Equine

[Cauda_Horse]

I know in my introduction post, I mentioned that I was an equine, a horse, but as of recent, I am not positive if I am actually a horse. With looking further I may be a donkey. (Horse is still a possibility though.) However, I cannot find much good information on donkeys, so I cannot know easily (not that it is ever easy, but you know what I mean). I was wondering if anyone could help me out by finding some good information on donkey behavior.


Thanks,

-Cauda

[stinky_hyena]

I know in my introduction post, I mentioned that I was an equine, a horse, but as of recent, I am not positive if I am actually a horse. With looking further I may be a donkey. (Horse is still a possibility though.) However, I cannot find much good information on donkeys, so I cannot know easily (not that it is ever easy, but you know what I mean). I was wondering if anyone could help me out by finding some good information on donkey behavior.


Thanks,

-Cauda

There's the local library where the books and animal documentries live.
...and nothing says "smother me with information" like a good ol' fashion search engine ho-down.

[Cauda_Horse]

Yeah, I am going to go to the library tomorrow. I did a search online, but could not find much. I will keep looking though. Thanks.


-Cauda

[stinky_hyena]

Yeah, I am going to go to the library tomorrow. I did a search online, but could not find much. I will keep looking though. Thanks.


-Cauda

Really? I'm surprised you didn't find more thru the net, hopefully the library will turn up something better. :shrug:

Another few ideas:

Try meditating. Clear your mind as best able, then imagine you are in a wild place, maybe in a field clearing hanging out, not doing anything in particular. Then see in your mind's eye what animals visit you, if any. (You may want to try this excercise a few times, and try not to mentally force any animals into your mind's eye, just let your mind be blank and see what comes.) Maybe doing this meditation excercise will help you reaffirm the animal you feel a connection with, or discover something new.

If you are able to find a safe and capable means, you could also try engaging in entering an altered state of conciousness. Many cultures believe such states can be used to seek information in various ways, and sometimes other things. People enter into altered states by hypnosis, trances, ceremonies, dances, drugs, herbs, fasting, meditation, and what not.

[TheBlueWolfW.W.]

A donkey, maybe? That's interesting. You don't see many of them around.

[stinky_hyena]

A donkey, maybe? That's interesting. You don't see many of them around.

...but there certainly isn't a shortage of jack asses! :p

[Ves]

What about a mule? That's sort of halfway between a horse and donkey.

There's actually very little difference in the behaviour of horses and that of donkeys. Basically a donkey is like a little horse with bloody great big ears :)

[Cauda_Horse]

I actually was browsing around the other day, and I found something on zedonks, and zorses. Zedonks are zebra donkey hybrids, and zorses are zebra horse hybrids. Looking at this, I remember I saw something about them in a magazine years ago. I remember I felt a strong connection to them. I wonder if this is it......


Oh, and I posted in another thread, btw, that I was a contherian, but last night, I may have experienced a first shift. But it was not pleasant. I had a bad experience earlier that day-actually, a frightening experience, in my horse back riding lesson, where I kept almost falling off, the horse while in a fast trot, totally bare-back (I am a beginner still). Anyway, I started feeling extremely dizzy that night, and began to check all this physical/medical stuff that could be causing the dizziness. I checked my temp (I was recently sick, and was wondering if I was still running a slight fever) I did not have a temp. I checked my blood pressure (but that is always high, stupid idea). But I couldn't come up with a good explanation for the dizziness.

Well, about that time, since I am a bit ADHD, I felt I needed to jump on my trampoline (just a little rebounder in a small room)to get out some energy, even though I was not feeling too well.

While there I was, for fun, trying to make certain noises (I am weird, I know). Well, what came out was this sound that was like a horse whinnie, and a hyena sound, but sort of like a zebra, I guess. I don't know how to describe it very well.

Well, right around that time, the room looked odd. Not like terribly odd, but slightly brighter/hazy bright. Almost trance like. I got this feeling like I WOULD be going into a shift. Now, I have shifted before into totems, and I recognized this at first as that, but this was different, I would soon see, as it progressed. I usually feel tiger-like and masculine when I shift into a totem (my tiger totem). But now I felt more like myself, just like an animal self. I decided to let it progress. I stopped jumping, and began to get on all fours, and see what would happen.

