#pshift

[neonspectrumdreams]

Shifting Types

I have been awake as a therian for over 20 years. I have a long history of experiences as being otherkin, and I think that after all this time, after all these experiences, I may have some wisdom to impart in others.

These are the main shifts that I have experienced and seen other therians experience. I'll write a guide on how to strengthen your connection to your shifts as well as how to trigger and control shifts later.

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Dream Shift

Dream shifts are some of the most intense shifts that are possible for a therian/kin, and are personally my favorite type of shift. During a dream shift, a person lives through their dream as their kintype instead of as a human. It is possible to deliberately shapeshift into your kintype during a lucid dream. It is possible to be an animal for the entire dream or to change back and forth between forms.

Mental Shift

Mental shifting, or mshifting, refers to the experience of someone's mind shifting to their nonhuman kintype. They think differently in this state - more similar to their kintype. They may experience the desire to hunt as their theriotype does, or roll around and play (or otherwise move) like their kintype. Their identity may feel strongly altered and vividly nonhuman without any other accompanying changes in thought process.

A subcategory of mental shifting is sensory shifting. In a sensory shift, one's senses become sharper or more similar to what their animal senses would be. For example, a dog therian may begin processing the world with scent and sound over vision, as well as experience an intensification of their senses, during a sensory shift.

Reality Shift

When a therian feels as though they are in the world of their kintype. They may vividly see it inside of their imagination during these shifts, or just feel the presence of their world.

Shadow Shift

This is similar to imposition in tulpamancy. In a shadow shift, the mind projects your form into the physical world (although it is just a perception, it is not actually there.) This can occur naturally or a therian can learn imposition to strengthen or engender this type of shift.

Spiritual Shift

This is when you shift for a reason related to spirituality. Your aura/spirit may intermittently shift to animal form.

It is possible to construct and conduct rituals to provoke shifts, which is also another form of spiritual shifting. Mixing your theriotype with a variety of spiritual practices can lead to shifting that takes the form of spiritual processes and experiences.

Astral shifts are similar to dream shifts except they take place outside the mind in the astral plane, and this plane connects to the spirit world and things outside the mind (unlike dream shifts.) The astral realm is entered through the change of states between waking and sleeping wherein you have the experience of waking up after losing consciousness and leaving your body. Lucid dreams feel similar but you do not leave the body in a dream and are not as connected to the spirit world (although we are always connected to some extent to the spirit world even when awake) like in astral projection.

Bilocation Shift

This is when you are still existing as human in one place but are also existing as your kintype, often in the astral or inside the mind's eye. Your nonhuman self is often leading a separate and meaningful existence during these times, which you perceive alongside your regular human daily life. You are both human and shifted into your kintype simultaneously during this shift.

Cameo Shift

Shifting not associated with a regular kintype. One-off shifting. Often related to being a gateway or being an astral shapeshifter.

Contherians

A therian who is always to some degree chronically shifted into their kintype.

Coconscious Shift

When someone is a multiple system, some or all of their alters may be nonhuman. Coconscious shifts occur when a human identity is co-present at the same time as a nonhuman identity. The nonhuman identity's experiences my bleed over into the nonhuman identity's perceptions.

Phantom Shift

Feeling the physical perception of your theriotype's physical features instead of your body. So this would be the phantom perception of wings or a tail, or being larger or smaller like the kintype.

Physical Shift

Pshifting is when one physically transforms into their kintype. This one is the coolest of the shifts and, tragically, the only one that is not physically possible. There are guides as well as people who claim they can teach this - they are lying. No one has ever been able to do it.

[sylkietides]

Im craving the warmer months so much to be able to spend my days in the water and woods and mud:-) to let go and be myself and shift fully and let go of humanity

[mountain-lion-gremlin]

I have a question! You have stuff saying you practice p-shifting in your bio, could I have more info about that? I've heard it mentioned before but know very little.

Of course! Recently I havent been practicing as much, and Im currently going through a phase of reteaching myself certain important values (yet again lol) but I'll try my best to tell you a bit more.

