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Post by Sky on Jun 16, 2016 1:08:22 GMT
(I am more than likely non-kin, but bear with me)
I have recently discovered therians and therianthropy (I apologize if that is incorrect terminology or inncorrect spelling) and I've done a bit of research on both. I have read that therians experience shifts, but it's said that therians experience these shifts after they are aware of who they are. I have had phantom-shifts of ears and a tail (and sometimes wings), but as I said before, it's more possible that I am non-kin. I also constantly have strong urges to run, jump, howl, growl and the like. I have tried meditation (I am fairly new to it) and I can't seem to clear my mind properly. If it's not too much to ask, I would like tips on how to meditate properly.
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G.D.
- Otherkin -
Extraterrestrial or
Metaphysical
Vampiric Black Shuck
Posts: 2,243
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Post by G.D. on Jun 16, 2016 1:19:06 GMT
Hello there, Sky.
Therianthropy/Otherkinity is the identification as a non-human animal or creature at an integral level. This means you are said creature to your very core, through and through, and there is no separation. There is no 'he, she, it, them, or they', only you. To simply identify with an animal or non-human creature instead of as is known as being 'animal-hearted'.
People can experience any type of shift their whole lives, not just because they learned of Otherkin. As well, non-kin may also experience shifts. These are considered 'cameo-shifts', there the individual may experience phantom limbs or an altered mental state, but have it not be of any relevance to their identity, or who they are.
Jumping, howling (any form of loud or long vocalization) and growling are all natural human behaviors. Even though we may identify as something non-human, we still experience this world through a human lens. With a human mind and a human body, we are subject to human behaviors and instincts. Human beings are animals, and are just as much of an animal as the next beast. Contrary to some people's arrogant opinions. Human beings use non-word vocalizations and bodily expressions as a part of their daily routine and method of communication, as our words are not the only things that describe our feelings and well being.
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Meditation is something different than the normal western-ized concept most people spout these days. Meditation is not about clearing your mind. Instead, it's about centering yourself so you can gain an understanding of self. Meditation is something that can be practiced sitting, standing, laying down, and or even waking with enough practice. The point is to push away your physical and daily distractions so that you may focus on you. All of you. From there, you can explore yourself, your feelings, and your experiences in a more controlled manner. Having the mental resources to analyze everything you've been through to a better degree.
What people may see or feel during a meditation will be entirely unique to them and their situation. But never take any images, words, etc that you are presented with at face value. This is where a majority of people fail when it comes to understanding their experiences. Mediation will almost never give you the direct answer up front. Instead, take what you experience with a grain of salt, and spend some time thinking about the experience.
Even if you are unsure of who and what you may be, you are still welcome to join the forum. Many of our members are undiscovered, and we do also welcome non-kin here.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2016 3:55:07 GMT
@ Sky
As to what Geist said, it is a normal human response to imitate an animal. These urges are perfectly normal, as well as having a predator instinct and the urge to hunt for prey. Phantom limbs can be a bit tricky because the human mind is so particular. Our minds have the power to alter its own perception. Phantom limbs can sometimes be mistaken as muscle cramps or a type of memory our nervous system has. Ex: wearing a hat all the time then taking it off and still feeling that hat on your head.
Neither of us are denying you that you are, we are just opening you to all the options of speculation.
If you would like help with meditation, I do believe their are sections about meditation that can help you. I meditate often to let go of the stresses of today's society and responsibilities. Meditation is something you cannot 'try' to do. If you try too hard to meditate, you will not be able to achieve it. You have to first understand what Meditation is about. Meditation is mainly used for self discovery. This self discovering is becoming aware of yourself at a much deeper level than every day people feel. Meditation is NOT about stopping your brain from thinking. The mind must flow, not stop.
1. sit down in a meditation pose, a recommended one is the corpse pose. You must lie down on your back with our arms extended beside your torso with your palms facing upwards.