Now, here is the unpleasant part, my emotions got very strong. I felt very young, almost a baby/foal or something of the like. I kept making that sound, but it was in pain, emotional pain. There was a feeling of being alone, or being scared, and being startled strongly by sounds. I had an urge, at first, to lift my head up very high, as if sniffing the air....but I am not sure that is what I was doing. Then a few times, I had the urge to rear, maybe twice. At the height of fright and upset, I began to roll frantically. At one point, I noticed my reflection in the window, and almost head butted it, but I was still in a human-enough mindset not to. Another point, my stomach hurt (now this I do not get) I began almost choaking, but this passed soon. Finally, I stood up. The dizziness was almost gone. But not totally. But then I went into another short "shift", and when I came out, and was starting to come back into a more human mindset, I could not control tears. This whole "shift" was not fun at all, and not something I would have wanted to do, nor was it clear exactly what I was. The only thing was, it got rid of my dizziness comepletely by the end, but I was totally exhausted.


Now, I wonder, could this HAVE been a mental shift? Am I NOT a contherian, or even syntherian? And could the dizziness have been related? Also, if anyone can help, any suggestions about what kind of equine this sounds like?

I hope this does not sound too strange. I am recalling everything I can, but I do not have a very clear memory of it....it is hazy. This is the best I can say.


Thank you,

-Cauda

[stinky_hyena]

I actually was browsing around the other day, and I found something on zedonks, and zorses. Zedonks are zebra donkey hybrids, and zorses are zebra horse hybrids. Looking at this, I remember I saw something about them in a magazine years ago. I remember I felt a strong connection to them. I wonder if this is it......


Oh, and I posted in another thread, btw, that I was a contherian, but last night, I may have experienced a first shift. But it was not pleasant. I had a bad experience earlier that day-actually, a frightening experience, in my horse back riding lesson, where I kept almost falling off, the horse while in a fast trot, totally bare-back (I am a beginner still). Anyway, I started feeling extremely dizzy that night, and began to check all this physical/medical stuff that could be causing the dizziness. I checked my temp (I was recently sick, and was wondering if I was still running a slight fever) I did not have a temp. I checked my blood pressure (but that is always high, stupid idea). But I couldn't come up with a good explanation for the dizziness.

Well, about that time, since I am a bit ADHD, I felt I needed to jump on my trampoline (just a little rebounder in a small room)to get out some energy, even though I was not feeling too well.

While there I was, for fun, trying to make certain noises (I am weird, I know). Well, what came out was this sound that was like a horse whinnie, and a hyena sound, but sort of like a zebra, I guess. I don't know how to describe it very well.

Well, right around that time, the room looked odd. Not like terribly odd, but slightly brighter/hazy bright. Almost trance like. I got this feeling like I WOULD be going into a shift. Now, I have shifted before into totems, and I recognized this at first as that, but this was different, I would soon see, as it progressed. I usually feel tiger-like and masculine when I shift into a totem (my tiger totem). But now I felt more like myself, just like an animal self. I decided to let it progress. I stopped jumping, and began to get on all fours, and see what would happen.

Now, here is the unpleasant part, my emotions got very strong. I felt very young, almost a baby/foal or something of the like. I kept making that sound, but it was in pain, emotional pain. There was a feeling of being alone, or being scared, and being startled strongly by sounds. I had an urge, at first, to lift my head up very high, as if sniffing the air....but I am not sure that is what I was doing. Then a few times, I had the urge to rear, maybe twice. At the height of fright and upset, I began to roll frantically. At one point, I noticed my reflection in the window, and almost head butted it, but I was still in a human-enough mindset not to. Another point, my stomach hurt (now this I do not get) I began almost choaking, but this passed soon. Finally, I stood up. The dizziness was almost gone. But not totally. But then I went into another short "shift", and when I came out, and was starting to come back into a more human mindset, I could not control tears. This whole "shift" was not fun at all, and not something I would have wanted to do, nor was it clear exactly what I was. The only thing was, it got rid of my dizziness comepletely by the end, but I was totally exhausted.


Now, I wonder, could this HAVE been a mental shift? Am I NOT a contherian, or even syntherian? And could the dizziness have been related? Also, if anyone can help, any suggestions about what kind of equine this sounds like?

I hope this does not sound too strange. I am recalling everything I can, but I do not have a very clear memory of it....it is hazy. This is the best I can say.


Thank you,

-Cauda

It doesn't sound any more strange than anything else posted by people on ww.com, no worries there.

What is a contherian, or syntherian?

The dizziness could be a symptom of some type of shift, or just about anything else from a biological standpoint, so it is hard to say if it is of any significance to your experience specifically. It is hard to say what your experience was I agree, I'm sure it could be interprited as a shift, or attributed to various medical conditions, or biological quirks also.

