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Therian Nation

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Special Thanks to @theangrylionshark and @liongoatsnake for providing suggestions to help us improve the script.

Hello. Welcome to Therian Nation. I’m your host, George Ross. In this video, we will delve into the various types of shifts experienced by Therians. If you have not watched “Introduction to Modern Therianthropy” or “Therianthropy Terms and Definitions” we recommend that you do so first.

Shifting has been discussed since the beginning of the online Therian community. “Your best mental transformation”, is a discussion that took place on AHWW on December 1, 1993. In that same discussion, one of the members mentions having a out of body experience, which we now call a bilocation shift.

What do we mean by a “shift”? A “shift” is a temporary change of state when a Therianthrope becomes more instinctual or animalistic as the theriotype becomes more dominant in a non-physical manner. Shifts can occur in varying strength and frequency and be both a positive or negative experience. Shifting can be voluntary or involuntary. Different types of shifts can be experienced simultaneously.

It is important to note that shifting is not necessary to identify as a Therian. Contherians are always in an animalistic mental state because their human and animal selves or minds have fully integrated. These individuals have animalistic experiences, they just don’t need to shift in order to do so. This state of integration is usually found in older Therians who have been aware of their Therianthropy for several years. But younger Therians have also experienced this integration and have classified themselves as Contherians. Also, a person does not need to experience every type of shift to identify as Therian. Some Therians may only ever experience one type of shift.

Before we get into the types of therianthropic shifts, we must use some discretion. Be aware that having a single shift or even several shifts does not mean that you should assume, without a doubt, that you are a Therian. It is important to remain mindful and not to jump to conclusions.

The same goes for finding a theriotype. We must carefully consider what experiences are relevant. There are rational explanations for why we might experience shifts that have nothing to do with Therianthropy or being Therian. All humans can have similar experiences or sensations to these types of shifts. We must be mindful and cautious that we are not simply imagining these sensations or potentially tricking our minds. We recommend reading the article “Believe It or Not?” written by Meirya, which can be found on Project Shift. Now let us move on to the types of therianthropic shifts.

Mental Shift (MS or m-shift): this term indicates a temporary change in mindset toward thinking like a non-human creature. The human body stays physically unchanged. This shift can be very mild, to very strong, and any level in-between. During mild shifts, part of the human mentality is maintained. A mental shift can sometimes happen unintentionally, or the shifter can sometimes cause it voluntarily, or even suppress it. Mental shifts can happen in the midst of any emotional state.

A strong mental shift can make a person lose the ability to think in words in favor of thinking in pure awareness. If you know that you are pruned to strong mental shifts, it’s good to learn the sensations that are precursors of your shifts so that you can find a safe and private place to experience your shift.

Phantom Shift (ph-shift): when a Therian experiences phantom limbs or a full phantom body. This is a phenomenon that refers to the sensation of having non-human body parts attached to the human body. The most common example is the feeling of having and moving a tail. These phantom limbs can even overlap the normal limbs of one’s body, such as feeling paws instead of hands.

“The specific ways in which these can be experienced varies vastly, but included amongst them are a diversity of levels of realism, some being very minor to some even being so intense that the phantom part feels almost entirely real regardless of the fact it is not physical. Some phantom parts are constant, but the ones referred to in this definition are those that are temporary and shift in and out of occurrence. Other effects associated with some phantom parts include pain or discomfort in/on or associated with the phantom part, movement (voluntary or involuntary) of the phantom body part, and reactions to outside real stimuli such as objects, sounds, movement of other things, and so forth.” - Project Shift

One does not need to be Therian or an amputee to experience phantom limbs. Experiments prove that people can be fooled into thinking that another object or even an invisible limb is part of them. This deception is known as the rubber hand illusion. Please see links in the description to learn more.

Sensory shifting (Se): also known as a Sense Shift, is considered to be a little different from mental shifting. It is a type of shift where the Therian’s senses become more like that of their animal. The Shifter will feel somewhat animalistic, alert, very aware, and often have a pleasurable heightened sense of their physical body. It can occur along with other types of shifts.

Sensory shifting does not make senses more powerful. Focusing attention on a certain sense, such as smell, can allow us to pick out more smells than usual. It is important to note that this is a heightened focus rather than a heightening of the sense itself. Our senses may feel more keen during these times of focus, but Sense Shifts cannot increase perception beyond the physical limitations of the human body. Hypersensitivity is a similar experience which can also occur in humans for various reasons.

Sensory shifting can be helpful in determining a theriotype, as animals preferentiate some senses over others. Ask yourself what senses are most prevalent during a shift. Canines, for example, understand the world primarily through smell.

Emotional Shift: When you shift during a certain emotional state; like stress or anger. Usually occurs in conjunction with another type of shift.

Cameo Shift ( C ): a shift into an animal that is not of a person’s theriotype. For example: If a cat Therian who has never experienced a dog mentality, shifts into a canine, this is a cameo shift. A cameo shift should not be the sole consideration as evidence of being a polytherian. Some theorize that a cameo shift could be due to an individual having a spirit guide or power animal instead.

Dream shift (DS or d-shift): a type of non-physical transformation which occurs in a dream as an individual becomes partially or entirely his/her theriotype within said dream. The dream might include the experience of transformation into that creature. A dream shift can occur in both lucid and non-lucid states.

