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a call for therian, otherkin, xenogender, and other experiences

hello! i'm interested in discussing the subject of posthuman spiritual beliefs. i find that things like being otherkin tend to draw a massive crowd of wildly varying beliefs and would like to hear other's experiences. this applies to anyone who shares similar beliefs or views.

myself, i first heard about therians very early into being a furry (around 11/12) and then further heard about otherkin when i was on tumblr in 2014. the landscape was significantly different, a lot more hostile than it was now. i identified as both otherkin and fictionkin, with multiple "kintypes".
nowadays i don't partake in the culture of being otherkin, but through my entire life i've always felt a connection to monsters. i figured that Everyone had their own version of themselves in their mind that was more accurate to what their inner selves appearance is. turns out most people's inner selves are still humans and not Miscellaneous Beasts.
and i suppose the only fictionkin i still retain is inklings from splatoon. a bit silly, but i can't deny it!

i don't have any other typically spiritual beliefs. i'm agnostic (slightly into animism) and firmly believe in evolution and science and blah blah blah. to me, being otherkin is a form of self-actualization.

my partner however is extremely spiritual and prefers the term therian, he believes in energies and spirits and is extremely animist! his animal forms are his past lives living in his soul as we speak. we both experience phantom limbs (him moreso than i) and yearn to be our true selves.


what's your experience like? is it something you practice and believe in the same way a spiritual person would? or is it more casual, an interesting way to approach identity? something in between? something entirely different? is it rooted in your cultural history? do you have one ID or multiple?

and for those younger on this website who may fall into these beliefs, what is the current landscape for the otherkin of the new generation? is it calmer and more welcoming? i sure hope so ;>_> 2014 tumblr was rough!

i'm very interested to hear everyone's experiences. thank you for reading!


(note: for those unaware, therian and otherkin are those who, in varying methods of belief, have connections to animals, concepts, fictional characters among other things on a deeply personal level to the point of it being part of their identities. xenogenders are similar, but experience this alongside typical gender identity feelings.)


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Reply by Livy

posted

Hi! I'm a therian :] (I haven't slept in ages so pls tell me if things don't make sense)

I do not believe in past lives and I am an atheist. I have a psychological connection to an animal instead of a spiritual one. I still get phantom shifts, mental shifts, and dream shifts but I just don't have 'memories' or believe that I had a past life. 

I've had this connection since I was young (around 6 - 8yrs old) but I didn't know what a therian was until I was around 12yrs old. 

As for the community, it is very accepting and welcoming. However, I am extremely scared of telling people outside of the community that I am a therian because people do get bullied alot. I already get barked at daily for being a furry and I can't imagine what would happen if they found out I was a therian. 

Finding out about therians helped me understand myself better and I'm very grateful for the welcoming community :]

(Feel free to ask me any questions) ♡♡


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Reply by F1NNEGAN

posted

hello! I'm a therian, fictionkin, bla bla other labels bla otherkin and ive always believed it was a psychological thing, like it has smth to do with my brains' wiring or maybe even neurodivergence. It's not something I think about a lot unless shifting or distressed by doubles (which can trigger psychotic episodes that I should probably get help for). I don't like alterhumans today. at least not the teenage/tween alterhumans online who make it look like its all quad and gear and make a ton of holidays I can't take part in because its for quads and im not physically able. And they put like a ton of rules on who can and can't use the damn labels. Like who cares if someone with clinical lycanthropy labels themself therian idgaf you do you i hope you find peace with it but ive seen 6 year olds have a temper tantrum at the idea because "UR A FAKE THERIAN!!!" like bitch please


ty for coming to my tedtalk ill try to answer questions best I can if given any


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Reply by Glittercat

posted
updated

Hii I'm therian (; I'm brazilian so tell me if the writing is confusing

basically, about 2 years ago I was wandering around the internet and found a video talking bad about therians and thought "wow that's weird... but it seems cool" and I researched it a little bit, and I realized that my life seemed to strangely fit into this pattern, but I soon put it aside and moved on with my life.

In the middle of last year, therians became a huge hit on social media, and then I remembered that, and that's when it all really started.

time has passed, I'm still questioning my theriantype and stuff, including if I'm otherkin 

Ohh and the it's not a very good place for therians now more people know and talk bad about them


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Reply by Tails

posted

Hello! I'm a fictive of Tails the Fox from Sonic! I guess by common definition, that falls under Otherkin. I have memories and attachments to my "other life/lives", and I'm close with lots of other fictives from the franchise. It all feels very real to me, and it's one of if not the single biggest part of who I am. Yet, at the same time, I have trouble convincing myself it's anything more than a psychological quirk, our brain seeing a character it likes and making a copy with the memories and attachments to match. I want to believe it's more than that... but I just don't. I can't, not without more evidence, y'know? And it makes me kind of sad. Feeling this attachment to this other life so strongly, yet not being able to convince myself any of it is "real". However, I take solace in the fact that my relationships in this life, even if many of them are founded on a shared past that may not have ever even happened, are in themselves still very real, and I can cherish those.


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