otter !

he/him 🌿 early 20s

[aerotter]

hi! i'm otter, a trans guy in my early 20s who is also a reality shifter! and this is my shifting sideblog! i interact from @\j****j*** (antis DNI, i don't wanna hear it)

i haven't posted about my shifting journey before so im a little nervous, but also excited bc i really enjoy talking about my DRs!

my original posts are tagged as #otter's posts 🦦🌿

currently, my DRs are:

stranger things 🌟

content creator / streamer

homestuck

ace attorney

so far i've accidentally shifted once, and "minishifted" a couple times, but i haven't hit my goal of shifting & staying present for at least an hour.... yet >:3c i do however have some DR memories so if you want to ask me about those, i'd be happy to answer!

i'm using dividers from here, here, and here right now!! i also reblog dividers that i plan on using with the tag #dividers

DR intro posts

Danny Henderson - Hawkins

[thexhighxpriestess]

(ii) ⋆ spiritual breakdown on how to "actually use" awake methods effectively.

firstly, i’d like to thank everyone for the great feedback i received on the my last post i made about how to use "actually use" awake methods, based on research i came across while learning about deep meditation and altered states of consciousness. and like i mentioned in my last post, i’m doing a follow-up to explain the full diagram and how you can use it to be more effective when practicing awake methods.

disclaimer(s): before i do a deep dive into how to “actually use” awake methods, backed by a spiritual interpretation from rudolf steiner’s esoteric teachings, i want to clarify that i’m putting “actually use” in quotes for a reason because there isn’t a black-and-white way to approach shifting. shifting is deeply personal and spiritual (imo). everything i’m sharing here is simply what i’ve found through my own research, shadow work, and inner reflection, including tarot, which resonated strongly with me and helped me feel confident enough to share this. my hope is that it supports others in their own shifting journey. i also want to make it clear that my approach to shifting is completely spiritual. i don’t really see it as something scientific, i experience it more as a spiritual practice. so everything i share here is coming from that spiritual perspective, not from the science side of shifting.

this is going to be a lengthy post!

this diagram comes from rudolf steiner’s esoteric teachings, and it maps out the stages that lead outward from ordinary, day-to-day consciousness to the early stages of meditation, and eventually into the deepest level of meditation, what many people in the community call the "void state". it also goes past the void state into what’s described as higher, more advanced stages of spiritual abundance, ending in the telos stage, where you’re fully detached from the physical body and exist purely as your subconsciousness. this can be connected to shifting as an almost "goldilocks” stage, where you’re no longer tied to this reality and can access your desired reality through simple affirming, because doubt and ego have been bypassed and you’re fully in that subconscious void.

so how do we reach that?

let me explain each point across the diagram so we can have a understanding of how we can achieve each stage and then eventually telos.

day-to-day consciousness is basically where we are right now, our original reality, what we can perceive, see, and feel through our five senses. it’s the stage we’re in before we decide to shift from our usual, everyday waking world.

i (3.4.1) . . when you choose to use an awake method and lie down to start meditating, you enter the activation stage almost immediately. this is where you begin closing off your awareness from your original reality. by shutting your eyes and settling into meditation, you start withdrawing that external focus, even if it’s only a few minutes in, just breathing with the intention of pulling your awareness inward. from a shifting perspective, i see this as simply setting the intention, closing your eyes and knowing, “ok, i’m going to try to shift.” that’s the activation: you’ve made the decision, set the intent, and now you’re moving into meditation.

ii (3.4.2) . . this is where things start to matter. if you’re doing methods like the julia method for example, where you don’t use shifting or grounding affirmations until after you’ve entered the void state, you’ll naturally reach the abyss stage just by meditating without affirming to shift yet. this is the part where you’re simply in meditation—no complications, just a deep, calm state. not the deepest level yet, but you’re settled. you’re not fully focused on shifting yet; you’re focused on getting calm enough to shift. and i want to reiterate: this isn’t the stage where you’re affirming to shift yet. you’re not doing grounding or shifting affirmations here. you’re just calm, just meditating. that’s why there’s no “complications” in this stage, because you’re not pushing intention into anything yet. your body is still settling, and you’ve already moved past activation. for example, with the julia method, this is like the “i am” phase, where you’re repeating simple “i am” affirmations and staying calm. this will make more sense when i explain the encounter stage.

