#copinglinking

[deltoradecay]

Happy aromantic spectrum awareness week to any and all arospec alterhumans!

💚🤍🩶🖤

Shoutout to all:

Arospec plural systems and headmates.

Arospec tulpas, daemons/daemians, soulbonds, thoughtforms, walk-ins and other headmate (-adjacent) beings.

Arospec otherkin, therians and fictionkin.

Arospec alterhumans with factbased identities.

Arospec archetropers.

Arospec otherhearteds or otherkith.

Arospec otherlinkers or copinglinkers.

Arospec godshards.

Arospec furries and furry lifestylers.

Arospec alterhumans whose alterhumanity comes from a disorder/disability.

Any and all arospec alterhumans!

If your arospec identity intersects with your alterhuman identity, that's cool as hell. If your arospec identity doesn't intersect with your alterhuman identity and you just so happen to be both, that's also cool. Have a wonderful week!

You're cool as fuck, keep on being you.

[interstellarsystem]

I swear we've seen a poll like this before (maybe we've even made one before) but I'm making it again now anyway! We've been seeing not much rep for human-identifying alterhumans so we wanted to throw out a little poll to see how many are out there.

No orthohuman/non-alterhuman option to not skew the results.

Also, "fully nonhuman" means whatever you'd define it as--it can include physical nonhuman identity, or it can include simply fully identifying as a nonhuman in a human body. Up to you!

[kaboom--bitch]

Reminder for the tags that your identity (alterhuman or otherwise) is your own. No one can tell you what's going on in your mind or what you're feeling. No one can prove you right or wrong when it's a matter of your own personal identity. Only you can decide who and what you are, and only you can label that. It's okay to be wrong, to change labels, to decide that you were confused and to try on other labels for size. Questioning and taking your time with yourself isn't wrong by any means. What matters at its core is that your identity is yours and yours alone--no one can take that from you or decide who you are for you.

[alterhuman-culture-is]

theriolinker culture is relating to an animal, so choosing to become it

-

[the-undercity]

Careful With Otherlinking (May Lead To Thoughtform)

(edited as of 8/20/23 to be a little more concise, hopefully sound Less Aggressive, and revised without links for the sake of brevity)

TL;DR available at the bottom!

THE POST:

I'm not an expert on the subject of otherlinking. I'm simply making this post to inform people who either stumble across the community (like I did), or who may be in the community and are not already aware of the information I will be talking about here. Namely that some guides detailing how to form a linktype have a similar enough process to thoughtform creation that there may be the unintended side effect of accidentally creating a thoughtform if you are not careful with what you're doing.

The guides for forming a linktype that I have seen follow the steps of immersing yourself in things related to the linktype you are trying to work towards, which itself is very innocuous and not at all an issue! However, with communities/practices such as soulbonding, the same steps are present. The difference is whether your focus is placed internally or externally (with things such as asking in your head what your chosen linktype would prefer in certain situations, this line of thinking can particularly easily move into the "external focus" area).

With otherlinking having similar steps to something like soulbonding (the example here, and what originally made me write this post), it's no wonder that there have been reports here on Tumblr of people who ended up experiencing accidental thoughtform creation while trying to form their linktypes. The numbers are slim, but the potential does seem to be there, if their stories are to be believed!

Otherlinking itself is nothing that is any different from another alterhuman community. My intention is not to scare anyone off who is a prospective member of their community or make people in the community question what they've been doing already. My whole goal for this post is to inform people that there is the potential for an unwanted side effect like thoughtform creation. You should be aware of the effects of everything you do in life after all!

Whether or not this is a bad outcome to you, or you believe in thoughtforms at all (for those who doubt things related to the topic), the fact of the matter is that it is a serious outcome for people who otherwise may not fully understand what is going on, or what they're getting into. To put it simply, if you follow a guide to form a linktype, you expect a linktype, not another consciousness in your head!

