#Otherlinking

[randompolykin]

you know what? I'm gonna ignore my anxiety and post this

been procrastinating making this but "here goes nothing" as they say for some reason

worried this is obvious, or everyone has been subconsciously meaning what I fear they mean

But, it's true so...

Here's to the otherlinkers

Not just the copinglinkers

But the funlinkers

The aeslinkers

The supportlinkers

The otherlinkers who are in-between those labels

The otherlinkers who feel none of those labels can describe why they link/they link for another reason

To ALL the otherlinkers

It seems like (this could just be me, idk) in a lot positivity posts saying that otherlinkers are valid and no lesser then therians, otherkins and fictionkins, there is a switch between using the term copinglink and otherlink, as if they are synonyms. But they aren't. One is a subset of the other, which includes alot more in it's definition. If you only mean copinglink, and are excluding the rest of us linkers, then say so. And if you aren't, then be a bit more careful on your wording, please. I am losing it slightly with this, my anxious brain can't handle the fact I have no idea over where everyone stands on this, yet I want to know

Otherlinkers are extremely valid and awesome, and are no less then voluntary identities. No matter why they link, only the linker gets to decide if they are any less then, with there link types, just how polykins can have kintypes that are more important to them than others, etc.

[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.

[alterhuman-culture-is]

otherlink culture is desperately wishing they would invent shape shifting so you can just be the silly guy your brain has latched onto

-

[alterhumannerdygoat]

to BE voluntary or to DO voluntary

I think that otherlinking would be better off being characterised by the action of crafting the link, and not just by it being a "voluntary identity".

First of all, I've come to believe that solely dividing identities by whether or not they're voluntary isn't the best method. (Other members of the community have made excellent points about that already, also just. the quoiluntary label.) It forms an artificial binary whereas in reality, being somewhere in the middle is very common. Also, in and of itself, whether or not it's voluntary doesn't necessarily have a major impact on the actual experience.

In terms of 'linking being an action, (in my experience at least), you don't simply wake up and say "I've decided to be X." You actually have to link first in order for it to really feel like part of your identity. The linking can be simple and quick, but it's still something that you do.

This may not seem like a huge change, but in my opinion it would make a lot more sense for the distinction between otherlinking and other forms of nonhumanity to be framed this way. It seems a lot more accurate to the experiences I see, and personally I prefer the perspective of focusing on the linking.

Isn't the whole point of it being voluntary that you do the voluntary?*

(PLEASEEE if you have an opinion on this share it, this is some random thoughts of mine and I love, love, LOVE talking about 'linking!!!!)

*grammar is for the weak /silly

(also I don't know how common of a perspective this is, the otherlink page on therian fandom wiki kiind of gives of these vibes, but also is quite different from how I use the term lol)

[that-dreaming-dragon]

Noemata and Exomemories

I don’t really get much exomemories. Not from other lives at least. Depends on when and how you or I count lucid dream world, it’d be a toss up for me to call all of them exomemories, but I also wouldn’t say some of them aren’t. It gets fuzzy at time whether it truly is just made up chaos from mind, or if it has been a view into a different world. Sometimes they felt like that.

The dream I talked about last day has a bit of element of exomemories in there. How much? I do not know.

Other moments where I have exomemories are from vision. This was me doing a group guided mediation, and I sort of fell asleep, but then.

Thunder booming, flashing, the storm raging. The sky is dark, and the ocean is wailing. Peeking through the clouds, a sliver of form, a white dragon darting in and out of the storm clouds.

I don’t actually know if it was indeed my kardiatype, but there is a inkling of it being true, so I’d like to think so. And based on that, I do think they have a storm based power. Just like your typical generic east asian dragon. (You can see I have a lot of gripe of my kardiatype being seen as Haku)

You can say the rest of the thing I figured or theorized are based off of the exomemories, I would call some of them noemata, even if a bit wobbly. Because how am I sure my kardiatype was a prince of the ocean? To be honest, I’m not certain either. Sometimes there are just things we don’t or can’t know about our identitype, and that’s okay, their significance and for the identification ones, our self identifications, do not diminish just because we end up having created element within. After all, the phrase “to make memories” is not just a metaphor. You are “living, doing, creating, experiencing.”[1]

Talk about created memories vs exomemories. I also had a flash of vision with my hearttype that confused me to no end, because while it is a possible headcanon of mine, my mind was no where near thinking of a headcanon to even get there.

Laughter. A kid with bright blond hair running towards a village, a house. A pair of eldery couple came out to greet the young child.

I know that’s not Konoha. And I know that kid is me/not-me/Naruto.

It’s really interesting how I can remember it so clearly, compare to my dream memories that are faded at the edge, blurry. I think that’s why I see that as a exomemories. There’s too much other sensation, the sight clear, the sound loud, and maybe scent? You also see I had momentary confusion between the self pronoun there. That was the spark for me to ponder if it may be a kardiatype that was later disregarded, as while important to me, my Naruto hearttype wasn’t a foundational building block of who I am. I also don’t know if Kurama was with that Naruto. But here is where noemata comes in.

I have a lot, and a lot of noemata. Things I just know in my gut. Maybe for my fictomere they are influenced by the source material as well as fandom interpretation. But still. Headcanon and imagined story in my head had this ethereal feeling, like they are not all there, much more pliable, but also more distant from me.

