If you’ve been browsing the internet, you may have come across a group of people who call themselves “Therians.” There are many videos out there of therians running on all fours, howling like wolves, and talking about what it’s like being an animal inside of a human body. But what is a therian? Do they really believe that they are animals? This blog post will provide a brief overview of what a therian really is.
Definition
Therians, also called therianthropes, and people who identify as an animal that currently or previously existed on earth. Some therians feel that they have the soul of an animal, while others believe that their animal identity is psychological. Their animal identity is called a theriotype or kintype. So, for instance, if one identified as a wolf, they would say, “I am wolfkin.” Therians often undergo an awakening, which is when they realize and accept that they are a therian and discover which animal they identify as.
Therians can identify as any earthly animal (living or extinct), but wolves and felines are the most common. The reason for this is thought that canines and felines have been connected to humans throughout all of history.
Types of Therians
The types explain the different degrees of shifting and identity that a therian feels and experiences. These titles are used to explain the different ways that therianthropy is experienced. The types of therians are described below:
Shifter Therian: This is the standard type of therian; it is one who identifies as a single animal and experiences different types of shifting.
Contherian: One who is in a permanent state of half human and half animal. A contherian does not experience shifting.
Vacillanat Therian: One who experiences a limited range of shifting, and has the instincts of their theriotype ingrained in their personality. Similarly to the contherian, a vacillant therian constantly feels the non-human side and does not experience shifts. They can experience combinations between animal and human mindsets, but not in an extreme manner.
Cladotherian: One who identifies as an entire family/clade of animals, rather than a single species. They do not believe that choosing a specific animal is possible or important for themselves.
Polytherian: One who identifies as more than one animal. Some theriotypes may be more important than others, but this isn’t the case for everyone.
Nonshifting Therian: One who does not experience shifting, but still identifies as non-human.
Shifting
Shifting is the perceived changes in one’s mental state when going from human to animal. There are many different types of shifting experienced by therians, as listed below:
Phantom Shifts: When one feels phantom limbs of their theriotype added onto or overlaying their human body (seeing a tail on their body, feeling like their hands are paws).
Mental Shifts: When one takes on the mentality of their theriotype. They can start to feel and act like their animal, so these shifts are often concealed to allow the therian to blend in with society.
Dream Shifts: Having dreams of being one’s theriotype. This occurs when their animal stimulates the brain and allows one to become the animal in their dreams.
Auric Shifts: When one’s aura or astral body shifts to resemble their theriotype.
Astral Shifts: When one transports to a non-physical plane of existence through mediation or lucid dreaming in order to shift to the astral body to that of their theriotype.
Physical Shifts: Widely believed to be impossible, a physical shift is a visible, physical change of the human body to one’s theriotype.
What can Cause Shifting?
Shifting can be caused by meditation, dreaming, strong emotions, and being around animals, the wilderness, or other therians. Therians can shift voluntarily, which happens when the person is alone or with someone they trust. Shifting can also happen involuntarily when the person is shocked, hurt, or triggered. For example, a person may whimper like a canine when hurt, or hiss like a feline when startled.
