Alterhuman: Having an identity that is alternative to the common societal idea of 'human'; a person who identifies as such. A large umbrella term that applies to a wide range of experiences.
Animal/Other/Fiction-Hearted: When one has an integral emotional/mental connection with something, often to the point of describing themselves as almost being that thing, or of being family, but without identifying as that thing. Can be very emotionally intense.
Copinglink: see otherlink
Daemonism/Daemons: The practice of speaking to a daemon; A personified version of the second half of someone's mental dialogue, usually mentally represented in an animal form. Usually has a name, gender and personality; often the dæmon's personality is at least somewhat different from that of the person. Comes from the Greek word "daimon", a minor spirit (either good or evil). Also "dæmon". A concept and community formed around the idea of daemons from Pullman's His Dark Materials series. Some may consider their own experiences as a daemian to be alterhuman.
Fableling: a fictional identity facet in a median system, who has experiences and feelings in common with both fictives and fictionkin in a way that makes them feel positioned somewhere between or adjacent to the two. Coined by myself and Vagabond Sun.
Fictionflickers: "not quite plurality, not quite soulbonding, not quite fictionkin; a sort of nebulous experience of shifting identity through various fictional characters, of briefly (or extendedly) "becoming" fictional people and the shift in identity and perception this may involve, with or without the experience of memories or past-life leanings (or any belief that such a phenomenon is necessarily spiritual or otherworldly in nature). If you've ever felt yourself "imprinted on" by a fictional identity, if you've ever spent a day or a week feeling like a character, if you've ever momentarily expected to see a different, yet familiar, face in the mirror -- if you've ever felt flickers of fiction in your identity -- this may be a helpful, or at the very least interesting, community." [2]
Fictionkin: Fictionkin are people who identify as fictional characters or species. Fictionkin can be from any sort of media material, including books, TV shows, plays, comics and movies. They may see their identity as spiritual (such as reincarnation related) or psychological. [3]
Median: Being neither fully multiple, nor fully singlet, but an experience of plurality between the two; a single identity made up of multiple identities.
Multiple System: A collective of people who live in and share one body.
Otherkin: Otherkin are those who, similar to therians, experience themselves as being internally nonhuman in some way. While it has in more recent years become an umbrella term for all nonhumans, it originally referred only to mythical beings, and then still mostly to faerie creatures since it began with The Silver Elves and The Elf Queen's Daughters back in the 70s, and flapsnakes and unicorns had their own separate communities, though eventually were absorbed into the otherkin umbrella. The species an otherkin considers themself is called a kintype.
Otherlink: A more voluntary type of identity where one identifies as something (animal, mythical, or fictional), often but not always as a coping identity (called a copinglink). It may or may not be actively chosen to begin with, but it is continuously maintained as a chosen part of someone's identity. It can be deeply integral to a person, or something fleeting that comes and goes. While hypothetically a 'link can be "dropped," it's more often that someone changes and evolves their link to better suit them than drop the identity entirely, which can be difficult depending on how integral the identity is to a person.
Phasing: An alternative term to words like "shifting" and "switching" for those who don't feel those words apply, see [this post (link)]
Plurality: The experience of having more than one consciousness/mind/identity/facet sharing a single mindspace and/or body. An umbrella term for various types of experiences such as DID, endogenic multiplicity, soulbonding, and median systems. Applies to all experiences between a scale of singlet to multiple. Not all plurals consider themselves alterhuman, but the umbrella is open to them.
Shifting: A shift is something 'kin/therians may experience when their kin/theriotype becomes more prominent in some way. The term originated among therians and was slowly adopted to express similar experiences among otherkin and fictionkin. As such, most shifting terminology is still explained being geared toward therian experiences.
Singlet: One person in one body with no other consciousnesses sharing that mind or body space with them; Not plural.
Synpath: "Synpath is a tidy name for something you identify with on several levels, which could be a concept that resonates really strongly with you, an animal or mythological creature you feel you act like, or a person or character you share a lot of common behaviors with, among other things." [4]
Therianthropy: Therianthropes are people who experience themselves as being internally nonhuman, specifically as Earthly animals we've proven to exist, the animal(s) the individual is/are would be called "theriotypes." The community began on alt.horror.werewolves back in the 90s and has expanded since.
Theriomythic: A term created for those who identify as mythical beasts, who find themselves with a kin/theriotype that has both mythical and animalistic experiences and who might benefit from being in both otherkin and therian circles.
Animal/Other/Fiction-Hearted: When one has an integral emotional/mental connection with something, often to the point of describing themselves as almost being that thing, or of being family, but without identifying as that thing. Can be very emotionally intense.
Copinglink: see otherlink
Daemonism/Daemons: The practice of speaking to a daemon; A personified version of the second half of someone's mental dialogue, usually mentally represented in an animal form. Usually has a name, gender and personality; often the dæmon's personality is at least somewhat different from that of the person. Comes from the Greek word "daimon", a minor spirit (either good or evil). Also "dæmon". A concept and community formed around the idea of daemons from Pullman's His Dark Materials series. Some may consider their own experiences as a daemian to be alterhuman.
Fableling: a fictional identity facet in a median system, who has experiences and feelings in common with both fictives and fictionkin in a way that makes them feel positioned somewhere between or adjacent to the two. Coined by myself and Vagabond Sun.
