Kin Shifts - Blog Posts

I think I understand what you mean, Jay. Or at the very least, the spirit of it. As alterhumans, we have found ourselves in such unlikely circumstances. Experiencing these memories that shake the very core of our realities, and then you’re expected to go on with life like everything is fine- because it is for everyone else around you.

You’re feeling the echoes of something a lifetime ago, and there is all this tension building up in your body, like you’re waiting for a punch that never comes.. And of course, when you try to explain this people will give their unwanted opinions of “seeking help”, or whatever else the anti otherkins say nowadays..

Sometimes when we’re sitting with that feeling of something being so terribly wrong in our heads, it’s only natural to want something to confirm what we’ve been feeling, if only to let go of the breath we’ve been holding for so long. I’m sure there’s something freeing in that, as you’d put it, because once you let go of that breath, it’s like you can finally let your life begin. You can actually experience things properly– presently, and in the moment rather than just feeling like you’re sitting on stand by for a beckon call. Life will come for us though, and it’ll pick us up off our feet. The adrenaline will be so overwhelming that we know for certain that’s why we’re here, and it’s what we’ve been searching for.

 I don’t think that’s unreasonable at all, Jay.

Sometimes, I almost wish I was in danger, if that makes sense. On the run, or being hunted by some entity, shit I wouldn't even mind an end of the world scenario. This boring circle of work, home, work, home with the occasional money spending to waste time can make me feel trapped, desperate for a crumb of adrenaline. Real adrenaline, the kind that sends you racing back out of the woods. I want to fight to protect a tight knit group, all scared but undoubtedly more alive than they've ever been. I want to sleep under the stars, be shocked by how vibrant the night sky is without all those lights. I want true freedom in a time where we're all chained to our desks, fucking explodes myself

Please Share What's Given You Mental/Phantom Shifts

We all know that feeling- where you're watching a movie, and something on screen catches your attention because it's just like you. That creature transformation, that dynamic between two people, that mythical beast.. whatever it is, we latch onto these scenes because they help us better contextualize and explain our experience as alterhumans, because it so deeply affects us, leaving us in shifts for days after. 

I would like to share a few moments in media, besides the suggestions of others, that have impacted me in such a way.

I'd like to start by sharing my thoughts regarding the movie The Omen. It's one of those horror movies that stick with you, not just because of the plot but the intrigue surrounding such a film. Everyone knows that rumor that it's a cursed film due to the tragic occurrences that surrounded it's production. In the series of films, horrible things happen to anyone who gets close to Damien, as if he himself has willed them to happen. He's depicted as the antichrist, and the way he talks, the things that happen in the trilogy.. Well, it just left me feeling like we're in the same boat. That there's something more to it, because I feel stained by something horrific and I feel as though I've inflicted this malcontent against anyone who gets close to me. 

It's part of why Insidious spoke to me as much as it had, my first watch through. The demons and spirits in Insidious are described as hungry and they can even smell the still living souls when they astral project from their bodies at night. They feed off the fear of those they afflict, and they aim to steal the bodies of the dreamers for their own. That scene where there was that dark figure standing in the corner of Dalton’s room? That is so close to how I've found myself in my many dreams, haunting others like a sleep apparition demon. I would be lying if I said that was my only reason though… The red door that's been shown in the original film– I heard they're making a movie giving it some background story, but there's something about the red door that felt familiar. I don't even know why. 

The Rake had been one of the creepypastas of the early 2000s that had stuck with me throughout my childhood- I remember a depiction of its ghoul like figure, sitting at the edge of beds. If you look directly at this creature, it attacks viscously, wishing not to be perceived. This shrill voiced anomaly of the woods reminds me much of myself, reminds me of things I’ve long forgotten. The Rake holds a special place in my heart. I was nearly obsessed with the story in my preteens, and it remains a topic of interest to this day, along with the stories of The Operator. 

It should come as no surprise that I relate a fair bit to Johnny Truant, with his descent into paranoia and hysteria throughout his journal, and his ambiguous end. It’s just one of the many reasons I felt so attached to House of Leaves. This character is not my only reasoning for why I feel attached to House of Leaves though. There are recurring themes that have left its mark on me, and made me who I am. The house’s inner dimensions being as twisted and foreboding as they are, as well Will’s letter regarding the house to Karen had left a significant impact on me. It’s so unfortunate that only fragmented pieces seem familiar to me while not touching on some of the topics of my dream memories- because I would claim this as my source in a heartbeat. 

Smile was an interesting one, to give me Kin shifts. While Insidious was the first movie to allow me kinshifts that left me truly feeling like a monster, Smile was the first time I found I liked it, and how that terrified me. The idea of something so horrific infecting someone in a parasitic nature–

I have always felt my urges held those same parasitic traits. It only got worse with the sequel. The opening soundtrack and the ending left a terrified thrill in my heart, left me feeling that desire to suck the marrow straight from fear itself. 

.. And then there was ‘The Murders of Molly Southbourne’, a book that I still reflect on not for it’s literary prowess, as I found myself not particularly enthused by the lackluster route the book had taken.. But the very first moment the story’s central theme was unveiled to me, the idea of what could be had always sat heavy in my head. Stories of doppelgangers, and monsters being born from shed blood had always been something that caught my eye, and this book was no different. Sure, there were other stories such as Plastic Faces, taken straight from r/No Sleep, and Tender is the Flesh with the dehumanisation of Jasmine and heavy themes of gore. I guess in truth, the visuals in my head have always drawn me in, fed life to me where I would otherwise be vacant. I just want to know who I am, maybe that's why the theme of doppelgangers and the uncanny has always caught my attention so consistently.    

