From The Otherkin Community

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The question "How do I know that I'm Otherkin?" is often heard throughout various Otherkin communities. Individuals are curious how they may identify themselves as such, or are confused by what they may be feeling. Unfortunately, it is a difficult question to answer and one that requires a great deal of self evaluation. There is no set method to determining if one really is Otherkin. There's no "test" you can take and asking individuals to answer the question for you is not reliable. The only help anyone can truly offer you is guidance.

Contents 1 Important Tips 2 Think Of It Like Amnesia 2.1 Trust 2.2 Hunches and Personality 3 Remembering the Past 3.1 Meditation 3.1.1 Recollection or Imagination? 4 Dangers of Readings

[edit] Important Tips

There are a number of tips that should be kept in mind while "soul searching". Individuals who are Otherkin identify as such because that is who they are. Just like a cat is a cat because it is a cat. A dog should not call itself a cat because clearly, a dog does not fit the description of a cat. If an individual wants strongly to be able to state that they are Otherkin, he/she must be careful not to allow that desire to take hold and cloud his/her better judgment. While it would be nice to be happy with a discovery, it is never a good thing to lie to yourself. It's never a good thing to identify with something to later find out your identity is false, or to not be accepted because you are identifying as Otherkin for all the wrong reasons.

Keep in mind the following while you continue your search for your identity. The following list accounts for why many individuals believe they are Otherkin. However, it is not enough to form a solid foundation for your belief, as they provide very little to no supporting evidence.

• Wanting to be Otherkin does not make you Otherkin. While evaluating yourself, do not convince yourself of something that does not exist. Stick to the facts of your findings and always be skeptical, but keep an open mind.
• Being Otherkin is not a form of escapism or a fad. Individuals who identify as Otherkin should not do so because they feel out of place in the world, or to be "cool" or feel special. If you are hoping to be Otherkin for these reasons, take a step back. Don't get into it with the wrong mindset.
• Simply having personality or bodily traits similar to a race of Otherkin does not make you that race. For example, if you are fascinated by wolves and exhibit traits very similar to wolves, that does not mean you were a wolf in a past life. That is a plausible assumption, but traits are not enough to base that belief on. Do more searching.
• If someone states that you are Otherkin, take it into consideration, but never, ever take it to heart (see Dangers of Readings below). For example, if someone tells you that you are the descendant of George Washington, should you believe them? You should do your research and figure it out for yourself. There's no sense in going through life believing something that is not true.

Unfortunately, this leads to a conclusion that many do not want to hear while trying to determine whether or not they may be able to identify as Otherkin. The answer to that question ultimately lies within yourself. You will have to do a lot of searching and self-evaluation. Others will be able to help by providing guidance and advice, but they should never do anything for you. This is something you should figure out on your own.

[edit] Think Of It Like Amnesia

In order to put this into perspective, let's use an analogy that may actually be quite fitting of Otherkin. Imagine that you are suffering from a severe case of amnesia; you cannot remember who or what you are, where you came from - nothing. You may have hunches, and certain things may "feel right", but you can't be quite sure. You aren't sure what to do or where to go. So you go to others for guidance. That is what The Otherkin Community is here for when helping you through this - guidance. Not to tell you who you are.

There are many inherent dangers will being unable to remember who you are, or only being able to remember fragments. As a John/Jane Doe, what factors put you in such a sticky situation?

[edit] Trust

The first thing you may do after losing your memory is go to others and ask who you are. Try to figure out who may have known you. The problem is - can their answers be trusted? There are some individuals that may be telling the truth, but others may see it as a chance to take advantage of you. How can you be sure you are not being lied to? Others may be mistaken when they say they recognize you. They may take a look at you and say, "Oh yeah, I've seen you over there before", when in all actuality they had seen someone that only looks very similar to you.

