Therian Discussion

[Tekay]

hey is anyone like me out there ...a Therian that i could talk too and become freinds with


thanks

[ThrasherCub]

Threads like this tend to die at the hands of Mods rather quickly. Though maybe if you turn this into a discussion by telling us a little bit about you, we'll talk about us, comparing and stuff like that they'll leave it up.

[Kat-chan]

Thrashercub's got a point.
So. *waves*
Hiyas!
I'm a therian as well, although I'm still trying to gather as much information about therianthropy as I can. :]
*looks over at my Icon*
As you can tell, I'm a wolf. White wolf to be precise.

What about you?

[NeonLightChild]

We're all like you, hun...we're all human. And yes, there're some therians amongst us.

I am both horse and wolf, which is a strange combination of predator and prey. However, they work well both together and as individual animals.

[ThrasherCub]

I'm a Coyote. With very canid habits. My boyfriend thinks it's cute. :)

Hey, how many therians do we have here?

Edit: Woohoo! 800th post!

[Tekay]

Threads like this tend to die at the hands of Mods rather quickly. Though maybe if you turn this into a discussion by telling us a little bit about you, we'll talk about us, comparing and stuff like that they'll leave it up.

My name is Trev im 32 years old to make this short.
I had a wolf encounter when i was 14yrs old, when i was 16yrs old thats when the dreams started hapenin and i have the same drean 3 times a month and when i see the white wolf lady as i call her soon as she turnes her head to look at me i wake up, i dont know what it means.
what is really weird is this started hapening to me when i was 16 right now 16yrs later it is really wandering me

16 plus 16 =32 weird huh

thanks for your replies everyone

tekay

[DarkWolf]

My name is Trev im 32 years old to make this short.
I had a wolf encounter when i was 14yrs old, when i was 16yrs old thats when the dreams started hapenin and i have the same drean 3 times a month and when i see the white wolf lady as i call her soon as she turnes her head to look at me i wake up, i dont know what it means.
what is really weird is this started hapening to me when i was 16 right now 16yrs later it is really wandering me

16 plus 16 =32 weird huh

thanks for your replies everyone

tekay
You believe yourself super-special therian over some boring typical dream? GAH!

My faith in the general populace just gets less and less with each of these "I'm speshul because [insert common normal thing here]" posts.

[ThrasherCub]

Yeah. That doesn't sound like therianthropy at all. Therianthropy is something fully of oneself, from deep down. It isn't about dreams of wolf-people or manifest encounters with wolves.

It sounds like "I am special." Try again.

[Tempest]

It took me a long time to finally be able to say to myself: I am NOT a therian. I wanted to be special and cool and all that fun stuff. Then again, I was 12, wanting to be special and cool...
Anyway, after a few years of having a wild imagination and very badly wanting to be something I'm not, I finally woke up one day and said "wow, how could I have been so blind? I'm clearly forcing all these "m-shifts" and whatnot on myself, they aren't coming naturally, I'm NOT a therian." I think the same thing is happening with you. See, I found little things that happened in my life and somehow would connect them to therianthropy. For instance, I once had a dream about turning into a jaguar. What did I say to myself? OMG Dream shift!!11 No, it was JUST A DREAM. That's it. Normal human beings all have dreams about turning into various animals. When you obsess about certain animals, you're going to dream about them. My best friend during this time owned horses and her life revolved around them. She told me she always would have dreams about turning into a horse. Does this make her a were-horse? No, it just means she likes horses.
People, please soul search. Ask yourself, "am I REALLY experiencing these "shifts" or am I forcing them upon myself? Are these dreams really "shifts" or am I just blowing a plain old boring dream out of proportion?" And be honest with yourself. There's no reason to lie to yourself.

Anyway, I'm NOT a therian. The jaguar is a totem of mine. If you don't know what a totem is, you need to do more research on therianthropy anyway.

[Wolfx]

I have to completely agree on that note Tempest. I love wolves (and truely have no idea how I started to love them) so I tried to connect everything I possibly could to them. But after about two years I told myself I need to stop lying to myself. Does that mean I'm not aloud to have these dreams anymore...no I find them quite enjoyable but yes I cant force myself to belive that I'm (as DarkWolf puts it) speshul.

Big thumbs up to you Tempest!!!

[Gilenea]

Wolf therian. That is all.

Gil

[Tekay]

You believe yourself super-special therian over some boring typical dream? GAH!

