For years I've "felt" wings, on my lower shoulder blades. It was never more than a slight tingle, like something's supposed to be there but isn't, when I concentrated, but this morning I was messing with it and trying to make them "move" like I can sometimes feel but usually only at night in that half-awake state, but it really started to hurt. It's hurting now, after reading through this thread and probably making me aware of it. I can imagine clearly how it would feel to fly, despite never having a flying dream (WHY??!!), though I do have a rather active imagination. ^^Hence the quotes.JurroRath wrote:The sensation of phantom limbs is probably one of the defining characteristics of Otherkin. (not that everyone does, and not everyone who defines themself as 'Kin feels them, but it is extremely common)TNHawke wrote:one strange thing though is that, while I get the normal pains in my sides and in my legs, I also get horrible pains on my upper back between my shoulder blades, right where I always imagine my wings would be if I had any. This is probably just my imagination, and the simple fact that I'm not very fit, but I'm not entirely sold on that idea, though I'm trying very hard not to sell myself on the idea of being an otherkin either.
Here's the interesting thing about phantom pain, which is medically researched. When a person has a body part amputated- say an arm or a leg, afterwards, they will often report feeling pain in the limb that is no longer there. There's no nerves to fire, they shouldn't be feeling anything, so what the heck? It has baffled doctors and scientists for years. However, even though the nerves in the limb are severed and gone, the area of the brain they were attached to still remains. And that will continue to process information. Maybe it realizes the limb is gone and thinks "hey, you should be feeling pain!" or maybe it's just random firing of synapses that your conscious mind then interprets at pain or other sensations.
So... if the brain will continue to recognize a limb that is no longer there, could it be that the brain is recognizing limbs that SHOULD be there? Is that why we feel wings and tails and such? That some part of our brain knows it should be there and neurons fire accordingly? or, do we just have really active imaginations, and the brain is a wonderfully detailed organ and we can imagine these sensations and thus we get them?
My own experiences with phantom limbs and pain-
When I was an adolescent, my canine teeth were coming in over top of all the rest of my teeth- my mouth is too small for them all. So, the dentist extracted my cuspids on either side and allowed my canines to move down into the newly opened slot. We thought I would need braces to finish it out, but nope, they moved in perfectly and except for missing a couple on top, I have surprisingly straight, nice teeth. I have felt a tingle from that spot ever since. I always wondered if it was a phantom 'pain' (it doesn't actually hurt) or just my imagination. Insert many years. My top wisdom teeth have come in, but practically sideways. One rubs against my cheek, irritating my cheek, then, because it's hard to brush, and it's always against skin, it develops a cavity and ultimately a corner breaks off! Now, I've got this sharp, jagged crater in my tooth REALLY cutting into my cheek. Remembering the sensation from the cuspids, I start concentrating on those wisdom teeth- I can't feel them. No tingle, nothing. I got them pulled about a week after the break happened. Let them heal up. Sure enough, even years later I can feel a tingle in the back, upper corner of my jaw where those teeth used to be.
Here's where it gets fun. That tingle is a nearly identical tingle that I get in my back, where wings would attach, in my lower spine, where a tail would attach, even in my finger and toe tips where claws would be. When I sit back and relax- or even standing up, in public, all I have to do is concentrate on them a bit, and I can feel everything- the beak, the ears, even the feathers and fur. I have felt the wind ruffle them.
Overactive imagination? Maybe. Sensations of parts I should have, but physically don't? Maybe.
I do believe in reincarnation and that I was probably a bird in a past life, based on my desire for wings and the ability to fly. I'm also not phased at all by heights, or rollercoasters for that matter, but it could mean absolutely nothing.
Am I socially awkward? Yes, but I'm a nerd at heart as well and have never identified with most "normal" people. I often would rather hang out by myself or with my pets than other people. Though I would rather be an animal, I've always labeled myself as human.
Personally, I have a hard time believing this as years spent enjoying science class have turned me into the "seeing is believing" type, but it would be rather cool and I do think it's interesting to hear other people's views on the topic. I can't say I'm totally against this, though, because of the phantom pain in my back.