P-shifting is basically the form (or practice) of physically changing into an animal. Its widely believed to be taboo, but if you know where to look you will find plenty of help if you are looking to accomplish it.

I practice physically shifting into an animal, and theres plenty of structured ways to go about it. (Such as PhMP, Blaze's method, etc.) I currently have been practicing more therianthropic ways of mentally shifting and sort of lost touch with physically shifting, so Ill be getting back to it as soon as my power turns back on and I have the time to delve deeper once again. (Currently my whole city has no power, im currently at a casino writing this-)

Theres this idea that its very harmful and dangerous, but in honesty I personally have never had to deal with it being very harmful and/or dangerous to me or my mental health. In fact, before it I was very mentally ill, so its been a journey of healing and self-discovery. I feel like its taught me how to care for myself, accept myself and how I look, and be present to who I am and where I am in the moment. (Sounds counterintuitive, but after all of this time I have gotten here lol)

I have read that its very cult-like, and teaches people to do horrible, nasty stuff - but I've been lucky to never have to deal with it. Im so, very sorry for anyone who has. As long as you critically think, take the time to understand and conceptualize what you are doing, and take it slow, most likely you wont hurt yourself by practicing it.

People can be very misguiding and can hurt you if you arent careful, but know that physically shifting shouldn't hurt you in such a way that you will have to heal, put you in danger, or go to the hospital. You do not need anything to physically shift either. (No spells, no eating raw meat, no cutting yourself, no starving yourself, no getting bitten or meeting up with strangers, etc. Anyone who tells you anything of the sort is wrong, or is trying to manipulate you.)

Of course, not everyone can have bad intentions, but please be weary and keep your head screwed on tight when you are learning new things about p-shifting in general. Fantasy and the real world can be very, very easily blurred together with this sort of topic. If it seems dangerous, then listen to yourself and simply don't do it. There is always another way.

Its kinda difficult to necessarily explain it in a way for anyone to understand well - its really your journey and is something that you have to go and find out yourself from finding other resources. I guess you could say its like therianthropy, but we physically shift instead. Of course, theres more differences, but thats the most basic way to explain it.

I hope this answered your question!

[selkie-irl]

Selkie shifting 101.

- Never go to far past the shore.

- Research what kind of fish you can and cannot eat

- watch out for fishers and human men.

- Bury a set of clothes somewhere so you’re not nakedly having to walk back to your house.

- Carry a waterproof compass with you

- Watch out for non selkie seals, don’t come into their territory.

[thenorthernlycan]

How to Spot/Lose Hunters + Hunter History --- Hunters can be Anywhere and Anyone... - You can tell by the questions they ask, or how they act. Hunters along with secret groups of people can be dangerous please stay alert and watch how people may act around you! --- To lose them... - Use large crowds, rivers, creeks, streams, etc... stay in populated areas, and/or with your pack. (Weapons should be used if necessary, or if needed call the police) --- Who they tend to go after... - Hunters tend to go after nonhumans of the sort, If you're human, you're fine. Just stay out of the way. ---

Hunter History

Hunters have been around since the first Rien appeared. They tried to make a treaty with the hunters like they did with all creatures. The hunters believed that they wouldn’t stay true to the treaty, and thus the war started with the humans. As time passed other creatures saw we wanted peace, so they sided with us, creating the first ever empire or clan. The war continued as the hunters said that they were impure and greedy. Now new hunters join every week for their own reasons. There are three empires, One is in Cali and it’s called Gzenozechia, which the hunters have in their power. The rest I will leave unnamed for safety. 

Credit: @theshapeshiftersof + Lady Salfia  

[thelycansden-blog]

"An issue came up with someone saying they are both lycan and werewolf. No, you can't be both. It's one or the other. A werewolf has different genes than a lycan. They are mutated, a lycans genes are not. Which is why the hormone is unstable in werewolves. No I don't mean lycans are perfect, or better than werewolves." Credit @theshapeshiftersof

[mountain-lion-gremlin]

Alderaliuroian

. Aldernic / aliuro (cat - specifically puma in this instant) / therian .

