Theriantropy: an identity that comes from DNA

I've been thinking a lot about therianthropy lately. For me, it's not just an idea—it's a real and genuine part of who I am. The notion that people can identify as or feel a deep connection to animals makes a lot of sense when I consider our shared DNA, brain plasticity, and the way our brains are structured. These thoughts have made me wonder if there's more to our connection with animals than we usually acknowledge.

Knowing that we share about 98.8% of our DNA with chimpanzees and even 85% with mice made me realize that the differences between us and other animals aren't as big as they seem. This genetic similarity suggests a shared evolutionary history and common biological functions, hinting that the essence of being an animal is still very much a part of us.

Our brains are incredibly adaptable, capable of changing and forming new connections throughout our lives. This brain plasticity means that our experiences and thoughts can shape our neural pathways in profound ways. People don't become therian; they awaken the pathways in their brain by opening their mind and reshaping their brain. This could be related to empathy, as we project ourselves into that animal identity, strengthening our bond and understanding. Kids sometimes "grow out" of therianthropy because they adapt to the demands of their life, spending less time cultivating their therian identity and more time fitting into societal norms. I think maybe they move in the opposite direction, focusing less on their animal side as they grow older.

The Triune Brain Theory, which suggests our brains evolved in layers with the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the neocortex, ties into this idea of awakening the therian identity. The reptilian brain handles basic survival functions, the limbic system governs emotions and social behaviors, and the neocortex is responsible for higher-order thinking. By focusing on our therian identity, we can awaken these more primitive parts of our brains, allowing us to express and feel our therian type more vividly.

All these thoughts lead me to see therianthropy as a natural and intrinsic aspect of being human, something that our intellectual minds normally suppress. There's a part of us that remains connected to the animal kingdom, reflecting our shared evolutionary heritage. This isn't a scientifically proven idea, but it feels right to me. It's a personal reflection that helps me understand myself better, acknowledging that I'm both human and deeply connected to the animal world.

In conclusion, while these reflections are based on personal intuition rather than scientific evidence, they offer a perspective on therianthropy that feels genuine to me. It seems like there's a part of all of us that is inherently connected to animals, a part that our intellectual brains often mute but never completely erase. Embracing this multifaceted nature helps me understand who I am, bridging the gap between my human intellect and my animalistic origins.

Thats an Interesting theory. How did you determine this? I agree with you that every human has animal in them, I think Therians are just those who are more connected to the animal I guess. Your theroy has voicedmy perspective in a way that I don't think I could

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sorry for the spelling errors

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sorry forgot to tag you so you would know @QFurry

oh it's okay I'm subscribed everywhere I post

I'm glad it resonates with someone (^_^)

I also do the same thing. If you want could you answer my question I'm just curious

ah sorry!! How... so... it's a bit spiritual at first so bare with me

I always loved my cats and I found that they have consciousness. (In the religion I grew up with, the soul was considered a human thing only, so I have "unlearned" that concept.)

Then I realized humans, plants, animals, everything... we are actually *one* single thing. When we die, we go back to nature. And nature reshapes us to other creatures.

But then recently I discovered therianthropy and realized that it is not just that they have a consciousness like us, it's actually the other way around: we are *them*, *we* are *animals*, we have all of this inside us. (I guess it awakens under euphoria and dopamine influence in certain circumstances but I'm gonna write another post in psychological for that subject.)

I don't know how I saw it... somehow watching other therians doing therian things kinda woke up my own therian identity and the rest is just built up theory to why *we* are *them/animals* (DNA, brain layers and plasticity, that's just wild guess, it's baseless).

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@Hawk_Fox_Girl you are still young, I think you can access all that part of that identity much more easily than us (old folks). If you keep working on it, you will probably keep it. But it's gonna be hard because the adult brain is really really dominant. Logic dominates our mind strongly and we lose touch with our animal identity.

The idea that we are one is very well explained here: https://forums.therian-guide.com/Thread-Gaianism-and-how-it-ties-into-my-therianthropy-belief

I don't necessarily agree with everything tbh but the core principles is totally what I believe. We are like one giant organism.

I would be curious how those of us in the mythic persuasion would fit in your theory.

@QFurry thank you for your answer it was very interesting. As a Christian I do believe that animals have a soul but a different one than humans, so your theory fits with my world view. I second Siris's question as a draconic shapeshifter how would that part of me fit in? If there were n mythical/magical creatures then how do I have this theriotype?

This is a very good observation. I have a theory of my own that is adjacent, but different. My only problem with that point of view is, humans are animals, and have primitive instincts of their own as well. So, how are you decerning human instincts from non-human, which cannot be explained by evolution of human brain alone?

(2024-06-28 7:08)Siris Wrote:  I would be curious how those of us in the mythic persuasion would fit in your theory.

(2024-06-28 14:32)Hawk_Fox_Girl Wrote:  I second Siris's question as a draconic shapeshifter how would that part of me fit in? If there were n mythical/magical creatures then how do I have this theriotype?

It's because I believe the theriotype isn't actually the smallest particle of the story. I love theriotypes and identify myself as feline, more specifically as a cat. However, I think of things more as "traits". For example, you can have a strong feeling of having paws instead of hands, or you can feel your tail, wings, and so on. When we search for theriotypes, we compile all these traits into a list and try to find a species that checks all the boxes. I don't think this approach is bad at all because it greatly simplifies things, but identifying as an animal also allows us to reason about it on a personal and psychological level. I think it actually reflects empathetic behavior (identifying as a specific theriotype), and ultimately comes down to all these traits.

Identifying as a mythical creature isn't strange at all; those creatures were created based on existing creatures and share the same traits as existing animals. It's these traits that allow us to identify with those creatures, even though they don't exist in nature.

To illustrate with a concrete example: plants. I recall reading an article about someone who married a plant. Some saw it as a curiosity, others as madness. Right now, it kind of makes sense to me; humans have empathy towards anything that comes from nature, and plants are part of nature. Rough estimates suggest we share around 20-30% of genes with plants, though this number may vary. It's safe to say there are significant overlaps in basic biological processes between humans and plants. So, if a therian tells me they identify as a plant, I would believe it because I believe there are common traits in my own belief system. (Though, who am I to judge anyway.)

We often discuss obvious traits and characteristics like paws, tails, behaviors, etc., but there's more to biology that one might overlook. For instance, the sun is a crucial component of life. Plants process sunlight, and animals bask in its warmth and light; our cells use sunlight to create various hormones and vitamins. While most people know about vitamin D and the sun, did you know we also produce melatonin (I do mean melatonin and not melanin here) from sun exposure, through our skin and not just in the brain glands? This comes from recent studies, so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but it highlights that there are many traits and sensations that go beyond our usual set of characteristics.

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(2024-06-28 22:06)Wolf Wrote:  My only problem with that point of view is, humans are animals, and have primitive instincts of their own as well. So, how are you decerning human instincts from non-human, which cannot be explained by evolution of human brain alone?

What kind of human-specific instincts? Can you give some examples?