When humans still lived with nature.

A good while ago I watched documentaries about humans and how they developed into what they are today.

The advantage humans had was their brain, they could make tools for different things, they had a social structure that worked and kept the group safe. They had to learn to think like the animals they hunted, to read them.

Nature still obviously had the hand in it back then. Some belief the reason we have people being "night owls" today comes from the time humans still lived in nature. They needed people to be awake at night and watch over. So some naturally developed that trait.

I can imagine some were better with reading animals than others. Even back then. Some were probably amazing with that.

So: I believe that's the origin of therianthropy today. Therians are the people that have the ability to see the world from an animals point of view, to the point of relating to them. Who wouldn't if you understand animal behavior very well and find a species that you can relate to on a personal level?

It's a very interesting, and plausible, theory.

Psychologically yes that certainly is a theory...but I also know of many who lover a certain animal and can put themselves in the animals shoes but are NOT therian. Many well versed animal trainers come to mind. Also on that note when I trained dogs and horses I wasn't at any particular advantage being a wolf therian and horse hearted/kith. I could understand certain behavior personally, but it didn't put me above someone with more experience/or someone who simply trained a lot of animals with certain behaviors.

If your theory were proven true, I suspect we'd have a lot more therians running around- a lot more people feeling uncomfortable in human skin, or finding it challenging in a way. But given the above, I'll take it with a grain of salt. I believe there are many factors concerning therianthropy, not all psychological either, and many which of said theories can not really be proven as a definitive origin.

@Vintage

It's just my personal little theory. Seeing how varied peoples experiences are there is most definitely a lot more to it. But I'm no scientist.

I feel like that's connected though. Just some people get "the wiring" for therian and some don't and are simply close and great with animals.

A study would really be interesting.

i think all the stuff you talked about with ancient humans does make sense for sure, but i don't see how those would cause therianthropy. kind of like what Vintage said, many people can do that who don't feel like animals (aren't therians.) And i think those aren't enough reason for someone to be a therian, even if they can relate to the animals a lot. cause therianthropy is more than that. perhaps people like this may feel kith, or just really like animals, but therianthropy isn't just about relating to and understanding animals, cause we feel like them ourselves.

@WolfdogPaws

But isn't that simply a step further?

Like let's say we draw a line from: Doesn't care about animals -> likes them but that's it -> Is great with them and reads them well -> relates to them alot and reads them well -> relates and feels like the animal.

Feels just like a little bit of different wiring and you get a therian.

(2021-07-16 10:03)Cordyceps Canine Wrote:  @WolfdogPaws

But isn't that simply a step further?

Like let's say we draw a line from: Doesn't care about animals -> likes them but that's it -> Is great with them and reads them well -> relates to them alot and reads them well -> relates and feels like the animal.

Feels just like a little bit of different wiring and you get a therian.

yeah. though i dont think a therian necessarily has to relate to their theriotype, exactly. but relate is a pretty vauge word that could mean a lot of things so i think we may be thinking about that word differently

@WolfdogPaws

I've never heard of therians that don't in some way. I hate the fact that one of my types is a dog. It still is though, the most dominant one at that.
That is because the animal is relatable to me because of it's behaviours.

I don't mean relate in a positive only way. If that helps explain it a little?

That's a really neat interpretation! I definitely think therianthropy has been around for a long time, longer than we might realize.

Prehistory is such an interesting topic, I'd love to hear more theories if you have them!

(2021-07-17 13:16)Cordyceps Canine Wrote:  @WolfdogPaws

I've never heard of therians that don't in some way. I hate the fact that one of my types is a dog. It still is though, the most dominant one at that.
That is because the animal is relatable to me because of it's behaviours.

I don't mean relate in a positive only way. If that helps explain it a little?

yeah, i see what you meant by that now