2. Do not clear your mind, let it flow, when a thought arrives, acknowledge this thought, then let it go. Focus on you, your body, try to feel your toes without moving them. Then focus on a mantra to keep you focused and relaxed. My favorite mantra: I am not obligated to do anything or I am the only one that exists. Meditation is all about relaxation and self exploration. Just stay relaxed and explore your existence as a soul. I am sure when you do this enough you will find yourself no matter who you may be, you will become fully aware of who you truly are. The most important thing is to feel you, your existence, become fully aware of you during meditation. Don't try to do anything, once you relax and find yourself everything will fall into place on its own.
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Nøkken
- Therian -
Standard Animal
Horse
One more night of walking/and I could have become/A horse, a blue horse, dancing/Down a road, alone
Posts: 187 
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Post by Nøkken on Jun 18, 2016 20:59:44 GMT
D.T. Suzuki, a Buddhist master, thought that meditation was a continuous creative act with discipline, that one did not need to adopt a pose or utilize a particular mnemonic as is common to other forms of Buddhism. John Cage, a mid 20th century composer and philosopher, interpreted this as any engagement with a creative pursuit that required both active creative flow and introspection, particularly oriented toward an existential awareness of one's known limits and unknown indeterminacy. So for him, composing music was meditation. I tend to agree, and I write surrealist "automatic" poetry, perform music or write music to engage in introspective free association toward elucidating and realizing buried aspects of myself. I recommend such a creative task. Perhaps a journal.
Meditation is a hyperfocused activity. It is not to generalize an idea but rather to isolate thoughts as they occur and attempt to pick apart as many details as possible. Like trance, it is a state of keen focus on a particular rather than a general awareness of experience. This is why many individuals find it useful to deprive their senses to avoid distraction, or use a candle in a dark room to focus their attention on a single point in order to get into a hyper-attentive and centered state of mind.
In my experience with Taoist meditation, one attempts to situate oneself in a pictorial scene involving moving elements (such as a mountainous landscape) and then let thoughts come as they do with a degree of indifference, not attempting to direct one's thoughts but rather observe them, positive and negative, with detachment and study. One looks for patterns in the character of one's thoughts on the whole to acquire pieces of self-reflective knowledge that one can assemble when one is freely thinking in a normal state of general focus later.
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Seraphyna
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Lion and Reef Shark
Resident Shlion
Posts: 2,085 
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Post by Seraphyna on Jun 23, 2016 11:27:35 GMT
In addition to what the others have said, I'd just like to point out that not all therians experience shifts (as well as echoing what Geist said about not all shifts are experienced only by therians/otherkin).
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Reka
- Otherkin -
Polyform
River Otter & Lioness
Posts: 159
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Post by Reka on Jun 23, 2016 13:14:26 GMT
hi Seraphyna , I have read many times that there are therians that do not experience any shifts. Does that refer to mental-shifts or "astral limbs"? If it is the case, how does the person know that they are a therian? thanks for your time! |
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Seraphyna
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Posts: 2,085
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Post by Seraphyna on Jun 24, 2016 1:30:18 GMT
hi Seraphyna , I have read many times that there are therians that do not experience any shifts. Does that refer to mental-shifts or "astral limbs"? If it is the case, how does the person know that they are a therian? thanks for your time! "Astral limbs" implies those appendages experienced during astral travel. Astral travel is something anyone can do and a practice in which one can appear any way they'd like. It really has nothing to do with otherkin or therians. The term you're looking for is "phantom limbs," as in any limb that is felt while not physically present. I'm referring to shifts of all kinds. Some otherkin just don't experience those things and it's a core sense of self. Others are in a constant state of feeling those things, thus it is not a shift as it is a constant state of being. |
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Shadowpaw
- Otherkin -
