I can’t remember if I’ve asked u this or not I’m sorry lol but do u know if there’s a way to induce mental and phantom shifts so they happen more often? or just feel more connected to being your type more often than it just being in the back of your mind
Oh yeah 100%
Some of the earliest writings on phantom/mental shifting is on how to induce it.
Of course, obligatory warning here- trying too hard to force any kind of shift can be dangerous and can genuinely induce psychosis. So remember to take things in moderation and do research on Meditation induced psychosis and Spiritual psychosis. :)
Now, as for methods, the general consensus is Meditation. Though I've also seen hypnotism, role play, bdsm/kink play, and many other methods! Actually, myself and @mekroh (and some others) are writing a panel for Othercon next year on how to use kink and bdsm to connect to your species better :)
Meditation, though, is a very powerful tool. And it's more than just "sit quietly and think." There's visualization, mindfulness meditation, walking meditation, repetitive movement Meditation, guided mediation, and many more! So if one style doesn't seem to work for you, don't be afraid to try a different one!
But at the core of most Meditation is focus on grounding yourself and letting your thoughts drift by. Like watching cars on the road, when you have a new thought, acknowledge it and let it drive by. Personally, I like to pair this with visualisation techniques. I let the thoughts drift by and turn my focus to my true self, I visualize what my paws feel like. And how the paws connect to my legs. And the legs to my body. Feeling my fur. Thinking about each part of myself. This is probably the most common method you'll hear about for inducing a shift. Probably cause it works for most people (even humans who don't usually shift can induce cameo shifts using this method!)
The more you practice these skills, the easier it will be to use them and the more you'll find it incorporated into your daily life.
When starting out, I found guided meditations on the Headspace app to be the most useful!
There are lots of methods so dont be afraid to keep trying things until you find one thay works for you! Best of luck!