Therianthropy

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Gray Pool
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Therianthropy

Post by Gray Pool »

Therianthropy

Therianthropy is an when a person identifies as as an earthly animal, such as mule deer or jackal. They (along with otherkin and others) fully acknowledge they are human and are only animal-like in mindset.

In contrast, there is also otherkin, who identify as a nonearthly animal, such as a gryphon or unicorn.

There is also fictionkin and plantkin, which are relatively controversial among the therian and otherkin community. In short, fictionkin identify as a made up character, like Percy Jackson or Deadpool. Plantkin, which is relatively self explanatory, is when someone identifies as a type of plant.

Origins of therianthropy

Psychological- Some people believe their therianthropy stems from a psychological origin. A common theory is that you grew up around an animal, and that made you adopt an identity similar to or of that animal.

Spiritual- Many people also believe they have a spiritual origin. Theories like past life, soul displacement are common.

Neurological- As well as those, some believe their therianthropy is caused from a neurological reason, like severe trauma, which caused them to adopt an animal identity.

Types of therianthropy

Cladotherians: a therian who encompasses a specific species. Instead of being say, a golden retriever therian, you'd be a canine therian, or instead of a domestic cat, you'd be a feline therian. These therians tend to experience mental, phantom, and other shifts from a variety of animals in their family, genus, et cetera.

Polytherian: a therian who has multiple types. A polytherian can be both this, and a contherian/suntherian/or standard therian- it's not a specific shift pattern.

Suntherian/vaccilant: Someone who is in a constant nonhuman state, but experiences fluctuations on this level.

Contherian: Someone who is fully their theriotype, that is to say they are integrated. They do not experience shifts.

Standard therian: Someone who is usually human but experiences shifts.

Nonshifter: Someone who simply doesn't shift. It can be hard for them to find their theriotype, but they do it by research and seeing if an animal feels "right".

Note; if you don't conform EXACTLY to these, don't worry! You don't have to be one of them- they're more of guidelines for people to relate to.

Types of shifting

One; mental shifting. There are periods of time where a therian "shifts" into their animal. They may start losing their human mindset to adopt their theriotype's mindset, such as whinnying if their type is a horse, hissing if their type is a crocodile, or chirping if their theriotype is a bird.

Two; phantom shifting. Phantom shifting is when you have the sensation of a limb when it is not actually there; a little similar to the sensation experienced by people who have lost limbs. These limbs may move independantly, move under your control, or simply be felt and yet not move.

Three; aural shifting. Obviously this cannot be physically felt or observed, unless you can see or sense auras. This is simply a change of aura, as the name explains, which may or may not be specifically related to your theriotype.

Four; sensory shifting. Sensory shifting is when your sight/hearing degrades or improves based off your theriotype. While obviously it is impossible for it to actually change, you may just start being more aware of things based off the sense that improves.

Five; dream shifting. Dream shifting is when you are your theriotype in a dream. It can either be an accurate situation or not.

Six; Physical shifting. Physical shifting is when one changes into their theriotype physically. This is absolutely not possible, and it is recommended you don't try as faux-guides online may try to intice you into doing dangerous/harmful things.

These are also applicable to otherkin, fictionkin, and plantkin.

What is not therianthropy?


-connections: a connection indicates being animal hearted, or kith with an animal. Being kith/-hearted is where one identifies WITH, not AS, and has a connection to an animal. If you have a strong connection/see aspects of that animal in yourself but you cannot imagine yourself being that animal, or it feels wrong to identify as one, you are most likely kith.

-liking an animal: not related to therianthropy. Has a slim connection to kith, but that is generally reserved for strong loves for, not casual likes.

-wanting to be an animal- Also not related, much more related to being -hearted. However, many therians experience species dysphoria, which is the feeling where your human body feels wrong, much like how people are critical of their weight. It can range from light to severe.

-thinking an animal is cool- A large reason why there are so many wolf and big cat therians. Many people, usually younger, who are new to therianthropy tend to subscribe to incorrect beliefs regarding therianthropy. Finding you theriotype can take many months, and is not directly related to being a therian.

-Dream shifts: Dreams are highly unreliable and easily influenced, and should only be trusted after months of regular dreaming.

-Meditation: Sorry to say, but meditation, like dream shifts, are unreliable. Unless you are very experienced, or have a freak insight, the mind is easily influenced by outside influences.

-Cameo shifts: These are just shifts that come and go- at the most, they last a couple months (rarely) and then go away.
-Clinical Lycanthropy: Where someone literally believes they ARE an animal physically. This isn't therianthropy- therians acknlowledge they are human physically and not truly an animal- as well as they cannot fully, 100% understand an animal's experiences, being human.

Am I a therian? Or, ways of finding a theriotype


People can determine their theriotype from shifts. Say they experience phantom wings, and chirp during mental shifts, chances are they are a avian/prehistoric theropod of some sort. If they do not shift, it may just be a process of trial-and-error, telling yourself you identify as a certain animal that catches your eye until it finally sticks/stops feeling wrong. Finding your type can take months, even years. Personally, it took about a year for me to finally settle on my types (caracal and pronghorn). This was done through careful research. You will not find your type in a week, and if you do you are very very lucky.

I do hope this helped- feel free to ask questions!

A good site to look at (if I'm not allowed to link, please tell me and I will remove it) is Therianguide.com and its respective forum. Or, if this is in the wrong place and the thread should be moved.
Omnitheist. Caracal and pronghorn therian (if you have questions, ask please). Haven't found my specialty yet.
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SpiritTalker
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by SpiritTalker »

This has come up occasionally, particularly wings, so I bet there are folk here to appreciate the good info.

