My only dislike of the involuntary definition is that I have observed several individuals who's nonhuman identity seemed to originate as intentional, only to then be a core part of themselves they cannot remove. I think this "I cannot stop this without feeling untrue to myself" feeling is the more important part to me compared to perhaps having at the start been intentional. But I am also someone who believes mostly in psychological happenstances, of which there are multitude of cases of things starting of intentional to then become a core part of someone that isn't "maintained" so to speak for it to happen. I don't really care about the inherent soul or what's what. I myself do believe in some way the fact I am specifically a roadrunner was circumstances and a bit of confirmation bias that crystallized a generally blurry birdish identity in this specific creature.

I cannot stop being a roadrunner however, and it was not intentional in my specific case to make this happen, i just think it aligned correctly for me to latch on. But I've seen other seemingly construct their identity, and it's hard at some points to tell if, for example, a fursona is made from deep feelings that weren't yet easy to recognize which then is understood as a theriotype (involuntary fragments of nonhumanity being brought to light by a hobby that encourages animality), or if associating something with yourself so hard made it part of who you are (voluntary association to nonhumanity becoming an involuntary part of who you are). Chicken and the egg.

All that to say, I think the voluntary vs involuntary debate takes the back seat for me compared to things like having actual unusual experiences, a deep genuine itch to be nonhuman, or other much more "in the moment" experiences. i don't really care how you got there, just what you experience now, personally.

(2026-08-12 12:50)DannyTheOkami Wrote:  Hi I had a question. If it's mostly involuntary then is it beyond control. As in I can't shift when I want too?

Imo, based off of experience, you can 'trigger' a shift by doing things that make you feel that certain way and trigger you but otherwise it is mostly involuntary. So if you are to say choosing and roleplaying as that animal, it would be otherpaw (I believe)

Hi I had a question. If it's mostly involuntary then is it beyond control. As in I can't shift when I want too?

As a child I would just explore the world through the eyes of different creatures. I loved being able to interact in ways which related to different animals, bunnies, deer, horses, cats, lions, dogs, snakes and even dinosaurs. It was fun but also how I explore myself and my experiences. Though, as I continued to grow these creatures never really fit so I would stick to relating myself more to dogs or wolves. I did most of my quadrobics in my early days too because I felt more connected to those creatures that way, and it was exhilarating for me. Later on, I learned about foxes (hence the research) and I learned about their mannerisms and how they act--even the symbols they represent. All of which felt familiar to me. Certain traits and shifts just seemed to fit. It felt so right, realizing my identity as a red fox. My phantom limbs (fox ears, tail and white wings) also emerged a little before I learned about foxes. So, I have always just seen this side of me as a white-winged red fox. (Don't know why I felt wings but they have been there. Can't really describe if it's connected to another animal but they show about almost the same time as my fox tail and ears.) Learning about new animals helped me learn more about myself and what felt "right" compared to what didn't. It's a feeling I can't quite describe.

I am Brazilian, and my first contact with Alterhumanity was through texts, not videos, so I didn't initially have contact with the English pronunciation. Therefore, I pronounce it in a Brazilianized way of the word, "TE-RI-ÂM", which in English should be "TE-RHE-OM"
((I don't know how to spell pronunciation, sorry

@Lupus Ferox

Oops, sorry if it seems like that's what I was leaning on. I don't think you can turn therianthropy on or off, or be able to choose anything. That's what makes it not a coping-link.
Our brain triggers the therianthropy to help us process what we've gone through, not a way that we can choose. The disassociation causes our brains to need to latch onto something that is not human, often leading to some kind of (non-human) animal.
As well as when I refer to us becoming a type of animal, I mean something non-human.

Honestly I think the reason alterhumanity exists is for many distinct purposes. Psychological therianthropy is maybe becoming more common in youth, not because it's "trendy" but because the world is becoming a more mentally tolling place to live. And even if you don't have one set of traumatic experiences, life is just tough in general, and it might just be a way for our brains to take a step back from the ever changing society we live in.

I hope that helps clear it up.

This may sound like nitpicking. So, sorry in advance. I'm just kinda confused about this expression you're using "when we need it". Why'd anybody need something like therianthropy embedded into them to survive? As human beings, if you rule out the wolf aspect or any other aspect to ourselves, we're animals regardless of our theriotypes. What I mean to say is that we're animals even without our theriotypes. What kind of advantage/disadvantage would having a theriotype bring evolutionary speaking? I am not sure if human beings need a theriotype other than the mammals they already are because that would imply this something extra to the human psyche would have a purpose no? Plus, I already agree on therianthropy being some kind of neurodivergency so if everybody was neurodivergent, who would the neurotypical be? "When we need it" also sounds like a choice to my ears. Oh, I'm feeling the need to hunt, then from now on, I'd rather call myself a puma or a mountain lion. It's a rather far-fetched idea this, but you probably know what I mean. You can't expect a theriotype just to pop in whenever you need it.

This is actually kinda a good conversation because it made me wonder about the necessity of therianthropy in our lives. What's the purpose of it, if there is any?

@little wolf
I understand, I think that there are certainly a lot of reasons therianthropy exists. In fact I can relate, I am both a psychological and spiritual Therian for my Jaguarundi (most likely) theriotype, and I believe I've been like that since I was born, a lot of my theory branches off into my bird and housecat(?) Theriotypes.
Honestly there are so many reasons therianthropy can occur that anything can be possible. That bugs me though, I wish there was a sure answer. That's how it is though.

I've always pronounced it as "there-ian," though my boyfriend pronounces it like "theory-in."

In my head, I say th-ear-ee-an

Out loud I either pronounce it that way or th-air-ee-an.

The first I how I originally pronounced it but the second came from how I heard other people say it sometimes