Shifting...hmm....
Well, on the views here, I know I've had my share of dream shifting.  Mental shift...is iffy since the times i felt the animal in me come out felt more like I was forcing it than feeling it.  As for Physical Shifts...*sigh* the mother of ALL shifts.  How I wish that was truly real (since I have yet to see it in RL).
But yes, I'm pretty sure I'd qualify under dream shifts.  Most of the time my dreams are filled with random clutter from my past, memories, present events and tedious views from the day.  Sometimes the topic of werewolves or others pass by like a show or a faint whisper that I cannot control.  But when I obtain the state of Lucid Dreaming, the one thing I always do is escape the randomness and hide, and let the animal in me out.  I've become a couple of things including wolves; two memorable changes being my main Were identity the cat...and even flew as a dragon.  But, strangely, when I will and force a change like that its because I want to be this way that night, to let my trueself out.  Its when I feel an uncontrollable change, feeling an animal; a wildness or rage I can't contain, is when the wolf in me finds its way through.  Everytime I've lucid dreamed or naturally dreamed, any changes into a wolf/werewolf I couldn't control...and I liked it.  A part of me would still be conscious when it was complete or nearly there, but I would give in to the new desires and instincts I felt then, and howl triumphantly.  But not all my dream shifts were physical, sometimes just mental.  Again though, my desired animal I would will myself to behave, but the wolf I can't seem to control when it comes, and though when it does I welcome it.  Most of my shifts, btw, seem to happen when I find open space or a stretch of road or path that was empty.  I start to run and then all fall to all fours.  I have more stories like this but I believe that I heard Dream Shift stories are located else where...so I'll wrap things up
As for the mental shifts...like I said, I can't always tell if its truly the presence of the animal surfacing or if I'm just believing too much for it to happen.  There were times I found myself unable to sleep and ended up waking and stirring in bed.  The air blowing in from the window was cool, but I felt so hot.  If its not to weird to mention, when it gets hot or even when I feel a bit wild, I tend to not wear too much clothing ^^;  *coughs* *shutting up now...*  I end up pacing my room to see if I can exhaust myself to sleep.  Everytime I was at this state I'd feel a little lightheaded and warm, and my body would suddenly feel so heavy that I get knocked onto the floor, standing on hands and knees.  It'd be a strain on my posture but it felt more natural this way.  I'd end up staring around the room, trying to control a heavy lung that demanded air, until I'd suddenly snap and start growling.  I always felt the urge to howl in that state, but with most of my rational mind still conscious to my behavior and surroundings I didn't to risk waking anyone up or scaring the shite out of the neighborhood.  The feeling would stay with me until I finally fall asleep.  That's as much as I can recollect of possible mental shifts.
I think that's about it on my two cents on shifting at the moment.  Might add more if I think of other things or such.
Hehe...just realized, my first official discussion post   Hope I haven't wigged anyone out.  ^^;

LoupGarouAngel wrote:

Do you do any meditation to will a m-shift,I myself do so but have surprisingly found not many therians do.  Just curious

Sometimes.  I've tried certain methods to either make me feel more animal or act more animal.  One, that I had seen on the web before, was to concentrate on the being you wanted to at least feel like while focusing gazing staright at you eyes in the reflection of a mirror.  I've had some slight strange occurences where my vision would go blurry for a moment (most likely due to strain ) then I suddenly see a furry version of what I wanted to feel like (cat or wolf), but only for a split second.  It doesn't really help that much with attempting a M-shift, though if I'm trying to make this method work I my mind may slip and I would feel and behave a bit animalistic.
Another method I sometimes do is a pretty basic thing that may be...*cough* unmodern so to speak   Whenever I can't contain the urge to act primal, and its safe, I'd relieve myself of itchy and constricting clothes and lay on hands and knees (all fours).  I'd usually remain still and concentrate on breathing and keeping myself postured as comfortable as possible.  I may think about the animal I want to feel like, picture it in my mind, understand its behaviors and urges so I could mimic them as well as I can.  Sometimes when I'm trying to M-shift I'll growl and snarl, little by little raising the pitch till I felt comfortable to let it out with out embarrassment or worry.  I haven't tried howling during this time yet cause that would definitely wake up my folks (though I SO wish I could, it aches and nags at me sometimes that I can't let out what I really feel).  It's hard to say whether its successful for me or not since I'm still feel conscious of my actions when I act like an animal, but once that primal feeling starts to flow, to a point I don't want it to pass, I continue to act animalistic until I ever become exhausted or fall asleep (most of these methods I do at night).

SabreWolfGarouQueen_84 wrote:

Sometimes I wake up an I'm growling..

