SECTION III

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DRACONITY / OTHERKIN

 

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Being a dragon or otherkin:

Being a dragon or otherkin may mean a lot to the individual, but it means nothing to those outside the individual. By proclaiming yourself to be otherkin you risk opening yourself to all matter of accusation and social abandonment. It is not something that should be assumed or frivolously claimed due to some form of fad or game, it is definitely not something you should do to be popular or to fit in, as that path will lead to an obvious failure as far as social goals are concerned.

By identifying yourself as otherkin, you are open to societal assumptions of mental or emotional ineptness, spiritual confusion and any number of similar claims. If you are a member of a religious family you can likely expect tension and lots of personal ordeals. If you have popular friends, or are somewhat high within a social hierarchy it may be best to keep your mouth shut and your beliefs private.

To be frank, you better know what you are getting yourself into before you publicly express such a claim, because you may have quite a struggle ahead. It may be best that you keep quiet about your personal self-understandings and keep your views in the shadows until you know yourself well enough that you can handle the social, psychological or spiritual responsibility of putting up with all manner of outcomes associated with publicly coming out.

I cannot stress this enough, “Do not immediately assume that you are otherkin just because you got some warm fluffy feelings from a dragon movie, book, or played some game that snapped you into the idea.” If you think that you are otherkin, there will most likely be plenty of additional signs or evidence which would likely be far more personal or emotional than a single specific bond shared by one of the media examples listed above. Characters in media are designed to be relatable so any experience or bond triggered by media should deeply be introspected, there should be evidence that existed far before said media. Be cautious not to fall into delusion or assumption.

In examining an awakening strive to gather evidence outside of mere feelings alone, instead, try to work to be able to rationalize why you believe such theories about yourself. That way, when and if you do ever get confronted on your personal beliefs you may be in a better position to defend your spiritual opinions without coming off as unprepared, ignorant or presumptuous.

Know yourself, do not let others tell you what to believe, balance your spiritual or philosophical belief that you are otherkin, with the possibility that you may not be. Remain open to both possibilities and keep in mind that no matter what the case, you are still human and have human responsibilities: “school, grades, work, college, relationships, employment, your future” if any of these responsibilities suffer adversely due to your personal beliefs, please take a step back and re-prioritize your goals and mindset. It does no service to the larger community if we have confused members claiming to be otherkin and recklessly bringing destructive behaviors into their lives due to their beliefs, it is not good for the individual, and it does not reflect well on our digital community as a whole.

So, with all that said, I encourage you to remember always to question all things. Strive to research both sides of every potential discovery, know yourself, base your beliefs on at least some form of evidence however remote it may be, even if it is just dreams, brief visions, phantom sensations, an attraction to the creature(s) in question, an association with said creature(s), emotional longings, spiritual companions, spiritual experiences, perceived memories of another world or life, whatever the potential evidence may be, embrace and introspect it! In all your discoveries work to question all of them and to have a timeline of evidence small or large for your beliefs. A firm path of self-understanding is clearly superior to recklessly accepting a belief simply because it may be a fad or feel right at the time.

As well, please be ready for the responsibilities that may accompany these beliefs, this should not be a game, you either are otherkin or you are not. If you are, the evidence will be clear and will make itself quite noticeable and undeniable with time. If you are not, that is fine, you are always welcome, or you can share in whatever discussions or passions you desire, but please, for your own sake do not try to be something that you are not, it will cause pain and hurt in the end. If you are otherkin and you know yourself and what you perceive to be true, then you will be fine, this speech is not for you, simply be mature about your perceived spirituality and you will be fine in this world.

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Traits that I have noted regarding otherkin:

Over the years I have spoken with quite a few otherkin, I am no expert by any means, I am honestly a notoriously shy person and I am not publicly available to speak or interact a vast majority of the time. However, from the varied self-proclaimed otherkin who I have spoken to over the years, I have noticed most tended to have a few common traits.

Most of the otherkin who I have spoken with seemed to have awakened in their mid to late teens or early twenties. Most of them had some evidence or suspicions throughout their life but could not easily pin down the cause or reasoning of their suspicions until something external triggered them to introspect and to begin to connect the dots within their mind. Most otherkin who I have known in the past have generally been deeply philosophical, involved in metaphysics or were generally open minded or spiritual in nature. Although, as I continue to age I am meeting many more secular minded otherkin, so I can no longer generalize on what type of personalities may be prone to our beliefs. Anyone can be otherkin, it is a subjective and individualized experience.

I can also state anecdotally that many of the self-proclaimed otherkin who I have come to know or have spoken to over the years have expressed a longing for their prior forms or lives, most of them strive to identify with their kintype through creative works and artistic expressions, alongside collecting representations of their kintype. Most of them expressed a deep longing to return to their perceived homelands or prior identities.

From my experiences I have noted that some otherkin tend to have phantom limb syndrome during segments of their awakenings, be it a placebo, psychological, or truly a spiritual experience, the sensation appears to be normal and common. Accepting the sensation when it occurs tends to bring a greater emotional and spiritual connection to the subjects kintype.

As well, most otherkin I have known appear to dream of returning to their old lives or forms, but they know and accept that they are here as humans and they clearly differentiate between their beliefs and their real life responsibilities in a mature fashion allowing them to pursue typical and normal lifestyles when they are off the anonymity of the Internet.

However, from personal and anecdotal evidence I can warn that a select few otherkin, in their early awakenings may try to experiment or seek possible methods to somehow physically shift back to their old forms, or to somehow return to their old perceived lives. These naive efforts are always met with obvious and expected failure or embarrassment when their plans do not work, I have experienced it myself. These otherkin I would hope, will quickly mature past that phase when they realize the truth, that such ideas are illogical, impossible and a form of escapism. This is our world and these are our lives now, we should eagerly embrace such and live each day to the fullest.

I have also noted that some otherkin, after closer inspection of their beliefs or understandings of themselves may realize in the end that they had been lying to themselves. Whether it be in the context of their perceived memories, or in regards to their personal understandings of their perceived prior forms or their prior life, beliefs may evolve or change over time, this is natural. As well, sometimes one may renounce the entire concept of being otherkin in general, this too is fine. We must all follow our own paths with honesty, introspection and personal integrity.

As stated above, sometimes people may realize that they were wrong, had misunderstood their feelings or had accepted false assumptions. It is okay to be wrong and it is even better to learn of falsehoods earlier rather than later in life. This is why I share my constant and repetitive insistence to always question yourself and what you understand or believe to be your personal reality, I want everyone to always be honest with themselves and with those around them.

Other than these observations, I can simply state that most otherkin whom I have known simply enjoy hanging out with others of their kind or with friends of similar beliefs on the Internet, often they will go by a spiritual or false name which is typically related to their internal identity. Many otherkin that I have met in the past have been wise enough to avoid drama offline regarding their personal beliefs, generally relying on sharing their otherkin perceptions primarily with fellow believers or close personal friends. They typically do this not because of a cult mentality or to create a self-affirming echo chamber, but rather out of a need for social preservation due to the severe social, cultural or religious disdain for beliefs so obscure or controversial as being otherkin.