Mythical Being
Mermaid
Posts: 21
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Post by Shadowpaw on Jun 24, 2016 7:01:43 GMT
Hi, Kanti! Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. I am wondering the same thing! I am also currently in the process of self-discovery and am unsure whether I am -kin or non-kin (or poly-kin). I also have another question. Geist said that Therianthropy/Otherkinity is identifying as a nonhuman creature at an integral level so that there is no he/she/it/they only you. But she also said that that nonhuman identity is you to your very core. So here is my question: What if you have always been/felt distinctly nonhuman, and feel Otherkin/Therian connections that you have felt all your life (I, for example, have always been a mermaid and have always thought of myself as feline), but these feelings are not all of you. For example, if you have always felt nonhuman and have traced your potential theriotype to a Sumatran tiger, but you do also fell human in some respects or you like some aspects of being human, does that mean that you are not a Therian?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2016 7:27:46 GMT
Hi, Kanti! Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. I am wondering the same thing! I am also currently in the process of self-discovery and am unsure whether I am -kin or non-kin (or poly-kin). I also have another question. Geist said that Therianthropy/Otherkinity is identifying as a nonhuman creature at an integral level so that there is no he/she/it/they only you. But she also said that that nonhuman identity is you to your very core. So here is my question: What if you have always been/felt distinctly nonhuman, and feel Otherkin/Therian connections that you have felt all your life (I, for example, have always been a mermaid and have always thought of myself as feline), but these feelings are not all of you. For example, if you have always felt nonhuman and have traced your potential theriotype to a Sumatran tiger, but you do also fell human in some respects or you like some aspects of being human, does that mean that you are not a Therian? I'm going to clear some things up here. 1) You're human. We all are. You're going to feel human sometimes. That's not what being an otherkin is. Being an otherkin is identifying as something non-human. That's it, that's all. Everything beyond that is personal experience and any given therian or otherkin might experience their state completely different from another. It is only healthy to acknowledge reality, while it's unhealthy to suppress it. 2) If you have always felt non human, it likely speaks to a disdain for or disassociation with humanity at large. This may be relevant for your experience, but it is by no means necessary to the experience. 3) As others have said, the experience of shifts vary from person to person. I don't experience them in any traditional way, as my identity is much more a passive state of being and a sense of understanding as to how I fit into the world around me, as an example. 4) @kanti To answer the question you posed to Sera, as somebody who does not experience shifts I believe I can step in here. For myself, I don't "know" I'm a therian... I don't honestly believe it makes sense to use the term "know" to anything like therianthropy... as it comes down to the belief that I'm right. No matter how much I rationalize and build, to claim to know for certain wouldn't sit right with me. Anyway, I have an understanding of who I am. I've built upon that understanding using rationale, reasoning and research. I recognize that I could have stumbled upon an idea that makes me feel good, but has no real basis in reality. Yet, it's not about the knowing. It's about what fits my own version of the human experience. I am who I am and despite the fact that I'm perfectly comfortable being born human... I am a wolf. The only way I know how to explain it is that it fits who I feel I am internally. I don't need to experience abnormal behaviour, phantom limbs or visions to explain my condition. I relate to and understand (what I perceive to be) a wolf's mind, based on research and knowledge of the species, better than I do most humans'. That's enough for me. |
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Reka
- Otherkin -
Polyform
River Otter & Lioness
Posts: 159
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Post by Reka on Jun 24, 2016 8:08:04 GMT
