Physical Shifting, and What It Means
....with quotes from pshifters on here and other websites.
There is heavy debate around what a pshifter really is, but for the most part, all shifters in relation to the community can tell you that we are either:
those who shift physically.
or those who have the ability to shift physically, but not all of us can.
But what does it mean to "shift physically"? Well, we would have to establish pshifter culture for that, and that involves knowing pshifter history: The History of the Online Shifter Community (Early Internet - 2018). This timeline was made by Harloqui, pshifter of 12+ years.
The culture of the pshifter is not something everyone agrees on, as it is oftentimes not understood, but most know that this culture revolves around our terminology, the way we speak on our shifts, how we present ourselves, our internal community communication, and other social factors/prominent members of the community around us. That is pshifter culture. Without knowledge of that, you enter unknown land.
What Physical Shifting Means for Different Shifters
Rioliega, mountain lion shifter of 3+ years-
P-shifting is basically the form (or practice) of physically changing into an animal.
Banulf, shifter since 1998(?)-
Physical Shifting is quite simply put, taking on all aspects of your animal type.
Aphelion Alifer, avian shifter of 10 years-
P-shifting describes the act of shapeshifting into your nonhuman species.
These are all shifters of different spaces, and in those spaces, their definition remains remotely the same. What we can then describe as shifting "physically" is..
We can then assume that most physical shifting revolves around two states of being; point A and point B. Point B is what you shift into. Usually point B is an animal but this is not always the case.
What Physical Shifting Does To You
The usual consensus is that pshifting for the first time, or in general, is painful to a degree. But how does physical shifting function and how "physical" is it?
Well, what does physical mean? Physical is used to refer to something having a "physiological basis or origin," and that it is the regulated function of a shifter's body for whatever purpose. Because physical shifting is the physical changing into another form, the shifter's body gradually changes in real time and the body itself experiences symptoms, behavior changes, function differences, and so much more. In front of a camera, you would be seen violently changing. Before someone's eyes, you would be seen morphing entirely. While there are metaphysical shifters, their "point B" body is a thing not seen, while their "point A" body can be captured enduring the physical symptoms of the shift.
Physical shifting can sometimes be confused for other types of shifts like phantom shifts, hallucinations, and other factors can change it from physical to non-physical.
In general, the rules to remember about physical shifters and shifting are...
pshifters cannot be non-physical, but rather physical or metaphysical.
pshifters do not all shift the same or like in Hollywood movies.
pshifters can shift their outside, inside, or their aura as long as it brings about long-lasting physical change to the body.
pshifting is a visible, tangible, and oftentimes painful change. veils, glamor, and such cannot literally deflect the sight of pshift.
the physical body is always affected by physical shifts, and whether or not the "animal" form is presented, the body will react to the change internally or externally.
