Alterhuman FAQ!

Frequently asked questions about alterhumanity! Questions more specific to subcommunities of alterhumanity can be found in the FAQ tabs specific to those communities. This page is a WIP.

What is alterhumanity?

Alterhumanity is the state of identifying as something not "normally" considered human in some way, including being "abnormally" human. This covers otherkin, otherheartedness, otherlinkers, systems, furry lifestylers, flickers, vampires and much more. Anyone who feels they fit the label is included--nonhuman, 100% human, a mix of both, or even outside of the binary of human/nonhuman.

As mentioned, there are many subsections of alterhumanity and not everyone's experiences with it will be the same. Because alterhumanity is such a broad category, asking an alterhuman about their experiences, if they're willing to share, is usually the best way to go about learning. For some ideas about what could be included though, and the original idea behind the term, you can check out the coining post here!

How can I tell if I'm alterhuman?

How can I tell if someone is alterhuman?

What are some alterhuman symbols?

There are more symbols for subtypes of alterhumanity, and you can see those on their respective FAQ pages.

What's it like to be alterhuman?

Because alterhumanity is such a broad subject, it's hard to answer a question like this. Generally, alterhumans of all kinds live life just like most non-alterhumans do--go to work/school, hang out with family and friends, etc. We're all in the same society and regardless of whether some of us are human or not, we're not all that different. Largely, life takes the same sort of paths with alterhumans as it does regular humans.

Being alterhuman in a more personal, "how does it feel" sense, is also going to vary widely depending on who you ask. For most, though? It would be assumed to feel similar to being anything else. Could you describe how it feels to be human? It's a tricky question. The best way to put it, is it just feels the same way any other personal identity would.

Some alterhumans might do things differently from time to time--they might exhibit nonhuman behaviours, they might avoid or seek out certain things, they might be more inclined to partake in certain community activities--but a lot of that isn't necessarily exclusive to alterhumans. If you'd like a more in-depth answer, try asking an alterhuman individual about their experiences with their personal alterhumanity.

Can I be alterhuman?

There's a few ways you can voluntarily become alterhuman. You can otherlink a being such as an animal or fictional character to become an otherlinker, or you can make a system through soulbonding or tulpas.

It's recommended that you learn a lot about what you want to become before you decide to try and be alterhuman in any way--some things (such as tulpas) are life-long commitments that you'll need to live with, while others (such as otherlinking) can be temporary but still affect you.

Are all alterhumans nonhuman?

Not all alterhumans identify as nonhuman, or even have any nonhuman aspect to thier identity at all. Some may identify as partially-human, while others could identify as human plus something else, or they could just plainly identify as wholly human. You definitely don't need to be nonhuman in order to fall under this umbrella. Alterhumanity is about your relation to the "norm" of humanity, not just being nonhuman.

Systems (multiple people in a body), for example, can call themselves alterhuman purely based on the fact that plurality is not considered a normative experience by society at large--they don't need to have nonhuman system members or any kintypes to use the label. Otherhearted (strongly relating to a nonhuman entity) people also don't have to have a kintype or a nonhuman aspect to their identity to call themselves alterhuman--being otherhearted is simply enough.

Is alterhumanity LGBT+?

Sometimes it's related, mainly in the case of xenogenders and medusans, though it isn't inherently LGBT+ and those things also aren't inherently alterhuman 100% of the time. A persons orientation and gender identity can definitely be impacted by their alterhumanity in a multitude of ways, which is another way queerness could be considered alterhumanity if the person in question chooses it to be. Alterhumanity is an opt-in label, and you could use it for a number of experiences, including things related to your queer identity.

What's a shift?

Shifting is the experience of becoming closer to your alterhuman identity (kintype, hearttype, linktype etc) in some way. There's a lot of types of shifting, including phantom, mental and dream shifts. Shifts can happen involuntarily due to triggers, or can happen voluntarily. Not every alterhuman experiences shifts, and they're by no means required to be alterhuman.