WHAT TO DO:

If you're someone who writes guides for forming a linktype, it would be helpful to add a note about the possibility for this outcome in the guide, or if possible (and if you'd like to), revise any steps that might contribute to the unintended consequence. If you're someone who has linktypes or would like to get into the community, just do your best to be aware and educated! Talk to your peers, get involved, and find out what's the norm and what isn't for your experiences. There's a good chance it'll never happen to you, but do your best to understand the methods you're using and why they work the way they do. If you're someone who HAS experienced what I mentioned in the post, I implore you to reach out and ask questions! Don't hesitate to seek advice or find others who might be able to help you understand your situation better. Finally, if you're anyone else, aside from the above- perhaps even just a curious onlooker who happened to read this all the way to the end (or skipped here)- spread the word if you can! Likes and reblogs help and are greatly appreciated.

Feel free to message me questions, comments, or concerns related to this post. If you think I missed something or should have reworded anything in here, let me know! I wish the best for anyone who reads this. Thank you!

TL;DR : This is a notice about otherlinking's methods of forming a linktype being similar to methods of creating a thoughtform, and that trying to form a linktype may lead to unintentional thoughtform creation.

[otherkin-or-otherwise]

UK Alterhuman Discord Server

Welcome to Alterhuman UK! Are you alterhuman and in the UK, and want to meet other alterhumans locally? Then look no further!

We have:

-Numerous channels for on-topic and off-topic discussion, including channels for intersections of the community (eg. LGBTQ+) -Accepting of all identities, including endogenic systems and factkin -a short cw list to keep the community safer -a channel for organising IRL meetups -an NSFW section for 18+ folks

Come join us!

[chordata-on-alterhumanity]

Hey, so i really liked the guide to otherlinking, but i am still really confused on some things, #1, Can you please give me more examples of otherlinking? Or how it happens? #2, Can you accidentally become an Otherlinker? Or is it always a choice? (sorry if i sound uneducated on this topic)

Hi! Thank you! I'm happy to hear you liked it :) I'm happy to try helping #1 Examples; How it happens I'll talk about past 'link experiences of mine for examples! -> Wind Archer Cookie - Back when I took on this 'link I felt a great pull of wanting to be a part of the Cookie Run character roster. I kept seeing people who were 'kin of it, and the characters seemed so appealing, but none of them struck me as ME. I eventually realized that I could decide that one of them is me. I chose Wind Archer, because they were the most appealing to me in appearance, and started identifying with their traits from there. I can relate to their serious nature, even if initially I was put off by how they seem too serious to be me. It was nice to lean into that capacity of seriousness by engaging with that linktype. It was also nice to engage with the aethetic - the green, the wind. -> European green woodpecker - I'd always wished to have a theriotype, and have felt animalistic shifts, but whenever I did introspection on those, it always turned out that it was just me feeling natural human impulses. Then one day I realized I could just pick an animal 'type. The decision of it being green woodpeckers was very random. I've become a bit obsessed with the birds' behaviours, life, and looks despite the randomness. I informed myself about them and internalized that info heavily. -> Kirekiyo Shinguji - I took on this 'link because Kiyo's story bothered me a ton and wouldn't leave my thoughts. By identifying as him, I managed to work through what it was that triggered me so much about him, but why at the same time I like him so much. My high interest in learning about humanity was one trait in common with him. His aesthetic slaps, too. Creeplord. -> Itachi Uchiha - I had a dream in which I was Itachi, a character I'd never cared about before in my life. The dream made me identify so easily with him. I kept that feeling of "This is me" around after the dream on purpose, reminding myself of me being him and picturing me as him physically. -> Raihan - An identity I took on to cope with exam stress and an injury. I like Raihan. He's fun and cool and relatable in some aspects. That's all LOL

To summarize: "How it happens" is very individual, both depending on the person and what it is that you set out to 'link and why. It can be to cope, for fun, for other reasons. Having someone in common with the linktype prior to linking already is helpful, but no necessary. You can link something you have nothing in common with, and adapt those traits along the way, or shape the thing into something more befitting of you (like an AU in the case of a fictional character).

#2 Accidental 'linking I'd say yes, if you don't know about the label and you do something that can be described as 'linking. I.e. choosing to identify as something in a very linker-y way before you've heard of the terms.

Otherlinking is, by definition, always a choice, yes.