Hi, Kanti! Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. I am wondering the same thing! I am also currently in the process of self-discovery and am unsure whether I am -kin or non-kin (or poly-kin). I also have another question. Geist said that Therianthropy/Otherkinity is identifying as a nonhuman creature at an integral level so that there is no he/she/it/they only you. But she also said that that nonhuman identity is you to your very core. So here is my question: What if you have always been/felt distinctly nonhuman, and feel Otherkin/Therian connections that you have felt all your life (I, for example, have always been a mermaid and have always thought of myself as feline), but these feelings are not all of you. For example, if you have always felt nonhuman and have traced your potential theriotype to a Sumatran tiger, but you do also fell human in some respects or you like some aspects of being human, does that mean that you are not a Therian? 4) @kanti To answer the question you posed to Sera, as somebody who does not experience shifts I believe I can step in here. For myself, I don't "know" I'm a therian... I don't honestly believe it makes sense to use the term "know" to anything like therianthropy... as it comes down to the belief that I'm right. No matter how much I rationalize and build, to claim to know for certain wouldn't sit right with me. Anyway, I have an understanding of who I am. I've built upon that understanding using rationale, reasoning and research. I recognize that I could have stumbled upon an idea that makes me feel good, but has no real basis in reality. Yet, it's not about the knowing. It's about what fits my own version of the human experience. I am who I am and despite the fact that I'm perfectly comfortable being born human... I am a wolf. The only way I know how to explain it is that it fits who I feel I am internally. I don't need to experience abnormal behaviour, phantom limbs or visions to explain my condition. I relate to and understand (what I perceive to be) a wolf's mind, based on research and knowledge of the species, better than I do most humans'. That's enough for me. That was very helpful, Lithillian, seriously. I was always a bit worried that I didn't have experiences as powerful as other therians, or that I couldn't feel phantom limbs all the time, or shift often (if ever? sometimes I wonder if what I feel are phantom limbs or not since I can't really control them), so in the past I felt confident of my therianthropy many times, but then found myself questioning if I was or not because of this, especially after reading about other people's experiences. And yes, I know we all experience it differently, and that it's a very personal thing, but it did make me question it several times. The way you just explained it makes a lot of sense to me, and I feel like my experience of therianthropy resembles more yours than that of others (again, not trying to compare) but yeah  Thank you for your answer ^_^ |
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Reka
- Otherkin -
Polyform
River Otter & Lioness
Posts: 159
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Post by Reka on Jun 24, 2016 9:11:31 GMT
hi Seraphyna , I have read many times that there are therians that do not experience any shifts. Does that refer to mental-shifts or "astral limbs"? If it is the case, how does the person know that they are a therian? thanks for your time! "Astral limbs" implies those appendages experienced during astral travel. Astral travel is something anyone can do and a practice in which one can appear any way they'd like. It really has nothing to do with otherkin or therians. The term you're looking for is "phantom limbs," as in any limb that is felt while not physically present. I'm referring to shifts of all kinds. Some otherkin just don't experience those things and it's a core sense of self. Others are in a constant state of feeling those things, thus it is not a shift as it is a constant state of being. Thank you |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2016 14:06:41 GMT
4) @kanti To answer the question you posed to Sera, as somebody who does not experience shifts I believe I can step in here. For myself, I don't "know" I'm a therian... I don't honestly believe it makes sense to use the term "know" to anything like therianthropy... as it comes down to the belief that I'm right. No matter how much I rationalize and build, to claim to know for certain wouldn't sit right with me. Anyway, I have an understanding of who I am. I've built upon that understanding using rationale, reasoning and research. I recognize that I could have stumbled upon an idea that makes me feel good, but has no real basis in reality. Yet, it's not about the knowing. It's about what fits my own version of the human experience. I am who I am and despite the fact that I'm perfectly comfortable being born human... I am a wolf. The only way I know how to explain it is that it fits who I feel I am internally. I don't need to experience abnormal behaviour, phantom limbs or visions to explain my condition. I relate to and understand (what I perceive to be) a wolf's mind, based on research and knowledge of the species, better than I do most humans'. That's enough for me. That was very helpful, Lithillian, seriously. I was always a bit worried that I didn't have experiences as powerful as other therians, or that I couldn't feel