Lastly, as stated in other writings in these categories, many of the individuals I have met claiming to be otherkin at times may feel like they are wearing a mask or not being honest with themselves when they go about their mundane or typical daily routines. Some may wish or desire that they could relate more with their kintype at times. As stated earlier, they might tend to network with others of similar beliefs, seeking others with similar or open minded beliefs near their area or within their schools, they may desire to get out to nature often, to role-play, to write, to relax, to meditate or generally spend much more time within their imagination.

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What are the warning signs that I may be taking this too far?

Anything that distracts from experiencing a mature or stable lifestyle, if it damages your education, relationships, employment, lands you in jail, or does anything to harm your ability to function normally in society, or overtly upsets your mental or emotional well-being. If you experience any of these signs, then you are probably taking this concept way too far.

If you use your otherkin faith or internal perceptions continuously as a form of escapism or as a means to avoid real life responsibilities, or if you truly do believe that you can physically become your kintype or teleport between worlds and dimensions (like me a decades ago during my spirit circle experiments) you are probably taking this a bit too far.

As well, if you are running around telling everyone you know that you are otherkin or are otherwise acting irrational while assuming delusions of grandeur because of your beliefs then you are probably taking this a bit too far.

Another issue is if you have made up every aspect of your otherkin beliefs or are declaring that you are otherkin without the slightest hint of personal exploration or self-honesty. In this case you are also probably taking this too far and should rewind and question your perceptions honestly.

Lastly, if believing yourself to be otherkin is in any way creating excessive amounts of emotional instability, outbursts of anger, sadness, bi-polar symptoms, or is generally causing an excessive amount of emotional disturbance or intense change in how you would otherwise generally react to given situations, then you should probably slow down and figure out why such is happening.

If being otherkin is in any way interfering with your schedules, interpersonal relationships, education or employment, then you need to calmly slow down, introspect the risks to your well-being, cease exploration of the matters and focus for a time on things which are more important to the here and now, please be rational and mature, above all else prioritize the needs of this present life in which you live.

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Understanding of inherent humanity:

As otherkin or therians, it may be in our common nature to desire to dissociate from humanity in favor of our self-identified kintypes. For example, a dragon may hate humanity for the genocide of dragons in the past lost to myth and legend, or a wolf therian may be disgusted by the hunting to near extinction of wolves in various regions. So on and so forth, it is easy to assign benevolence to our identified forms and to scoff or dissociate from the crimes and flaws of humanity, to hate them, to despise them, to look down on them for all the ills they create throughout their world. This however is folly and a very negative mindset to maintain because it disregards our own present place and role in their world..

 

We must accept our own inherent humanity within this life and world, for the sake of our place and role in it and for the well-being of our own inner and outer growth and improvement. We may have once been something inhuman in the past, but we are humans now and are subject to the same flaws that you may presently highlight or despise. However we are also privvy to the same gifts which you may ignore. Reflect for example that it has been the gifts of these human forms that give us the sentience to understand, piece together and comprehend our former potential existences.

It is these forms that allow us the creativity to write, to draw worlds or to express and create life! It is these human forms that allow us to feel emotions, to learn, to hate and to love. These forms are full of potential and not just because we exist within them, but because these traits are inherent in all humans. I do not deny the crimes, corruption and pains caused by mankind are great, but I beseech you to gaze upon the bigger picture, those with power are the culprits and not all humans are evil.

 

Earth has 8 billion humans upon it, many simply live life and share our collective struggles in peace same as you and I, they tend to create all the art, joys and light we see in this world. The issue is not humanity, the issue is sentience mixed with power, sentience when mixed with free will and latent instincts are a wildcard, I dare you to find me a sentient race without flaws, even the angels of heaven rebelled against their god, the point is there is no life without flaws or pain and free will is a factor in this. We exist to experience life, both the pleasures and pains, the good and the bad in all things.

 

I am certain that somewhere in creation there are dragons and some within those worlds are benevolent and some would be cruel, this would likewise be true for any other form that you may acknowledge or percieve. Therefore I encourage you to embrace the good populace within humanity for they are the silent majority. Rather than hate humans, please first acknowledge that you yourself are one and then work always to portray yourself as in example in this world, a guide to how humans as individuals can through a bright heart and a shining soul change the lives, hearts and minds of those around them.

In all you do I'd encourage you to embrace both the memory and fire of what you may have been, but not to neglect what and who you are now, work to use your potential past as an impetus to strengthen your resolve and in all you do, work to seek the good in your fellow humans while on this world. Strengthen the weak, guide the lost, share wisdom with the young, stand against injustice in small and large ways and in all you do please work to better the world with the light of your spirit and heart.

 

Strive so that in each and every day you might draw out the good and potential of both yourself and your fellow humans, work to balance your identity so that you may never forget what you once were, nor who you are now. Be proud of the life you're leading, take pride in the potential you have and in each new day never cease to improve yourself and the world you live in!

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A brief essay on otherkin memories:

Sometimes some otherkin will, through the course of their awakenings, be lucky enough to have flashes or evidence of possible past memories. These may be feelings which result in a belief or perception that some foreign memories from another life have been recalled or shown to be true to their spirit.

These possible memories may be as simple as a flash of a forest or river, some unknown landscape or of a location not seen before in this present life. It's also possible that the foreign memories may occur as more complex memories, such as interactions with unknown individuals and so forth, and on rare occasions, the memories can be so fluid as to form a nearly complete life story.

However, most possible memories of nonhuman existences occur in brief flashes, recurring dreams, visions, or are likely induced through meditation. Sometimes, these possible memories may be triggered by locations, landscapes or experiences encountered in this world. As well, sometimes they may simply exist as a strong emotional imprint or connection, an undeniable sense of knowing that one has somehow existed in another form, life, or world. Sometimes no possible memories or evidence appears and an individual is left with only their personal faith or spiritual feeling that they are different in mind or soul.

For each individual the awakening process to past memories, families, incarnations or knowledge of nonhuman lives will be different. There are some common experiences, but overall like much of being otherkin, this is subjective to the individual and their personal experience. One's spiritual understanding of their self cannot be determined by the social expectations or experiences of another, nor will everyone's awakenings be the same.

Many otherkin may claim to be from other worlds, times, lifestyles, dimensions or realities. In an infinitely expanding universe with near infinite potential, anything can be true, there is no way to prove or disprove such claims, they can only be taken as personal faith subjective to the claimant. I personally as dragonkin perceive that I once existed on an Earth-like planet as a feral western dragon in an area inhabited by humanoid wolves. I could be crazy of course, but just as well, it could be true, anything is possible, but it remains a matter of faith, a personal mythos.

