Magic Forums

Okay, due to this being a topic that is blown off by most people on here because 'it's fluff'. We're here to tell you, guess what? Therians are not fluff.

True therians (Ex. not 5-year olds who say they can p-shift) know they cannot p-shift. Therians believe they have the soul or spirit of an animal. The animal normally must be physically existing, because if it is not then they are called otherkin (Hence why dragon otherkin exist, but dragon therians are not truly therians.)

Therians often experience phantom limbs, otherwise known as astral or aural limbs. Things that exist on their body on the astral plane, but not the physical plane. Therians also experience mental shifts, something that is also widely blown off as a 'fluff' topic. Mental shifts, in reality, are literally just changing they way you think. Some therians meditate on it, whilst others it occurs naturally. It is the same thing as a cat being raised around dogs, then the cat acts like a dog.

Otherkin often experience the same things, but for some it's on a lesser sense. Mental shifts may not happen, and phantom limbs may only be partial or only occur when triggered by something such as strong wind (Wingedkin, birdkin, dragonkin, ect.)

Otherkin are not the same as therians as therians believe they have the spirit of that animal, whereas otherkin believe they were that animal in a past life, not entirely that it is their soul shape/soul type.

Some otherkin, however, use their identities as coping methods for mental illnesses. Some, however, truly do believe they were that in a past life, and it is no one's grounds to tell them they are not or never will be.

TL;DR: Therians and otherkin are not fluff, and never will be.