`` The urge to physically be a mountain lion, accompanied with the feeling of being nonhuman/alterhuman.``

Yes, I made a flag for myself because I WANT TO. Plus, there were ZERO actual mountain lion flags that actually exist here, so it's time for one to exist!!

Meanings of the colors:

Here is also a half-flag variant if anyone would like to use it <33

I do not own the vector image of the cougar. It was a free to use image I found on Pinterest.

[mountain-lion-gremlin]

So yes, im coming up on the end of my detox. During this time, ive actually learned a LOT because simply, im not glued to my phone 24/7.

Society pushes this idea that we NEED phones. That without your portable dopamine box you arent cool, or normal, or whatever the hell they choose to say.

Ive found clarity in my life. Ive focused more on my witchcraft and learning the craft itself. Ive danced in the rain and felt the rhythm of the earth, its heart beating beneath my feet. Ive started to learn Finnish even better than before, and my studies on homework have become so much easier because im not as distracted.

If it was up to me, i would never go back to being glued to my dopamine box. But...

If anyone who is following me and knows of my Amino, Ive been gone from it for awhile now. I worry that certain rules arent being enforced, or its becoming a hateful place. I left it in the hands of my staff, of course, but i still worry...

But regardless, Ill see if I can get an app that allows me to run mobile apps on my computer. I dont want to go back to using my phone unless i have to.

(Keep reading if you wanna see what I have to say about shapeshifting and stuff. I dont want this post to be eons of scrolling to those who dont want to read about it.)

Now, onto the important stuff that people might be asking me.

"Rio, did you fully m-shift and achieve your goals of shifting???" Well... no. Sadly.

Life has been really hectic, so Ive been focusing on the important, human stuff in my life, and have been struggling with balancing the important, animal stuff in my life. Im not going to lie, its easier to do now than it was before, but I still have to put effort into it.

With p-shifting, well... recently Ive been reading a lot of hate on p-shifting in general, how its wrong, how much actual stigma surrounds it, and im in a ditch when it comes to believing it will actually happen. Ive watered down my beliefs so many times for others online recently, that im questioning that they are true.

I know that they arent true. But, I know for a fact that even if I never p-shift, I will still be happy being who I am. Its a constant itch, and constant scratch to be who I really am, but I honestly believe that even if I never do p-shift, I will never stop being here, being a shifter and being happy.

In the end thats all its really about, seriously. Arent we just trying to be happy with ourselves, our identity, our lives? It hurts to even go a step outside of the shifting community, and see hours and hours of people talking about how horrible it is, how manipulative, how impossible it is. It makes me want to hide again in my little bubble and forget I ever saw it.

But it brings a sort of... clarity I guess? Many people who have never been apart of the community or have even ventured in will say "its impossible to do".

People who have been hurt, or have seen the hurt caused by misinformation and misguidance of shapeshifting will almost always say "p-shifting is manipulative, horrible, the people within it are blah blah blah blah blah...."

People who are apart of it but havent p-shifted will say "Ive seen so many success stories, Ive even seen my own progress with it and im really happy" And people who have shifted... well they either disappear quite quickly, or their stories are lost to deaf ears.

And after years and years of feeling like I have to fight against these people, show how I am, show the truth and understand it all... I feel domesticated by the reality that is always, constantly shoved in my face.

Nobody cares. Im trapped within society and I cant escape. I will never be free. I will never, ever be my animal. I am delusional for even believing it.

vitut.

I know that currently in my life, I am where I am. I cannot change it, because I am not old enough to. I know that I have and must make do with what I have, instead of wishing for things I do not have. Cougars are adaptable, we are survivors and change with our enviornment.

There will ALWAYS be time to be who I am. There will always be chance after chance after chance for me, I just have to grab it.

