#pshifting

this really shouldn't be a hot take, but it is for some reason. no matter how you consider yourself to be physically nonhuman (pshifters, holotheres, endels, clinical lycanthropes/zoanthropes, extra limb growers or other titles/identities i forgot to include), i strongly believe that we all deserve a space to exist in.

no, physical nonhumans aren't out to get you. we aren't out here to scam you or hurt you, we are simply living our lives amongst you. the shitty groups and people of the past gave us a bad name, not because we're actually physically nonhuman. just bc we have different experiences doesn't make us lesser; it just makes us alive.

in my eyes, we are all equal. if you identify as a song, concept, plant, the vibes of a room. if you are able to physically change yourself somehow, internally or externally, whether or not other people can see this transformation or if you are/were growing extra limbs, we are all equal no matter if we are able to understand each other or not. i like to think we can agree to disagree and be kind, but clearly for some it's hard to do that.

anyways i know ive made this post before like 100 times but the topic of excluding physical nonhumans REALLY bothers me because we are an important part of the nonhuman/alterhuman/therian etc community as a whole. it bothers me a lot that there's people out there that think nonhumanity is exclusively spiritual/mental and throws out the "pshifters are abusive scammers" card. like, girlie pop we are just minding our own business in circles we've created bc YOU THREW US (the ones who had no connection to the actual shitty individuals of the past) OUT.

TLDR; stop throwing out physical nonhumans because of some shitty individuals that ruined our reputation. also i know i say this a lot but it's a topic that's on my mind quite a bit bc i feel like physical nonhumanity is excluded a lot and it feels unfair to have our community watered down to just "delusional or gullible ppl/children" or "toxic lying scammers".

when i get pretty high on weed, i tend to hallucinate that i’m physically shifting. frequently, it has to do with my theriotypes, but not always. usually i’m a dog or wolf, i can feel my ears growing from the top of my head, i can see my paws instead of hands.

but not always. once i had an extremely vivid sensation (like the most vivid one i’ve ever had) that horns were growing out of my head. devil horns or cow horns i’m not even sure. and every once in a while, i feel like i’m physically & mentally becoming an oc of mine.

and these hallucinations mean SO MUCH to me. i adore them with my whole heart. i would not trade them for anything. i love becoming something else. even when they’re terrifying and i’m convinced they’re real and not hallucinations, i love them. this is why ive mentioned them before on this blog. because i love them so.

For a long time I've noticed that, for some, including myself, depression and outside factors can hamper and dent will and belief towards nonhumanity. Maybe you have days where your identity is challenged and you cannot respond. Maybe you have days where all of your will to shift or grow wings is dead in the dirt, and you're too exhausted to continue.

While I personally haven't struggled with doubt in years, good gods do i have a litany of days where continuing pursuing wings and/or the perm shifts i desire feel like hinderances and major roadblocks that would essentially bankrupt me.

A blanket note - nonhumanity should always be fun; that sentiment has never sat right with me. nonhumanity is a core thing, those who try to run from it always come back. While yes, you should not be obsessive and forceful with it, it should not control your every waking hour; "fun" may not be on your board of emotions that you experience around nonhumanity every single day.

So, what to do when you find yourself feeling alien like the heron below?

If there's anything working around a lot of people has helped me with - step one, Identify.

Identify the small things. maybe you hold your arms like wings while neutral. Maybe you move your ears like they're shifted when they're not. Subtlety is the king of deeply ingrained M-shifts and instincts, and a lot of times these actions are so universal to us that we do not notice them until prompted. Even subtle reassurance of these will fuel their sparks.

Step two - A Leap.

A leap in this case is a bit more forceful. Maybe your day has hampered belief. Something that's been helpful to me if I feel stuck or without path is to just trigger the very start of a shift. I do not let it go far, but enough to feel the numbness set in. Why does this help? It reminds you that your body is capable, you are in control here, and your nonhumanity has not wavered.

Step three - community.

As a final fallback, if all else fails, i go to my shifter friends and talk. Maybe about nonhumanity, maybe about pokemon, or life, or anything. Community is key, like a flock of birds or a school of fish, our friends uplift us when we're feeling down and give us further knowledge. Maybe your friend has been in the same, and gives you advice I haven't listed that works 10x better for you. Or maybe just being near others in the same boat kicks up the flock effect for you.

Just always remember - your claws, paws, wings, and more are a part of you, not separate. No matter how life may dampen your emotions or throw you around, it is impossible to separate you and yourself.

i wanted to ask you what you meant by physical shifts?

i have nothing against physical nonhumans, im just curious!! (and questioning,, maybe)

Hello!

I practice physical shifting. This means I physically transform into, in my case, a leopard seal.

A physical shift means that I can see and feel the transformation happening. My flippers forming, my teeth shifting in my mouth, my skull reshaping etc.

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