iii (3.4.3) . . this is the stage i think a lot of people end up giving up at, and it’s what perhaps makes their awake method attempt "unsuccessful". it won’t apply to every situation, but it’s what i noticed in my own experience. the encounter stage is what you reach after you’ve been in meditation for a bit and you start using shifting affirmations and genuinely intending that you’re somewhere else. for example, with the julia method, this could be when you move into identity affirmations or five senses affirmations—where you begin rewriting the reality you’re in. you’re affirming a new room, a new identity, new friends, a new environment. you’re actively shaping things and beginning the shift.

from my personal experience, i’d usually be meditating for at least half an hour before i reached the point where i felt like, alright, i’m calm enough. i don’t really feel my room as much, my body feels lighter, and i’m less aware of it overall. i feel ready to start affirming that i’m in my desired reality, so i begin the affirmations. and this is exactly where my attempts would stop for years. YEARS. i get this urge to open my eyes disappointed. i begin to feel my cr bed more. i feel a wave of dissatisfaction and frustration. and what really happens is that you encounter the ego. because you’re intending to shift, and you’re essentially challenging your sense of reality in the physical world, it can trigger a kind of survival response. your physical mind/body reads that “no identity” or “new identity” state as a threat, and it tries to pull you back to what’s familiar, back to what you’ve been conditioned to believe, because that feels safe. in spiritual teachings, this can also be described as the guardian. because shifting is something we aren't conditioned to believe in this reality, it pushes against the belief systems we’ve been taught alike the idea that: "we only have one life" and that "we’re only this physical body", it could also be your own insecurities about shifting e.g. "this isn't working" or "this is taking too long." and when you start spiritually expanding beyond that, you can run into what’s called the ego, or the guardian. this literally means you’re right at the door of shifting about to break through into a higher state of consciousness. it’s like a reflex meant to pull you back to what’s familiar and comfortable. that’s why it's called "the guardian" or "the ego at the door": because the moment you begin to move beyond it, all those ingrained “safe” beliefs and automatic thoughts in your subconscious push up in response.

whenever you reach this stage and you give in to those thoughts, or you start feeding them energy, it pulls you straight back into normal waking consciousness. everything starts to unravel. what you should do instead, when you reach this point, is alchemise. that doesn’t mean fighting the thoughts, because fighting them just fuels them. it means staying in meditation. when the urge hits, recognise what it actually is: a sign that you’re close. it means you’re approaching the door, and your subconscious is trying to drag you back to what feels familiar and safe. focus on your breath. try counting. the feeling usually comes in waves, it rises, fades, then returns. and each time you breathe through it and stay calm, it comes back quieter, less intense, and with longer stretches of calm before it returns. it’s definitely easier said than done, but i genuinely believe this is the stage where owning your power matters most, your ability to shift, and the strength of your intention. it can feel intense and even really demotivating, but this is where you start rewiring your mind to persist instead of pulling back.

iv (3.5) . . eventually, you reach what’s referred to as the telos stage. telos translates to the ultimate aim or end purpose, the final cause behind an action. this is the stage where i believe i and you hit the prime mindset shift. your doubts have quietened down, and you’re in a state of pure consciousness that’s open to affirmation, you withdraw effort. at this point, identity affirmations tend to “stick” more because there’s no resistance, this is essentially the void state or adjacent to the hypnagogic state. and from here, you can begin affirming in a way that brings you back into day-to-day awareness, but in your reality of choice instead. your desired reality. and now without hesitation or pushback, you have full access to your desired reality through intention and affirmation.

v final thoughts?

in terms of whether this theory has actually been effective for me, and whether i’ve shifted: yes. i started looking into this in the first place because whenever i did shift, it usually happened in these strange half-asleep, half-awake phases—like when i’d get pulled out of a dream and end up in that black, in-between space where i could feel my spiritual body floating. those shifts fell into a few types for me: one where i was fully grounded, and two where i could physically feel my desired reality, like i sort of was half in and half out. that’s what pushed me to research this more deeply, and it’s also why this is the approach i mostly follow now. but again, it’s so individual, shifting is extremely personal, and what works for me comes from my own reflection and my own decision to step back from a lot of shifttok and social media communities. you really do have to do your own research and let it become your own journey.

hopefully this resonates with anyone and is of good help!