I have that too

This kind've frighten me last night, but it was also a bit exhilarating.  I think I might have had a mental shift last night.
It happened twice too.  I was waiting for a friend to arrive at my house last night (had the house all to myself ) but he was taking way too long.  I started getting restless, but also feeling half-asleep.  What I can remember was that I was running my fingers deep into the floor, growling and barking.  I can even remember gathering the courage to howl.  The ringing of my phone though knocked me out of it, my friend letting me know he was here.  It was bizzare.
The second might have been because the feeling stayed with me since then.  I still felt pretty restless and weird while my friend was here, but stay pretty self-contained (acted normally).  When he was gone, I started to close up the joint (*clears throat* well, shut lights of and anything else).  The whole house went dark, forgot to turn the lights on upstairs to my room.  I was having trouble breathing, though I figured it was just the food I ate messing up my stomach.  I walked up the stairs (all fours *hehe* ) like I normally do, but I had troubled get back up.  I paused at the top and stayed on hands and knees.  It was coming back, that weird restless feeling.  Everything actually gets distorted from here, but I swear this was real memories, not dreams.  What I remember was crawling to my room; snarling wildly; panting heavily.  What I remember was the end before I came out of it.  I had be growling and wailing a lot until I stood on my knees and just howled madly.  It was freaky, but at the same time it felt revitalizing.  I woke up on the floor after that.  Sounds farfetched...but it was still freaky.

Therians (or, at least, their Weresides) don't necessarily carry on the internal dialog that most people have. If they rarely "get out" they don't know how to initiate rational thought, but after exposure to the outside world, they quickly pick up the knack.

People ask me, "A penny for your thoughts." (Y'know, if I had a thought, it'd be worth more than a penny) I have to admit that I'm not thinking. When I'm sitting idle, I'm usually just soaking up what's around me.

And I tend to react to things nonverbally and I'm pretty much constantly casting about and sniffing for things.

So I'm probably pretty much what you'd be like (allowing for personality differences and such) if you shifted and got stuck. It's not too bad.

Weird stuff Catwolf and Black Fur,but I know what your saying.I growl,snarl,pant and howl all the time,when I get agitated I let it cause I don't care what others think.Maybe this occured because you have been holding it in to long?That has happened to me before,not to good of a experience...

You know what's funny people, I really hesitated before posting my experience because I thought: "Man...I'm not normal...they'll think I'm nuts!". But I've decided to post it anyway and I'm glad I did! Don't you find it irritating when people insist for you to share your thoughts? Grrrrrrr....when they insist I lie and say that I'm thinking about something I saw on t.v. or else.

LoupGarouAngel wrote:

Maybe this occured because you have been holding it in to long?

Holding it in, more or less. But it was more of a....emmm...it's like some manifestations I hold in, others I don't. But I've been in denial since I've learned about my therianthropy so maybe that's it...

Wow! That is incredible! I'd like to shift, like astral shifts or a phantom shift. That's really cool Sabre!

As much as I wish that physicial shifts could happen, it's probably physically impossible to do it *sadness*

Shifting.
hmmm.

I've had numerous dreams where I've turned into a werewolf, lucid or not.  And I can remember them pretty damn vividly most of the time.  They're also all pretty much my favorite dreams, except for one I had where I was shot and screamed at.  hah...  Just a couple of days ago, I had a dream that I was laying in my bedroom and I looked at my hand, and it just all of a sudden got hairy and my arms got bulky, etc... and I was a werewolf.  No point in that one, really, I don't think.  I woke up and actually said, "Damn it!" out loud.  I really wanted to stay asleep!

Does this make me a werewolf of some sort?

I have never had 'mental shifts' or 'phanton shifts' and from what I've just read, I'm not sure if I want to cuz it'd be weird if you were just walking down the street or something and BAM.

Also, I would like to add that I think physical shifts are impossible, without a doubt.  However, at least we have our dreams, don't we?

Last edited by Totalimmortal (2007-06-06 12:53:03)

I wonder if there are any Werewolves who don't "shift"?
I don't think that shifting is typical of everyone.  Does that make you aware of your lycanthropy?



Siverwolf.

Last edited by Siverwolf (2007-06-06 23:05:17)

thats hilarious!!!!!!

WolfMontana wrote:

I'm open to the idea of physical shifting, as I really do think reality is much more fluid than we give it credit for. But I'd give any claim a healthy dose of skepticism.

I've had a few werewolf dreams. Quite gory ones, though it seemed perfectly natural at the time. And one involving the final battle between good and evil. That was quite the dream let me tells ya! Particularly since I was apparently on the bad side. But I kept trying to work with the good guys to make peace.   And satan looked like a baby cherubim and had the most beautiful smile.

I don't remember transformations much overall, as I seemed to be either human, or a werewolf. Mostly of the bipedal kind, but once or twice as a wolf. I've also been an eagle.

Mentally shifting however, I'm not sure. I started this thread because of a strange experience I had that was really unusual for me, and I wanted to learn more. I'm up for thinking that I had a mental shift I guess, and it was a direct result of someone posting about eating lamb.

If I have a dream where I'm a werewolf,  I always transform.  I like the feeling of it in the dream - it's pretty much awesome.  And my werewolf dreams are never gorey - I'm usually a nice guy.  Hah.  And the one I remember most would be one where my uncle injected me with something and I turned into a werewolf, and decided to be a superhero...  Hahaha.  That was great.  And I've had only a few dreams where I'm a wolf...  I feel really at ease in the dreams where I'm a wolf for some reason...  It's odd. But relaxing.

hmm.
Um.
I'm going to have to google 'therian' sometime soon cuz I've seen that term a lot around here and I wanna know what it is!