Post by Paradox on Jan 11, 2017 4:04:26 GMT
Online and in various communities, there are many different kinds of shifts that tend to be talked about. Since it can be confusing at first to end up in a community with a large amount of jargon, this post hopes to clarify some of it-at least when it comes to shifts and what each one is called.
Mental Shift (M-shift, m-shifting): When someone's mindset changes to that of the animal or creature they identify as. Mental shifting tends to be the easiest type of shift for people to accomplish, next to phantom shifting.
Phantom Shift (Ph-shift, ph-shifting): When someone feels phantom body parts related to their other form.
Astral Shift : When someone shifts to their form in the astral (depending on beliefs, this may be synonymous with phantom shifting).
Aura Shift: This is when someone's aura (as in, their outward energy projected to the world) shifts into their other form.
Sense Shift (sense shifting): This is when someone's senses appear to change to be more like the senses of their other form. Depending on who in question is shifting (therian/otherkin or shifter/were) this may or may not be a physical change.
Perception Shift (perception shifting): This is when someone's perception changes to that of their other form. An example of this would be someone who is physically human, aware of their human body (to a certain degree), and yet can only perceive themselves as a wolf. They might still be able to talk and interact as if they were human, but they are processing things almost wholly as if they were actually 100% the animal they identify as.
Cameo Shift: A shift in which a form that is not native to a person (basically, a form that is not their main form) is shifted into. An example of this would be a werewolf that one day inexplicably shifts into a cat. Cameo shifts are more likely to occur with therians and otherkin than weres, and shapeshifters do not really have cameo forms (since shapeshifters already have the ability to shift into multiple forms, seeing as how it's what shapeshifters do, a new form is not really unusual enough to receive the label of cameo.)
Bi-Location Shift (Bi-location shifting): A shift in which one manifests their form in question outside of their human body. Depending on the person shifting (therian/otherkin or shifter/were) this may or may not be a physical manifestation.
Pseudo-shift (Pseudo shifting): This is a shift in which someone experiences physical effects, but they do not relate to or have to do with a physical shift. This kind of shift is applicable to therians and otherkin.
Physical shift (p-shifting, physical shifting): A rare and difficult type of shift, this is when someone physically transforms their body into that of their form. It is impossible for therians and otherkin to do this kind of shift, but weres and shapeshifters can manage just fine.
And, just so you don't get confused...
Werewolfkin: Someone who identifies (non-physically) as a werewolf, most commonly spiritually or psychologically (not to be confused with the general term werewolf, someone who can actually transform into a wolf or wolf like creature.)
Shapeshifterkin: Someone who identifies (not-physically as a shapeshifter, most commonly spiritually or psychologically (not to be confused with the general term shapeshifters/shifters, someone who can actually transform into whatever their form may be.)
When people refer to the were/shifter community, more often than not, they mean communities like this one. When people refer to the were/therian community, they mean communities in which people identify non-physically as an animal (or in the case of otherkin, a nonhuman being of any kind). However, the communities are not the same, and should not be conflated for each other.
This has been a simple primer, and some of the basics, when it comes to shifting terms and definitions.
Mental Shift (M-shift, m-shifting): When someone's mindset changes to that of the animal or creature they identify as. Mental shifting tends to be the easiest type of shift for people to accomplish, next to phantom shifting.
Phantom Shift (Ph-shift, ph-shifting): When someone feels phantom body parts related to their other form.
Astral Shift : When someone shifts to their form in the astral (depending on beliefs, this may be synonymous with phantom shifting).
Aura Shift: This is when someone's aura (as in, their outward energy projected to the world) shifts into their other form.
Sense Shift (sense shifting): This is when someone's senses appear to change to be more like the senses of their other form. Depending on who in question is shifting (therian/otherkin or shifter/were) this may or may not be a physical change.
Perception Shift (perception shifting): This is when someone's perception changes to that of their other form. An example of this would be someone who is physically human, aware of their human body (to a certain degree), and yet can only perceive themselves as a wolf. They might still be able to talk and interact as if they were human, but they are processing things almost wholly as if they were actually 100% the animal they identify as.
Cameo Shift: A shift in which a form that is not native to a person (basically, a form that is not their main form) is shifted into. An example of this would be a werewolf that one day inexplicably shifts into a cat. Cameo shifts are more likely to occur with therians and otherkin than weres, and shapeshifters do not really have cameo forms (since shapeshifters already have the ability to shift into multiple forms, seeing as how it's what shapeshifters do, a new form is not really unusual enough to receive the label of cameo.)
Bi-Location Shift (Bi-location shifting): A shift in which one manifests their form in question outside of their human body. Depending on the person shifting (therian/otherkin or shifter/were) this may or may not be a physical manifestation.
Pseudo-shift (Pseudo shifting): This is a shift in which someone experiences physical effects, but they do not relate to or have to do with a physical shift. This kind of shift is applicable to therians and otherkin.
Physical shift (p-shifting, physical shifting): A rare and difficult type of shift, this is when someone physically transforms their body into that of their form. It is impossible for therians and otherkin to do this kind of shift, but weres and shapeshifters can manage just fine.
And, just so you don't get confused...
Werewolfkin: Someone who identifies (non-physically) as a werewolf, most commonly spiritually or psychologically (not to be confused with the general term werewolf, someone who can actually transform into a wolf or wolf like creature.)
Shapeshifterkin: Someone who identifies (not-physically as a shapeshifter, most commonly spiritually or psychologically (not to be confused with the general term shapeshifters/shifters, someone who can actually transform into whatever their form may be.)
When people refer to the were/shifter community, more often than not, they mean communities like this one. When people refer to the were/therian community, they mean communities in which people identify non-physically as an animal (or in the case of otherkin, a nonhuman being of any kind). However, the communities are not the same, and should not be conflated for each other.
This has been a simple primer, and some of the basics, when it comes to shifting terms and definitions.