My faith in the general populace just gets less and less with each of these "I'm speshul because [insert common normal thing here]" posts.

but ihave the same dream 2 to 3 times a month and its the same thing over and over again the dream does not advance at all its driving me crazy i want to know what the heck it means.

thanks
Tekay

[DarkWolf]

but ihave the same dream 2 to 3 times a month and its the same thing over and over again the dream does not advance at all its driving me crazy i want to know what the heck it means.

thanks
Tekay
When you think actively of a dream you make it more likely to occur again. Let it go and get over it and it'll often go away. Dreams occur because the brain is having a clean up and shifts things around and recent thoughts end up resurfacing in a dream. When you focus on a dream you had it's like you're taking all the thoughts the brain just cleaned up and dumping them back into the mind - which causes your brain to have to clean it up again hence another dream.

Of course if it is a good dream, why get rid of it? I've dreamt of being a powerful god of darkness once a week or more for many years now. It doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to gain godhood, it just means I like the dream and so I keep having it.

Beyond a basic insight into your current emotional state dreams have no other meaning beyond those you apply to them. If I dreamt of a chicken it means I'm hungry and wanting to eat chicken, but if somebody else dreamt of a chicken it may mean they forgot to buy one at the supermarket for a roast they were planning. Dreams mean different things for different people but always are nothing more than recent thoughts brought back up. You keep thinking about the wolves or dream - so it keeps occurring.

If you want to apply some great big magical reason to it that's fine. I'll stick to what decades of psychological and neurological testing have told us, if you don't mind.

[ThrasherCub]

Correct. Everyone has a dream about being an animal at some point. Everyone. You evidently made a big deal about yours on some level and your subconscious has just been stewing and obsessing over it. The result; you have the dream again.

Why is it not advancing at all? Probably a combination of two factors. First, it was that dream you were obsessing over, therefore this obsessing is going to influence the mind to reproduce that exact dream. The other reason is that this dream is important to you, and so while it's not on the conscious level of your mind, it's closer to it than the disjointed chaotic extremely-sub-consciousness of the dreaming state. Because you're not a wolf in any way, your mind cannot come up with more dream since it is having to put in something akin to effort now, rather than just something random like the dream was originally. Also, the mind is not likely to let you guess at something wolven since if it does not want to be found to be incorrect. It's afraid of failure.

So in short, having the exact same dream reoccur is more likely to be proof that you are not wolf kin than proof that you are.

[Tekay]

Correct. Everyone has a dream about being an animal at some point. Everyone. You evidently made a big deal about yours on some level and your subconscious has just been stewing and obsessing over it. The result; you have the dream again.

Why is it not advancing at all? Probably a combination of two factors. First, it was that dream you were obsessing over, therefore this obsessing is going to influence the mind to reproduce that exact dream. The other reason is that this dream is important to you, and so while it's not on the conscious level of your mind, it's closer to it than the disjointed chaotic extremely-sub-consciousness of the dreaming state. Because you're not a wolf in any way, your mind cannot come up with more dream since it is having to put in something akin to effort now, rather than just something random like the dream was originally. Also, the mind is not likely to let you guess at something wolven since if it does not want to be found to be incorrect. It's afraid of failure.

So in short, having the exact same dream reoccur is more likely to be proof that you are not wolf kin than proof that you are.

i just wish i can show you what i can do

[Tempest]

i just wish i can show you what i can do

There are things called webcams. Why don't you buy one and show us? I think a lot of us here would be more than willing to take a look.

[ThrasherCub]

i just wish i can show you what i can do

Buy a webcam from Frys. I've seen them as cheap as 30 dollars and if you delete all the memory files and return it that day claiming it's incompatible with your computer you can get the full price returned to you in store credit, and they've got enough crap there I'm sure you can find something to spend that on.

So unless you're just seeking attention on the grounds that you are special, either put up or shut up.

[DarkWolf]

i just wish i can show you what i can do
So you're going from 'therian' - having a spiritual connection to an animal - to possessing some incredible special ability? What is it that you can do that would demonstrate therianism (ignoring the fact that therianthropy is a purely spiritual thing and wouldn't actually grant you abilities or anything)?

I never understand these "I'm speshul, I can do things!" claims. If you really could, you'd be famous by now. Anybody with even the slightest smudge of intelligence is capable of realising people are not going to be able to dissect you or anything. Why would they even want to? If your "power" (wow, how x-men/heroes/superhero show is this question?) was shapeshifting then that means you have a cellular capability that could potential save millions of lives. In order to shapeshift your cells and DNA would hold intense regenerative capabilities that if copied from you could cure any disease, limit aging, and potentially aid in the regrowth of lost limbs.

