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I agree with @Lupus Ferox, we're still animals with animal instincts and are driven to act like one at times. We're filled to the brim with animalistic traits, fear, anger, sadness and happiness are emotions we experience on a daily basis and are definitely animalistic in nature.
The only difference between humans and other animals is that we have a very advanced prefrontal cortex and executive function, for the rest we're still wild animals and those things don't make everyone therians. After all, if everyone is therian, nobody is therian.
All people are animals, whether they like to admit it or not, so of course, sometimes they behave like one. Think of their sex drive for one for instance, which resonates with that found in man apes usually. Thus, it goes without saying we're all driven by instinct, more in some, less in others.
That people think they belong above the animal kingdom instead of within is a huge misunderstanding. Don't you think there's a huge overlap between species, take for example their fight/flight response. Some are prone to panic and flee while others can keep their head cool. Does that mean the former group are likely therians? Well no, they're just wired to respond that way, call it instinctual or an animal trait, in most cases it is probable it's just a human trait after all. Look for the most logical solution, rather than think it is of a more therian nature. If we would all reason that way, we might have a better knowledge or understanding of who's who in this community. I'm on the phone right now, so please excuse my clumsy typing...
I feel like Mori is off to a good start there, but leaves out a few things as well.
First of all, from their phrasing, it seems like they think the only valid explanation for why someone could be a therian is either believing one had a nonhuman past life or believing one has a nonhuman soul:
Quote:"For example, it can be your past life. But we don't all believe we had an animal past life. We can also believe we have an animal soul inside us."
-Mori
This, to me, crosses into the misconception that therianthropy is inherently spiritual and/or religious, which is soundly untrue. Yes, it seems that most therians hold spiritual beliefs about the origin of their own therianthropy (either that, or they're a very vocal minority), but there are other therians who don't hold spiritual beliefs and instead theorize that their therianthropy has one or more psychological origins that we don't know the details of yet due to lack of scientific research about therians. There are others who think both spiritual and psychological origins could be true in some capacity, and there are still others who don't give a frak about the the whole philosophical debate at all. I feel like they could've done more to address the other facets of the debate, instead of making it seem like you have to believe in souls and/or reincarnation to be a therian, whether that was their intention or not.
And secondly, as a few others have brought up, Mori's opinion about how many species can be included under the scope of therianthropy is restrictive.
Quote:"Your therio-type can be any animal that existed once..." -Mori
"The one nitpick I have is that 'any animal that existed once' is a rather strict definition. There are a few individuals that we consider therians that have unique theriotypes, or have fictional animal theriotypes; so I think removing the 'existed once' part would be best." -Haskull
"I generally agree, but I would also like to add that therianthropy can also be mythical creatures as long as the mythical creature is animalistic in a way. Another word for it is 'theriomythic', though I’ve seen people also just call themselves therians." -MapacheAstuto
As one of those therians with a unique theriotype that Haskull mentioned, yeah. Mori wouldn't consider me a therian under their definition. Yes, my theriotype isn't an extant or extinct Terran creature, nor is my species depicted in any myths, folklore, or general fiction. I don't know why my theriotype is the form that doesn't give me species dysphoria; even creatures with nonfictional or fictional presence that are remotely similar, like lizards, snakes, dinosaurs, European dragons, and Chinese long, aren't what I am. But what I do know is that I'm intrinsically, irrepressably uncomfortable with not being my theriotype physically and have been for several years, even long before I found the words to explain this part of me. And as Mapache said, there is already precedent for including non-extant creatures within therianthropy as a whole, enough precedent for at least one specific subcategory (theriomythics) to be defined, probably more; unique creatures like me can be therians, too. Mori could stand to be a bit more inclusive.