[aerotter]

Shifting Journal Prompts

If you have special powers or abilities, how do you feel about them? Do you think they fit you?

What are you looking forward to? What are you dreading?

What parts of yourself do you hide from others, and why?

What frightens you about your DR?

What do you want to learn from this DR?

How has your CR shaped your sense of self? How does it differ in your DR?

When you think about shifting / your DR, what thoughts immediately surface? Any fears, doubts, etc.?

Write a letter to your DR self. Some topics you could include are things you look forward to, questions you have for them, and how you feel about them.

What are beliefs you have that may be keeping you stuck?

Who are you when you're alone in your DR?

What helps you feel grounded in your CR? How can you apply it to your shifting journey?

What are the little things about your DR self that someone might notice?

What does your DR self smell like?

What would your DR self say in a cutaway confessional (like on reality TV)?

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with in your DR? What was it about?

(divider credits - strangergraphics)

[adorbsalligator-deactivated2026]

A tip to get closer to your dr self and align with them🌺

SHIFTING DIARY.i will say this until I die,get yourself a shifting diary asap!

And I don’t mean keeping tracks of your drs or talking about your methods and manifestations.literally just make it a diary or journal for your dr,talk about who you hate in your dr,who you love,your plans,what you want to do as your dr self! It definitely helped me get closer to my dr and made it seem wayyy more normal instead of it seeming like fiction and fantasy to me.it also makes you align with your dr self better,which is really good for your shifting journey.

Have a safe shift🫶🪷

[aerotter]

My Hawkins DR

name: Daniel James Henderson, aka Danny

birthday: February 1967 (18 in 1985, Aquarius sun & rising, Sagittarius moon)

employment: Scoops Ahoy (until eventual... closure)

After a close encounter with D'art (where he chewed on my fucking LEG OWWWW), the Demodog slobber got into my bloodstream and gave me some new abilities - namely, I became able to transform into a large wolf at will. (don't ask me how it works like that, i don't know and i don't care to know) It's not like traditional werewolf folklore - I can interact with silver, full moons don't impact me, etc. - but it is sick as hell.

established relationships:

Dustin - I'm his "cool" older brother, and I take the responsibility semi-seriously. Very much a "do as I say, not as I do" type of deal going on. He's a little shit sometimes, but I don't regret getting dragged along to whatever antics he wants me for. Claudia (Mom) - I sometimes struggle to open up to her since she's a problem-solver (and sometimes you just want someone to listen), but she's truly wonderful. She doesn't understand everything about my transness, but she's left-leaning and has a desire to learn, which is all I can ask for. Eddie - I "work" as the publicist for Corroded Coffin, designing their posters & helping to clean up some of Eddie's sketches. We do also hang out outside of school hours - he helps me source my testosterone & does the injections for me (I'm not a fan of needles). I love chatting with him on his roof late at night, hanging out with him is incredibly fun. Steve - We start off tense (I have a one-sided battle to win the title of "masculine figure that Dustin looks up to" before realizing that it isn't a competition), but as I learn to open up to the idea of him, I realize that the guy's pretty great. He's very casually caring, he offers help like it's nothing to him. Once we become coworkers at Scoops, we rarely go a day without seeing each other, for better or worse.

[aerotter]

Shiftuary

Day 2: Who’s your most current or main S/O that you’re shifting for? If you don’t have an S/O, who’s the most current or main platonic character you’re shifting for?

since i wrote yesterday's post about steve (and i'm still shifting for him), i'll write today's post about my friend, eddie! he and i have a good handful of shared interests (art, dnd, weed, etc.) and he gives me some really good advice. not all of it is advice that i take, but it's still good! he's a bit anti-steve at the moment, since all he knows about steve is from high school, but i'm trying to get him to come around to liking him so we can all hang out together.

[aerotter]

Shiftuary

Day 1: Who was your first ever S/O you started shifting for? If you don’t have an S/O, who was the first platonic character you started shifting for?

during my first (accidental) shift, i hung out with steve harrington a lot, even though i didn't know much about him yet. since then, i've felt this pull to shift back for him, so i guess my answer is steve!

he's a real sweetheart, i was zoning out when i met him and he was trying to ground me by talking to me about his day. it was really nice :3

[shiftingwithmars]

Shiftuary

@apolloshifts requested we bring back shifting events. So I’m coming in HOT with this one. Enjoy 😉

Day 1: Who was your first ever S/O you started shifting for? If you don’t have an S/O, who was the first platonic character you started shifting for?

