I have written this article based on personal experience, the experiences of my closest friends, posts from others on forums or blogs, online articles and some scarce scientific literature that is out there. What I describe here is serious. I’m working as a scientist myself, so I can confirm that I’m not talking nonsense nor am I mentally ill. This article is meant for people who are interested in the non-human species identity and for those who are exploring their own species identity.

If you cannot understand this and find this too far off the chart, even after having read this article, I ask you to leave and mind your own business. You can have your opinion elsewhere and you should NOT openly disrespect others who are not harming you. If you see yourself entitled to scold others and restrict their harmless self-expression and identity, then you prove yourself to be a narrow-minded hypocrite far worse than the people that you’re making a fool of.

Terms and definitions

This article is about people who experience that their identity and/or soul is either partly or fully a non-human animal or another non-earthly being. The terms commonly used to describe individuals with a non-human identity or species perception are ‘therian’ and ‘otherkin’. The word ‘therian’ used to describe people with a non-human identity stems from ‘therianthrope’ which means animal-man. In biology the word ‘therian’ literally means “a mammal of the group Theria, which includes marsupials and placentals” – so it does not include birds and other non-mammals. ‘Therianthropy’ is the most commonly used term to describe people with an Earthly non-human animal identity; a currently living or extinct species. 'Otherkin' refers to people who feel fully or partly that they are another non-Earthly being, be it from ‘fantasy’, fiction, mythology, folklore or an ‘original’ species. The word ‘therianthropy’ is actually biologically flawed and it does not describe everybody’s experiences. First, humans are animals so this separation between ‘humans’ and ‘animals’ is biologically wrong. The second reason is that the term suggests that one has a human- and a non-human side in their identity or species perception. For many ‘therians’ that is indeed the case, but some others identify fully as non-human and do not experience any human-side in themselves. They experience that they are a non-human animal trapped in the wrong body. In that case, the word transspecies is more accurate. However, I get the impression that the otherkin- and therian community is very divided over using this word, but I will come back to that. In this article, I will still mostly use therian/otherkin since these are well known terms and ‘transspecies individuals’ is quite extensive to type repeatedly.

Identifying as another species is not just a modern identity-hype. The representation of humans with features of other animals or vice versa goes as far back in time as to the rock-paintings from stone age. Shape-shifting into another animal has occurred in mythology and folklore since as early as 2500 years ago. One can discuss whether these were cases of therianthropy/otherkin/ transspeciesism or whether the representations had another origin. Nevertheless, shape-shifting and having non-human features go far back in time but the difference of having a non-human identity versus (spiritual) shape shifting is nowadays more defined.

One major difference between, for example, spiritualities like Shamanism in which one communicates with non-human spirits, is that therians/otherkins feel that they are (partly) another animal rather than that they temporarily shift into another animal for spiritual communication. In spiritualities like this, one can indeed assume a spiritual non-human form without feeling that this is one’s own species identity. Being therian/otherkin is also different from just having a strong connection or fascination for a certain species or comparing oneself with a certain species. Therians/otherkins often times strongly feel that their own soul is a non-human animal and in non-spiritual terms it is the difference between identifying with (e.g you are like) versus identifying as (e.g. you are) a certain species. Another very important aspect is that being therian/otherkin is not a choice – either it is in you or it is not and you cannot just change this with brute force. Many seem to be simply born with it.

People tend to confuse furries and fursonas with ’therianthropy’/otherkin/transspiecisism but they are not necessarily the same. Furries are people who like to dress up as (often anthropomorphic and cartoony) non-human animals and they are role-playing non-human animal characters. They often have one or several ‘fursonas’ which can be their non-human alter egos. Furries by definition do not feel that they are non-human animals themselves and that this is their true species identity. However, it is quite common that therians/otherkins also like to dress in fursuits and many are also ‘furries’ and vice versa.

Last but not least, there is the term lycanthropy. Lycanthropy is a psychiatric term for people who believe that they can physically transform into a wolf and they behave accordingly. That is where clinical lycanthropy differs from “therianthropy”/otherkin/transspeciesism since the latter groups do not believe that physical transformation of the body is possible. That said, many individuals with a partly or fully non-human identity function well in society and are therefore not to be considered mentally ill.