Laws are in place that would prevent people "hunting" you or dissecting you. Autopsies are informative ways of understanding the phyiosology of a dead thing. But you do realise we can get ALL of that same information when that something is alive, right? There's no need to kill you, no need for anybody to hunt you, you would earn money, you would save lives, the government would actually treat you as a valuable commodity and do their best to keep you alive and well, and while some would treat you as a freak there'd be more that would consider you an amazing treasure and hero.

We don't live in a emofied superhero movie.

If you have a super-special talent that could prove therianthropy or werewolves or whatever, why not just go to a lab and have them prove it beyond a doubt. Not only would you be showing us with unchallengeable evidence but also paving the way for new research into how to save millions of lives.

But, let me guess, you won't do these things for some specific reason or because there 'is' a conspiracy against your 'kind' but you don't have proof (or a logical explanation) or some other convenient excuse?

*sighs*

[ThrasherCub]

I just like that he has special therian powers he wishes he could show us, but he's a therian because he had the same dream a few times.

Not because of his therian powers.

It's almost as if this concept makes no sense of any kind.

[C.A.M.]

Correct if i am wrong but doesn't being a Therian mean you believe that you have a spiritual connection with what animal you think you have? :confused:

[DarkHunter]

I've claimed to be a Therian for years. Though I don't see it so much as a spiritual thing as back in the gilded ages of 14 when I first came here. Its more of a pyschodramatic sort of thing. I can't help but see it in context of basic Satanic ritual, but thats just me.

Does that give me special powers? No. I'm a realist and a materialist. Any powers that anybody will ever have are perfectly mundane and have little to do with werewolf legends or comic book style super people in fancy underwear.

[ThrasherCub]

Yeah, it's more of a mental connection, sharing the psyche with that of an animal, though the amount and way varies.

The spirituality part usually comes into play when we try to figure out why the hell we're connected to animals. Many of us tend to figure it's karmic impressions or "left overs" from previous lives, but there are also Therians who feel there is no God, soul, afterlife, or non-scientific reason for anything. I'm personally not sure how they explain therianthropy, but it's certainly not any more or less legitimate than the spiritual guess.

[jordanhitler]

On what everyone has said thus far, how exactly does one determine if he or she is a therianthrope? There have been discussions previous to this one about it, but none have ever given a clear answer to it, simply educated guesses, or maybes. It would seem that that is in the very nature of therianthropy for it to be enigmatic. We all seem to come to the conclusion that it is for the most part not physical and more mental, or sometimes "spiritual". However, the Idea of spirituallity may go against the beliefs of some, making Therianthropy more difficult to identify.

Lets talk about being "spechal" for a second here. How do you set yourself apart from the masses of humanity? When we were children (when I was a child) we were tought that everyone is special, but how true is this really? Aren't we all honestly typical? Even people who claim to be, or are, therianthropes, are we that different? I believe that people can indeed be "spechal" but it isn't what you are that counts, it's what you do. What will you do that makes the world look up and realize you exist. I believe it is how you impact the world, how you change it.

I remember the saying "You can't change the world, you can only change yourself", well I personally believe that the people that change themselves will be not individuals, but masses, products of the environment, lost inside the sea of humanity. But perhaps, quoting what Jack Nicholson said once, "I don't want to be a product of my environment, I wan't my environment to be a product of myself", a blunt way of saying that if we don't like the way the world is, if we work hard enough and put forth enough effort, and have enough will and determination, and a little bit of luck, we can change the world, for better or for worse, as we see fit.

So, to sum it all up, your just another person, and no one is going to care if your a therianthrope or not unless you find some extraordinary way to make youself stand apart from the others.

[NeonLightChild]

JordanHitler, well put.

Being a therian does not put you in a higher class of people. It does not give you special powers, be they physical, mental or otherwise. In fact, there is almost always NO outward sign that anyone you meet is a therian. (Now furries, on the other hand...I'm not gonna TOUCH that!) It is more of a personal boon, something to turn to inside yourself than something to boast about to the masses. Therianthropy, the way I see is, is a celebration of being HUMAN while being able to have connections, mental or otherwise, to certain animals. And being human means accepting the limitations that come with it and rejoicing in the many and various perks that put us where we are today.

There are a lot of good points in this thread and I appreciate whoever stickied it.

[william_wraithe]

I'd like to apologize to everyone for my behavior. I have said some really nasty things to everyone and so I apologize for being an asshole about everything. I would also like this opportunity to say that I am not and never have been a werewolf. I can't show you the secret to being one. Plain and simple, I lied about it so I could look cool and people would like me. I also can't do magic. I told people that I cursed them but it's not true, I could never do magic. I would again like to apologize to everyone for trying to be something I'm not. I'm no longer going to be at werewolf.com because of my behavior but I wanted everyone to know I lied.

