| Therianthropy |
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| In this essay, we'll be examing the phenomenon known as therianthropy. In essence, we'll be looking at the integral parts, the therians themselves, and the shifts they undergo. We've all heard the phrase, "If you ask ten different people a question, you'll get eleven different answers. Therian- thropy is regarded in much the same way. Before we begin our journey into the mysterious world of therianthropy, you must first discard all your preconceptions about werewolves. Therians are not blood-thirsty abominations who turn into ravenous monsters by the light of the full moon and eat the flesh of infants and can only be defeated by the use of silver bullets. Rather, therianthropes are nature-friendly individuals who feel a connection with one or more animals. In the middle ages, the Catholic church feared the rise of paganism and as to discourage the pracitice thereof, many people were accused of being witches and werewolves, and thus were either executed or burned at the stake. Not only were pagans persecuted, but individuals who were considered "different"(whether they displayed symptoms of a mental illness such as schitzophrenia, or merely considered as a threat to the functioning of the Roman Catholic Church) by their community were often targeted by the witch and werewolf hunters. Such accused individuals were often tortured to the point where they had no choice but to confess, regardless of being a real werewolf or not. This period in history was known as "The Burning Times," and over nine million people were killed alone. Much of the superstition what Hollywood plays off of today was conceived during this period in history. For instance, the idea that silver could kill a werewolf most likely symbolized the conquering of "Good" (i.e. the Church) over "Evil" (i.e. werewolves). After time passed, many of the religious leaders(i.e. King James of England) began doubting the existence of such people as witches and werewolves, and the witch hunts generally faded away into the pages of history. Now that we have looked at the histo- ry of werewolves, we will be discussing what a were actually is. The defintion of therianthropy is very broad, and encom- passes more than one meaning. To some, it merely means having a mental connec- tion to an animal, but for many, theriant- hropy is much more. To me for instance, it means possessing the spirit of a particu- lar animal or at least having been that ani- mal in a past life. This manifests in posse- ssing a set of traits that are resemblant of said animal, or experiencing shifts, whether they mental, physical (heightened senses, increased strength), or something along a more metaphysical line (aural shifts, dream shifts). Each therian's expe- riences are quite different from others, and some cannot even shift at all (an example would be contherianthropy, which is a condition where the therian is permanently stuck in a form of mild m-shift, but never experiences any other form of m-shift) . But even those who can't shift, are no less therian then the next were. The animal a were connects with is known as his or her phenoty- pe. For some unknown reason or another, the most prevalent-occuri- ng phenotype is that of the wolf. Those with this particular form of phenotype are known as lycanthropes. The term lycanthrope comes from the Greek myth of Lycan and Zeus. The legend goes that once long ago, there was a king by the name of Lycan, and he had heard that Zeus, king of the Gods, would be visiting him. In an effort to impress him, he had his own son killed and served as a dish to Zeus, but Zeus was appalled by such an action and so cursed Lycan. Lycan was turned into a half-wolf half-man creature and was forced to live in the wilderness for the rest of his life. Moving on, spiritual lycanthropy should not be confused with pathological lycanthropy. Pathological therianthropy is a mental illness where the patient has delusions that lead him to believe he is in the body of a wolf, instead of a human. They often act like threatened animals, willing to attack any who get close by biting or clawing. If an individual has such an illness, they should be treated immediately so as to avoid any harm to themselves or others. Next, we'll be examing the various forms of shifts that are experienced by therianthro- pes. Commonly known types are as follows: Mental Shifts - Also known as m-shifts, men- tal shifts occur when the wereside or animal side acquires dominance over the human side. During this time, the therian's mindset shifts to that of their phenotype, and as is often the case, the individual displays more animal-like traits. Sometimes physical shifting occurs alongside the m-shift, and such examples would include change in eye color, enlarged teeth, increase in strength, etc. Dream Shifts - This is possibly the most common shift experienced aside from mental shifts, and just as it sounds, this particular shift occurs when the therian shifts into the form of their phenotype in their dreams. This is often unvoluntarly, normaly occuring whenever there is a need to shift, such as being attacked by something, or anything else along the line of infinite reasons. Astral Shifts - My knowledge is limited when it comes to this subject, but I do know that astral shifts occur when the individual's aura shifts into their animal on the astral plane, or as sometimes happens, enters the body of another being on this dimension. Aural Shift - This is a shift that involves the therian's aura shifts into that of their phenotype, and this normally occurs if the individual is threatened or for some other reason. The changes are often noticed by regular humans as well, and the therian may seem to possess a powerful presence in that period of time. Characteristics of said therian's phenotype can be taken on in this state, but typically aren't as intensive as a mental shift. Berserker Shift - This type of shift normally ain't recognized, but should be considered in any serious study of therianthropy. In this particular form of shift, some weres have reported a great increase in strength accompanied by intensive feeling of fury, but would feel incredibly drained after the shift has faded away. This is resemblant of the Berserkers in Norse mythology, where they would don animal skins and summon great amounts of strength as they would ransack villages and other barbaric deeds, but as a result, they felt drained and weak afterward. Shadow Shift - Once again, I know very little of this subject, but I will try to elaborate. In this form of shift, the therian is often noted of appearing more like their phenotype, but this only seems to occur in poorly lighted settings. Bi-Location - This is a much mystical topic shrouding in mystery, and very little is known about it. Bi-location is said to occur when an individual either consciously or subconsciously wills a projection of themselves, another person, or any other image outside their body. It is possible that this the factor responsible for werewolf sightings over the years or the illusion that an individual is shape-shifting. Thank you for taking the time to read this essay, and I hope to have answered any questions regarding therianthropy you might have. Thank you once again, and happy journeys. -Dakota September 20, 2004 |
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