A variety of experiences

The degree to which therians/otherkins feel that they are another animal varies strongly per person and the experiences associated with this non-human identity are equally versatile. Some feel that they have a non-human animal side and that they can switch between their human-side and their other animal-side. In this case I would indeed speak of ‘therianthropy’ and this seems to be the most common experiences in the therian/otherkin communities. This experience goes in line with the commonly used terms of ‘mental shifting’, ‘phantom shifting’, ‘dream shifting’ etc., so the accent here is on shifting between the human and non-human side.

Some also have a certain character who represents themselves as a certain alter ego, a bit like a fursona. However this ‘character’ or ‘alter ego’ is a much deeper representation of their ‘inner self’ or their ‘wild side’. One difference with fursonas can be that this is not just a role-playing character, but it is someone who feels like a deeper part of oneself. Some people also like an anthropomorphic representation of themselves showing elements of both species (human and another animal) as a sort of hybrid. The so called anthro-art is therefore very common among therians/otherkins.

In contrast to the above named examples, there are also those who feel that they are fully another animal trapped in the wrong body and as I said before, the term transspecies fits this experience best. They experience a strong incongruence between their fully non-human species identity and their body. In this case, speaking of ‘shifting’ can be considered inaccurate since the non-human identity is permanently present. These individuals do not experience having a human-side to switch on or off. Instead, they describe functioning in society more as wearing a mask and role-playing as a human while still upholding their fully non-human species identity in disguise.

The above named examples suggest that you can only identify as one species. However, some also feel that they are several species, which the community calls ‘theriotypes’, and that they can switch between these species. They would indeed have variable shifts into their different species. Some others feel more like a fluid hybrid with elements of several species combined in one, sometimes mingled with human-features. There is also the very rare case of spirit shifters who can assume the form of any being and do not have any fixed form.

Common ‘signs’ of having a non-human identity

The experiences of therians/otherkins are so versatile that it is difficult to pinpoint what makes one therian/otherkin and what not. I think that this is strongly up to oneself to define. It is mere label and things are never that black-and-white. However, there are some common experiences that can help you find out whether or not you feel (partly) another animal and which species you could be. As I mentioned before, the ‘therian community’ talks a lot in terms of ‘shifts’ and for some people, that is indeed what they experience but that’s not the case for everyone and it shouldn’t mean that one is more or less therian/otherkin. These experiences do not necessarily have to mean that you have a non-human species identity, but if you recognize many of these things, you may as well want to analyse your species identity more in depth.

Feeling strong kinship to a non-human species

As I mentioned before, this goes much deeper than just being fascinated or obsessed by a certain animal species or fantasy/spiritual being. Instead, when you see the species in question, you can feel a strong desire to have the same body, to be part of their society and to live a similar life as them. You just feel that you’re one of them. This is vastly different from just ‘role-playing’ as a certain species. This can also mean that most of your original characters or the spirits with whom you communicate are non-human and take the form of the species with which you feel the closest kinship

Phantom non-human body perception

Many feel phantom body parts of the species that they identify as. This can be a full-body experience or only certain body parts like a phantom tail, phantom ears, muzzle, claws, fur, wings, feathers, fins etc. Some individuals feel that this is constantly present, while others experience it more as ‘phantom shifts’ that come and go. Phantom body parts can be crystal clear but also very vague. Nevertheless, they can be an important source of answers when you try to identify your species identity.

Dreams in which you take a non-human form

Dreams are often nebulous and can therefore be misleading because it is the brain processing daily life experiences. You can take many different forms which are not associated with your species identity. However, repetitive elements in dreams can be an important source of answers, especially when dreams feel very real. The therian/otherkin community calls it ‘dream-shifting’ when you assume a non-human form in your dream.

A mindset change into that of non-human species

The therian/otherkin community often calls this ‘mental’ shifting. It means that you feel fully like the species that you identifies as, for a certain period of time (from minutes to days). For those who experience having both a human and a non-human side, you can say that their non-human side fully takes over their mind. So people feel and behave like their non-human side. This can change your perception and behavior dramatically but keep in mind that humans are animals too, so that there is considerable behavioural overlap, particularly between mammals. However, some behaviours are species specific. For example when you are a wolf, you may focus much more on the sense of smell than normally and you may feel a strong desires to walk on all fours and hunt prey. Some people say that their senses are much sharper when shifted. Indeed, senses can be sharpened through training, but only within the physical limits of the system. Mental shifting is often voluntary but not always and certain situations can trigger it.