Others may claim to have existed in various separate forms or realities. We as humans only know of the Earth and that which we can perceive through it, we do not know what life and possibilities exist beyond this world. For both otherkin, and the average human, knowledge of what exists beyond this planet cannot be known, we can only rely on assumptions and limited perceptions of what lies beyond this blue marble in space.

In that regard, it is impossible to either prove or disprove the legitimacy of our memories or claims, for both a believer and a denier of one's subjective memories the truth can only ever be a matter of faith rather than of fact. Otherkin cannot prove their memories to be true, any more than a debunker can prove that their claims are fantasy, it is not possible for either to provide “proof,” as both arguments rely on some bits of faith.

However, the fact that the claim of memories is a matter of faith to both the debunker as well as the participant does not prevent any outlandish, impossible, mindless, or outright ridiculous claims from being aggressively attacked and torn apart in the harshest and most hostile methods possible, common sense must and will always prevail. You cannot call yourself "The Cosmic Banana God" just because you have blind faith that it is true, you need to be introspective and have honesty and personal integrity in your self-perceptions. If you act immature or are ignorant you should expect extreme confrontation, confrontation of absurdities is generally unavoidable no matter how much faith you think you have.

When interpreting or laying claim to possible memories there is always the important need to be honest with yourself, just as there is in all things that may affect you on a spiritual or internal level. With that said, please always remember that the more controversial your perceived memories are, the less likely they are to be readily accepted, thus the importance to know yourself. There will come times when you may be expected to defend your perceived life or memories with the process you went through to come to those perceived conclusions.

Overall, remember that some otherkin may never awaken to any memories, they may simply maintain a deep emotional or spiritual connection or claim to their beliefs, this is fairly common, some people simply connect with their form or kintype and discover very little more. Some others may not necessarily believe they actually were the forms but rather are connected to their kintype in some other way. Many otherkin may not believe in reincarnation or related spiritual beliefs and may have alternate understandings of how they are connected or associated with their kintype. In this world, there exists a variety of individual beliefs, perceptions, and paths. Not everyone will have the same experiences.

Do not forget that lost or the lack of memories does not necessarily equate to a lack of proof or legitimacy to being otherkin, it is fine and all is well. To all parties, both those with possible memories and to those without, I wish to give emphasis that your internal beliefs are only a single aspect of who you believe yourself to be, it is not something to spend all your time dwelling on. Above all, to those who have memories as well as to those who do not, please always remember that you are alive today as a human.

Remember, respect, and revere what you know of your perceived prior existences, learn from and grow from the experiences which you believed you had obtained from those incarnations, but in the end, remember to always live for today, as who and what you are now. Do not neglect to live this new life because you are too busy dwelling on what may or may not have happened in a past existence, that life is over, you are here now, live this one to its fullest as it can end at any time.

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Homesick for old life:

Sometimes, those who are lucky enough to have obtained some memories of a past life may become homesick for their homeland or their prior perceived form. As well some otherkin may become homesick for other potential losses such as possible families, mates, friends and so forth.

With the awakening of these possible perceived memories there may come an accompanying onset of homesickness, either for the life itself, or for the form in question. For example, memories of flying may create a longing for the ability to do such again, followed by an accompanying depression that you are now earthbound. Another example being a life memory of one's mate, partner, or friends, which may bring up the realization of the loss of said relationships.

As well, knowledge or memories of unfinished business in a perceived prior life may create feelings of guilt or failure, for example leaving a pregnant partner to search for food and somehow dying before returning back to her, or needing to do some other example of relevance and being slain before its completion.

There are a variety of highly emotional events and realizations that may occur in the search for possible memories of a prior existence and many of these perceived realizations or feelings of loss can be quite painful and strenuous, as well as obviously difficult to handle. Even more so if an individual is not emotionally grounded.

In extreme cases, an individual influenced by their perceptions and emotions concerning past life memories might seek to find ways to physically return home, or to physically transform back to their prior form. I was such a person in the beginning, I was homesick and tried to return home through the use of a complex pattern of sticks and symbols placed around a circle of stones mixed with some foolish made-up rituals. In that regard, I can speak from experience, it is a desperation move and a form of escapism. We exist in these bodies and lives now and we are stuck here until our purpose, lives, and time here is fulfilled. It is a sad and difficult truth, but a silver lining exists in all things, sometimes you just need to look harder than you might expect.

As well, if you believe that your prior form had been slain, or otherwise destroyed on a physical level, it is dead and gone now, there is nothing to return to. That life, that past, that reality is now over, you exist here, make of it the best that you can and do not waste this life pining for the last. It's not what your past self, or its loved ones would want for you today. Think of it through that perspective, live for the now, you have another chance in this world to experience what you could not in another.

At the same time, in dealing with homesickness for a lost reality or a lost life, I encourage you to reflect upon your past memories with a trick I call the three “R's”. Revere, Respect, and Remember.

Revere the memories and knowledge of what you once were, you have experienced a life and existence outside of humanity, and that knowledge and perspective is unique.

Respect yourself in regards to both that life and who you are today, be strong for who you once were, or what you once existed as, be strong enough to imagine facing your past self in a mirror and not being ashamed of who you are today, live now, in honor of what and who you once were.

And lastly, Remember. Remember that the memories you believe you have are sacred reminders of who you are and who you have been, write them down and update them frequently, so as to never forget that which means so much to you on a spiritual and emotional level, that you are somebody unique and special and that which you feel you know of your spirit, your memories, are there to lead you and guide you anew in this life. So for that purpose, never forget them, they are forever a part of you.

Overall, if you have awakened to memories of a nonhuman existence, you will likely be homesick for such memories at one time or another, how you cope with such things is your responsibility. I just wanted to help by providing some advice from my own experiences. You as an individual must find your own path and method for dealing with and understanding such things. I wish you the best of luck, and remember that you are never alone, others online can likely relate, so never be afraid to confide in others who may be going through or have gone through similar experiences.

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I have phantom limbs, is this good or bad, normal or off?:

That is phantom limb syndrome, it is most often experienced by amputees such that they in some sense still feel their missing limb. Even though the limb is no longer existent it is believed by some that their aura or spirit is maintaining its natural or original form despite the limb's absence on a physical level.

Regarding phantom limbs for otherkin, it is assumed one's spirit or aura is taking on the shape or memory of a non-human form possibly of a past incarnation. It is usually a temporary sensation, relax and go with it should such occur. It can be quite common to my understanding, I have known others to take on phantom tails, wings, claws, as well as entire phantom forms.

Aside from being possibly spiritual, it can be rationally assumed that these sensations are also being triggered psychologically or emotionally, as there are exercises and meditations out there that can result or generate these sensations. Spiritual or not, enjoy the feeling, and do not be discouraged if these feelings have not come to you, everyone's experiences are unique. Unfortunately phantom limbs are never physical, they are just phantom changes or sensations. If anyone claims that they can pull off a physical change or alteration please demand evidence, as there will always be some people out there who will claim such, but in all honesty nobody can, it is simply not possible.

