any advice for a spiritual ‘kin who has trouble confirming kintypes without memories? thanks!!
Hello, Anon!
I know it is difficult to tell if something is a kintype without memories, or even what the kintype is, but it is good to keep in mind that having memories doesn’t always mean something is a kintype anyway.
So knowing this, we can instead look to the other signs of otherkinity.
Phantom body parts
Perhaps one of the most infamous parts of otherkinity, phantom body parts (often misnamed as “astral limbs”) are very good indicators* of one’s kintype(s). Do you feel feathers? You might be a bird. Talons and feathers? Sounds even more plausible.
So assuming your kintype is not human (that is, not a fictotype), this could definitely help you out. Analyze any phantom body parts you may have.
“Missing” abilities
A missing ability is the gut feeling that you should be able to do something that your physical body cannot support. Common examples of this are flight, magic, and telepathy.
Do you have a “missing” ability that your suspected kintype would have? If so, I would definitely look into it.
Homesickness
In this case, homesickness is not a longing for your current, physical home. It is for a place you have more than likely never been or lived in in this life.
If your suspected kintype lived somewhere you feel homesick for, it is worth looking into.
A feeling that you are something (or someone) else
Or: the knowledge that you are that thing or (fictional) person. This is a gut feeling, like “missing abilities” above. There is no doubt in your mind that you are not who your physical body says you are, and can even be more specific than that. You may even know who or what you’re supposed to be.
If any of the above, in any combination, sounds like what you are experiencing, then it may very well confirm the kintype(s) you are questioning.
Of course, always be skeptical of possible kintypes. As @seriousotherkin often says, look into not only how you are like a possible kintype, but also how you aren’t.
Feel free to send in a message with further information or clarifications, but for now I hope this helps.
—
Footnotes
*Not foolproof, of course. For example, feathers could also indicate a dinosaur kintype, or could be mistaken for fur, or even could just mean you have dry skin. Tread with caution, and always look for ways it could be caused by the physical before you jump to kin-related explanations.