My Naruto hearttype has a Kurama with him. And has a far strong tie to Uzushio. I don’t know if Uzushio was around, maybe that’s why that little bit of exomemory, that Naruto wasn’t in any place recognizable. It look like a random village, all wood hut. Maybe those are Uzushio people.

I think that is true.

A lot of the times, noemata just pops out of nowhere. Or sometimes, I ask questions, and something within me will answer. And I will know. It is why when I assist others in self discovery, I will ask questions, and the “no”’s and “maybe”’s are just as valuable as “yes”’s.

Sometimes you don’t even have to ask questions, something external will trigger and you had that lightbulb turning on moment. Like how I realized that three-tailed kitsune is specific is my Naruto hearttype’s paratype, and how my Aurelion Sol is the 5th concept version that people dub the “unbounded” form. Or that my kardiatype’s guarded village was one that was in ancient Japan, not one of the well known period people likes to talk about.

My own style of self discovery is very lax, “follow the flow” style, however. I got a lot of noemata jumpscare this way.

Like how out of the thousands of pokemon, it was Mew that resonated with me and become a archetrope, instead of say, dragonite or ditto.

Like I somehow figured out I’m not neccessary flying so much that I’m floating. Like how Mew does. Or that I don’t breath any elemental attack. Or the various detail discovery with each and every one of my forms, how the aquatic form have far more different physics than many of my other forms (shark head, sonar receptive ears, quill feather on back though that’s more from phantom shift than pure noemata, turtle flipper though that’s more a empathy moment from playing Ark Survive Evolved and seeing how the magmasaur’s hind leg moves), how I’m just certain that the dream dragon kintype is a present thing, current life thing.

It gets harder and harder to tell if some noemata are purely random, or maybe born from the churning of internal contemplation that always accompanied the discussion on alterhumanity within the community. Like when I figure that I do not eat physical substance, or how I know I as a dragon is a spirit, sort of like youkai and kami, sort of a energy being, sort of a pokemon like creature, a rpg monster.

Regardless of exomemories, noemata that are from random chances or from deliberately triggered knowledge, or created memories or personal “canon”, these are all the breadcrumbs of one’s alterhumanity, all important, all precious.

[1] You’re Here to Make Moments, Not Memories

https://medium.com/mind-cafe/youre-here-to-make-moments-not-memories-249970eed41f

[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.

[linkingbonsai]

Drawing my link types:)

[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!

[amr-alterhuman]

I might be supportlink as well as other-hearted because although I am other-hearted, I am choosing to let my kith side flourish at this point of my life “to feel a necessary emotional support which allows them me to enter a specific mindset.” It gives me a sense of wholeness, peace, joy and euphoria. =^w^=

However, this could just very well be me overthinking things and hyperanalyzing myself but right now, this is how I understand myself.

I do have lots of experiences as evidence that proves I have an alterhuman identity, it will unfold in due time. ^-^

[infinitedraconity]

Hi there, I'm an otherlinker, and I've been considering a dragon linktype, and thus was hoping you might have some advice for being more draconic based on your own experiences? Sorry if this is a weird ask, and feel free to ignore it if you want, I really don't mind, I just want to get some advice since there isn't really any resources about voluntary draconic identities out there.

Oh hey, grey friend with sunglasses!

Unfortunately, my draconity isn't voluntary, but might I point you in the direction of @sarcophobia? It is an otherlinker, and so may be able to give better and help you find resources. @linklocus also has a few resources on otherlinking that you might find helpful!

It's hard to really give catch-all advice, since dragons are so incredibly varied in how they look, act, and think. Are you wanting a western fire-and-fang dragon identity, or would you seek a more eastern-style water-and-wind approach? Or perhaps something in between, or not related to any at all? The things you do to create and connect with that identity will change depending on your answer.

As far as what I do to connect to my dragon kintypes, it depends. Hiking is a big one, as well as art, food, and consuming content related to dragons are all common ones. For my Aether dragon side, I have collections of items I love (books, instruments, crystals, tarot cards, etc.); for my Eastern side, I meditate, and step outside when the weather is inclement.

Feel free to send another ask if you wanted something more specific; otherwise, please check out the other bloggers I linked; they might be able to help you more than I can.

Wind at your back, friend!

[dog-thing-augustus]

i was good today but tomorrow is a different story

[banana-dawg]

✮ Techkin // userboxes :3

[interstellarsystem]

Nonhuman expressions of affection are great. Purring. Exposing weak points as a show of trust. Head bonks. Preening and chewing. Nuzzling. Biting. Intertwining tails. Feeding each other. Little chuffs, chatters, beeps and squeaks. Fluffing up of feathers, fur or other things. Dancing to impress. Cleaning their fur, scales, feathers or skin. Sharing body heat. Ears pointing toward those you care about to show your full attention is on them. Slow blinking.

[alterhuman-culture-is]

(possible) otherlink culture is linking cus fuck humanity. I hate humanity to much i become shadow (feel free to tag as stuff like shadowkin)

-

[alterhumannerdygoat]

it's so fun seeing fan content of caine now, since i have the sense of whether it's in character for me or not XD Also I've heard other fictionfolk say it, but it really is cool seeing fanart of yourself :3

Though the fandom mischaracterises me as evil WAY too much. I'm just a silly guy who doesn't fully understand the humans and does what I'm supposed to! /lh