Personally, I had experimented a lot in the past attempting through a variety of metaphysical means to somehow take on draconic traits, often through meditations with the purpose of alteration and extension of ones aura, or otherwise simply alternating through other assorted techniques regarding the manipulation and restructuring of supposed spiritual energy. Needless to say, I'm still human.

In the days of my youth I had commonly experienced phantom dragon wings, a tail, horns, spines, the whole works. Many discussions of phantom limbs could be found on multiple assorted otherkin communities in the past, so I generally accepted the experiences as further proof to my spiritual claims of draconity.

However, there exists an equally viable rational explanation for the sensations which I and others have felt in the past, and that is the term known as "placebo." The mind is a powerful tool and it can easily be tricked to produce some impressive sensations and results which are not always real or existent. In so believing or desiring to have these limbs or traits, be it conscious or subconsciously, we can with minimal effort trigger the false sensation or a tingling presence of a physically nonexistent form.

A popular quote once stated "Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it." More often than not phantom limbs can be a placebo, a result brought about by our desire or belief that we are meant to be a dragon or some other form, the mind may subconsciously attempt to produce the sensation of draconic or otherkin aspect to quell our emotional desires or longings.

Please note that I have observed through my own personal experimentation that even those who are not otherkin can be influenced to duplicate the sensations of phantom limbs with only a little work or guided visualization. So take note that there exists both a spiritual and psychological explanation for the sensations we may feel. What matters however, is how the sensations emotionally affect you, are they a recurring sensation that happens expectantly and without warning alongside other possible evidence for your kintype? Or is the sensation a one off experience that only appears when you actively think of a specific form? In all things be honest with yourself.

Overall, regardless of whether the sensation is the mind playing tricks on us or if it is an actual reshaping of our personal auras or spiritual forms, whichever theory is chosen to be true for you is up to your personal and subjective experience. As each individual's experiences will be different it would have to be considered a matter of individual faith. All things of a spiritual nature are a matter of faith, so the explanation or context of your phantom limbs is left to your own personal interpretation. Just note however that considering the rational psychology and possibilities of placebos involved in the possible sensations, that it is not entirely likely that everyone will always accept phantom limb sensations alone as a spiritual truth or as an evident claim to being otherkin.

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Draconity, and the superiority complex, king of dragons, dragon god, etc… truth or ego?

It is a common trait of some newly awakened otherkin, that they will often portray great arrogance in their claim to being otherkin. In assuming that, as they were a dragon, or some other possibly non-human being, they are now somehow superior, conveniently forgetting that presently they exist in the form of a human and are no longer as epic or great as they claim they once were.

For example, someone may claim that since they are a dragon in human incarnation, they are superior with great magic and powers and that they should be treated as though they were still in that form or at whatever rank or position they had existed as in their prior incarnation. I can claim that I am a dragon, and that by creating these writings I have proven myself to be a spiritual leader who is here to lead my people as their “Dragon Pope” (my new official title!) but that does not make it true. I am neither a dragon lord in human form, nor the Dragon Pope, I am just some dude with a computer.

My past has no bearing on who I am today, it frankly cannot even be proven, as it relies on faith and my own perceptions. Otherkin or not, I am no different from others, it is my actions and choices that shape who and what I am. I have no right to a belief that I am important simply because I perceive I was once something special or unique.

As well, it is a common trait, that most newly awakened otherkin tend to make claims to having lived quite heroic or adventurous lives, being related to royalty or having saved their world, if not proclaiming themselves a god incarnate. I myself am not exempt, in my early stages of awakening, I initially had falsely assumed that I was the savior of a race of peoples and had died fending off an invading army, where in truth after an honest introspective look at what I believed to be the memories and remnants of that life, as best as could be perceived by my available evidence I discovered that I was actually just a feral dragon, a beast who happened to be murdered quite helplessly after being ambushed in my sleep.

In looking closely at what I truly knew versus what I felt and assumed to be true, I learned or admitted that I was not a sentient dragon capable of telepathy and fighting wars as I originally believed and portrayed myself as, but rather I learned that what I initially believed were egotistical falsehoods that I had added or assumed based off fantasy and stereotypes. As well as a biased belief that such a form would be sentient like a human rather than a mere animal, but in the end I learned that I was really a boring nomadic wild animal after all. It was quite a humbling fall from the epic expectations of my ego, but it was my personal truth nonetheless and I accepted that truth.

What I am getting at here is simple, do not accept your being otherkin in a way that sets you apart from others in an arrogant manner, you are unique in your beliefs and experiences and that makes you special, but still, it is your actions and choices in this life that matter now, not what happened in the past. In regards to your spirit and internal perception, just know that what you believe today may not be the same tomorrow and arrogance and assumptions may come back to bite you, please strive to move slowly in your beliefs and growth.

As for having been an important figure in a prior existence, perhaps you were, or perhaps it is simply your human ego telling you that you were. The only way to know for sure is to be honest with yourself, do not be afraid to introspect and dissect your beliefs regularly, and do not be afraid to accept the possibility that you were less than what you first came to believe. Either way, only you can discover the truth of your own soul. Always be honest with yourself and try not to be prideful or arrogant about your spirituality, you will not make friends that way, know yourself and your own truths always with honesty, humility and integrity.

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Spiritual aspects of oneself manifesting through artistic expression prior to the manifesting in the heart and mind:

I believe this subject may have been lightly touched upon earlier in another section or on another page, but I will reiterate my statement before to be safe.

I believe it is possible for otherkin to foreshadow aspects of their spirituality artistically or emotionally in certain traits prior to awakening, in ways such as always drawing dragons, or having a preference towards fantasy books with a dragon hero, etcetera. In my understanding the spirit may seek familiarity, it likely inherently knows what it was or what it wants even before our human consciousness does.

In that regard, it should not be assumed that you have simply gone mad when one strays from seeking dragons through artistic expression, to eventually proclaiming yourself to have been one spiritually, rather you may have always been one and the interests you portrayed in the past were simply an extension of your inner spirit seeking to reach out to your conscious mind.

In short, perhaps you liked dragons, or related with your kintype so much, because you were one and the only difference between the time when you longed for dragons and with your present beliefs wherein you may now claim to have been your kintype, is that you now believe you understand the rationalization for those odd traits where in the past they were just odd habits or desires of yours.

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The importance of nature and relaxation:

This world we live on easily has the potential to be a stressful and painful world of hurt and negativity, most of us are surrounded by needless and irrational drama, capable of putting any television soap opera to shame. Face it, this world of human social norms and conditioning is tedious, from school to employment, to marriage to retirement and so on, there is the potential for constant and needless drama and stress.

As well, problems in life don't tend to go away either, most of the time they just get worse, or are replaced by new concerns, it is the way of this world, you may have once existed as a dragon who slept, hunted, flew around, had a mate, and did not do much else while living in a carefree feral lifestyle, but in this reality things are different. Unless you are wealthy, there is not much you can do to change things, this life may be difficult and may consist of day to day struggles and pains.