How does this duo identity affect daily life? Is it more spiritual? Could you share some thoughts on this? It's quite interesting.
Shawn Blackwolf
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by Shawn Blackwolf »

I can say how it affected me...;)

I was the first person in the U.S. , I was told ,
to get disability payments for being a Lycanthrope...

Since 1994 , though they first offered it to me , when
it first occurred in 1973...

There are a number of reasons, I am called Blackwolf...;)
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by SnowCat »

People think it's cute when I wear my hoodie that says "I'm A Cat Trapped In A Human Body." Had I shifted more than astrally when I attended Mass a couple of weeks ago, I would have been on national news.

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Re: Therianthropy

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It must be difficult to talk about. I can understand that, since I deal with the Grays and people's disbelief and joke cracking too. Does the shifting hurt? make you dizzy? nauseous? Disoriented maybe for the moment? Does it temporarily change your will? Or perspective? Does It happen at inconvenient times, like when driving? Or is it controllable? Do your get any warning when a shift is approaching? Am I butting in? I am trying to Understand it, in all sincerity.
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CleverlyDisguised
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by CleverlyDisguised »

I have reason to believe I am otherkin due to a recurring dream I have had throughout the years. It can be disconcerting to say the least
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by RyukaAscendant »

I am an otherkin by this definition. Specifically a feathered dragon with 8 wings and 8 horns. The wings are relatively new and didn't develope until I began practicing magic. Similarly my horns took longer. I actually grow my hair out despite being born male because it gives the weight I feel my horns should have. I do shift slightly but mostly just if I sit down or start doing human things otherwise I have the phantom limbs. Honestly I've only opened up about this since meeting my wife who is a furry and how I actually heard about otherkin from initially. Amusingly she's a fox lol.

Also the feeling of my phantom limbs increases with how much and how often I use magic
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Re: Therianthropy

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Oh its been ages since I have seen that word used. It was almost like a fad in the mid-2000's for people to claim to be therians. Now that it is settled down I haven't actually spoken to another one in some time. As blackwolf said, There is a reason I am called Wolf as well. Though "wolf like thing" may be more appropriate. But then I am a Berserker, of the Ulfhednar specifically.
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by RyukaAscendant »

SpiritTalker wrote:It must be difficult to talk about. I can understand that, since I deal with the Grays and people's disbelief and joke cracking too. Does the shifting hurt? make you dizzy? nauseous? Disoriented maybe for the moment? Does it temporarily change your will? Or perspective? Does It happen at inconvenient times, like when driving? Or is it controllable? Do your get any warning when a shift is approaching? Am I butting in? I am trying to Understand it, in all sincerity.
As far as I'm concerned it feels more like relief. It's like letting out part of who I am whenever any piece comes through. For me it is controllable but honestly I don't want it to go away. Sometimes if feels like my senses sharpen specifically olfactory and magical senses. If I haven't embraced myself fully I have a hard time sensing much. But even then my extrasensory abilities are minute at best. Inconvenience is minimal except for the occasional desire for fresh meat and blood.
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Gray Pool
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by Gray Pool »

SpiritTalker wrote:This has come up occasionally, particularly wings, so I bet there are folk here to appreciate the good info.

How does this duo identity affect daily life? Is it more spiritual? Could you share some thoughts on this? It's quite interesting.
Truth be told, it doesn't affect my life overly much. It used to, a lot, when I first "awakened" as a therian. But as I continued into the community, now, a year later, I don't have many shifts and therianthropy isn't as new and exciting as it was before.

I identify as a caracal psychologically- I grew up around cats and I adopted an identity around that. My type deviates a bit from it, being a small wild cat, so... that's why I'm not sure.
Wolf wrote:Oh its been ages since I have seen that word used. It was almost like a fad in the mid-2000's for people to claim to be therians. Now that it is settled down I haven't actually spoken to another one in some time. As blackwolf said, There is a reason I am called Wolf as well. Though "wolf like thing" may be more appropriate. But then I am a Berserker, of the Ulfhednar specifically.
It's still a bit of a fad on sites like tumblr, which is annoying.
Omnitheist. Caracal and pronghorn therian (if you have questions, ask please). Haven't found my specialty yet.
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Gray Pool
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by Gray Pool »

SpiritTalker wrote:It must be difficult to talk about. I can understand that, since I deal with the Grays and people's disbelief and joke cracking too. Does the shifting hurt? make you dizzy? nauseous? Disoriented maybe for the moment? Does it temporarily change your will? Or perspective? Does It happen at inconvenient times, like when driving? Or is it controllable? Do your get any warning when a shift is approaching? Am I butting in? I am trying to Understand it, in all sincerity.
Shifting doesn't hurt, make me dizzy, or any of that. It can happen at inconvenient times, and for those who have uncontrollable shifts (but it is rare, mostly among people who have repressed their therianthropy- it usually peters off after a few months) it may require them to pull over. Usually, shifts aren't a problem. Shifts can happen suddenly but for most they are controllable. And no, not butting in- I love questions!
Omnitheist. Caracal and pronghorn therian (if you have questions, ask please). Haven't found my specialty yet.
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by RyukaAscendant »

SpiritTalker wrote:It must be difficult to talk about. I can understand that, since I deal with the Grays and people's disbelief and joke cracking too.
It's seen as about as crazy. I just blended into the furry fandom though and it became more normative, also people understand it more easily. Still talking about it in most circles you have to open up about it slowly. This is one of the few places I wasn't as worried about opening up about it.
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by SpiritTalker »

Thank you all for the inside views.
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RyukaAscendant
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Re: Therianthropy

Post by RyukaAscendant »

Not a problem
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Re: Therianthropy

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No problem at all :)
Omnitheist. Caracal and pronghorn therian (if you have questions, ask please). Haven't found my specialty yet.
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