A "therian shift" refers to an experience where a person feels more like their theriotype, or animal alter ego, than usual. Shifts can be subtle and mild or intense, and they can occur in various forms, such as mental, sensory perception, or phantom shifts
- Mental Shift : This is when a therian adopts the mindset of their theriotype and begins to think like them. For example, a cat therian might hold down food with their hands (or paws) and eat it using only their teeth while purring at the good taste
- Phantom Shift : A therian gains a phantom limb that their theriotype has, which is a limb felt or seen in the mind's eye but not actually present. For instance, a hawk therian might feel like they have wings and need to soar through the sky, even though they don't physically have wings
- Dream Shift : This is where a therian dreams that they are living the life of their theriotype, and during this dream, they can learn a lot about the past life of the animal or the life the animal was supposed to live
- Sensory Perception Shift : A therian experiences their senses more like their theriotype, such as focusing more on smells or other sensory details
Shifts are experienced differently by each individual and can occur in varying strength and frequency, ranging from positive to negative experiences
. They can be triggered by various factors, such as activities, sounds, environments, or scents
. While some therians shift voluntarily, others may experience shifts involuntarily, and the ability to control shifts varies among individuals