So, how do we cope with this world of mendacity, needless negativity and distractions? The answer is simple, I suggest we escape from time to time, get outside for perhaps an hour or find a quiet place to listen to music, perhaps seek creative expression, games, friends and family. Pursue regularly whatever calming activity may best serve to rest your mind and help you to relax at the end of a long day. A good method to avoid being beaten and battered by the stresses of this world is to seek nature, or to find a personal refuge to get away from and to rest from time to time.

Do what you can to get out to nature more, go camping for a weekend, go hiking when possible or perhaps visit a beach or lake on occasion if you can, consider taking a quiet nap under the shade of a tree even. You may be amazed how much relaxing in nature can help. Consider breaks to abstain from social media and the judgment of others, assign time to rest after school, work, or any other strenuous daily work and strive to find some time to just relax outdoors for a while, watch a sunset if you can and just lounge for a while. It is completely acceptable to take a break from life once in a while.

It simply helps to get outside, reside in the energies and feelings of being away from it all and just spend some time watching the clouds or the stars at night, listening to the waves lap the shore, the birds in the forest, the coyotes in the desert, or the pigeons on your lawn. Just get outside and rest from time to time, even if it is simply once a week, or month, please try it, it may truly help to calm your mind and spirit.

If you feel or believe you were not always human then of course it will be reinvigorating to take a vacation from the human lifestyle and to rest, however brief that rest may be. Find and discover what works best for your needs, what experiences and methods worked for me, may not always work for you.

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The importance of art and creativity:

Depending on your perception of your beliefs and knowledge or your connection to your prior or perceived form, you may potentially miss that form a lot, who wouldn't miss flying around or causing havoc on another world or reality? Who wouldn't long for a lost relationship or for memories of a forgotten life? Unfortunately we are all eventually reminded of the harsh fact that those realities and forms are lost and long gone, there is no going back to them.

However, through artistic expression, drawing, writing, poetry, game design, role playing, creative video collages and so forth, we can at least in a sense seek to portray ourselves as we perceive we may have once been. Through art we can attempt to connect with what we have lost, through the creation or observation of artistic expression of that which we feel we once were or may still feel like on the inside we may feel a sense of inner peace.

I encourage that if you have the skill, please follow your inspirations and use them to draw, write, and read, create often and whenever you can and whenever your heart calls you to do so. If you lack the time or skills to create artistic works easily on your own, I would encourage you to seek the creativity of others. Art has the potential to strengthen our connection and give us a balance in the expression of what we feel like inside.

In summation, I encourage you to draw, write, and generally create! Failing that, please go search for an immense amount of art over the internet and see if or how it stimulates your beliefs!

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I believe I may have incarnated into many forms and lives - dragons, dolphins, kitsunes, you name it. Am I different?:

For this question, I will simply refer to my speculation of the nature of the spirit from my own antiquated website. Let us assume that all existence, spiritual or not, has resulted through the will of an eternal omnipotent being. As well, let us consider that the energy of this being exists in all forms and mechanisms throughout existence, let us also speculate that through this eternal being, sentience was given to energy in the form of a conscious spirit or soul and that physical forms were created and evolved to house, teach, and grow these souls.

With each physical death the soul would return to the energy of its creator, compile and assess its wisdom from lessons learned in a life and then return to a new physical form to repeat a path of growth. If such an entity had designed said process, the purpose of life I would imagine is perhaps that each soul incarnate and transition between multiple forms throughout the physical universe so as to learn of what it means to live, to experience, to love, to die and to repeat in numerous successive journeys. In my spiritual understanding, physical reality is like an MMO video game, all life forms are like avatars or characters and our individual spirits are like an external consciousness repeatedly alternating between different bodies and different lives.

Perhaps to protect each new individual experience of existing in each new form, it would be considered proper for the soul to have a temporary or spiritual amnesia to separate its knowledge of other lives while existing in each new form. Through these means, the experiences and memories of the last life would not conflict with the experiences of the new one. A comparable example would be how in the classical Greco-Roman understanding of death, Romans and Greeks would drink from the River Styx and forget their lives. It could easily be considered or assumed that as each new form's brain would not have the memory or mechanics of the soul's prior form within it, each new brain or life would only have memories of the life currently in progress, the entire past or memories of a prior life cannot likely carry over to a new physical form.

But what if select souls that have progressed through many lives over time perhaps gain the power to carry over some of the knowledge of prior existences? What if the soul can, through successive existences, learn to somehow subtly reach out to teach its present body's mind about its own past? This possibility is one of the underlying concepts of an otherkin awakening, that the mind does not have the experiences of being another form, but that our soul perhaps retains some of those memories. Perhaps with spiritual exercise, our souls could over time remind the conscious mind of select or emotionally driven events.

If this theory is true, and if we can awaken to one form or life, let's say a dragon for example, why is it not equally possible to delve deeper into self-discovery and gradually awaken to evidence of an another even later life? Perhaps a different dragon, but one of the opposite gender? Or a dolphin? Or cat? A human in a different era of time and so on in an endless line? If the spirit can have the remnants and traits of one existence, then it is equally possible that it can retain the remnants and traits of multiple others experienced throughout its spiritual evolution.

So, yes, it is feasible to have multiple awakenings and not to be insane, your first awakening was perhaps simply the most dominant or noticeable one, as it was possibly the most recent shape that your spirit had formerly adapted or resided in prior to the body and life you have now.

The spirit in my speculation is in nature formless, androgynous, and capable of boundless potential. With existing in a form of conscious energy, it could feasibly retain knowledge of all identities and memories from every physical life or form it has experienced. However, to learn of other incarnations while in a physical form, there is a need to find a method of spiritual experimentation or meditation in order to access such aspects or traits. In that sense, it can become difficult and a struggle to access the knowledge of your higher or inner self.

At this time, I would like to pause to write an important disclaimer. I feel like I am presenting myself too spiritually, and would like to remind that these are simply my views and personal opinions. Always remember to use your own common sense and to maintain a rational inquisitive mindset in dealing with such things. Question everything, be introspective and thoroughly consider psychological alternatives, please try to balance subjective reality with what is in your heart and what you feel in your mind and spirit. In all that you do, use wisdom and strive to always back up your claims and feelings, never give in to direct assumptions and try always to avoid delusions or falling for falsehoods.

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Music and Otherkin:

I have found over the years that one way in which I can feel more spiritually attuned to my kintype is to listen to music that reflects my mood or emotions at a particular moment, or to listen to music that reminds me of my perceived incarnation's prior life. I have also noticed an even deeper emotional connection towards my spirituality while listening to music with a personal meaning, while also drawing, searching for artwork, or searching for themed music videos featuring my kintype.

I believe listening to music can allow us to express and connect better to our emotions and feelings, it gets us wired and active, or can help us to relax and unwind, depending on the music. In any case, please consider striving to integrate music with your spirituality, especially if you are down, you may be surprised how much it might help.