phantom limbs all the time, or shift often (if ever? sometimes I wonder if what I feel are phantom limbs or not since I can't really control them), so in the past I felt confident of my therianthropy many times, but then found myself questioning if I was or not because of this, especially after reading about other people's experiences. And yes, I know we all experience it differently, and that it's a very personal thing, but it did make me question it several times. The way you just explained it makes a lot of sense to me, and I feel like my experience of therianthropy resembles more yours than that of others (again, not trying to compare) but yeah :) Thank you for your answer ^_^ I'm glad you found it helpful. You're far from alone in that camp. I had similar thoughts when I first stumbled upon the community myself. It certainly didn't help that a lot of the first sites I saw had a very "cultist" vibe and that made me question the legitimacy of therianthropy at large. But, I kept looking and found some more rational parts of the community and settled myself in. Don't feel put out by the fact that you don't have as dramatic experiences as some others... take it as an opportunity to come to understand the other reasons you identify as you do. If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer them. Feel free to PM me if you feel so inclined. |
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Reka
- Otherkin -
Polyform
River Otter & Lioness
Posts: 159
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Post by Reka on Jun 24, 2016 15:47:44 GMT
That was very helpful, Lithillian, seriously. I was always a bit worried that I didn't have experiences as powerful as other therians, or that I couldn't feel phantom limbs all the time, or shift often (if ever? sometimes I wonder if what I feel are phantom limbs or not since I can't really control them), so in the past I felt confident of my therianthropy many times, but then found myself questioning if I was or not because of this, especially after reading about other people's experiences. And yes, I know we all experience it differently, and that it's a very personal thing, but it did make me question it several times. The way you just explained it makes a lot of sense to me, and I feel like my experience of therianthropy resembles more yours than that of others (again, not trying to compare) but yeah Thank you for your answer ^_^ I'm glad you found it helpful. You're far from alone in that camp. I had similar thoughts when I first stumbled upon the community myself. It certainly didn't help that a lot of the first sites I saw had a very "cultist" vibe and that made me question the legitimacy of therianthropy at large. But, I kept looking and found some more rational parts of the community and settled myself in. Don't feel put out by the fact that you don't have as dramatic experiences as some others... take it as an opportunity to come to understand the other reasons you identify as you do. If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer them. Feel free to PM me if you feel so inclined. yay, good to know  Thank you again. |
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Shadowpaw
- Otherkin -
Mythical Being
Mermaid
Posts: 21
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Post by Shadowpaw on Jun 24, 2016 16:52:01 GMT
@lithilian Wow. Your answer was so helpful and so enlightening. I too was "confident in my Therianthropy" before reading all of the dramatic experiences and ideas/requisites of others. (I put that in quotes because I identified as a cat long before I ever knew what Therianthropy was).
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Shadowpaw
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Mythical Being
Mermaid
Posts: 21
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Post by Shadowpaw on Jul 14, 2016 6:37:08 GMT
@lithillian Sorry I spelled your name wrong in that last post.
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Post by Tirenan Lupercal on Jul 14, 2016 8:18:29 GMT
Welcome to the forum
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Post by Johnny on Jan 16, 2017 1:31:35 GMT
Hello, I am new to this otherkin thing. I find stuff like this interesting to me, if I were a therian, how would I know? I am bad at meditating and things similar to that. I've seen people say that they knew that they were a therian at a very young age. While can't remember half of fifth grade and under. Thank you for taking your time to read my message.
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Seraphyna
- Therian -
Standard Animal
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Lion and Reef Shark
Resident Shlion
Posts: 2,085
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Post by Seraphyna on Jan 16, 2017 3:07:28 GMT
The starting point is feeling, at your core, that you aren't human.
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G.D.