There are others like this that I ruminate over, trying to find meaning in while it turns a blade of desire deep in my soul,

But I’m interested in you. What do you remember viewing, that first ever gave you those ‘shifty feelings’? Feel free to reblog with your own experiences.

Okay I'm definitely saddened by the fact that my soul is in a human body, that I can't be with my people, yadda yadda.

but if I hadn't ended up in here, I wouldn't have found out about my favorite songs and cartoons and Disney movies and videogames..

"Odd" things I get species dysphoria from (that you truly could never judge unless you're experiencing them) as an angelkin

- Hunger. It's one of those feelings that simply aren't supposed to belong to me, because I know for sure that back home, we just... didn't eat, you know?? I do not try to suppress it, & it doesn't give me a bad relationship with food; I love food, actually. But sometimes it feels a bit demoralizing.

- Sunburns - even the slightest, least noticeable ones. I'm a radiant being who embodies light.. yet the sunlight is burning me? Hello??

- Having to Google things or learn about them at school. It's not about learning how to cook, how to bake or tie my shoes, because those are human things; but not knowing everything about the stars, the universe and its past and future? It feels so wrong, because my gods have worked really hard to create me and teach me things. I like to imagine that all I learn about science or history or philosophy is just a memory being "brought back" to me.

- Tight clothing. I don't wear most tight things because of their textures which give me BAD sensory issues (I'm autistic), but I also avoid them because they take away the sense of freedom which was already taken away from me.

- Not being able to soothe people when they're upset when I'm the definition of love and harmony. It's technically the reason why I was sent to earth; so that makes me feel useless, like I'm betraying myself.

- The sound of my voice. It used to be much more beautiful, and the fact that I'm bad at singing doesn't help. It's only a reminder of the fact that this body simply isn't mine.

𖦹ׂ ₊ 🪽 and that's all! I just wanted to share these to show that species dyslhoria isn't always dramatically tragic - sometimes it's a bunch of mundane, unexpected, subtle things that add up to the feeling of discomfort and sadness. What can feel irrational and "exaggerated" is actually very valid and deserves to be taken seriously when it's really upsetting you.

how do you know you’re angelkin, i mean before I didn’t acknowledge kin but I definitely saw myself as something more divine but I didn’t acknowledged because I was scared to be wrong, too cocky or just plain disrespectful then one day I saw someone talking about being a demonkin and looked up realizing angelkin existed too!

Do I just label myself as one now? Could I be your 🐏🕊️anon? Too (*´v｀)

I hope this wasnt sent too long ago, i dunno if my asks are working properly but YES YOU CAN BE MY ANON 🫶🏻 you can skip the parts of this that you think aren't useful to you, I just tend to use too many words when explaining myself 😭 and this is a topic that's very dear to me, especially the part about feeling like your identity's disrespectful.

Anyways - I think I found out in the cliché way, if you can call it that. Feeling like I wasn't human (ever since I was a kid), feeling like I was supposed to fly and getting frustrated that I couldn't. Also getting very mad at myself for being scared of heights, because it simply felt wrong.

How I found out:

I used to identify as a winged therian (i went from a butterfly to a dove and more), because my first shifts mainly consisted of vague phantom wings and a weird feeling that my body was lighter and floating. The thing is, I became aware of my divinity when I almost vividly remembered the gods I served. It felt like they were calling out to me because I was ready to awaken, and I did not reject their signs, because I always knew deep down that I was protected by higher beings - and that, even when I thought I was an animal, it always felt mystical and holy. An immortal owl, a butterfly who could fly a little too high for it to be realistic, a dove meant to spread peace and protect creatures. Do you see what I mean?

-> This is definitely very personal. I also understand that it can be of little help to questioning angels who don't worship any gods; however, as some in the community have said, you ARE a certain creature as long as you can say, for sure, that you identify as it. If you can look at yourself in the mirror and say you're an angel, that's enough. You dont have to rush to discover all the details about your memories, your past or your home.

About not acknowledging a kintype because it feels morally wrong:

Yeah, it took me a while to get rid of that mindset. But personally, for me, the problem was the religious settings in which I grew up in; they weren't strict, but even so, the way I had to approach Christianity wasn't healthy. So even if I strayed from it with little guilt, it made me feel like I wasn't allowed to have beliefs of my own. I felt a connection with gods that nobody around me worshipped, gods that had their own rules, their own followers and servants; I realized no one could tell me that my beliefs were wrong. They were not, because only I knew how they worked, and I wasn't going to give them up. You, too, are allowed to label yourself as an angel according to your beliefs and definitions of an angel. Things have changed; some modern sources view angels as spiritual guides and beings of all kind, not just servants of a god.

And if you're worried about being "cocky"... well. That basically implies that you're worried about how others might perceive you, but you know that your identity isn't about claiming superiority, right? If you know you don't want to appear cocky, it's clear that you don't mean to be. You can't control how people interpret your intentions, but you shouldn't let that keep you from accepting yourself as you are.

Being angelkin can be controversial. But that's because some people are close-minded, and that's not our fault.

I had a dream about someone saying "hey your wings need preening" and it was so random, the wings I had weren't even accurate to my real ones. But yes. Yes my wings need preening