On a personal level, nothing makes me feel better more than simply going on a walk into the wilderness with some epic music to listen to. Doing such generally helps me to rest my mind, so to speak. But then, remember, what is right for me may not necessarily be right for you, so as always please simply explore for yourself. Remember that growth in one's spiritual path is always a personal experience, do what is right for your own needs and desires.

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Otherkin Psychology, relating to the familiar, a calling for your kind:

It seems perfectly reasonable and rational, that as individuals who identify as something other than human, we may tend to relate more with creatures and forms which are more attuned to our kintype. For example, a dragonkin would likely relate with reptile pets such as snakes and monitor lizards, more than they would with the typical dog or cat. For another example, such an individual may possibly be more enthused or impressed by reptile characters or reptilian representations in the media than they would be by none reptile or the standard human characters.

Likewise, an otherkin who identifies as a unicorn, pegasus or some other equine form would likely be drawn to horses. It would be natural for otherkin to relate with what is familiar to them on a spiritual or self-identifying level. It seems only logical that if otherkin once existed in different lives or as more instinctual creatures we would be drawn more to that which they identify with.

In that regard, it might not be surprising for dragonkin to purchase a large snake or reptile as a pet, or an equine-kin to purchase, rent or care for horses of some sort and so forth, depending on kintypes and how they identify with associated creatures. However, like in all things, there is a need for balance and moderation with how much we may associate with subjects that remind us of our kintypes. There are obvious limits, common sense is important and discretion should be obvious. In defense of us kin who are fans of or interested in interacting different or more exotic pets, it may simply be nature for us, to each their own.

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Channeling the draconic mind and body, a mental exercise for self-affirmation and spiritual growth:

One thing that seems very liberating to do as otherkin is to visualize the form of your inner identity overlapping your physical form, similar to the phantom limb phenomena discussed before, but purposeful and self-induced.

As a mental or spiritual exercise, clear your mind and visualize the form of your kintype overlapping your human form, with all its minute details, the limbs, the traits, a tail if one exists, horns, fur or feathers or scales, what have you. If it is a different gender then of course visualize the obvious, but overall take on the form imaginary or spiritually and see how it feels.

It can be an interesting and fun exercise to visualize shifting between your physical and spiritual identities. As well, try to get into the mind or instincts of the form, the actions and mannerisms, have fun with it!

But just like in all things, this is just a little toy, a meditation or spiritual exercise with little to no physical basis, obviously moderation and balance is key, please don't go off the deep end or do something stupid in result, stay well and have fun!

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Psychological alternatives to being otherkin:

To create all of these writings, it would be biased and dangerous not to at least keep an open mind to the obvious psychological alternatives. As far as society is concerned we are all confused or unstable in some form, spiritually or otherwise and as hard as it may be to think such, we must at least to some extent keep an open mind to the idea that we may be wrong.

(Escapism) - It could be possible, that for some of us, our claim to being otherkin is the result of a subconscious or conscious need to escape from the pains or responsibilities of this life, that for some of us who have lived harsh existences, or have low faith in humanity, we may simply desire to relate to something other than human.

In the end, we may have created a false reality or belief system to elevate us to a different level. While justifying such actions in spiritual terms, we subconsciously may be striving to relate to another form other than human simply to escape the pains that we experience as humans ourselves.

(Ego) - As well, either consciously or subconsciously, it may simply be our egos. Some of us may have formulated our beliefs as a means to combat low self-esteem or poor self-image, feeling that if we could identify as something more powerful or magical, we could fill a personal void or strengthen our personal self-image.

For some it may very well just be a power trip, that as we are otherkin, perhaps it gives us a false sense of pride in the idea that we are different and special, we are something magical in a world of mendacity. That we are superior because we are not like the others who exist in mendacity around us.

(Desire) - For some, perhaps it is just a desire to be something that they relate to. Somebody may reflect upon Draco from Dragonheart , or Saphira from Eragon , Toothless from How to Train your Dragon , or perhaps read the books from Wings of Fire or the Age of Fire series or some other popular dragon centric media, and then thought to themselves “I wish I could be a dragon” and then through a strong desire to be like that creature, formulated a character or persona of similar design then created a back story and laid claim to the idea that he or she was actually that self-created character or persona.

For some, being otherkin could just be a complex role play identity that has gotten completely out of hand, the claimants, falling into illusions and separating fact from reality while having such ideas negatively reinforced by groupthink, enabled and spread by others on the internet who are following obscure and foolhardy beliefs based on irrational and improbable claims with pseudo spiritual and philosophical underpinnings.

(Delusion) - As well, for some, being otherkin could always be the result of emotional and mental misinformation and false assumptions brought about by their own personal delusions and falsehoods in association to neural, hormonal or chemical imbalances in their brains. Overall, there are countless ways for society and psychologists to call our beliefs in being otherkin or a broader claim of being trans-species as a mental disorder, it's really quite easy and rational to judge us when considered from an external perspective.

The only thing that we can truly do to avoid hostile or negative social assumptions about our collective, is to individually strive to personally rule out escapism, ego, and desire as factors in our personal beliefs while focusing on the spiritual, logical or philosophical aspects. We must always strive to be honest and rational in our personal interpretations of our individual paths.

As well, we as otherkin should strive to live and socially express ourselves in a way in which our beliefs do not negatively affect who we are on a social level, we should always be striving for maturity and forward progression while continuing to seek to know ourselves in honesty to our perceptions and inner spirits.

We must always be opened minded to the fact that we could in the end be wrong or deluded, the possibility exists, but we cannot dwell solely on the negatives, fears, or self-doubts, all we can truly do is trust in our spirits, do our best to introspect, maintain integrity and follow our hearts!

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Identifying as Otherkin, a Healthy Skepticism:

Let me be honest, over the years I have been a very questionable influence on others, I had advised from the worldview of a pantheist, a free-spirited “flowers and sunshine” hippy with a very liberal view of spirituality and self-perception. I did not really call for much logic or rationality from others and before the creation of the social media platform Tumblr and the arrival of “Tumblr'kin.” I was, in the past, somewhat of a spiritual enabler. “Find your own path, do whatever feels right, just don't be a fictionkin!” I was a king of fluff, the self-proclaimed dragon pope and until fairly recently I more or less blindly encouraged any pursuit of spirituality and magick whether it was real or simply self-generated perceptions. In an infinite multiverse comprised of energy and spirit, who was I to disagree with anyone's claims? That “anything goes” enabling attitude created a lot of trouble for me and others over the years.

 

I wrote the above self-reflection mostly to remind or alert you, the reader, that I have always leaned more towards a pantheist or multiverse spirituality coupled with the concept that anything is possible. Therefore, I wish to warn of my tendency to be sort of an enabler of others' perceptions, be they real or false. I share this confession so that you can be aware of my own preconceived biases and to reiterate that there are definite rational alternatives to being otherkin, that it is safe and very important to be skeptical at times.