[Gilenea]

Haha. Thanks for the turnaround, Will. We REALLY appreciate that.

*Laughs harder*

We have the best admins in LIFE.

Gil

[Samuel]

I would put myself as a therian. But there is no real clear definition. I can also say Totemism and Shamanism interest me.

I have come to realize therians come in all flavors and like a good koolaid everyone tries each one until you find your preferance. You can be a vocal therian, cheering up and legitamizing the existance of them to everyone. A common a term down south for those type are "bible beaters" You can be a spiritual therian who relates there feelings to past lives and ponder on the future of your soul in the afterlife (going back to roots) You can also be a physical therian who takes there main cues from phantom shifts and dream shifts (to a dreamers mind its happening physically) And you can also be an emotional therian who's main connection is M-shifts and personality cues.

I can say I have floated around them all and settled on a watered down fruit punch. I have a good mix of all the flavors... but I have realized that it is a highly personal belief that is going to be different for everyone. Find what makes you feel content and at peace and keep it close to your heart, because its truly your own happyness that matters.

[Tempest]

I have come to realize therians come in all flavors and like a good koolaid everyone tries each one until you find your preferance. You can be a vocal therian, cheering up and legitamizing the existance of them to everyone. A common a term down south for those type are "bible beaters" You can be a spiritual therian who relates there feelings to past lives and ponder on the future of your soul in the afterlife (going back to roots) You can also be a physical therian who takes there main cues from phantom shifts and dream shifts (to a dreamers mind its happening physically) And you can also be an emotional therian who's main connection is M-shifts and personality cues.

I disagree. If you are "trying each flavor until you find your preferance" you are not actually a therian you are just forcing yourself to find "strange" things about yourself so you can be different and special.
The word therian comes AFTER the mental shifting, the dream shifting, the whatever.... If it comes BEFORE then it's likely you are forcing yourself to be something you aren't.

[ThrasherCub]

Wow. Samuel's descriptions of the types of therians speaks volumes about his lack of experience and understanding in this area.

Sometimes the very fact that we have the Religion, Philosophy, and Therianthropy sections pisses me off to no end.

[jordanhitler]

While were on the topic of therianthropy. Does Therianthrope really have anything to do with, werewolfism, lycanthropy, clinical lycanthropy, or furry fandom? I know that some of these things are often involved with therianthropy, or sometimes these things interest therians, but are they actually related to therianthropy itself?

It concerns me that the wikipedia article on furry fandom mentions therians.

[Tempest]

Does Therianthrope really have anything to do with, werewolfism, lycanthropy, clinical lycanthropy, or furry fandom?

No.

You do have those that attempt to blur the lines between these things, and try to be a therian with a fursona or whatever. But there is no actual tie between any of these things and therianthropy.

Therianthropy = mental/spiritual
Lycanthropy = physical change
Clinical lycanthropy = mental disease
Furry = ooo animalz r kewl i want 2 b 1 (least my understanding of it, I try not to delve too deep with the ones I've met. they all freak me out)

[Nichael]

My understanding of furries has unfortunately come from the viewing of a particular CSI episode, so I'm afraid to comment on that subject lest I make a fool of myself.

I don't know if I'm a Therian or not, nor have I ever believed myself to be anything special beyond the fact of being a living, functioning creature.

But of all the times I've been around animals, I've always felt a strong bond with them. Sort of like a deep understanding. Mostly with dogs and cats, though my trips to the farm or other animal habitats have yielded a similar sensation. I'd probably get the same sense from people if we could all just shut up for a minute and pay attention to one another's moods in contented silence. It's just so much easier with animals... they don't lie.

It's most likely just a side effect of having human empathy and abstract reasoning, but I don't really want to be the one to judge it.

[DarkHunter]

Well, seeing how many other Therians claim some sort of spiritual connection, I use "Werewolf" more often than not. But thats more of a personal preference. So whether you call it "lycanthropy" (which was the original word used to describe it before Therianthropy became popular) or werewolfism, its not big deal. A rose is a rose is a rose. But for all intents and purposes, "lycanthropy" usually refers to a disease.

Nichael, you're the only one who can judge it. Therianthropy is something no one can tell that you are. We can listen to story after story and we can isolate those crack pots who really just aren't it, but thats because these people think they are because of something in their lives. For the real Therian, its not about something weird that happens in your life. Its about who you are, essentially.

[ThrasherCub]

Furry = ooo animalz r kewl i want 2 b 1 (least my understanding of it, I try not to delve too deep with the ones I've met. they all freak me out)
Actually it translates more to, "I really appreciate anthropomorphic art!" Springing from it is sexual attraction thereto and the desire to dress up.