But, sometimes alterhumanity can be quoiluntary - not quite clear on whether it was a choice or not. Most if not all of my linktypes have had a sort of pull to them, pulling me towards the decision - some more strongly than others. Are they kintypes because of that? Eh, I don't think too much about it. My process of growing into the identities has been built on a lot of active decision. Memories tend to not just come to me, but instead are built. I can't force just anything, because it has to make sense in my head and feel true, but I'm not left to the whims of chance when it comes to "remembering". I also don't try to find out what I look like - instead I carve myself. Shifts, too, are actively induced and built. These are rather different experiences from otherkin. Instead of discovering yourself, you build yourself. But, oh, hm. There's discovery in that as well. c:

I hope this makes sense and helps!

[beepshroom]

sounds pretty based to me

[pineforestfox]

DING DING DING DING‼️

Reminder!:

Not all Alterhumans are nonhuman

Not all Alterhumans are fully nonhuman

Some Alterhumans are partially nonhuman

Some Alterhumans are human

Otherheartedness is a deep rooted identity, just as otherkinity is

Otherlinks are valid

P-shifters, biological Therians and delusional Therians are valid

Therianthropy is the experience of identifying as an animal in ANY way

Alterhumanity is an umbrella term for all beings who aren't fully human in any way

Alterhumanity isn't just Therians, otherkins and otherhearteds

Therianthropy is not masks and tails and quadrobics

Edit: [the label otherpaw isn't actually harmful]

Quadrobics does not make you a therian

Some nonhumans don't like the label therian

Physical Therians and biological Therians do not make the community look bad

Alot 'therians' on yt and TikTok are just misinformed kids who do not deserve hate for a mistake

YOUR EXPERIENCE IS VALID‼️

[deltoradecay]

Because these tend to be otherkin centric, putting it plainly: This poll isn't just for otherkin--headmates and 'linkers and other alterhumans who experience a shapeshifter identity are free to answer.

Personally I didn't ever consider myself to have a "true form" for the longest time because all of me is still me and any form is as true or lie as any other. What I am is the personality attached to the shape. So the idea of one needing a "true" form as someone born without one irritated me.

But nowadays I've started feeling more like it'd be alright to call some of my forms "default forms" due to the nature of my shifting being largely influenced by mental shifts and median facets. I always end up on the same few forms in the end, even if I also shift for other deliberate reasons. While I don't have a starting point for what I "should" look like, I have resting forms I'd consider more close to a factory reset, if you will. I wouldn't call them "true" forms but a resting and comfortable state, sure.

[interstellarsystem]

Sparked by a conversation on our discord--what are some things about your own alterhuman identity, or the community, that are positive or make you happy? Things you like about your system, kintypes, linktypes, hearttypes, flickers... Or communities around those? This is an opportunity to share awesome things about your own alterhumanity!

I'll start--I like being from a popular source so that I don't have to explain myself to as many people--I don't need to go through my whole life story to be understood sometimes! It can be a double edged sword, but it's nice at the same time.

[archiethepuppyboy]

Shout out to the alterhumans!!!!

-To all the beings with 1 kintype

-To all the beings with loadsssssssssssssss of kin types

-To the beings who don’t feel very connected to their kin or only faintly feel like them

-To all the beings who wholly identify as their kin and very rarely or don’t even at all in any way identify as human

-To all the beings who are transspecies, physical therians/kins, have clinical zooanthropy/lycanthropy or experience creature-like delusions

-To the therians with common theriotypes

-To the therians with extremely rare/not well known, extinct or nonexistent theriotypes

-To the fictionkins who don’t really act like their kin’s a lot

-To the non-therians who regularly get mistaken as therians

-To the therians who don’t do quads or wear masks

-To the other/animalhearts, otherlinks/kins, copinglinks and otherpaw

-To the clado, omni, ambi and cambi-therians

-To the conceptkins, plantkins, objectkins, songkins, placekins and others

-To the beings with extreme species dysphoria

-To the beings with no dysphoria

-To the beings who don’t have a safe space to express their alterhumanity

-To the grey-muzzles and to the newly awakened

-To the beings who do or don’t wear gear

-To the beings who have no clue what their kin is

-To the beings who don’t know what labels to use yet

You are all valid and so, so amazing, you all deserve recognition and love. I may not know a lot about some of you but I do love and accept all of you. Keep being yourself darlings and I hope you all have a lovely day/night, love from Archie💗

[alterhuman-culture-is]

Otherlinker culture is having a dream in which you are the most random ass character you had never cared about or related to before, and despite not feeling alterhuman, opens a gateway of easy relatablity and interest that makes you go "Oh yeah, actually, I'm making this me now"