In regards to Otherkin, there is a further complication. You're speaking to others that are also suffering from "amnesia". Now, you cannot be sure who even remembers you. Your own mother may not recognize who you are. Therefore, when evaluating yourself, you should only take into consideration what others have to say. Do not trust everything you are told. Not everything can be trusted, and it is not necessarily the fault of the individual giving you the information. He/she may recall incorrectly.

[edit] Hunches and Personality

Another sensitive area in regards to memory would be hunches and the evaluation of personality. Consider that shortly after losing your memory you notice that, as you are walking down the street, you have a fascination with the passing cars. In fact - they are really the only thing that stands out. You begin to think of how they work and what they are used for. Due to your interest, you assume that you must be a mechanic or in some type of profession that deals with vehicles, when you are actually not. The vehicles just caught your eye. Even if your assumption "feels right", that does not make it true. Walking into the street may "feel right" on a nice sunshiny day until you're run over by a trunk.

Over the course of a few weeks, or even months, you notice you have a very strong connection to cats. You exhibit feline qualities (perhaps you purr or swat playfully at objects in front of you), and cats seem to get along very well with you. They seem attracted to you. When someone searches for an identity as Otherkin, they may look at this and state that they must have been some type of feline in a past life due to their traits and how well they get along with animals. This could be a fatal mistake that should be avoided at all costs. Perhaps those traits were developed because you were around cats so often in this life. Or maybe the cats enjoy your scent or some other quality about you. That doesn't mean you were once a cat - it may have been a coincidence.

When evaluating hunches and personality traits, it is important to take them into consideration, but not make assumptions. Consider all the possibilities. Why might you exhibit traits of a cat without being Otherkin? If there are any answers aside from being Otherkin, then it's possible it was a coincidence. However, that doesn't mean that your interest wasn't sparked from memories of a past life. Therefore, keep it in mind. Maybe there is a connection. But determine that after you have the facts.

[edit] Remembering the Past

The most common reason for individuals believing they may be Otherkin is because they may have lived a past life that was not human. Let us hope that is the case - it will provide you with the easier methods of helping to find your identity. While this article will not help you seek out others who can tell you what type of 'kin you may be, or give you the easy way out, it will help to suggests methods that may aid you in discovering yourself. This is often a long and tedious process, so patience is a must. Do not expect to find out everything right away. Many individuals continue to awaken their entire lives - which makes sense, especially if there are many lives to remember.

The process by which Otherkin recall their past lives, memories and experiences is referred to as awakening. It is a process that may be difficult to start, but once you get over that bump, much of it will be down hill from there. While you will still have to do some digging, certain memories may simply come to you, or you may just know them as if you had known your entire life. Experiences will vary.

[edit] Meditation

One thing many experienced Otherkin cannot stress enough is to invest the time in practicing meditation. It is something that many beginners - and even more experienced individuals - find to be a very boring topic that should be avoided. However, meditation produces results that often take a great deal of time otherwise, or may surface something that may not otherwise come to you at all. Think of meditation as the subway below a crowded city street.

When starting out, it may be difficult to think of something to meditate on. Hopefully, when you think about the possibility of being Otherkin, some things will just begin to come to you. A good starting point would be hunches or past information given to you by others, or yourself, that is in need of verification. If you have nothing to go off of, clear your mind and let your subconscious do the work for you. Think of the concept of Otherkin. Think of your past - before this life. See if anything comes to you.

[edit] Recollection or Imagination?

It is also important to keep in mind that your mind may wander during meditation. You will need to learn to be able to separate memories from your imagination. Let things come to you - do not invent your own memories. This may be easier said than done. The following method was devised by the founder of The Otherkin Community, Clodaus, to help differentiate between your imagination and memories. The idea is to get a feel of, quite literally, how your brain feels when you are thinking different thoughts - in this case, the difference between memories and imagination. Do note that this method may not work for everyone (or may not even work at all). This is meant to be one of many aids, not a solution.

Sensations within the brain may be an odd concept for some. Try to be aware of how your thoughts feel before attempting the exercise. Furthermore, try not to put much thought into it, thereby creating the sensations (like the placebo effect).