Constantly present non-human mindset

Some therians/otherkins experience a constant presence of their non-human side although the extent of this presence can vary (they are known as ‘contherians’ in the community). One can say that the human-side and non-human side coexist simultaneously without ‘shifting’. For those who identify more as transspecies and as fully non-human, the non-human mindset and desires to behave non-humanly are also constantly present but often hidden underneath a mask. In that case, they always feel and think as the species that they truly are. Of course they are raised by humans and this can strongly alter perception, behavior and worldview. However, the non-human mindset prevails constantly in, for example, the desire to walk on all fours, or adopt non-human mannerisms but it can also shine through in having different norms and values than those of normal humans. So in order to function in human society they don’t ‘turn-on’ a human-side (because they don’t have a human-side) but instead transspecies individuals have learned to role-play as a human and wear a mask while still fully experiencing themselves as another animal.

Atypical mannerisms associated with one’s species identity

This is linked with the more or less constantly present (partly) non-human mindset that some individuals experience. Certain mannerisms typical for your species identity can unconsciously seep through in daily life; like growling/snarling, tilting one’s head in a canine way, rubbing your head against objects and many other small things. However, many have learned to control these tendencies and don’t want to show them in public. Another note of caution is the overlap between humans and other animals regarding some behaviors. I say it again: humans are animals after all and many behaviors are commonly shared among mammals. So not all atypical mannerisms have to originate from a non-human species identity and many mannerisms have other causes. However, when you do strongly feel that you are another animal, then you may know where the mannerisms come from.

Strong habitat preferences

Certain habitats feel ‘home’ to you. Many species only live in certain habitat types and thus have a strong association with it. This can serve as a compass to find your own species identity. It is the deep feeling of belonging in a certain place and/or habitat. It can start with just a ‘preference’ but usually it goes deeper than just liking to be somewhere (e.g. taiga forests, tundras, savannahs, the jungle, deserts). Some might also experience this belonging regarding a certain region in which their species lives or has lived. If you believe in reincarnation, this can mean that you have lived there before, so be cautious with distinguishing the past and present.

Non-human astral projection and imagination

This is a more spiritual experience that not everybody has. The strict definition of an astral projection is an out-of-the-body experience; as the soul partly leaving the body for a certain period of time and you may then experience and see your true non-human soul. This also works when communicating with spirits in the astral realm and therians/otherkins often – but not always – appear in the form of the species that they are. In other words, they communicate with other spirits in their true form. For non-spiritual people, it can mean that when you imagine yourself in a certain situation, you often see yourself partly or fully in the form of the species that you identify as.

Species dysphoria

Dysphoria is the feeling of strong disliking or even disgust towards the body that you are currently living in. By far not every therian/otherkin experiences this and many are happy to live in a human body. However, some do not feel happy about this and the emotion is very difficult to control, in a similar way as many transgender people are unable to live in the body that mismatches their gender identity. In the case of species dysphoria, you can experience discomfort or even disgust for the lack of fur, the bipedal locomotion and the lack of body parts that your species would have (e.g. tail, claws, fangs, muzzle, movable ears, wings, horns, fins etc.). You may feel imprisoned in your body and feel strong emotional pain because the body does not allow you to behave and function consistently with your species identity. This can lead to frustration, depression and even suicidal tendencies and it has to be taken seriously, just like gender dysphoria, and it should in no way be regarded as immature or crazy.

The desire to wear ‘gear’ – like tails/ears/furs

Some individuals may wear gear like tails, ears or even entire fursuits to compensate for the pain caused by dysphoria or just because it makes them feel more complete. Unfortunately, I have gotten the impression that many people in the therian/otherkin communities turn this into a hype or requirement to be ‘therian’ whereas others frown upon the use of gear and see it as childish. Point is, the use of gear is personal and has nothing to do with being therian enough or being childish. Yes, some therians/otherkins feel that wearing gear negatively interferes with their phantom body parts and therefore dislike it. Others do not experience dysphoria despite their non-human identity and are happy without gear. However, for those who do experience strong dysphoria, gear can be a way to cope with it in a similar way as some transgender people feel better with protheses.

