✿Many types of shifts and their definition✿
While some seem more common than others, there are actually MANY types of shifts in our alterhuman, nonhuman, otherhuman, etc. communities. I will mention all the ones I know, but feel free to add to my list!
I have already published a French version of this post, today I present to you the English version! (and I'm sorry for my quite bad English, I use often Google translation)
Happy reading!𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼
The mental shift
is one of the most well-known shifts in our community. During a mental shift, the individual's mentality becomes more or less like that of his type.
If the individual's type is an animal, for example, he may begin to think in a more animalistic way, relying even more on his instincts.
The phantom shift
is also one of the most well-known shifts. During this shift, the individual feels one or more body parts of their type, in addition to or superimposed on their body. These members can be tails, whiskers, snouts, fins, feathers, beaks, pads, shells, additional or different legs, etc. This sensation can vary depending on the individual.
Some will describe it as feeling like the member is actually there, and some will feel it as an energy, as if their soul is "protruding" from their body.
This part of the body is not visible.
Some people experience "phantom pain", such as getting their phantom wings stuck in a door, for exemple.
The perception shift
changes the individual's perception to bring it closer to that of his type. It can influence the way he sees himself, or the way he sees the world around him. (not to be confused with mental shift!)
The sensory shift
alters the perception of one or more senses (hearing, smell, sight, touch, and/or even taste), to be closer to those of its type. This does not really give superpowers, but rather focuses the shifter on some of his senses, distracting him from others.
There are several subcategories of sensory shift, such as auditory shift, olfactory shift, etc.
The cameo shift
can be quite strange, especially for those who are not used to it. A cameo shift is when you shift into something, someone, a creature, etc. but that one does not identify as this one. A cameo shift can appear in any form of shift.
Example: A unicorn otherkith experiences a unicorn ghost shift, this shift is a ghost cameo shift, because this individual does not identify as a unicorn.
An average human can experience this type of shift.
The koita shift
is often considered a subcategory of the cameo shift (the few times it is discussed). A koita shift is a shift triggered by looking at an animal/creature/etc. that one does not identify with. This shift can be triggered by looking at a visual medium (an image, a video), or by looking directly at this one/this.
Like the cameo shift, it can appear in every possible shift form.
The emotionnal shift
is a shift (of any form) caused by an emotion (often intense).
The space shift
is a shift quite well known to conceptkins, voidkins, elementkins, or even musickins. During a space shift, the individual has the sensation of filling a space, just like their type.
Example: A water elementkin swims in the ocean, it feels like it stretches as far as the eye can see as the water around it.
The aura shift
During this shift an individual's aura changes to become more in line with that of their type. This shift is often spiritual, but can also be explained/experienced psychologically.
The bilocation shift
The individual feels as if he is in two places at once. He will see the vision of his type at the same time as that of his body, and/or will feel the environment of his two locations at the same time.
The astral shift
is most often voluntary, and difficult to trigger. It is a shift often considered spiritual, but can be explained psychologically. During this shift, the individual's soul leaves his physical body and then transforms into or is his type. It is a kind of astral travel.
The dream shift
is a shift experienced in a dream, a dream where one is one's type or a dream where one transforms into one's type. This shift can be a memory from a past life.
The feral shift
is a shift experienced most often by clinical zooanthropes (clinical lycanthropes, clinical cinantropes, ect) where they involuntarily lose control of their body, where their animal part takes over.
These shifts can be dangerous because the individual may be frightened by the human world around him and act in a way that puts himself in danger, or can attempt to do things that their human body cannot do.
Some beings don't remember what happened during this shift after experiencing it.
The basercal shift
is the same as feral shift, but voluntary.
The shadow shift
is a shift most often caused by an optical illusion or a small hallucination. It is when an individual's shadow changes to become more or less like that of their type.
The miror shift
is a shift similar to the shadow shift, but with a mirror. It is when an individual's reflection changes to become more or less like that of their type.
physical shift (or P-shift)
is a shift caused by delusions and hallucinations. It is when an individual thinks they are or thinks they can transform into their type. The transformation can be complete or partial, and can be painful.
The soulrip shift
is often described as an extremely painful experience. When individual has a soulrip shift, they feel as though their soul or the essence of their type is being violently torn from their body. It can manifest in various forms, including phantom shifts, mental shifts, spiritual shifts, shadow shifts, or other types of shifts.
Example: a mental soulrip shift may involve overwhelming thoughts and emotions related to the feeling of losing one's identity or core essence. This can cause panic, fear, and/or existential distress.
Exemple 2: During a phantom soulrip shift, an individual may feel as though their phantom limbs are being forcibly ripped from their physical body.