Day 2: Who’s your most current or main S/O that you’re shifting for? If you don’t have an S/O, who’s the most current or main platonic character you’re shifting for?

Day 3: Pick a someone from your DR and list 5 things you love about them.

Day 4: What is your “safe space” in your dr? Is it a person? A place? A song?

Day 5: Share your favorite inside jokes from your DR!!

Day 6: What do you love most about your drself?

Day 7: Who or what from your DR do you miss the most right now?

Day 8: What does your dr sound like? Are mornings soft and quiet, or loud and messy? Is midday filled with the sounds of the city, or the calmness of a small town? Is the night filled with the sounds of crickets, or the gentle hooting of an owl?

Day 9: Plan a hangout in your dr. Can be with the people you love, or by yourself.

Day 10: Write a scenario from your s/o’s POV.

Day 11: Share your favorite platonic bond. Can be a best friend. Can be a family member. Can be a coworker. Hell, it can even be the barista at your local coffee shop.

Day 12: What song makes you think of that one special person from your dr? It could be an s/o, a parental figure, a sibling, a best friend, or even just a random character!!

Day 13: If you had to spend Valentine’s Day with ONE s/o, who would it be and why?

Day 14: Happy Valentines Day!! Share whatever you want!! V-Day plans, DR memories, what you’d be doing with your DR people rn, anything you want to share!!

Day 15: Show your moots some love!! Who are your best shiftblr friends? Who has gotten you through your journey, or stopped you from giving up?

Day 16: What is your favorite “boring” thing or moment from your dr? Maybe it’s your coffee order. Your alarm sound. That one time you bumped into a stranger on the street.

Day 17: Who do you go to when you need comfort?

Day 18: What’s a “little thing” in your DR that is important to you?

Day 19: Who is the first person you’ll see/you saw when you wake up in your DR?

Day 20: Who are you most excited to see, or what are you most excited to do?

Day 21: Wildcard!! Who pisses you off the most in your DR?

Day 22: Who is the one person you’re never fake with—they make you feel completely safe and comfortable to be yourself.

Day 23: How did you know you were in love with your s/o? What made you fall for them? If you don’t have an s/o, what made you realize you felt connected to your DR person? What made you feel attached to them?

Day 24: Share your favorite scenario from your DR.

Day 25: What is something or someone you ALWAYS script into each of your drs? Even if it’s so out of context, or doesn’t fit, it sneaks its way into every single universe you exist in.

Day 26: What is your favorite memory from your DR?

Day 27: How has shifting changed how you see yourself or the world?

Day 28: Who is one s/o you’ll never stop loving, or one platonic bond you’ll never lose, no matter how old you get or how much time passes? No matter how many drs you create/shift to?

Bonus: If you could go back in time and stop yourself from discovering shifting, would you? I know most of us would probably say no, but if you said yes, then why?

Think about how loved you are in your DR. You’re so loved, right? So stop treating yourself like you aren’t.

[shaysplanet]

you want a step by step guide for shifting? here you go.

intend -> connect -> act -> go

avenues to take for intention

think , affirm . doesn’t take much, a mental image of what you’re aligning with is enough .

avenues to take for connection

imagine , visualize , feel . anything that gets you emotionally connected and shows your subconscious your dr is familiar and safe for your awareness to slip into .

avenues to take for action

let go . that’s it . there is no other action you take to shifting but surrendering. stop the visuals, affirming, checking. let go .

and then? what next?

SHIFT. SHIFT. JUST SHIFT.

the secret of shifting or that “sweet spot” that people keep talking about is not one that’s found from excess emotion. you do not need to be hyped or crying from love for your dr to shift. you also don’t need to force constant affirmations or visuals. you just want to be in that calm neutral state where you know what you want, you’re not grasping at it, you’re open to receiving it, and you’re okay with relaxing into the unknown. that’s how you shift into any circumstance, any state, any desire. it doesn’t take hours—it doesn’t even take a minute. it’s just a choice. you can bypass steps 1 and 2 but a lot of people need those steps to make themselves neutral. and that’s okay. just don’t get stuck at step 1 or 2. they’re great to prepare you but they’re just ways to keep you relaxed. they aren’t what make you shift. 3 is essential. the surrender is essential. that’s why i preach self trust so much! hope this helps.