Misanthropy

This is another topic that seems quite taboo for what I’ve experienced. However, many therians/otherkins can look in variable degrees at human behavior from a distance and through the eyes of a non-human animal. Some feel opposed, if not disgusted by certain human behaviors and cannot identify with it. This tends to go together with dysphoria but not necessarily so. Neither does one have to be therian/otherkin to be misanthropic and see how humans currently rampage and overpopulate the planet. Moreover, humans have unfortunately massacred many other animals, they are dramatically altering the planet, destroying habitats and have already violently driven many species to extinction. When you see humans slaughter or abuse the species that you identify as, it can obviously result in a very negative attitude towards humans in general or towards certain human behaviours. As mentioned under dysphoria, many therians/otherkins (but also many who identify as human) also feel trapped and restricted by human society which can further lead to negative attitudes that are difficult if not impossible to change.

Sexual attraction to a non-human species

I go on with the controversial topics. However, it cannot be shoved under carpets that some therians/otherkins feel a certain sexual or romantic attraction to the species that they identify as. You can experience sexual fantasies and can get aroused by seeing members of your species mate. This is again a very personal experience and many therians/otherkins also (or even exclusively) feel a sexual attraction to humans or humanoids/anthros. However, especially in cases of strong transspeciesism in which you feel fully as another animal, it is possible that you are exclusively attracted to the species that you identify as. One more important thing: never bring this to practice, for many obvious reasons! Only when you find another therian/otherkin of your own species. The point is: do not confuse this with bestiality and do not engage in such cruel activities.

Struggling to adapt to society

As I mentioned under dysphoria, some therians/otherkins struggle to adapt to human society. This can obviously have many other psychological causes, but feeling as another animal doesn’t make it easier. However, many function well, have a normal job and have a relatively normal social life. Many people around them wouldn’t even notice that they are therian/otherkin. This is another reason to not label this as a mental illness. However especially strongly transspecies individuals can experience this as wearing a mask and they feel out of place. This can lead to stress and many feel restricted in telling their friends, family or colleagues about their true identity because they are afraid of rejection. This in turn, can lead to anxiety, loneliness and a negative self-image, and that is to be taken seriously.

“Awakening” and the discovery of your identity

After having listed common experiences among therian/otherkin, I thought to mention the term “awakening” that is commonly used in the ‘therian community’. Awakening is the realization or discovery that one is partly or fully a non-human animal. For many this “awakening” is triggered by finding information on internet or finding like-minded people. Many feel that everything they have experienced before suddenly makes sense. The moment of realizing that you’re not insane and that there are others who experience the same can be both extremely relieving but also very confusing and overwhelming.

Here I have to accentuate that in many people, the non-human identity already existed beforehand (often since childhood) and that reading about it only brings the realization that it all makes sense what you feel. So it is in no way a “contagious disorder” that spreads through popularity and neither does coming out about this “mess up” others. Those are harmful misconceptions and as I mentioned before, the only ones getting harmed by this attitude, are the therians/otherkins themselves.

However, back topic of ‘awakening’. Many experience that their non-human self suddenly gets much stronger as if a captive animal is released into the wild. Many feel the strong urge to talk to others about it and to participate in the community. They get motivated to further explore their identity and learn what it means for them as persons. For others ‘awakening’ can be a more gradual process. As I said before, being therian/otherkin is not something that you choose but the way in which it manifests and when, varies strongly per person. Most individuals have strongly felt (partly) non-human since early childhood but for some it wasn’t that clear from the start and some may have suppressed this for a long time and had forgotten that their non-human self even existed. Then, when they learn about this phenomenon later in life, it can unfold feelings that one hardly knew were there and then ‘awakening’ can go a lot slower. In this awakening process it is important to be open to your own feelings, yet be self-critical. Do a lot of research through introspection, through talking with others and though reading information about the non-human species identity.