-

[kadexenoprince]

To people who feel like their identity is unwelcome in the alterhuman community, just know, I see you

Fictionkin, I see you

Otherkin, I see you

Otherlinks, I see you

Constelics, I see you

Otherkith, I see you

Paleotherians, I see you

Synpaths, I see you

Plantkin, I see you

Fictionkith, I see you

Conceptkin, I see you

Copinglinks, I see you

Choicekin, I see you

Polymorph, I see you

Theriofluid, I see you

Bugs, fish, birds, I see you

Characters, colors, songs, I see you

Aliens, I see you

To therians and otherhearted with canine or feline therio/hearttypes, stop leaving us out. Stop forgetting about us. The alterhuman community is made of more than just you

[alex-the-alterhuman]

Alex's alterhuman ask game!

Reblog this post to let others ask you question(s)!

I tried to make this accesible to all alterhumans.

🌈 - how many _types do you have?

🌌 - when was your awakening?

👾 - is your _type real or fictional?

👽 - do you enjoy being a […] (therian, otherkin, ect. Just put your label here)

🧷 - what's the reason of your identity? You can say that you don't know. (Ex. "My theriantrophy is spiritual)

💚 - what are your beliefs? Does it affect your identity?

⚧️ - does your _type have a different gender/sex than you? Do you even know your _type's gender?

🧤 - do you own any gear? If yes, what is it?

🏳️‍🌈 - are you also a part of the LGBT+ community?

🌚 - do you experience shifts? If yes, what kind of shifts do you experience most often?

🌝 - how does your identity affect your everyday life?

💊 - is your _type more nocturnal or does it prefer daytime?

🤖 - for how long do you know about your identity?

🍁 - do you think that you were born with your identity or has it "started" during your life?

🧸 - does your _type affect your diet?

🛍️ - do you have alterhuman friends? If yes, in real life or in the internet?

🍂 - what is your _type's natural territory/home?

😺 - is your _type an animal?

That's all byeeee :3

[chordata-on-alterhumanity]

im asking this in a few places, hope you dont mind

dunno if this is the right place to ask, but with otherlink/copinglink, what would i interpret from a situation of a link feeling so strong and seperate that it feels like a person different from me? its kinda become an imaginary friend situation, where i start talking to the link in my thoughts, and i guess i fabricate responses back.

sometimes i space out a tiny bit, and the link kinda does stuff for me, but not completely? im still aware of stuff and i can take back control whenever, and the connection is kinda weak.

like- i guess the way to put it is that both the link and myself are playing a game together, looking at the same screen, but for majority of the time i have the controller. even when i do hand it over, i can take it back whenever.

i dont think the link is completely autonomous despite being seperate, as in, again, conversation feels puppeted on the link's end, even if it would feel more right to give the link personal identity.

i dont think im plural, especially since the link is never consistent with what it is and changes nearly every week it seems, but i dont think im completely singular either. any advice would help, if you can. thank you.

There's a couple of things I'm thinking of from your description. Plurality doesn't have to be clear-cut, experiences such as demiplurality and being pluralflux exist, and median systems are generally more "different facts of one core" than what you see of systems where system members are incredibly different. Tulpas, similar to 'links, are created on purpose but separate individuals from the creator and need to be upheld in order to exist at least at the start until they establish themselves or all the time. Daemonism comes to my mind as well, as a daemon is a representation of you, but not you, but also you, and their appearance and personality can fluctuate. They represent you, after all, and you are ever-changing too, courtesy of being alive. Even if everything's separate, thoughtforms and you can be shapeshifters.

All these labels stated, there can be plenty of overlap and fluidity. My headmate who was created as a tulpa and I frequently merge and unmerge because I'm fluctuatingly singlet and plural. Does that make them a linktype when we're merged? I could label it as that! Can something be a link and a thoughtform at the same time? Sure! I have this one... idk what, and the character is so many things to me, sometimes at the same time and sometimes only one thing or the other.

Personally what you say makes me bet on this being an early-stage tulpa or daemon with slight sprinkles of being plural, but you're the one who knows your experience best and the only one who can decide on your label, if you even want to put a solid label on it. Whatever happens, I hope things won't cause you any distress and that you'll figure it out!