Otherkinds: Of Otherkin & Autism

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I've been walking down a strange path in my mind lately, and it might mean there's something I need to do. Something good. Signing up here and making this post will be instrumental with whatever my next step is. So here I am, and I'd like to parlay.

I've noticed that there's a lot of hostility toward otherkin. That there are those who even believe it's just misappropriation of trans culture (even though the two are of the same age, neither is a neologism), or worse. I'd like to address that in my first post, here. In fact, I'm most interested in doing so and in the reception I'll receive.

First things first? I'm a man of science. A very opinionated one, at that. I don't believe in dark gravity, I think it's almost a disconcertingly shady religion set up around a search for a godhead. It emenates vibes of scientology from its core. No, I'm much more inclined to think that theories surrounding pilot wave gravity and/or emergent gravity are correct. Especially considering how likely wrong we are about the galactic masses. Look at how wrong we recently learned we were about Andromeda.

That might establish some credentials, there.

The next thing I should say is that I'm forty years old and an Otherkin of sorts. Suffice it to say that I'm soul agnostic, which can be simplified down into "I don't know, man." To put this more lucidly, I wouldn't know if I have an inhuman soul as I'm not even certain that I possess such an ephemeral quality, period. So how does this work? Well, it's all about identity, specifically its formation.

I do believe there's a grounds for imprinting. And that's where this congeals into something tangible for me; We know that animals imprint, and humans are animals, so therefore it's likely that humans imprint too. There's lots of studies and evidence out there that add credence to this possibility, but let's assume for a moment that we do, in fact, imprint in our formative years. What then? Well, you're rather human obsessed, aren't you?

You've probably never really thought about it. I wouldn't blame you, you'd need all of your perceptions knocked around to even consider the possibility; And yet, it's true, humans are notably human-obsessed. It can go to extremes as well, where the preference turns into something ugly. The tenets of White Supremacy and National Socialism come to mind. This obsession with the target of one's imprinting can become very problematic if this stark obession results in violence. I daresay that disordered over-imprinting is what gave rise to groups like the Alt-Right.

Even without taking it to such extremes, though? You can see evidence of this in any fiction which happens to contain a source of species or peoples unlike our own. Star Trek has a Federation which, fascinatingly, is headquartered on Earth. In America, no less. Star Wars similarly places humans in the most pivotal roles; The other creatures, as sapient as they might be, never really get a look in.

You don't realise how peculiar this is until you're looking at it from the outside.

What, then, if a person doesn't -- or for some reason, cannot -- imprint on humans? Ah, if such a thing were to happen, surely their perceptions would be shunted sideways; Meanings would be irrevocably transmogrified. That is indeed the case. Just as it is with Autism, for an Otherkin who's imprinted on a target that isn't human one can feel as though they're looking in from the outside in regards to humanity. This is why the hostility I've seen some here espouse is mistifying and disconcerting to me; It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. It ties into the second thread I'm going to create, eventually, about group ties, contradictory prejudices, and so on. For now, though, let's focus on this topic.

What do you see when you look at this picture?

Last edited by AuldWolf on 04 Mar 2018, 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It's a bit of Clyde Caldwell fantasy art. Very typical of '80s/early '90s Dungeons & Dragons. I would surmise that for the majority it would be a painting of a group of heroes facing off against the evil dragon; Which is an interesting and ingrained assumption.

If I might be allowed a little satire, here? It's not like we have a detective who's gathered evidence to discern the guilt of the party in question, is it? Fantasy worlds don't exactly have CSI and forensics departments. You don't see a dwarf turning up with sheets of plastic to dust for fingerprints. Now, I will say that this is oh so very much my kind of fantasy. I'd certainly want to be a gumshoe in a high-fantasy or science-fantasy reality, piecing together these scenes of tragedy to learn the truth of them. I don't quite get the appeal of devoting one's existence to hitting things with a big stick or pointy implement. That's just me.

So, the point is is that if a dragon were to be indicted of some act, if guilt were proclaimed against them; Is there ever any evidence of this act? No. Why bother? It's a dragon. So it most certainly must be evil, and that's justification to slay it.