The equine noise your are attempting to describe if I had to guess sounds like it could be an attempted Zebra bray, sure.

[Ves]

What is a contherian, or syntherian?
As I recall, a contherian is in a nutshell, someone who exists in an almost permanent state of "shiftiness", like a permanent mix of human and their animal counterpart. Something like that anyway.

Cauda, you appear to have just described a very mild epileptic attack. This isn't the first time I've equated therian phenomena to epilepsy, but the things I hear described are very similar to what I have experienced over the years.

[Cauda_Horse]

No, I doubt that is what it was. I did feel more like an animal than usual during this time (I always feel like an animal), but if it was an epileptic attack, why would I have experienced it right after I made that sound?

However, I have been wondering the same thing.



-Cauda

[Cauda_Horse]

Okay, no, not epilepsy. I just spoke to my mom about it. Apparently I was tested for it when I was little. I did not have it. So probably not epilepsy.


-Cauda

[stinky_hyena]

As I recall, a contherian is in a nutshell, someone who exists in an almost permanent state of "shiftiness", like a permanent mix of human and their animal counterpart. Something like that anyway.

Cauda, you appear to have just described a very mild epileptic attack. This isn't the first time I've equated therian phenomena to epilepsy, but the things I hear described are very similar to what I have experienced over the years.

Thanks for the info. :)

...to what you have experienced over the years, are you refering to experiences as a witness to others, or to your own self experiences? ...and are you refering to what you believe to be a shift of some sort, or epilepsy? I'm confused by your statement, will you elaborate on it?

[stinky_hyena]

Okay, no, not epilepsy. I just spoke to my mom about it. Apparently I was tested for it when I was little. I did not have it. So probably not epilepsy.


-Cauda

Isn't it possible to develop epilepsy at any stage of your life if conditions are right?
I don't know much about epilepsy, but I thought from what little info. I've been exposed to about it, it was.

[stinky_hyena]

No, I doubt that is what it was. I did feel more like an animal than usual during this time (I always feel like an animal), but if it was an epileptic attack, why would I have experienced it right after I made that sound?

However, I have been wondering the same thing.



-Cauda

I agree that the best way to handle your experience is to listen to your own feelings about it ultimitely,-- no one knows you like you. If it was an attack of some sort, a biological defect, it could have coincidently just occured after the sound. I don't believe the sound was neccessarily a catalyst for a shift, or an attack of some sort, it just seems unlikely to me, -- a personal gut feeling. My feeling may or may not be right, but it is what I choose to voice to you as my take on the matter. I don't think humans feeling like animals is unusual either. Mankind is afterall of the mammalian family, and while domesticated in a sense still biologically a being as any other mammal I think. I feel like an animal often also, and I enjoy such feelings whether I choose to connect such feelings in a spiritual way, or what not to a certain animal, or simply feel them.

[Cauda_Horse]

Actually, most people don't feel like animals that I have spoken to. And yes, you are correct that epilepsy can occur at any time. I just read that after I posted that other post. What happened, now that I looked it up, could well have been an epileptic attack. It is common for one with epilepsy to first see in a weird way, feel dizzy before it, then be tired and have a headache afterward. Exactly what I felt. But it could possibly have been a migraine as well. However, I did not have the sensitivity to light and sound that migraines cause.

I still believe myself to be a therian, it is just something you know. I have meditated on the subject, and soul searched as well. I have also been in the community for a few years now. I should have known that this may not have been a shift.

Thank you all for helping out. I will get myself checked for epilepsy.


-Cauda

[Ves]

but if it was an epileptic attack, why would I have experienced it right after I made that sound?
It was actually the sound that made me sit up and take notice as it happens. One of the attacks I have had in the past, one of the few I could remember, I made a sound not unlike that which you described.
Many epileptics experience "auras" prior to a fit, some experience smells or tastes, others have mild hallucinations (this also sometimes happens during the fit - I once hallucinated I'd split with my girlfriend when I had a fit). This, coupled with the dizzyness and the headaches that almost always accompanies a fit (I always also get a complete loss of energy, my back starts to hurt, and I get intense nausea), leads me to link it to what some therians also experience.
The thing to remember with Epilepsy is that an attack is not necessarily a full on "drop to the ground and gibber" fit. It can be as minor as simply blinking twice. Also simply having the warnings doesn't necessarily guarantee a "grande mal" - a full-on fit.

I should point out that I don't believe therianthropy is merely a form of epilepsy. It could be that whatever the phenomena of therianthropy actually is, causes epileptic episodes in people who are prone to such things.
It would be very interesting to see if common causes of epileptic attacks (e.g. flashing lights - though not all epilepsy is photo-reactive) also have an effect on mental shifting.