- Otherkin -
Extraterrestrial or
Metaphysical
Vampiric Black Shuck
Posts: 2,243
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Post by G.D. on Jan 16, 2017 12:46:25 GMT
Hello, I am new to this otherkin thing. I find stuff like this interesting to me, if I were a therian, how would I know? I am bad at meditating and things similar to that. I've seen people say that they knew that they were a therian at a very young age. While can't remember half of fifth grade and under. Thank you for taking your time to read my message. In addition to what Sera said know that not everyone's experiences are going to be the same. While there are a lot of young people who seem to start their journey early there are still just as many others who do not. Others who may start even later than you. Our experiences are as unique as we are individually. If you feel as though you may non-human, that's the best place to start. You are welcome to join the forum and use the resources we have. |
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Post by Confused teen on Jun 8, 2018 8:32:41 GMT
Hi, I know you all have better things to do then answer my questions but if you will thank you! I always have tried to meditate and so far I've failed well maybe and thats what I wanted to ask one time I was laying on the ground trying to meditate and I had a "dream"? Or vision? Of a white cat laying near my? Or was me? Idk but ever since then I've wondered if it was real and if I was seeing my subconscious telling me I was but of course Im just another confused kid lol if so sorry for the trouble. Sighed a confused teen.
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G.D.
- Otherkin -
Extraterrestrial or
Metaphysical
Vampiric Black Shuck
Posts: 2,243
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Post by G.D. on Jun 8, 2018 14:54:08 GMT
Hi, I know you all have better things to do then answer my questions but if you will thank you! I always have tried to meditate and so far I've failed well maybe and thats what I wanted to ask one time I was laying on the ground trying to meditate and I had a "dream"? Or vision? Of a white cat laying near my? Or was me? Idk but ever since then I've wondered if it was real and if I was seeing my subconscious telling me I was but of course Im just another confused kid lol if so sorry for the trouble. Sighed a confused teen. Hey there, we don't mind answering questions. It's what the forum exists for. Meditation is a good tool for introspection, but the information found within this state is just as subjective and potentially random as our dream states. Many people assume that meditation is a 'clearing of the mind', when in reality it's a form of hyper focus. Using that focused state one may look inwards with a better sense of clarity. Allowing just 'anything' come to mind in these states is almost always going to be a product of the subconscious, like I mentioned above. And even when we focus, the information found in meditative (and dream) states are hardly literal. The manifestation of this cat could be referencing your emotional state, to being a manifestation of some form of internal block or desire, and could even just be wholly random. Taking this into account, one may be more critical of their experiences in a meditative state. Generally the meaning is obscured and requires a more thorough look before one may find the piece of the puzzle they're looking for. I suggest pursuing this imagery several more times before one may feel comfortable attempting to discern meaning from the experience. |
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Post by Confused teen on Jun 8, 2018 23:31:20 GMT
@g.D. Ahhh I see, thank you for answering my question I'll have to try then. I hope you have a great day! And thank you again.
Sighed a confused but trying teen.
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Post by Adlet on Jun 20, 2018 6:24:52 GMT
No such thing as a "subconscious". That's a human concept which should be ignored for the garbage it is. Pay attention to your "dreams". It's how others communicate to you outside this gold fish bowl. What you experienced was real, although, not of this realm.
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Nøkken
- Therian -
Standard Animal
Horse
One more night of walking/and I could have become/A horse, a blue horse, dancing/Down a road, alone
Posts: 187
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Post by Nøkken on Jun 20, 2018 8:15:38 GMT
No such thing as a "subconscious". That's a human concept which should be ignored for the garbage it is. Oh man, this is the richest thing I've heard in a loooooooong time. |
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Seraphyna
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Lion and Reef Shark
Resident Shlion
Posts: 2,085
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Post by Seraphyna on Jun 22, 2018 0:45:10 GMT
No such thing as a "subconscious". That's a human concept which should be ignored for the garbage it is. Pay attention to your "dreams". It's how others communicate to you outside this gold fish bowl. What you experienced was real, although, not of this realm. Riiiight. Well, you're human, we're human, and the subconscious is a well established concept. Dreams are highly symbolic. They are how the brain processes information, runs simulations, etc. Dreams are scientifically understood to be anything but something you should pay attention to. I find it pretty funny that you think the subconscious is a bollocks concept yet, "other realms" is something you support. |
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Thank you again.