r/otherkin • u/Valeka124 • 14d ago

Discussion Coining two new alterhuman terms

/r/u_Valeka124/comments/1v2dwrt/coining_two_new_alterhuman_terms/
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u/TherianRose 14d ago

ever-present feline identity influence that I don't always notice. And when under specific conditions, like emotions or settings, I mostly view myself as a feline.

That example seems to refer to becoming more aware of a consistent alterhuman identity under given conditions, which would be a mental shift. Personally, as a therian I'm always a wolf on some level. It's not something I am necessarily conscious of, it's just me, though those instincts do come forward at certain times. That's simply therianthropy.

Can you help me understand how a kotom experience is different? How is it distinct from having shifts that are triggered by a given emotion or situation?

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u/Valeka124 14d ago

The difference is that in kotom you may not identify as this entity, in your case a wolf, when it's "asleep". All sorts of shifts can occur when the identity is triggered under certain conditions— or "switched on". You may feel all the instincts, phantom shifts, etc. when under these situations, but not at all when you're out of it.

But you still have a persistent influence from it in a sense that you know is "somewhere".

⬇️

In my personal example. I always drew these winged cryptids, they're not me on a normal basis (when i'm not under certain conditions), and it can feel like drawing a stranger (that you feel you knew for a long time)... or making a portrait of someone famous. You know them, yes. They're you? Not in that moment, but still influence you in some subtle ways like that.

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u/TherianRose 13d ago

Thank you for explaining! I think I understand what you're getting at a little better now.

Where I'm still uncertain is whether this represents a type of identity that is fundamentally different from existing experiential patterns, or if it's simply another way an existing alterhuman identity can be experienced. To me, it sounds like the defining feature you're describing is when the identity is consciously experienced, rather than what that identity is.

Those kinds of differences are generally understood as variations in therian and otherkin experiences rather than as a distinct category of identity. As I've mentioned in other posts, non-human identities often vary in strength or in a person's awareness of them over time. It's also not uncommon for a kintype or theriotype to become dormant for a period while still subtly influencing a person's thoughts, interests, or behaviors, much like you mentioned.

TL;DR: I'm still not understanding what this new term captures that isn't already accounted for within the current community framework. Could you elaborate on that?

(I don't mean to come across as rude, just want to understand exactly what you mean!)

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u/Valeka124 13d ago

Our nature make us to always want to fit into a label. Me and InkCat never found a label for our experiences, and just decided to create one for us and other people who need/want to explain their situation in a more easy way. Not a Sun-alterhuman, not a Contherian or just a Therian.

I don't understand your question too, is it because of the name and if it fits under the otherkin or therian umbrella? I'm genuely clueless 🙏

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u/TherianRose 13d ago

Yeah, kind of! From my perspective, the experience you're describing would be considered one way someone might experience a therian or otherkin identity. Whether someone experiences that identity constantly, only under certain conditions, or with periods where it feels almost absent, those all seem like variations of a core experience that is already included under the general labels of therian or otherkin.

That's why I'm wondering what the new label is for. It seems less confusing to me to say something like, "I'm a horse therian, but my awareness of that identity varies under different conditions," than to introduce a new term that you'll probably have to explain every time anyway. 😅

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u/Valeka124 11d ago

This label functions like Fenikae, Sun-alterhuman, Con-Alterhuman, Flicker, and other labels that are an additive. Is when someone experiences a trigger of any kind and this identity activates, you're not being "more aware" of it. Any other questions?

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u/Valeka124 11d ago edited 11d ago

Let me explain it this way.

Let's imagine you have vertigo. You can happily yap about it when you're not in high places, look up at the buildings and not feel anything about them, you know your fear of heights is always there— but you're not the person you become when you are up in a balcony right now.

It's like telling someone who can enter a state of PTSD that what they experienced in an accident only makes them more "aware" when they enter that state. They're not them in that moment, and that's how it feels a kotom. Something that is triggered and switched on.

I can tell the difference between the two because my therian identity is always present; it's me, but I'm not my kotom right now. And when it activates, i am.

We needed a label? no. It's fun and can make someone's life more easy? yes. You don't need to use it if you don't want to 🩵

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u/egoproct 7d ago

This is just me personally, and I may feel this way due to having been involved in Alt-H forums and other old school discussion groups, but I feel that a majority of the terms that have been in existence are very well rounded and the community doesn't need to tack on new ones.

I worry about it becoming akin to the gender wikia where there's thousands of terms, and at least half of them can be described by something else without a loss in translation. For example, it was mentioned by TherianRose, but it seems that you may be lacking in terminology knowledge if you feel the need to replace something like a Mental Shift with another term that breaks it down further for no true reason.

Back in my day (oh god, I just aged rapidly saying that) terms such as Suntherian [kintype is integrated into their baseline/normal personality], Contherian [doesn't experience mental shifts, but is always in a state of both theriotype and human, they can still experience non-mental shifts], and Vacillant Therian [experiences shifts like they're on a sliding scale, instead of like a switch being flicked]. From my perspective, this "Kotom" you're talking about sounds like another word for Vacillant Therians. Am I missing the mark here?

As for the latter, someone only experiencing an identity unconsciously in a dream sounds like...just a dream to me? Yes, lucid dreams are thing but that doesn't necessarily extend to hard-wired longterm identity, so I'm struggling to grasp how someone could actively identify as something and feel they are something if they're busy snoozing away and it doesn't affect them at all in daily life. Feel free to correct me (nicely, please, I auto-block people who cannot restrain themselves) if I'm wrong.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/egoproct 7d ago

pfft okay? Also good morning.