Possible explanations

There is quite little scientific research on therianthropy/otherkin/transspeciesism and those few research articles out there either analyze this from anthropological/cultural perspective or study clinical lycanthropy which is indeed a serious mental condition that impairs functioning in society. For what I know, there are no studies on brain structure and so far there is no explanation for why and how one develops a non-human species identity. Since many feel this since early childhood, it could be that certain childhood experiences shape this identity. Children often explore different species identities through roleplaying but in the vast majority, this ceases as they mature. The difference between ‘normal’ children and therian/otherkin children is that this is not mere roleplaying but these children feel that they really are the species that they play and this feeling does not cease with maturation. Some may be able to adopt a human identity in addition, but some do not and never feel that they are human. The reasons for this development are not scientifically studied yet. I am a biologist myself and indeed, I have so far failed to find any neurological explanation for this.

However, there are several spiritual explanations for the phenomenon. Many spiritual therians/otherkins feel that they have partly or fully the soul of another species that is housed in the wrong body for various reasons. Given the rapidly expanding human population and the rapidly declining populations of other animals, it is possible to think that these slain non-human souls have to go somewhere and end up trapped in this exploding human population. It could be that the human population sucks up non-human souls and that some souls fail or refuse to adapt to the body that they got stuck in. Others feel that their soul comes from another world, dimension or realm and that they have willingly come to this place. Past life memories as a non-human animal can also possibly affect current species perception and maybe this could be why some people feel that they are several non-human animals at the same time. When you believe in reincarnation and are exploring past lives it can get hazy and finding the difference between past and present species and then it is even more important to carefully analyse yourself if you want to find answers about your current species identity. Spiritual or not, analyzing your non-human identity requires a lot of introspection and self-analysis to fully understand what and who you are. That in turn will positively affect your ego and therefore your mental health.

The comparison with transgenders

Unfortunately, as soon as I draw the parallel between transgenders and therians/otherkins, online rage breaks out and people feel insulted. However, let me point out that these are strictly individual experiences and some people who are transgender ánd therian/otherkin can emphasize this. Some who are both say that these are two completely different things that yet coexist in one individual. However, for other transgender therians/otherkins it feels as the same thing, namely feeling a mismatch between body and identity, just at different aspects. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t devaluate someone else’s experiences. So let’s analyze this neutrally.

Gender identity is complex and not as binary as some people think. One can be agender, bigender, transgender, cisgender, genderfluid etc. So is species identity complex, and neither of these identities are strictly dictated by the body assigned at birth. So when gender identity and/or species identity mismatches the body, there is the feeling of incongruence. This mismatch between body and identity is there in both therians/otherkins and transgenders. One difference is that the brain structure of most transgenders is indeed closer to the gender they identify as, whereas there is no clear evidence for altered brain structure in transspecies individuals. The degree to which one experiences gender or species incongruence as worse than the other and the way it comes forward in daily life strongly differs from person to person. Many transgender therians/otherkins say that being transgender affects their daily lives much more than does their non-human identity. Some experience it the other way around. So people shouldn’t tell each other what is supposed to be worse.

Dysphoria is a rather common consequence of feeling a mismatch between body and gender and/or species identity. As I said before, not every transgender nor therian/otherkin person experiences this, but both groups mention that stress due to this incongruence is common. Some transgender therians/otherkins feel that gender dysphoria and species dysphoria are two different sources of stress and two very different mechanisms, with one often being more prominent than the other. However, others experience a more general dysphoria and don’t distinguish much between gender and species.

In both transgenders and therians/otherkins, signs have often been present since early childhood. Many may have overlooked or suppressed these signs for years, sometimes far into adulthood. However, with some back-tracing, the evidence for being transgender and/or transspecies was there very early on. This is not the case with everybody and identities can change over time but in the majority, the species- and gender identity was already (unconsciously) developing in early childhood.

Another important parallel is that this identity cannot be ‘fixed’; one cannot pretend to be something that they are not. Being transgender and/or transspecies is not a choice and neither is it a mental disorder that needs to be ‘cured’. For some people, the species identity is more fluid which may allow them to cope more easily with their bodies. I suspect that this could also be the case genderfluid people and for those who experience both a human-side and a non-human side. However, for more binary transgender- and strongly transspecies individuals, it is not that easy. One cannot ask a transwoman to ‘be a man’ nor call her a man because of her body assigned at birth. Neither can one call a transspecies person ‘human’ because of their body assigned at birth. I will come back to that because saying this is yet again rather taboo in ‘therian communities’.