[masoncantthinkofaname]

''Just shift,'' but it's like expecting a dog to sit without ever teaching it what the command means. It's not like the dog cannot sit, it does it all the time, every single day, but if it has never related the word ''sit'' to the action, then how is it supposed to know.

Some figure it out really quickly, some don't, and like shifting, it's often harder to teach a trick to a dog who has already been shaped by its surroundings.

Doing it is not the issue, the issue is doing it when you expect it. It has no use telling someone to ''just shift,'' when they haven't ever done it before, all it will do is cause frustration

[nevercomingbackbyebyebye]

for all my adult shifters who discovered shifting as teenagers and shifts to get their teenage years back since they couldn't enjoy it back then, as well as have a true friend group.

same.

[aerotter]

i figured out my astrology for my dr self, and it's surprisingly similar to my cr!! i did pick the same birthday, just different years, but still.

in hawkins, i'm an aquarius sun, sagittarius moon, and aquarius rising! here, i'm a pisces moon and rising, but i have sagittarius in my mars and venus

[cursed-carmine]

✴︎ SPARKLE DIVIDERS

ﾉ Please reblog & credit if you use!

For different colors just send me an ask please!

WHEAT

SHADOW

PINK SKY

SPRING TIME

ICE COLD

[cursed-carmine]

✴︎ LACE DIVIDERS

ﾉ Please reblog & credit if you use!

For different colors just send me an ask please!

SUCCULENTS

FOREST

MOON BLUE

OCEAN

PURPLE HAZE

[aerotter]

My First Time Shifting

back in 2022, i had this "dream" that i somehow knew was about stranger things. this was weird bc i hadn't seen the show since 2016, and even then, i'd only seen the first episode and a half. (THIS IS IMPORTANT!)

in the "dream," (which didn't really feel like a dream but i wasn't sure what else to call it yet), i was walking around a mall with steve harrington. he was talking and making jokes to me, but i was too zoned out to remember what exactly he was saying. i do remember thinking that the tile on the floor of the mall was weirdly yellow, and that stuck with me: weirdly yellow tile and weirdly placed pillars

we exited the mall and made our way to his car - a maroon something-or-other with a thin layer of backroads dust - and he tossed me the keys. that was when i "woke up" / came back.

i told my friend about it later, and he said it sounded a lot like i had shifted. i laughed the idea off at first, but then decided to test the theory. i drew out the shape of the car on a notecard (a boxy rectangular shape), described it as "dark red," then made a google search for "steve harrington car" and just about shit my pants.

to really seal the deal, i looked up if there was a mall in stranger things (and if you've seen season 3, you know there is! i had not seen season 3, though, so i had to look it up). i scoured the stranger things wiki to try and find a picture of the tile, and my heart soared; it was the same weird shade of yellow!

[finsmultiverse]

New game for shifters, tag people to pass it on if you want to

Use the ao3 tag generator and get 3 tags for each of your DRs to find out what it’s gonna be like for you

Here are mine:

Fame DR: Chance Meetings, Sunsets, Unreliable Narrator

Supernatural DR: Alternative Universes: Pirates, Cliffhangers, Biting

Marvel DR: Sibling Relationships, Bitterness, Acceptance

Stranger Things DR: Bullying, Transformation, Neighbors

X-Files DR: Forests, Peer Pressure, Alliances

Criminal Minds DR: Forced Bonding, Sad Ending, Photography

Okay I swear I went with the first ones I was given but why do some of these actually make a lot of sense skfjskjdsj the spn one is a little weird but the others???

[aerotter]

stranger things dr: non-sexual intimacy, technology, POV third person omniscient

streamer dr: subtext, pick-up lines, coffee shop

homestuck dr: injury, suggestive themes, acceptance

ace attorney dr: partying, bad ideas, meditation

[missysverse]

me realising that the dangerous DR I'm shifting to is indeed dangerous and I actually have to fight demons and I can't just be silly with my friends