself.
What's the difference between otherkin, fictionkin and therian?
A therian identifies as an earthly animal (dog, cat, bird, etc), an otherkin identifies as a mythological creature (though is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all three), and a fictionkin identifies as a fictional being.
How many kintypes can you have?
There's no real limit. You can have as many kintypes as you have nonhuman identities, as long as you identify as all of them to some degree.
