What am I? And other frequently asked questions.

[Seraphyna]

1. What am I?

Good question. We can't tell you. There's no quiz you can take that will tell you. Your friends can't tell you, websites can't tell you. Only you can figure out what you are.

2. How do I figure out what I am?

Through the not so quick and easy process of soul searching and introspection. Meditation is the #1 recommended way to figure things out. http://www.project-meditation.org is a good site with a FREE forum and FREE downloads to help you out. Other than that it is recommended to do some serious talking with your inner voice and to take "memories" etc that come to you with a grain of salt and healthy dose of skepticism.

When in doubt, throw it out. If it keeps coming back it might just be something. The process can take years. It's never quick and easy.

3. Am I otherkin at all?

The best way to start is to search the forums and check out this article on the OKP website:
http://main.otherkinphenomena.org/display_article.php?id=1

A good book to start with is Lupa's A Field Guide to Otherkin.

4. How long will it take to find out?

Chances are if it takes you under a month, you're fooling yourself. People who ask this are most likely to jump on the first kintype that might fit and end up jumping from type to type or settling on a type only to find out later that they were wrong.

Some people are "awake" their entire life. They may know exactly what they are or, like me, just that human doesn't quite cover it while the specifics take some figuring out.

Most often, however, awakening comes around puberty. That's not to say that it's some kind of rule. Many kin awaken younger or older. However, due to the trend of many awakening around puberty it is all too easy to mistake "normal signs of pubery" or simply being a teenager for being not human on the inside.

So you want a time scale? Well for me it took 9 years to figure out what I am. Some of the best advice you'll get is to spend at least 6 months on figuring out if you're otherkin at all. Then spend another 6 months (if you find out that you are otherkin afterall) on what type. If you come up with a possibility, explore it for another good 2+ months. If not, keep on keeping on. Some people never find out what they specifically are.

The journey is an individual experience. There's no set time scale as everyone is different. So hang in there. The only person putting a time limit on figuring things out is you.

5. Where else can I look?

Well if you're too lazy to search on your own, here are some good links:
http://www.otherkin.net/articles/index.html
http://main.otherkinphenomena.org/articles.php
http://www.werelist.com/index.php?optio%20...%20&Itemid=20
http://main.otherkinalliance.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=4&Itemid=34

6. What do I do now!?

Well, awakening to the belief that you're otherkin doesn't change the fact that you're currently human, and that you're still that same person you were before figuring this all out...now you just know yourself better. It's like finding out you have Swedish heritage. You can't change it but it doesn't change who you are either. (http://main.otherkinphenomena.org/display_article.php?id=17) The realization that you're otherkin could have some spiritual impact, but as Crimson said to me in PM "realizing you're dragon kin shouldn't make you go around proclamating it to the world and suddenly take up fire breathing because dragons do it". There's no way to change the fact that you're human currently. However, some people *do* take up constructive hobbies or pursue carreer paths related in some way to their otherkin-ness. For example, someone who is guardian angel-kin might join the military.

7. Do I shout it from the rooftops?

Use your discretion when coming out of the proverbial "kin closet". Not everyone is going to be openminded about it. Make sure you can explain what it means to be you and to be otherkin in general...make sure you have it straight in your own head before attempting to explain it to someone else. If you've figured out you're 'kin and attribute it to a state of the soul...here's how I recommend to go about telling people "what you are":

Step 1: Have a conversation about incarnation/reincarnation. What it is and what is the person's belief on the subject.
Step 2: If the reincarnation talk goes okay, approach the subject of can souls end up in mismatched bodies.
Step 3: If Step 2 went okay and the person is at least open minded about it, approach the subject of otherkin directly. Perhaps send them some helpful links like the ones listed above.
Step 4: If the topic of otherkin didn't send the person running and screaming or saying "all those otherkin are loonies" (or something of the sort) come on out of the otherkin closet.

If you attribute being otherkin to mentality/psychology, instead of reincarnation breach the concept of having the brain wiring of a non-human being.

[chaitea]

You put out some of the best articles.
Can't wait to start linking people to this one (cause goodness knows I'm gonna always get asked these questions)

[Seraphyna]

We had about 5 people in the course of 2 days ask "what am I" over at otherkin.com so I wrote up this baby Glad you like it.

[Divinitywolf]

:O i joined project-meditation ages ago!
I even won a 6 month subscription to mediheaven.org from that website.
Mediheaven is an awesome meditation site and should really be looked into.

Both are brilliant.
Sorry. Just thought i should say that.

Great article by the way

[kahoku]

can i put that into the article section on the main page?

[Seraphyna]

Of course you can

[Naida]

::dances with joy:: Lupa's Otherkin Guide came via UPS today! Maybe it will help me some!