(2023-09-29 3:24)B3W1tch3dSparr0w Wrote: Glad to see it all wrapped up now!! It looks great. Although, if possible, I will request one thing: could you make a general synopsis of what therianthropy is? Just adding points up that you saw in our interviews in a bullet list for things to look out for
AH, I just realized it's like 3, almost four am for you- I might fail with wording so bare with me. I mean like. Take certain experiences we have had, and write a list of what one may experience that has made us realize we are Therian. Otherwise, I think adding all of the Therian's above have agreed we agree with Mori.
Can you please elaborate? I failed to understand since I am very tired at this moment and have 2% of my brain cells to process words right at this very moment.
I will get on this ASAP. For now, please bare with me. BTW it's only 8:36 PM for me. But I trained myself to sleep really early.
Oh lol. On your profile, it says so
I have no idea how to fix that tbh. Want to check out the post now? Btw can you please PM me about things that are unrelated to the discussion? I kind of want to keep this thread mainly about research and not idle chit-chat. (No offense)
(2023-09-29 3:24)B3W1tch3dSparr0w Wrote: Glad to see it all wrapped up now!! It looks great. Although, if possible, I will request one thing: could you make a general synopsis of what therianthropy is? Just adding points up that you saw in our interviews in a bullet list for things to look out for
AH, I just realized it's like 3, almost four am for you- I might fail with wording so bare with me. I mean like. Take certain experiences we have had, and write a list of what one may experience that has made us realize we are Therian. Otherwise, I think adding all of the Therian's above have agreed we agree with Mori.
Can you please elaborate? I failed to understand since I am very tired at this moment and have 2% of my brain cells to process words right at this very moment.
I will get on this ASAP. For now, please bare with me. BTW it's only 8:36 PM for me. But I trained myself to sleep really early.
(2023-09-29 3:24)B3W1tch3dSparr0w Wrote: Glad to see it all wrapped up now!! It looks great. Although, if possible, I will request one thing: could you make a general synopsis of what therianthropy is? Just adding points up that you saw in our interviews in a bullet list for things to look out for
AH, I just realized it's like 3, almost four am for you- I might fail with wording so bare with me. I mean like. Take certain experiences we have had, and write a list of what one may experience that has made us realize we are Therian. Otherwise, I think adding all of the Therian's above have agreed we agree with Mori.
Can you please elaborate? I failed to understand since I am very tired at this moment and have 2% of my brain cells to process words right at this very moment.
I will get on this ASAP. For now, please bare with me. BTW it's only 8:36 PM for me. But I trained myself to sleep really early.
(2023-09-29 3:24)B3W1tch3dSparr0w Wrote: Glad to see it all wrapped up now!! It looks great. Although, if possible, I will request one thing: could you make a general synopsis of what therianthropy is? Just adding points up that you saw in our interviews in a bullet list for things to look out for
AH, I just realized it's like 3, almost four am for you- I might fail with wording so bare with me. I mean like. Take certain experiences we have had, and write a list of what one may experience that has made us realize we are Therian. Otherwise, I think adding all of the Therian's above have agreed we agree with Mori.
Can you please elaborate? I failed to understand since I am very tired at this moment and have 2% of my brain cells to process words right at this very moment.
(2023-09-29 3:24)B3W1tch3dSparr0w Wrote: Glad to see it all wrapped up now!! It looks great. Although, if possible, I will request one thing: could you make a general synopsis of what therianthropy is? Just adding points up that you saw in our interviews in a bullet list for things to look out for
Can you please elaborate? I failed to understand since I am very tired at this moment and have 2% of my brain cells to process words right at this very moment.
Glad to see it all wrapped up now!! It looks great. Although, if possible, I will request one thing: could you make a general synopsis of what therianthropy is? Just adding points up that you saw in our interviews in a bullet list for things to look out for
There are tons of resources and other therian conversations based on the question, "What is therianthropy?" Even on here, there are bound to be posts or threads based on this question and them giving their best answer. So allow me to give my knowledge of what I know and some other resources based on the common question. Of course, if you think any of these are wrong or want to add on your own here then you can either post your own definition here or correct my post if needed.