 

For the most part, you know what is best and true for you and your life. I do not wish to get too heavily involved, to each their own. However, if you as otherkin never did seem to have any memories or strong associations, such as for example, you just had a few subjective experiences but never came to anything conclusive, or if you consider yourself overburdened and stressed by possible perceived or subjective experiences while lacking any rational evidence, then identifying as otherkin can tend to become quite an emotional obstruction.

As well, a concern for all of us is that from an outside perspective a lot of being otherkin can and will be considered questionable at best and to any outside observer who may hear of the concept of “otherkin” they would obviously be skeptical, so it is only natural that you would and should at times in life be skeptical yourself.

 

But, it is these times of questioning that separate otherkin from those who simply had a failed understanding in their personal self-awareness. There is nothing wrong with a healthy skepticism or a questioning of one's understanding of self. It's what prevents delusion and it is better to have lived a fantasy and discovered truth than to have remained in a deluded fantasy and never lived the present life.

In as such, for this segment, things will hopefully be different than my usual idealistic “flowers and sunshine” writings. Typically, I mentor newly awakened kin who have stumbled upon my works, often they are teens and young adults trying to figure themselves out and typically, I tend to say to otherkin who are questioning, “Stay the course, the truth will make itself known in time!” But lately, I have come to learn that many I meet may need to hear otherwise at times.

So for yourself, listen. You may have had a long run with your beliefs, or perhaps you just encountered them, you may have experienced friendships inside and outside of those beliefs that others in society could never know of, you may have encountered unique and exciting philosophies and the friends and experiences you have made may last a lifetime.

But in the end, being otherkin is an unsubstantiated subjective perception based on personal sensations and emotion, it creates a unique and enticing reality, but in the long run, it can be a distraction from this life, a life that we all share in a rough and unstable world that must be lived to the fullest.

 

That said, if being otherkin is stressing you out or harming things in your daily life, perhaps lay it to rest for a time, stay the course of humanity, focus on the life that you are in, relieve yourself of the burdens, trials, and dramas of spirituality and simply relish in the sensations and memories of the past when or if the desires demand. Carry on the associations and friendships made, but move on with life as it is and see where it goes. If things are meant to be otherwise and you are undeniably otherkin, then your spirit, the higher self, whatever, by its very nature will most definitely make it known to you one way or the other in the future. The truest evidence for being otherkin are the assumptions or sensations that do not end when you cease believing in them.

 

As well, there may be times in life when it is simply for the best to distance yourself from spirituality and look at things from an external lens for a while. Countless older otherkin have left their spirituality at one point or another, for some the path was real and undeniable and the identity came back to them in later years. Many would agree that a skeptical break is healthy, it sets your life in perspective. If you are truly otherkin or therian or what have you, then taking a break will not change that, but sometimes life needs your attention in the present rather than in the past. Reality needs your focus in the now, sometimes it can be too distracting to focus on what may have once been.

 

To conclude, it is healthy to doubt and it is healthy to take a break sometimes. Just remember to always remain true to yourself and know in your heart that everything will be as it is meant to be. If you should find in time that you were wrong about being otherkin, it is not the end, you can at least say that you have been through a lot and experienced a different take on things that most others would never have known. If nothing else, it is a unique knowledge and worldview to have even been involved in such a diverse and wondrous community. Regardless of outcome, always be true to your spirit, honor yourself and be free to create your future with magick and pride!

Good luck to you and may your path lead to greatness regardless of where the road of time may lead.

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SUB SECTION

HEAD MATES / SPIRIT GUIDES

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So I happen to have some spirit guides or head mates:

Sometimes some otherkin may be visited by sentient consciousnesses during the course of their early awakenings, not always, but it happens for some. Either through personal effort to call such entities forth, or by random chance. I had also noted that a few tend to have spiritual companions or guides throughout their early awakenings, be they truly spiritual entities or multiple dissociative personalities, they commonly tend to help immensely in a variety of ways and provide deep and compassionate companionship to the individuals in question.

Often times, these guides or head mates will communicate as separate sentient minds within ones conscious thoughts, as well as through imaginary images of them which may be accompanied outside one ' s body. Overall these entities exist very similar to imaginary friends, only they are vastly more useful and seem to exist typically for support and companionship.

Although I had a couple myself in my youth, (Jafira / Veltra) I inevitably discovered that they were imaginary projections or aspects of my own personality. I loved them at the time of their existence so I am somewhat protective of the concept, but I must stress that personal and introspective honesty must be kept a priority in one ' s personal path. In all things we need to seek balance and truth. If you have head mates, question them often.

The source of head mates or guides is subjective and open to speculation, perhaps they are external spirits called to you through a personal effort, perhaps they are self created sentient entities of your own spirit such as servitors or tulpas created of your own will for support or companionship. Perhaps, worse case scenario they are our own inane imagination and delusions, though I assure you, ask your guides and they will deny up and down they are delusions, fun how that works.

Regardless of their origins, be they temporary external manifestations of your own spirit, or be they free roaming entities come to assist you, it does not matter. Source and origin are less relevant than rather their purpose. Try to acknowledge their purpose and adapt your understandings around that, if they are negative entities get rid of them promptly, If they are helpful, accept them as cherished friends and work and learn from them as long as they choose to remain.

From what I have observed and experienced with so called head mates, regardless of whether they originated from your own spirit and energies or as outside entities, inevitably in time they will move on. Those who originated from your own personality or spirit will , in time , after their purpose is fulfilled, return to your spirit and merge as one whole again. Those entities called to assist you from external origin, likewise will eventually move on as well.

So if you are lucky enough to obtain some friendly head mates or unseen allies in your early awakenings, cherish them and treat them well so long as they remain, question them often and question yourself as necessary, but never forget what they have to teach you.

For the record, there is obviously a very important need to introspect the possiblity of the psychological alternatives to the spirit/servitor/tulpa explanations, in the form of dissociative disorders. I advise you to thoroughly look into this alongside the obvious possibility of an overactive imagination while in your quest to maintain an open mind and to see all angles. Remember, in all things, always question and know yourself.

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Head Mates / Spirit Guides / Tulpamancing :

In brief summation, these are some possible spiritual and occult explainations.

 

Back when I was experiencing the above referenced phenomena back in the late 90's early 2000's there was to the best of my knowledge no agreed upon term. As the digital otherkin culture was generally more spiritually oriented "spirit guides" or "gaurdian dragons" were the terminology that I chose to use for my own possible head mates. To the outside observer they would best be described as, or considered to be , imaginary friends.

 

I had two in my late teens and early twenties, my gaurdian dragons "Jafira" and "Veltra." In retrospective hindsight they honestly seemed to have been paritioned aspects of my conciousness. For example, I am very shy, so I perhaps subconciously gathered up the most extroverted aspects of my personality and projected them into a unique identity called Jafira, a playful green dragon who I could tap into for advice when socializing. I likewise feared that I was ignorant, so I think I may have subconciously gathered many of my wise and introspective traits and projected them into an elderly yellow dragon called Veltra, whom I could then tap into during exams or when presenting to others.