Never automatically assume that seeing yourself as an animal in a dream means that you are a Therian or that the animal is your theriotype. Many other experiences, research, and introspection should also be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not you identify as Therian. Seeing oneself as an animal other than the known theriotype, may only be a dream cameo shift and does not always indicate that one is a polytherian. Not every dream may be relevant to one’s therianthropy.

Astral Shift (As): occurs most often during sleep or when a Therian enters a spiritual trance, travels out of body to the astral plane (spirit world), and shifts his/her astral body to the form of a non-human animal.

Aura shifting (A): when a person changes the shape of their auric field or energy field to that of their theriotype.

Spiritual Shift (S): Similar to Astral and Aura Shifting. When your spiritual self is turned into your theriotype. Any person that can astral project can perform this shift since it takes place on a non-physical plane.

Bilocation Shift (Bi) - bilocation is the phenomenon of being in two places simultaneously. A shift in which the shifter’s theriotype leaves their human body and materializes elsewhere; It is very similar to an out of body experience, but instead of the spirit body being shaped like the human body, it is the shape of the theriotype.

It is important to note that there is no proof of auras, astral travel, or out of body experiences. We do need to be aware that there are alternative explanations to astral, aura, spiritual, and bilocation shifting. They may not necessarily be spiritual in nature, but could be explained by ordinary events. Astral shifts could be the result of our brains trying to process the surroundings and the effects of sensory fatigue, a well documented effect which is at work in those able to perceive common optical illusions. Seeing auras or outlines around people and objects can simply be due to eye fatigue and other natural perceptual processes. Please see links below for more information.

Physical Shift (PS or p-shift): The transformation of a human body into the physical shape of another creature. There is no scientific evidence for this type of shift ever happening and no reasonable evidence that it ever could. The Therian community agrees that physical shifting is impossible, and it is usually taboo to bring up a discussion about this subject.

Remember to critically reflect on your experiences when considering whether you are Therian and/or Otherkin. Question yourself thoroughly and be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself if your experiences are genuine. It is okay to explore ideas surrounding Therianthropy and to conclude that one is not Therian.

Therian Nation would like to say thank you to all of the members of the community who made suggestions and helped us gather information. Links to public sources used for this video have been provided in the description below. The next video will go more in depth about Psychological Therianthropy. If you have any questions, you are welcome to leave us a comment or send us a message. Therian Nation will answer to the best of our knowledge and ability. Subscribe to Therian Nation to learn and stay informed about Therianthropy and the Therian community. Thank you.

Therian Nation Full Disclaimer: https://youtu.be/xM91N_xw4CQ

List of Public Sources

“Your best mental transformation”, AHWW, December 1, 1993: https://groups.google.com/d/topic/alt.horror.werewolves/sfJ0k722SKA/discussion

“Believe It or Not?” written by Meirya, December 2007, Project Shift: http://project-shift.net/believe-it-or-not/

“Types of Shifts” written by Sonne, Project Shift: http://project-shift.net/types-of-shifts/

“It’s Okay Not to be a Therianthrope” by Bewylderbeast: http://project-shift.net/its-okay-not-to-be-a-therianthrope/

Therian Timeline - Words and Concepts: http://www.theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/words_and_concepts

O. Scribner, Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged, last modified Sept. 8, 2012 in The Art and Writing of O. Scribner ( http://orion.kitsunet.net/nonfic.html )

Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive): http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm

Shifters.org (2001 web archive): http://web.archive.org/web/20010709235122/http://www.shifters.org/shifting/types.shtml

The Wolf Within (web archive): http://web.archive.org/web/20010413214231/http://fly.to/twi

Shifting Types, Therian Wiki - http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthropic_Shifting_types

Phantom Limbs
Choi, Charles Q. Even Non-Amputee Can Feel A Phantom Limb, Live Science, April 12 2013, http://www.livescience.com/28694-non-amputees-feel-phantom-limb.html (accessed June 25 2016)

“Phantom Extra Limbs” Mind Hacks, May 14, 2008, https://mindhacks.com/2008/05/14/phantom-extra-limbs/

Seung Don Yoo, Dong Hwan Kim, Yong Seol Jeong, Jinmann Chon, Jihea Bark, “Atypical Supernumerary Phantom Limb and Phantom Limb Pain in Two Patients with Pontine Hemorrhage” J Korean Med Sci. 2011 June; 26. Published online 2011 May 18. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3102884/

Astral Projection
Benjamin Radford, “Astral Projection: Just a Mind Trip” March 18, 2013 http://www.livescience.com/27978-astral-projection.html

Auras
The Skeptics Dictionary - http://skepdic.com/auras.html

Thumbnail Image Source: Photomanipulation
“Dreaming in Milan”http://www.flickr.com/photos/132907608@N05/20440463738 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

“Horses in the Mist”
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Images (if any) are used under fair use for educational purposes only and remain the property of the copyright holders.

Opening Title Music - “News Theme 3” by Ithaca Audio Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. http://www.ithacaaudio.com/2010/12/07/news-theme/

Jul. 30th, 2016

Jul. 30th, 2016

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