#mshift

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Mental Shifts: A change in my mental state related to my kintype. This may include behavior and personality changes.

Emotional Shifts: A change in my emotions related to my kintype. Feeling emotions and instincts that the species would feel.

Dream Shifts: Dreams of being my kintype that feel too real. Waking up in a state of confusion due to thinking the dream was real.

Sensory Shifts: Auditory shifts, senses heightened, sensory overload, etc.

Vampire Mshifts: Apathy, Impulsivity, Confident, Seductive, Personality Changes, etc.

Wolf or Coyote Mshifts: Canine Behavior, Impulsivity, giddy, adrenaline rushes, etc.

Hey there! This is a good question and I’ll try to answer best based of my personal experiences.

Kinshifts are different for everyone, but in my experience it is when you feel more connected with your kintype. You may feel like you should walk on four legs or make animal noises. Or you may just feel more connected to your kintype and have a more “wild” instinct. You may experience phantom or astral limbs, though not everyone does. It can be triggered by mood - for example feeling angry can trigger a shift to a kin that makes you feel more ‘powerful’, etc.

So in a sense, kinshifts are a mental state where you feel more like or connected to your kintype. [ these can also be called “mental shifts” or “m-shifts” - and keep in mind that physical “shifting” or transformation is not scientifically possible! ]