Q: The Difference Between Therians & Dragonkin?

[Kasada]

The topic doesn't leave much besides repetition.  I've been trying to figure out for a while what the difference(s) is (are) between Therians and Dragonkin, and can't come up with any.  Therefore, I hoped someone who knows or is one of these could help...

[diss]

therians and dragons?

i'll state in opening that i'm rather biased, as i identify as a therian dragon. i experience shifts like other therians describe them, and my experience as a dragon is that of an animal (perhaps slightly smarter than most animals, but still, a creature of flesh and blood). i differ from many therians in that i have "memories" of "previous lives" as a dragon (i remain sceptical in regards to what they actually are), and of course there never were any six-limbed vertebrates on earth (therefore i posit that my "previous lives" took place on a distant planet).

 my experience with other dragons is that most of them identify with mythical/fictional dragons, and class themselves with otherkin. they tend not to have shifts, and in their descriptions of their dragon existence they often describe magickal powers, non-physical existence. many seem to think of themselves as higher beings of some kind or other, and superior to other humans.

however, this is a very rough generalisation, dragonkin are a very diverse lot.


compared to the vampire community, therian dragons are more like the more down-to-earth pis-vamps and sangs, while when talking to otherkin dragons i feel similar to when i'm talking to the more religious vampire types like the TOV or UVUP, or indeed "father" Todd. but as i said, i'm rather biased.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Since there is a category of therians known as 'contherianthropes' who do not experience mental shifting, I remain convinced that there is no difference between therians and otherkin. 

I find the elitism of some therians to be highly amusing.  They appear to think that if you feel your inner self is a real, known animal, this is somehow more legitimate than feeling your inner self is a mythical creature.  Obviously it requires some religious faith to assume that reincarnation or some other spiritual process is at work, and these are never things that should be stated as fact.

[Kasada]

Nobody ever said that there was a difference between therians and otherkin in general, in fact therians are almost always considered as just a large sub-category of otherkin.  They're not something separate and distinct any more (or less) than any other single type or category of otherkin is different from another.  I've never noticed therians acting elitist either, but that could be because I'm not around especially many of them, and I've met the relatively good ones.
I do agree with you on the part where spiritual processes should not be stated as fact, however.  Personally, I do not believe in reincarnation at all, but think most 'kin are defined by similarities or (maybe) another kind of link rather than soul displacement.

[Necryn]

Otherkin:  Feeling that one is spiritually and/or mentally something that isn't human.
Therianthropy:  Feeling that one is spiritually and/or mentally a non-human animal, sometimes but not always accompanied by shifts (changes in aura, shapechanging in dreams, perceiving things differently than normal, feeling the sensations of limbs that aren't physically there, etc).

Some people use therianthropy to refer specifically to someone who feels as though they are in some non-physical capacity a living earth animal.  Some extend the definition to animal-like creatures such as dragons and gryphons, and extinct animals such as dinosaurs.  To be on the safe side, when wondering whether to refer to a dragon as a therian or an otherkin, ask the individual in question.  Therians are technically a kind of otherkin, but some dragons prefer one label, some prefer the other.

[Zerochan]

To me, there's no difference between therians and otherkin. To me, we're all re/incarnated beings. I realize others may view it differently, and to be honest, that's just fine. I identify as a faery (leanan sidhe) which most would put under the "otherkin" label. *shrug* It's all the same to me.

[display]

To me, there's no difference between therians and otherkin. To me, we're all re/incarnated beings. I realize others may view it differently, and to be honest, that's just fine. I identify as a faery (leanan sidhe) which most would put under the "otherkin" label. *shrug* It's all the same to me.

so, your not a vampire but Kin?

[paindancer]

Quite a lot of kin seem to require vampiric methods.  Consider it the cost to being in a non native body.

[Zerochan]

To me, there's no difference between therians and otherkin. To me, we're all re/incarnated beings. I realize others may view it differently, and to be honest, that's just fine. I identify as a faery (leanan sidhe) which most would put under the "otherkin" label. *shrug* It's all the same to me.

so, your not a vampire but Kin?


It's entirely possible to be both. xD Being a faery is what my SOUL is. Has nothing to do with being a vampire.

[Kasada]

Aye, vampirism is a condition (sort of), while being 'kin is having a relation or similitude to another type of being.  Totally unrelated topics.  On the note of topics, let's have a topic alignment - vampirism is irrelevant to the question.

The question had nothing to do with therians vs otherkin in general; I consider therians a subgroup of otherkin already, not something separate from it.  The question is, quite simply, assuming that dragons do now or did in the past exist in some form, whether dragonkin would be considered a type of therian rather than a non-therian otherkin.

[Zerochan]

I think the main argument for dragons being therians is that if dragons existed, that WOULD be an animal, and there are dragon legends across the entire planet, suggesting some basis in reality.

[SilverRose]

I believe that dragons existed at one point, and that you could be dragon therian or dragon otherkin depending on the person.