Which incongruence – gender or species – is experienced as worse, is very individual and I will elaborate a bit on that. Transgender experiences are often more upfront since Western society is quite gender-focused and thus confrontational for transgender people in daily life. Wrong pronouns, gender discrimination, gender role expectations are some examples. However, transspecies individuals can experience similar things as being called the wrong species, being forced in a role that is inconsistent with one’s identity or being ridiculed. So, many transgenders and therians/otherkins experience having to hide their identity from the general public and often even from friends, family and colleagues. Many are afraid to be called crazy, insane, or to hear “it’s all in your head” or “you’re just human”, “you’re just a man or woman”. Many therians/otherkins do live closeted and online experiences tell me that there are indeed many judgmental people around the internet who do not take this seriously. Unfortunately, this is also the case for LHBT people in some countries and many transgenders still meet resistance and feel that their gender is not taken seriously. Now curiously enough, I have come over some otherkin groups that kick out any member who dares to say that therians/otherkins are oppressed. Here is the definition of oppression according to the Cambridge dictionary: “a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom”. That is indeed a bit extreme and fortunately no longer the case for most LHBT people and therians/otherkins nowadays. However, many do feel restricted in expressing their gender, sexual orientation or species identity and in that sense, yes – many have to live in the shadows, unable to openly be themselves. Fortunately, there is a growing acceptance for LHBT people in many Western countries, but experience tells me that this is not exactly the case for therians/otherkins. The conversations under these posts clearly witness of that:





So yes, many therians/otherkins also experience having ‘to come out of the closet’ – either towards themselves or towards close friends and family and as I said before, many are afraid to do so even towards their closest companions. Despite the rather common need to more openly express the non-human identity, many prefer to stay closeted out of fear to be ridiculed.



Dealing with having a non-human identity

Many therians/otherkins don’t experience any stress associated with their non-human identity and many are in a way proud of it, but as may be clear by now – this is not the case for everybody. There is no straight answer in how to deal with this stress but I will list a few things that can be helpful. The point is, you have to find your own way to fill in your life with a non-human identity and make the best out of it.

Finding peace with your identity

Finding out what species you feel and how you feel this in relation to you as a person can bring some inner peace and pride. I’ve seen various ways in filling that in and as I mentioned earlier, some find a middle-ground and adopt a dual identity in which one is content with both a human and non-human-side. Others feel happy with a hybrid identity in which human- and non-human features combine and create a sort of middle-form. However, there are also those who strictly separate between their body and their identity and they reinforce this separation by dismissing the body as part of their identity. This too, is a valid strategy to defend one’s species identity. The ‘therian community’ seems to frown upon this for reasons unknown to me. Perhaps they see it as ‘irrational’ or ‘delusional’ or even ‘dangerous’. However, in the same way as with transgenders, I can say that the body doesn’t define what and who you are and those who strongly feel this way deserve respect as well. For many it is not a choice to feel this distance and rejection for the body assigned at birth. For these individuals it is simply impossible to accept anything human as part of themselves. Yet these transspecies individuals are painfully well aware of their mismatching bodies and they do not need constant reminders of what species their wrong bodies are. They are not stupid, blind, delusional nor dangerous. Similarly so is it unethical to constantly remind transgenders of what gender their bodies were at birth. Nobody can tell you what and who you are, except yourself. Moreover, unlike transgenders who can use hormones and surgery to alter the body into what feels right, there is no way for transspecies to transition the body accordingly to their species identity and that makes the situation even worse for those who experience this separation. So this distancing strategy is something that also the therian community should respect a lot more.

Finding social support

It can bring a lot of relief to talk about your identity with someone whom you trust. Talking to others who feel the same can give you support and it can help you find out more about yourself. It is also a great experience to meet fellow therians/otherkins in ‘real life’, so if you feel that desire, try to make that happen. See more in ‘The online community’ below.