And ive noticed that I no longer have to force every single m-shift. It feels like just thinking about it, about mountain lions causes a shift. Ive gotten so comfortable in my living situation ive been vocalizing as my animal, jumping around on all fours and feeling like my animal.

Sometimes I worry that Ive become so obsessed with trying to m-shift that Ive forgotten that theres still more beyond it. While writing this post, I feel... excited for my future. I feel like p-shifting can happen to me. I feel like I am almost close to permanently m-shifting.

And let me tell you a little secret about m-shifting.

(There is no trigger for when you permanently m-shift. There is no way to actually know by just reading what others say it feels like. There is no actual way to do it.)

Permanently m-shifting to me, simply feels like a comfortableness with my animal. It feels safe, and okay to be who I am. And personally for me, after years of m-shifting, trust is what has brought me to where I am. (This might not be the case for everyone lol, figure out whats going on with yourself instead of using what I say to be the end all for you and your problems!) I was honestly afraid of my other side. That it was dangerous, wild, would hurt someone. I was also afraid that I would never actually get here and do this, because my mental shifts arent as strong or frequent as others. I was also afraid that it wouldnt work. So, so afraid that I would mess up and fail.

But I've learnt that... I am in control of myself. And being an animal IS myself. I have the control to be safe, and not harm others. We all do. Its an idea that has been presented to us through media, stigma, ableism and society itself. We always talk of people "losing control" or "flying off the handle". Werewolves are seen as beings who will rip your face off if they get mad.

We arent like that, you know that, right? I had to trust that I would be in control of my m-shifts. And even if my control has slipped, (such as when I had an m-flare in the middle of gym class) I was able to quickly recover because it wasnt appropriate at school to start running on all fours and hiding beneath the bleachers.

Ive also learnt that no, you cannot fail while m-shifting. There is no right or wrong way to m-shift. There is no way to fail an m-shift. M-shifting is just allowing yourself to be more animal-like, allowing your animal to be safe and comfortable with itself. Its complicated to explain the connection between our animal selves, and our human selves, but the most basic (not too accurate) way to explain it is that we are each other. You are your animal, and your animal is you. As you m-shift more this makes more sense, and you find your own meaning to what your connection, and your animal's connection is.

Regardless, even if I took breaks. Even if I wasnt dedicated, or spent all of my time m-shifting. I still am getting closer. What matters is the fact that you still care about it, and will do it when you can. Its unrealistic to believe someone could constantly be m-shifting actively, most circumstances make it very hard to do so. (Especially mine. I have divorced houses, 2 AP classes im taking, problematic siblings, responsibilities...)

It feels like learning a new language in a sense. Like, to m-shift is to constantly m-shift. To learn a new language is to constantly immerse yourself in it. Well... we cant really do that, so instead we go with short bursts of doing this, with interspersed passive learning, or attempting to m-shift when we can.

And nobody is barred from m-shifting. Let me let you know. NOBODY IS BARRED FROM M-SHIFTING!! Some people I know feel stuck, like they cannot m-shift. That its only involuntary. Listen. Listen listen listen.

There are many different ways to m-shift. So many!! Lots of people say "I cant meditate, and so ill never m-shift." Thats NOT true. Thats not true. I literally cant meditate lol.

And its not really attempting to voluntarily force a shift using triggers and stuff. I just think about it and try to feel more immersed in my senses, allow my perspective of life to shift more animal-like. AND, m-shifts do NOT have to be large, explosive things that change your whole reality and how you think and you want to crawl on all fours and you feel yourself p-shifting and fur-

Nah nah nah. Most shifts people will experience, at least how i know it, will be small, tiny shifts that you most likely wont notice unless you pay attention to it. Even if you arent trying to m-shift in the moment, even thinking about it may cause you to fall into a light shift. You do not need to have very impactful m-shifts to m-shift.

And I wont lie, my friend @dakotathewolf has helped me a lot, even with the endless ramblings on both ends (lol) I feel like we have both grown as people and understand more because of what we have taught each other.

I hope this helps you, dakota, along with anyone else who needs it.