 

I created these two headmates without cognitively trying. They simply "appeared" one day in my teens and I did not question it. Whenever I got a new dragon pendant I had a tendency to subconciously personalize it, to give the object a spirit or identity and then whenever I would wear the piece of jewelry I would often have those dragons with me, so for me the phenomena happened naturally and I did not honestly question or introspect too deeply upon how or why.

 

In hindsight, these two dragons or headmates from my past coincide with an occult working called Tulpa's, or Servitors. These are spiritual entities created of one ' s own spiritual energy, sometimes shaped from their personality or formed by their intentions and will. These entities can supposedly be created on purpose or by accidental means . They are also not self sustaining entities. In time, if you do not spend time with them, empower them, interact with them, or acknowledge them, they will eventually absorb into you, fade or vanish. This need for long - term interaction is also generally true for head mates , so there is a lot of crossover happening .

 

To understand a head mate, please imagine a sentient free roaming imaginary friend, it can project invisibly outside you and you can see it with your mind ' s eye, but it is connected to you and exists as a seperate mind within your own, sharing your body and taking turns at the wheel perhaps like a willing spiritual possession. The bond and friendship is symbiotic in nature it exists within your mind. That is why the phenomena are called "head mates", it is a play on room mates, you have another entity living in your head with you. Although this entity in the end is most commonly your own spirit or mind. From personal experiences I like to think of them as a sort of partition of ones conciousness, a partition running another operating system to switch or link to interactively.

 

For those involved in occult practices , head mates may also be considered summoned spiritual guides who exist externally and who are meant to assist an individual in their path. However, as with the tulpa, servitor and alternative varients, if you ignore or do not feed them with faith and attention, they will typically leave you.

 

Head mates are in my opinion very difficult to speculate upon, they are subjective and based on faith . Because on one angle, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” But on the other side of the coin, if you were a spirit and your friend ignored you and insisted you did not exist, would you not gradually over time give up in defeat and sadly move on? Head mates, their presence and their eventual absence is therefore all subjective and based on faith . They have so much in common with imaginary friends, but they seem so self aware, so they can be quite complicated.

I have shared the possible spiritual and occult explainations. However , I sincerely wish to encourage deep speculation and heavy introspection into the possible psychological alternatives. In all you do, question everything, know yourself and never cease to learn and grow.

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Psychological alternative to guides or head mates:

Before I continue with this subject I must add an obvious disclaimer that I am just some guy with a computer. I am not a professional in mental health nor am I in any concievable way an authority on these matters. I do not know everything about what the heck I am talking about or what I am doing, I will just be pointing out what seems like common sense explanations as best as I can personally determine. So again, I am not an expert, theologion or a psychiatrist, this is all just personal opinion.

As I had stated in earlier writings, sometimes otherkin may be visited by what can best be described as sentient external or internal consciousness during the course of their awakenings. Not always, but it happens for some, and occurs either through personal effort to call such entities forth, or by random chance. Having these experiences does not make anyone “more otherkin” than anyone else.

For the purpose of disclosure, I may write with a slight bias, as again, I was once such an individual and have had experience with these types of entities. (or cognitive dissociations, depending.) My head mates consisted of a green dragon called "Jafira" and a yellow dragon I called "Veltra . " I, perceiving myself to have been the reincarnation of a black dragon known as Korageth, had simply assumed that Jafira and Veltra were the spirits of two other dragons which whom I as Korageth had once encountered in my prior life. My own experience with these possible spirit guides is a complicated fluff story best saved for another time, the two dragons eventually moved on, and became a part of me as I matured.

Often times, these supposed head mates or spiritual companions will communicate as separate sentient minds, personalities, or thought processes within, but separate from, the individual ' s own conscious thoughts. Overall , these additional consciousness are similar in nature to what are often assumed to be imaginary friends, only these entities are often more useful , tending to be self aware and portraying a more mature demeanor. From my own experience they provide a powerful source of assistance, support and companionship to the individual experiencing the phenomena.

In regards to the possibility of spiritual guides or companions, the two most obvious alternatives to the spiritual explanation are both quite simple. I would assume that the primary school of thought regarding those of us otherkin who claim to have contact with spiritual companions is that we are in fact falling prey to delusion and simply do indeed have some mid-adolescent or adult form of imaginary friends that we have never grown out of.

Perhaps as well head mates could exist as a form of coping, to assist an individual during trying or difficult times in their life. Their presence would allow the experiencer to assess difficulties from varied internal and external perspectives and then to calculate the most rational actions based on a dissociative internal democracy.

It is very easy to pass spiritual guides off as a varient of imaginary friends and this may in fact be true, as much like I stated above, they tend to serve all the same purposes and meet the same needs that imaginary friends would traditionally be known for, such as companionship, assistance, moral support, and so forth.

Another explanation may be the possibility of a dissociative identity, where someone may have created alternate sentient personalities which they can alternate between or communicate and associate with. Both the explanations of psychological dissociation or the imaginary friend theory can potentially be associated with other aspects of otherkinism and the possibility of escapism, be it consciously or subconsciously.

This has just been a very brief and rudimentary look at the two most likely alternatives to the spiritual explanation. As stated earlier , I am no expert on this, I am not a psychologist. I just used what seemed like the most common sense explanations, I am sure that there are many more alternatives as well which I have missed. As well I likely have a butchered or unenlightened understanding of dissociative disorders, perhaps you should check into further personal research to be sure that I was not being ignorant in my writings.

Overall though, I am not here to debunk anything, I just wished to briefly give equal time and balance to both the alternatives as well as to the spiritual explanation. We can not be honest with ourselves unless we have first at least looked at or considered both sides of an equation and then determined for ourselves what is right for us on a personal or individual level. We are all entitled to our paths and beliefs. It is up to you, the individual, to consider both sides and choose what is right to your perceptions and beliefs. Be wise, honest, introspective and seek always to find your own truth.

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Summary:

In my past when I was experiencing those imaginary companions I could never deny that they were real and as free willed as any other physical friend, they were simply trapped in my mind. Since having lost them, I can clearly see the psychological crutch that they may have been and how they were likely self created manifestations.

 

I would betray my youth to say that they were not insanely important to me in my past and that they were spiritual to my self perception at the time. But as an adult I am also equally skeptical and fear that they were frankly imaginary friends, characters given false life drawn from my own attributes.

 

I will remain 50/50 to their validity and helpfulness, but I wished to do my best to warn others to differentiate between "head mates" and possible personality disorders or schizophrenia. Frankly, head mates are like imaginary friends, they are helpful and generally harmless. Whereas the voices experienced in true personality disorders or schizophrenia are much more uncontrollable, chaotic, hostile and sporadic in nature. Please seek to differentiate and do seek professional counseling if experiences or sensations become violent, hostile or out of hand.