Go outside and set your true self free.

Going outside and being in the habitat that matches with your species’ habitat can be really refreshing and calming. If possible, just let go of the brakes, take down your mask or allow yourself to mentally shift. Everybody needs some time to be themselves without restriction and as long as you don’t bother others (that also means other non-human animals!) with it, you should be free to do so. Go climb trees, walk on all fours if you feel like it, climb rocks and just be wild. Do whatever makes you feel most yourself as the non-human species that you are.

Meditation

Meditation is a powerful tool to bring inner peace and it can help you focus on your phantom non-human body. It can both strengthen your non-human identity and it can help against dysphoria. There are countless ways to meditate but especially for those who feel that they are (partly) a wild animal, it is a good idea go out in Nature and mediate there.

Wear gear if you feel like it

Wearing gear is not childish. If you experience strong dysphoria due to the incongruence between your body and identity, then wearing gear when at home or in private situations can help you cope with it. As I mentioned before, some perceive this as interfering with their phantom body but others might find great relief in, for example, wearing a tail.

Clothing

I don’t mean going to work in a fursuit or with a tail. I wouldn’t recommend that. But try to find clothing that makes you feel closer to your non-human identity. Some find tight clothes comfortable because it reminds them of tight skin and a thin furcoat while others prefer baggy clothes to feel their non-human self better. There are no specific therian/otherkin fashion to follow so just try different clothing styles like metal, punk, gothic. Experiment with jewelry or shirts featuring your species. Just be free with your clothing style.

Practice art

Many find peace and solace in art in whatever form. Music, drawing, writing, acting, dancing, martial arts – you name it. Drawing your own species can help you express yourself in a way that you can’t always do in daily life. It can be a great way to ventilate stress or just let your non-human self breathe.





Engage in spirituality or fantasy

Not everybody is spiritual and that is fine. Nevertheless, you can still engage in fantasy and express your non-human self through, for example, roleplaying fictional characters. Spiritual people often feel the close guidance of spirits, which can be a great source of support. Especially if you feel lonely and surrounded by the species (humans) that you do not identify as, it can be very relieving to find and connect to spirits of your own species.





Watch documentaries of your species – seek contact with your species – IF possible!

For some therians/otherkins it helps to watch documentaries of their species or to make contact with them. Mind that this is not always possible and think reasonably here. Visiting sanctuaries or zoos can be an option, but be careful with zoos and the way they keep the animals. Also be mindful with safaris and the degree of disturbance to wild animals. NEVER pet cubs of wild predators nor walk with or touch adult predators. Especially in the case of lions and tigers, there is a very cruel practice behind that. Neither would true sanctuaries allow you to touch the animals. Coming in contact or watching your species does not work for everyone. For those who do feel such strong dysphoria and longing to be with their kind, it can backfire to see one’s true species without the ability to live as them and with them. Just try what works for you.

The online community

I just mentioned that finding support from others who feel non-human as well can be very helpful and I will share a bit of my experiences and the impressions that I got about online therian/otherkin communities. Unfortunately, they are not all that positive. There are quite many therians/otherkins scattered all over the world and some come together online or even in real life, either through arranged gatherings (the so-called ‘Howls’) or through meeting a fellow transspecies/otherkin friend. However, many don’t actually participate on forums or other online groups for certain reasons that I will list below and I therefore urge anybody to be very critical towards the groups that they participate in.

Certain therian/otherkin groups (particularly on Tumblr and DeviantArt) come across to me as quite judgmental and snobbish and they reject certain experiences that they regard as ‘too extreme’ or as ‘immature’. For some reason, the term ‘transspecies’ is taboo in many groups and so is drawing the parallel with transgenders/the LGBT community or calling therians/otherkins ‘oppressed’, thereby disregarding the feelings of quite many non-human individuals. So, many forums and groups come across to me as very rigid in what they accept and what not and I’ve sensed little openness to different therian/otherkin experiences, spiritualities and ways to deal with it (e.g. with using gear). I get the impression that there is a lot of frowning upon each other and I’ve sensed some discrimination even among those who claim to be therian/otherkin, especially as it comes to certain feelings and attitudes towards humans.