1. Think of a distant event, such as a memory from your childhood. Think of an event. Simply walk through it - relive it a bit. Remember your surroundings, what is going on, who may be present, etc. Just let it come to you. Note the sensation from this memory.
2. Stop thinking of the memory and give time for the sensation to fade.
3. Now imagine a fantasy scenario. In order to make sure you are not actually recalling a past life memory, or a suppressed memory from this life, make the scenario something impossible or highly unlikely. Maybe you could imagine cows hopping through a field of watermelons like frogs while being abducted by aliens and reciting Shakespearian quotations.
4. Note the sensation while imagining your event. Your brain may feel as though it's doing more work - more of a crowded or constricted feeling, while recalling a past event from your childhood was more of a free, open sensation.
5. Stop thinking of the imaginary event and allow the sensation to fade. Don't think about the sensation, or it may linger.
6. Repeat the steps as necessary in order to be able to make the distinction between the two types of thought - recollection and imagination.

Using the above methods, ensure that your never have the sensation of imagination. Your mind should remain free, open and flowing. Information should come to you - you should not try to fill in the blanks. If you find that you begin to daydream, which may happen a lot when you begin, take a moment to return to your clear, focused meditative state before continuing. This will help keep you on track and reduce the risk of false memories.

Important: You do not want to fill in the blanks with your memories. If you begin to recall an event, then the memory suddenly stops, don't push it too hard. You can try to dig, but ensure you aren't imagining the effects. Often times the mind may grow frustrated with the lack of information or stimulation and create its own scenario using guesswork, or simply begin to daydream.

[edit] Dangers of Readings

Some individuals seek out others who claim that they are able to "sense" or "see" whether or not an individual is Otherkin using various methods. Whether or not the person possesses this ability is entirely irrelevant - it is a dangerous path to take for a number of reasons:

• Misplaced Belief - The "reader" may entirely believe that they will be able to answer your question of whether or not you are Otherkin, but that does not mean they actually possess the ability. You may receive a very encouraging reading from a very trustworthy individual who may just be mistaken.
• Deception - Malevolent individuals come in all shapes and sizes. Someone may claim to be able to tell you whether or not you are Otherkin, but may be lying. Even worse, they may simply misguide you, providing you with false or inaccurate information, however slight.
• Accuracy - If someone does possess the ability, nobody is perfect. Or perhaps the individual is more difficult to read than others. The accuracy of a person's ability to determine whether or not an individual is Otherkin will vary between a variety of factors, including human error, misjudgment, misinterpretation, lack of information, difficulty reading the individual, and various other circumstances.
• Dependency - The individual receiving the reader may become dependant on others for information. Rather than searching for the answers within themselves, they may have to keep returning to others for aid. This repeats the above dangerous elements while at the same time severely limiting the individual's ability to learn more about themselves. There is only so much others can tell you about yourself. Some exploration must be done on your own.
• Misinformation - The "reader" may receive genuine information from the individual, however that information may be flawed. For example, maybe the reader helps to determine if the individual is Otherkin by reading into memories of the individual's past lives. The reader may stumble upon a memory that appears to be genuine, but may have been the product of the individual's imagination.

For the above reasons, in order to protect its members, The Otherkin Community does not condone or allow readings on any of its public services. Instead, The Otherkin Community and its members will aid individuals by providing guidance through helpful suggestions.

Important: If you do receive a reading from an individual, it is very important to verify all information yourself! If you are unable to use any of the methods described on this page, it would be wise to take it into consideration, but never take it to heart. In the worst case scenario, as a number of people to perform readings on you and see what is similar. But this brings up another problem. If you receive varied results, who do you trust? Perhaps only one was correct, while the others were mistaken. Or maybe all of them were wrong. Still possible, maybe all were right, but simply seeing different aspects of yourself. For example, maybe you've had many lives among different races. If one person tells you you're Race A, and another tells you were of Race B, it's possible both were correct. So, the point is - you can never be sure until you look into it yourself.