I'm intrigued by this as the evil dragon is actually a much more modern cultural construct. For both Asian and Celtic cultures, dragons were wise, kind, and caring. The depiction of the evil dragon was a distended, fell portrayal as part of a confidence plot to convert pagans to Christianity. That's why Christianity has so many evil dragons; Now you know.

Anyway, the point here is that, to me, this picture could just as easily be one of home invasion. A group of bandits who've wandered into someone's house and plan on murdering them and taking all that is theirs. That's what "heroes" do, isn't it? Murder without reason and feel entirely justified to take all their victim's belongings? Kill and loot. And why is this story the only one to be told? What if the dragon is innocent and we're actually looking in on a crime scene; A group of ne'er-do-wells with the intent to savagely kill and pillage. Is it difficult to think of it that way because of the dragon's appearance?

It's probably uncomfortable to have to think about this. It takes one out of their comfort zone, which leads to dismissals with claims of silliness and absurdity. Why, though? One tale is as valid as any other, is it not? The weight toward one story over another is what interests me, though. That's what I find intriguing and I would posit as evidence of this imprinting. If you hadn't imprinted in this way, though? Your world is suddenly a disturbing, unsettling place to live where nothing feels quite right. A sentiment I'm sure you can relate to.

[[ Continued in next post. ]]

Last edited by AuldWolf on 04 Mar 2018, 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

So for those who -- due to abuse, chemical differences, genetic mishaps, or what have you -- who've imprinted on anything other than a human? The world is a fairly harsh place.

And there are those who've imprinted on cats, or dogs, or even fantasy creatures; It all depends on what one had the strongest emotional link with in their formative years. For this one, it was dogs. For another, it might be an elf, a fairy, a dragon, or an animal; Imprinting doesn't care whether an animal exists or not, that's not how human psychology works. Nor has it ever been. And this imprinting becomes so entrenched in one's personality that were you ever to take it away, it would effectively be deleting the person as they wouldn't be themself any more.

Much in the same way as "curing autism" would result in cessation of the autistic self. There would be a new person where the old once stood; A concept I've battled bitterly with others to prove. I'm fervantly against the notion of "cures" for autism, as you might as well just round up autistic people in concentration camps and summarily execute them. It's really not that different, is it? Your identity is who you are. You are your identity. The very sum of everything that makes you, you is what the word identity means.

And identity is complicated. Very complicated. It's more intricate than the most complex, miniscule clockwork; And it has more variables than we could ever really unravel. This is why many scientists dislike the human brain. The randomness of entropy giving rise to sapience results in any number of things happening; We exist -- as thinking, sapient beings -- thanks to quantum shenanigans. And we all do very much exist, as ourselves, as our identities; To invalidate any person, any identity, is a profound wrongness.

I can't wrap my head around why anyone would do it.

Of course, thanks to how complex we are; Our identity may not always match our physical existence. There are many of us who were born many centuries before our time. With minds more open than most seem to be ready for. In a far flung future where body shops where one can change one's form as easily as one's outfit exist -- whether in base reality or an AI-assisted simulated one -- the concept of Otherkin wouldn't be that strange at all. Everyone would be trying out all different kinds of forms. Wouldn't you want to know what it feels like to fly unaided? The variety and diversity of existence would be open to us so... Why not?

It'd be rather dull to simply stay in one's birth form at that point, wouldn't it? I imagine the supremacists would be all for that, but for the majority I'd think exploration would be the order of the day, yes?

Of course, as a footnote, I wouldn't exactly see them as body 'shops,' per se, but that's an easy simile to convey my thinking. I imagine that being able to change one's form at that point will be a basic human right. The groundwork is being laid for that now with concepts such as morphological freedom, but I digress. I get distracted easily.

Anyway. Sadly, we live in the here and now; And the here and now is much more limited.

Still, these identities do exist. There are people who can and do imprint on non-human creatures. That isn't wrong. That's just humanity being humanity; We're complex, broken, strange, and we are whatever it is we are.

I am human. I'm an Otherkin. I'm autistic. I'm a man of science. And I'm confused by the hostility.