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Disclaimer: I would like everyone to acknowledge that this post is made to INFORM other therians, newcomers or supporters. I am only trying my best to help others by breaking these things down from my perspective and other's perspective. Please be kind to others and respect them, Thank you.
Quote:"Therianthropy and Therians. Therians are individuals who believe or feel that they are non-human animals in a non-biological sense. For example, It can be your past life. But we don't all believe we had an animal past life. We can also believe we have an animal soul inside us. Your therio-type can be any animal that existed once, also you can have multiple therio-type(s) it's called "polytherian." Loving animals, wearing tails and masks, or doing quadrobics doesn't make you a Therian".
-Mori
What I have bolded or underlined is information that I think is really important. In the video Mori does explain some other stuff but I would like for you to look through it on your own time if you want.
Doing quadrobics (the sport), wearing gear or loving animals doesn't make you a therian. You don't need to do quadrobics or wear gear to be a therian. But it is fun if that is what you are into.
However, I agree with Mori 100%. You cannot just simply pick and choose what your therian is since it's who you are. And finding out who you are or if you are a therian takes time. I am still learning and still understanding, like most therians.
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Interviewing Other Therians!!
Disclaimer: This part of the post asks other therians about their opinion on what Mori said and what they think therianthropy means to them as well. Some even expand on what Mori said.
Quote:"I think being a therian means having a connection to an animal or creature. I agree with Mori, you do not need masks or have to do quadrobics to be a Therian.
I would like to expand on the idea that you cannot choose to be a Therian, you just are. It is up to you if you identify as one or not. you also cannot choose your theriotypes. For example, I used to think that I was a fox therian because I really liked foxes, but I realized that I had no other type of connection that would've made me a fox therian. I would like to explain how I personally found my Theriotypes as well.
First, I made a list of all the animals I felt a connection to(even the ones I didn't like). As I learned more about myself, I would add to the list more animals I felt a connection to, and cross off the ones that I didn't. If I had an animal on the list that I was considering, I would put an asterisk next to it. If I had an animal on the list that was heavily possible, I would circle it. I kept the list for weeks, months, really, until I found out my Theriotype. Even now, I'm still questioning! I have learned that Therianthropy is not something that can be immediately answered. It takes time, like a lot of things in life."
- Alex K.
I completely agree with Alex, they also gave very good advice in my opinion.
What I have bolded and underlined is information that I think is very helpful.
Quote:"I agree with it. A bit oddly worded, but it gets the message across. The one nitpick I have is that "any animal that existed once" is a rather strict definition. There are a few individuals that we consider therians that have unique theriotypes, or have fictional animal theriotypes; so I think removing the "existed once" part would be best."
- Haskull
Quote:"I generally agree, but I would also like to add that therianthropy can also be mythical creatures as long as the mythical creature is animalistic in a way. Another word for it is “theriomythic”, though I’ve seen people also just call themselves Therians."
-MapacheAstuto
Quote: "Ok so I agree with Mori because that definition feels right to me. I'm always in a phantom shift and can move my phantom ears and tail. A phantom shift occurs when a Therian experiences phantom limbs or a full phantom body of the therioside. The physical human body remains unchanged. This is a phenomenon that refers to the sensation of having non-human body parts attached to the human body."