Fictionflickers: "not quite plurality, not quite soulbonding, not quite fictionkin; a sort of nebulous experience of shifting identity through various fictional characters, of briefly (or extendedly) "becoming" fictional people and the shift in identity and perception this may involve, with or without the experience of memories or past-life leanings (or any belief that such a phenomenon is necessarily spiritual or otherworldly in nature). If you've ever felt yourself "imprinted on" by a fictional identity, if you've ever spent a day or a week feeling like a character, if you've ever momentarily expected to see a different, yet familiar, face in the mirror -- if you've ever felt flickers of fiction in your identity -- this may be a helpful, or at the very least interesting, community." [2]
Fictionkin: Fictionkin are people who identify as fictional characters or species. Fictionkin can be from any sort of media material, including books, TV shows, plays, comics and movies. They may see their identity as spiritual (such as reincarnation related) or psychological. [3]
Median: Being neither fully multiple, nor fully singlet, but an experience of plurality between the two; a single identity made up of multiple identities.
Multiple System: A collective of people who live in and share one body.
Otherkin: Otherkin are those who, similar to therians, experience themselves as being internally nonhuman in some way. While it has in more recent years become an umbrella term for all nonhumans, it originally referred only to mythical beings, and then still mostly to faerie creatures since it began with The Silver Elves and The Elf Queen's Daughters back in the 70s, and flapsnakes and unicorns had their own separate communities, though eventually were absorbed into the otherkin umbrella. The species an otherkin considers themself is called a kintype.
Otherlink: A more voluntary type of identity where one identifies as something (animal, mythical, or fictional), often but not always as a coping identity (called a copinglink). It may or may not be actively chosen to begin with, but it is continuously maintained as a chosen part of someone's identity. It can be deeply integral to a person, or something fleeting that comes and goes. While hypothetically a 'link can be "dropped," it's more often that someone changes and evolves their link to better suit them than drop the identity entirely, which can be difficult depending on how integral the identity is to a person.
Phasing: An alternative term to words like "shifting" and "switching" for those who don't feel those words apply, see [this post (link)]
Plurality: The experience of having more than one consciousness/mind/identity/facet sharing a single mindspace and/or body. An umbrella term for various types of experiences such as DID, endogenic multiplicity, soulbonding, and median systems. Applies to all experiences between a scale of singlet to multiple. Not all plurals consider themselves alterhuman, but the umbrella is open to them.
Shifting: A shift is something 'kin/therians may experience when their kin/theriotype becomes more prominent in some way. The term originated among therians and was slowly adopted to express similar experiences among otherkin and fictionkin. As such, most shifting terminology is still explained being geared toward therian experiences.
- Mental Shifts: occurs when and individual takes on the mentality of their therio/kintype. This occurs across a drastic range and can be something as slight as a minor change in attitude to something more drastic, such as walking on all fours or attempting to fly.
- Sensory Shifts: A sensory shift is a type of shift experienced by therians/otherkin wherein an individual is immersed in their therio/kintype’s energy or mindset, which results in a change in focus on the senses that might match their therio/kintype's way of sensing the world. (e.g. a wolf therian suddenly being more aware of smells and sounds that most people ignore.) The individual will generally feel much more alert, aware, and animal/nonhuman-ish.
- Phantom Shifts: a type of shift experienced by many kinds of alterhumans wherein they experience supernumerary phantom limbs. Some of the more common shifts are ears, wings, and tails, but this is by no means an exhaustive list of what can be experienced.
- Cameo Shifts: A cameo shift is a shift experienced by a therian/otherkin/fictionkin involving a nonhuman form/fictional being other than one of their therio/kintypes. They are temporary and can be purposefully induced by some.
- Bilocation Shifts: While no definition was ever solidly decided on for this term, it generally refers to one of two ideas: A phantom shift where one feels an entirely separate body matching their therio/kintype next to or overlapping with their physical body; alternately, the projection of one's therio/kintype outside of their body as an astral double. Many would exclude this sort of shift entirely due to how poorly defined and rarely used it was, but I choose to include it for the purposes of the first potential definition.
- Physical Shifts: Physically shapeshifting into one's therio/kintype. Widely (and rightly) believed to be physically impossible and highly shunned as a topic. Anyone claiming to be able to shift this way is met with extreme skepticism and hostility, and so far, no one who has made these claims has ever provided proof.
Singlet: One person in one body with no other consciousnesses sharing that mind or body space with them; Not plural.
Synpath: "Synpath is a tidy name for something you identify with on several levels, which could be a concept that resonates really strongly with you, an animal or mythological creature you feel you act like, or a person or character you share a lot of common behaviors with, among other things." [4]
Therianthropy: Therianthropes are people who experience themselves as being internally nonhuman, specifically as Earthly animals we've proven to exist, the animal(s) the individual is/are would be called "theriotypes." The community began on alt.horror.werewolves back in the 90s and has expanded since.
Theriomythic: A term created for those who identify as mythical beasts, who find themselves with a kin/theriotype that has both mythical and animalistic experiences and who might benefit from being in both otherkin and therian circles.
1. Phasmovore. "Alterhuman Personal Identity." Draconius Dicklustius Leo. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://phasmovore.tumblr.com/post/98482696958/this-will-probably-be-my-last-post-on-semantics>.
2. "Fictionflickers - Profile." Fictionflickers - Profile. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://fictionflickers.livejournal.com/profile>.
3. "About Fictionkin." Fictionkin Dot Com. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://fictionkin.com/about-fictionkin/>.
4. Stirdrawsandreblaws. "Synpath FAQ." Synonym Roll Boss. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://stirdrawsandreblaws.tumblr.com/post/114995804896/synpath-faq>.
2. "Fictionflickers - Profile." Fictionflickers - Profile. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://fictionflickers.livejournal.com/profile>.
3. "About Fictionkin." Fictionkin Dot Com. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://fictionkin.com/about-fictionkin/>.
4. Stirdrawsandreblaws. "Synpath FAQ." Synonym Roll Boss. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://stirdrawsandreblaws.tumblr.com/post/114995804896/synpath-faq>.