Does this change your perception of Otherkin at all? Does it perhaps clear things up?

Welcome. If you want to be a dragon, it’s cool by me.

I’m a “soul agnostic,” too.

There are people here who strongly identify with dragons.

I guess a “furry” would be an “otherkin.”

I’m not into that stuff—but as long as you don’t bite me, you’re cool by me.

By the way, there are people here who would be willing to discuss this more in depth than what I’m doing here. I’m just not a profound thinker when it comes to this particular issue.

As an agnostic, you are almost out of the religious womb...
Extricate yourself to become a fully fledged atheist...

And the far left also...

Well, I actually do since I have abdicated from the human race and joined the Vulcan Federation...

It gives us greater objectivity...
I have "always" maintained that those on the spectrum would make better social scientists because of our disconnect from mainstream neurotypical thinking...

Well, I'm convinced that neurotypical influences have corrupted some on the spectrum...
Some don't want to embrace and respect our different neurotypical makeup and want to emulate neurotypical thinking and behaviour...
I use the analogy of using a windows operating system to emulate a Macintosh environment...
It may work to some degree, but it is hardly effective compared to a native program...

I see a dragon with a nasty case of gastric reflux...
BTW, I have a hard copy book with that work of art...
Blast from the past...

No disrespect intended, just honesty, but... I think it's balderdash. At least, part of me does. I'm an atheist but I stuggle between realism and spirituality. My ex-boyfriend told me that he believes I have "two-souls" (one male, one female.) I think it is a simple case of gender dysphoria and I don't believe in souls. I wish I did, but I wasn't brought up to believe in anything other than what can be scientifically proven. Cold, hard facts. Pity me, I'm not happy. I can't change the way I think.

EDIT: I've reread your posts. I think I actually have a lot in common with your struggles.

EDIT: My own hostility towards otherkins (which I admit to) comes from something personal. I was in love with a woman who believed she had the soul of a wolf, and she hurt me. Same old story: love twisted me up. Long story short.

I love this thread

The whole concept of 'human imprinting' is great, especially now I know how to describe some of the forced concepts that I've been told is the 'right way' over the years.

Also I'd never heard of being 'otherkin' till this post. In many tribes and cultures in West Africa, before colonialism, most autistic people were considered to be gifted with many becoming philosophers, seers, prophets, witch doctors and something equivalent to a bard. Some of the world's greatest artists were thought to be on the spectrum or at least neurodiverse.

In a way, I feel like autism makes me believe in metaphysical world that we cannot see. And I do believe one day, that science will be able to prove and manipulate it.

But I'm strange and grew up in a VERY religious family and I'm also quiet on the 'spiritual' side. Funny enough though, I tend to draw on science or psychology to make a lot of my points and rarely refer to the metaphysical.

That's what I think, too.

At least some of the cave painters, I feel, were potentially autistic (or autistic-like).

Early agriculturalists developing domesticated cereals could very well have had a "special interest" in a particular cereal.

Einstein and Issac Newton are believed to have been on the spectrum also...

I don't believe in things of this nature. But I find them intriguing.

Although I think maybe the person pictured below took it a little too far.

For some reason, this makes me think of Astrology, but perhaps more personal. Even I used to be somewhat intrigued or amused when seeing the menus in a Chinese restaurant saying I was born in the year of The Dragon '1976'. My regular Zodiac sign is Cancer The Crab.

I suppose some people might be content to have their 'Sign' or nature derived from a standard system like the Horoscope, while it seems like Otherkin feel this out completely on their own independently. Since this is so much more specific, it seems like they relate much more closely to it including the physical form?

That poor dragon,being set upon by those annoying and violent humans.

Agreed...
A brutal house invasion!...

Happens all the time,there you are napping on your treasure and here come the burglars.

Yeah...
Home invasions are a huge problem in Melbourne, Australia...
ATTENTION ALL DRAGONS!: Don't go there!

I don't quite get the otherkin or furry fandom but I reason I believe a reason aspies are drawn to it is because well where different we do weird things we do socially inappropriate things and being surrounded by people that are weirder then you I suppose there's some confort in that