-dinomaskmaker1987
Quote:"Yes, I do agree with what Mori said. I would also like to add there are several types of therians. and I'm not talking about different kintypes, no; just the way someone's type may express itself. It usually differs from one being able to shift, or constantly being shifted with a scale being present. Otherwise, in my experience, it is possible for one to have shifted on and off throughout their entire life and just have not known it, like myself. I'm still gathering other people's experiences and stories, but from what I collected a lot of the more mature Therians (non-children) seemed to have known for some time, but didn't have the words for it. Some have also had dreams, daydreams, etc. of being their kintype as well. Otherwise, I have made a post detailing Therian (species) euphoria, and through this, I have managed to collect some therian's experiences with it as well, whether it be through wearing clothing in a specific fashion or wearing specific clothing (as a wolfkin, I find leather coats make me feel more wolf-like and therefore gives species euphoria), behaviors, interactions (some therians who identify as animals naturally meant to accompany or provide humans help may get euphoria from helping others in specific settings), and I am still speculatingbut it's possible certain items could also help with euphoria. As for species dysphoria, I do not have a specifically defined label for it, but in my experience, it just feels like either a. A disappointment in not being able to be my kintypes physically, mentally, and psychologically, or b. The feeling of our body, especially during shifts feels weird which then makes us feel miserable. A lot of the time I've noticed when we primarily have limb phantom shifts, it will feel weird and dysphoric. Just the feeling of trying to walk on paws, with slanted legs... We do not have either."
-B3W1tch3dSparr0w
Quote:"I agree with the opinion, and not all therian/therian allies should believe that you need gear, or makeup, or learn how to do quadrobics; because that isn't what makes you, you. For myself, I feel as if I was reincarnated from a hyena to a human. But that doesn't mean that every other Therian believes that, either (going along w/ Mori.) Every Therian has a different story to tell.
From my experiences so far in figuring out my identity as a therian, I have only experienced phantom shifts, and I have yet to determine if I will or will not have other types of shifts. I haven't had a large amount of experience (from what I could tell), because I had only just recently discovered what a Therian was about (maybe 6-8 months ago). In class, I get several phantom shifts for an unspecified reason, and it's hard to focus and not squirm in my chair because of the imaginary tail that I can feel. I get a little dysphoria at times, and it doesn't help that I can't wear a tail every day in school because of the fear of being bullied. However, I push through my dysphoria every day, and little by little I overcome it!"
•Those who were interviewed agreed with Mori's statement
•Some agreed/voiced that gear, liking animals, makeup, or learning to do quadrobics doesn't make you a therian
•Some only have phantom shifts, and experience species dysphoria or euphoria.
•Some believe they were reincarnated as their theriotype (However not all believe this)
•They agree that it takes time to figure yourself out when it comes to therianthropy and that most of them are still learning even if they have a lot of experience.
•dinomaskmaker1987 (AKA, Chris) has given the definition on what phantom shifting is. They voiced/agreed with Mori's statement and that it felt right to them.
These were only a few Therians who agreed to be interviewed. This is what I sent them:
Quote:For this interview, I would like to ask a few questions. Please think and give your honest answers. The interview is about your opinion and your knowledge of therianthropy and your experiences if you have them.
I want you to read what Mori wrote based on the question "What is Therianthropy?" I want to hear your opinion on what Mori said and if you agree with it or not. If you would like to expand on the topic then please do so! We would be so happy to hear more about your experience or knowledge of Therianthropy.
Quote:"Therianthropy and Therians. Therians are individuals who believe or feel that they are non-human animals in a non-biological sense. For example, It can be your past life. But we don't all believe we had an animal past life. We can also believe we have an animal soul inside us. Your therio-type can be any animal that existed once, also you can have multiple therio-type(s) it's called "polytherian." Loving animals, wearing tails and masks, or doing quadrobics doesn't make you a Therian".
-Mori
Some had very little experience but some knowledge, others had tons of experience and a lot of knowledge. It doesn't matter where you stand in Therianthropy, what matters is getting to you and hearing what you have to say for yourself and for your opinions. I will hold this topic up for maybe about 5-10 months it all depends on how many therians, newcomers, or supporters reply to this post!
I gave you the same interview questions that I gave them. Now it's up to you to reply however you would like so we can understand your opinions and you as a person. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. This is about YOU and YOUR opinions.
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I agree with @
All people are animals, whether they like to admit it or not, so of course, sometimes they behave like one. Think of their sex drive for one for instance, which resonates with that found in man apes usually. Thus, it goes without saying we're all driven by instinct, more in some, less in others. 
I feel like Mori is off to a good start there, but leaves out a few things as well.