Other than the snobbish, judgmental atmosphere in many groups, there is the idea that it’s ‘cool’ to be therian/otherkin and that it somehow makes one popular, superior or places one in the center of attention. This attention-seeking behavior makes coming out for serious therians/otherkins very difficult and doesn’t improve public tolerance. These popular so called ‘therians’ are often young teenagers who have learned about the terms and call themselves ‘therian’ without further self-analysis. You often recognize them by the fact that they parade with their ‘identity’ openly and many confuse this with role-playing and having fursonas. Such so-called therian/otherkin communities are full of wannabees and the atmosphere is often quite toxic; especially in ‘packs’ of so-called ‘teenwolves’ where it is all about dominance and submission and controlling each other through ‘pack rules’. These kind of people create a negative attitude towards (teenage) therians and that is particularly harmful for teenagers who seriously search for their non-human identity. Especially because the sensitivity for social pressure and the desire to explore oneself is strongest in teenagers, it is extra important to welcome them and guide them in a mature and open way. So teenagers, beware of what group you participate in when you search for your species identity. Don’t get caught in the thought of popularity or ‘being cool’ and don’t let others tell you what you should or should not feel to be otherkin/transspecies. It is equally ok to discover that you feel fully human and are happy your body assigned at birth. The same message goes to those whom I called ‘wannabees’ – think seriously about the terms that you use and think seriously about who and what you really feel inside before you parade with a certain label.

So after these warnings I can say that there are some good ways to come in contact with other therians/otherkins. Now, that said, I strongly advise you to avoid the ‘therian community’ on Tumblr. I may be wrong but to me that came across as a kindergarten battleground. One very good and mature forum that has helped me a lot on my search is the Werelist. There are many serious adults there who gladly help younger people on their journey. I have experienced the atmosphere there as open and tolerant and it is honestly the only big therian forum/group in which I have felt this way. Other than that, I have found all my therian/otherkin friends on DeviantArt but not through groups. The few groups on DA that I have checked have restrictive rules and I didn’t feel like participating in them. There are actually many, many serious therians/otherkins on DeviantArt but unfortunately most remain cryptic because they feel public intolerance towards their non-human identity. However, with experience you learn to recognize them and through one-to-one conversations you can even find your friends for life.

So the most important point regarding communities and finding like-minded people is to remain critical and to not let others tell you what you should or should not feel/experience. The otherkin/transspecies experiences are so versatile that there is only one person who can tell you what and who you are, and that is you, yourself.

Information on the internet

Good information sources are vital for those who are exploring for their potential non-human identity, but unfortunately good information not that easy to find. I often stumble over word-choice that I don’t agree with or articles that place these highly versatile experiences in strict, narrow boxes. I have seen many labels thrown around and a lot of what I call ‘dichotomy talk’. That is talking as if there is a separation between humans and other animals, which is biologically false, as I pointed out earlier. So are there many descriptions that I find either too nebulous or far too rigid, incomplete or dictating. Neither is there much good scientific information available but there is one very good scientific article that explains the non-human species identity neutrally, respectfully and rather completely:

Grivell, T., Clegg, H., and Roxburgh, E., 2014. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of identity in the therian community. Identity 14(2): 113-135.

Request a copy here or note me to send the pdf.

www.researchgate.net/publicati…

Or get the article from here sci-hub.tw/10.1080/15283488.20…9

Here is another scientific analysis of the non-human species identity that I find quite good.

Bricker, N., 2016. Life stories of therianthropes: an analysis of nonhuman identity in a narrative identity model. Senior thesis, Lake forest College. publications.lakeforest.edu/cg…

Here are some other sources on internet that I consider helpful and informative:

A short overview about ‘therianthropy’: therianthropyresearchgroup.wee…

A general, rather complete and neutral description about ‘therianthropy’ en.wikifur.com/wiki/Therianthr…

And the same for otherkin: en.wikifur.com/wiki/Otherkin

A list of general misconceptions regarding ‘therianthropy’: therian.fandom.com/wiki/Common…

An overview of articles and definitions commonly used in the therian community: therian.fandom.com/wiki/Specia…



Some links to other information sources – I haven’t checked them all:





Felis Glacialis, March 2020