[Cauda_Horse]

Yes, I did experience nausea too, and I did get slightly cold afterward....I don't know if you experience that as well...but I have never had any hallucinations, but I guess it could have just been very mild. Btw, might as well ask, do you get kind of warm when one begins?


-Cauda

[Hellcat]

Yes, I did experience nausea too, and I did get slightly cold afterward....I don't know if you experience that as well...but I have never had any hallucinations, but I guess it could have just been very mild. Btw, might as well ask, do you get kind of warm when one begins?


-Cauda

Okay, lessons on migraines. Class be seated. Why bring migraines into the equation I hear you cry, because I'm a migraine suffer and your shift sounds like a migraine to me. Migraines by the way follow the same lines as epilepsy. What happens in epilepsy is that the blood vessels to the brain constrict which prevents oxygen getting to the brain, this results in the sufferer having a fit. In a migraine something similar happens, the blood vessels constrict, but not so much that oxygen is prevented from getting to the brain, it still gets there, but not as fast. This results in a migraine. Many people associate migraines with headaches, this isn't always the case. The symptoms vary not just amongst individuals, but the same suffer can have a variety of differnt symptoms on each attack.

When I suffer a migraine I often start feeling dizzy, sometimes I feel hot or cold (or neither) with or without a prickling sensation down my back. My vision becomes "odd"- sometimes it appears smokey, sometimes it appears incredibly bright, my concentration may decline due to this temporary vision imparement, sometimes it affects my speach to a point where I can't string two words together without without tangling my words up. A simple sentence like "I don't feel well" won't come out because I have forgot the words, or I'll say "dog" when I mean car etc. I often see a strange zig-zaggy line through my vision which appears bright and shakey. Sometimes I feel sick and I may literally vomit. Sometimes my fingers go numb in one hand, sometimes my face feels numb, sometimes I feel no numbness, sometimes I feel numb down one side. Sometimes I suffer a god awful headache which is affected by lighting (on these occassions I have to sit in a darkened room) sometimes I have a mild head ache (which isn't affected by lights) sometimes I don't have a headache at all. After a migraine attack I often feel very tired and have to go sleep it off. The first time it happened I was terrified, I thought I was dying. It began with feeling hot, then cold with a prickling sensation down my back and dizziness, my vision went funny and I couldn't speak properly, I kept tripping over words or forgetting the the word I wanted to say- it was scary. Then I went numb down one side, I felt sick, my legs went all wobbly so I had to sit down. Then the headache started and the light hurt my eyes. I thought I was coming down with meningitis or something! Finally I came to and I was left with the nasty headache and feeling exhausted. After a few hours sleep I was fit as a fiddle again. Obviously I went to the doctor and was told that it was a nasty migraine attack and they slapped me on migraine tablets, but I hate taking tablets so I don't bother. I'm happy to say that I haven't had one quite as nasty as that first one over five years ago, but I have had some grim ones which include a combination of the above symptoms. The point is a migraine doesn't necessarily mean a bad headache, it is often a combination of different symptoms and a headache is usually (but not always) one of them. If I get a headache with a migraine attack it usually starts as my vision begins to come back and the other symptoms begin to deteriorate.

I suggest that if it happens again you should go see a doctor. It might be that it never happens again as is sometimes the case. It might be that it does happen again in which case I would recommend professional treatment. Yeah it might be a mental shift, but is it worth putting down to spirituality when it could really be a physical problem that needs treating?

[Cauda_Horse]

Yeah, I thought about it possibly being a migraine too....but then again, I do not experience the sensitivity to light and sound, actually, they do not bother me at all. I had loud music on at the time. Didn't bother me at all.


-Cauda

[Hellcat]

Yeah, I thought about it possibly being a migraine too....but then again, I do not experience the sensitivity to light and sound, actually, they do not bother me at all. I had loud music on at the time. Didn't bother me at all.


-Cauda

what? are you talking in general, or are you refering to during your experience? If you are talking in general, you will find that not all migraine suffers have a general sensitivity to light or sound. Sound doesn't affect me at all, and the only migraine trigger I have with light is strip lights that are near to the end of their life ie when they flash on and off so fast the light appears to vibrate, but that sensitivity has only occurred in last 3 years. I've been a migraine suffer for 6 years, however, they aren't as regular as they were 2 years ago when it got to a point where I was having 2 or 3 a week.

[Cauda_Horse]

I was referring to my expereince.


-Cauda