Really it's not a whole lot different than people so into anime they dress up at anime conventions or really dig tentacle-rape hentais.

It's off beat to be sure, but not stupid as you portrayed.

It's mostly individuals within the furry fandom (especially those running around blurting weird shit) who are stupid.

BUT, as you said, it doesn't have much to do with Therianthropy. The only area of over lap is there are some therians who feel "trapped" in a human body, much like you may hear someone say he's a woman trapped in a man's body. And, of this group of people, some choose to express it via fursuiting much as the woman trapped in a man's body might choose to express it through cross-dressing.


Edit: for the record, I'm a furry and even I want to bludgeon some of the more annoying ones.

[Tempest]

It's off beat to be sure, but not stupid as you portrayed.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I've only met two, and one of them was seriously messed up. He told me that his grandmother had kidnapped him and held him hostage in her basement, and that was when his current dominant personality (Cain or something like that) emerged. This personality, he said, ACTED like his previous personality, but was secretly violent and deranged. Needless to say I kind of shied away from him after that.

[Lysander]

I dont think you needed to tell us you were a furry, thrasher. I think we all figured it out by stating 'a few furries wreck it for all the rest.' I dont have a problem with people fantasizing, but it crosses a line when they materialize that fantasy that should always remain one.

[Tempest]

I dont think you needed to tell us you were a furry, thrasher. I think we all figured it out by stating 'a few furries wreck it for all the rest.' I dont have a problem with people fantasizing, but it crosses a line when they materialize that fantasy that should always remain one.

What is wrong with materializing a fantasy every once in a while? I don't see anything wrong with dressing up in a fur suit if that's what you want to do. We all have our methods of escapism, whether it's video games, books, or drawing. I agree that it could become a problem if one is obsessed...however you can obsess over just about anything.

[NeonLightChild]

I dont think you needed to tell us you were a furry, thrasher. I think we all figured it out by stating 'a few furries wreck it for all the rest.' I dont have a problem with people fantasizing, but it crosses a line when they materialize that fantasy that should always remain one.

How has Thrasher ruined anything for any of us? Would you be upset to learn that Xavious is also a furry? Or are you glad that you joined ww.com after the Heyday of WrayWolf?

[ThrasherCub]

I dont have a problem with people fantasizing, but it crosses a line when they materialize that fantasy that should always remain one.
I'm pretty sure that materializing things which are fantasy (things which exist only in the mind) are how inventions come about.

You know, like the internet.

[Raphahel]

Well i've been reding about therianism,licantrop hysm etc...But i read also about furries,and other stuff meaning mental supidity!
With all i read about,i feel myself as a therian,but how do i know i am really a therian?
This is the first time,i read about it,and before i knew about theriantrophism,i always felt the same most of you said feeling. An empathy with wolfes,and also tigers!
There asa time i tried to stop doing those things,like sleeping in funny positions,or prowling, or even an urge to howl,grin at someone who is just pissing me,and sometimes even roar. I don't know if i am a Therian,but all of these things i said just come to me without thinking of it,its like something that comes from inside.

[NocturnalNero]

Not to rain on anyone's parade (if you can call a discussion anything of the sort), but it seems to me that very little has actually been said in-depth regarding therianthropy (or lycanthropy if you so prefer) as an actual physical or spiritual manifestation of a "connection" or "affinity" for a specific subset of species.

Now, in my experience, it seems to me that if any kind of animal or prevalent spirit calls-out to a person and makes themselves known, there is either a lesson to be learn, a power to be obtained or used, or a challenge or ally to meet. I myself have had recurring dreams of wolves throughout my life... most notably just before the massive release of spiritual energy during the 9/11 tradgedy. (I couldn't even stay awake that day with how much chaos was occurring that day.)

All truth be told, I even sometimes see a phantasmal outline of a wolf when I exercise (read: running), running along beside me as I run, encouraging me in raw feeling to go faster and longer.

When it's all said and done, only the person affected by the experiences or directly experiencing those periods in their life should be able to discern their meaning. Having someone else validate their experiences (at least I think) diminishes the overall value of the experience. Obviously, if you are experiencing it... it's for a reason.

That doesn't discount researching those experiences with written accounts of other people, either. Exploring alternative spiritual paths and becoming more familiar with the basis (bases?) of the spirit(s) or energies you are channeling or experiencing can also be exceedingly helpful in absorbing the event and moving forward from there.

I think I would know... Wolf is just beginning to show me things about myself that I desperately need to confront, resolve, and release. :)