Otherkin: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Generally, "Otherkin" is a label self-applied to a subculture of people who believe themselves to be a species other than Homo sapiens. Specifically, these individuals believe themselves to be, biologically or spiritually, members of a species of legendary creatures. Otherkin often claim to be an elf, fairy, angel, dragon, vampire, demon, werewolf or some other animal-human hybrid. It is not altogether uncommon for them to profess their existence as a combination of these creatures.

Otherkin should generally not be confused with role-players, although many self-professed otherkin are also role-players, or with transhumanists, who seek to modify humanity rather than presuming that they are already non-human. Although many otherkin claim that "otherness" is similar to transsexuality, this claim is generally taken with offense by transsexuals.

The exact nature of "otherness" is open for debate in the otherkin community. While some otherkin believe themselves to be biologically non-human - for example, by claiming distant, or not so distant descent from a non-human - others believe themselves to be human in biology but "other" in spirit, often attributing this to reincarnation or a "misplaced soul". The reincarnationists, who currently are the dominant force in the subculture, disagree amongst themselves as to whether these otherkin souls come from Earth, other planets, or different planes of conciousness.

Ultimately the answer to such questions may be "Who cares?" Many of those who stay around in the Otherkin community for very long seem to grow bored of such questions as the novelty of being Otherkin wears off. There is ultimately no practical difference between the distinctions; furthermore, there can be none, due to the subjectivity of any personal psychological experience and the lack of precise terms with which to describe the associated phenomena.

There is some controversy as to whether people claiming to be otherkin are actually suffering from schizotypal personality disorder.