I interpreted the title as: what attributes do I have that are therian-like, but the responses seem to be answering the question of: what do you think caused your therianthropy?

For the former, It's because my thought patterns and urges have wolf-like attributes. What I experience/need doesn't really fit well with what other animals do naturally. Including humans. The wolf is the closest match.

As for what causes it, I- have no idea. I've always kinda been tomboyish in my childhood, I liked to be outside, mucking around through the woods, hands on, the whole nine yards. Plenty of people were like that who didn't turn out to be therians, though. I hardly think that's a cause.

The one that makes sense to me is that humans are naturally very wolf-like. With our social needs and all. Humans and dogs practically grew up together, we are brothers and sisters to our canine companions. We've been hanging around each other nearly since the dawn of our existence. It's hard not to think that they wouldn't tamper with human evolution in any way. We tampered with theirs after all. Maybe it's something that's dormant within all humans. But only comes out in very few. Though, more than you might think.

(2023-06-08 6:35)House of Psychos Wrote:  Originally I throught it was because of reincarnation, but looking at my kintypes... I'm not that sure about it anymore. I'm starting to think it's more psychological.

To be honest, I don't really have an explanation for my therianthrophy, because every theory I've heard about doesn't explain everything. Maybe I was just born this way and am supposed to be like this for no logical reason...

Believe it or not, “I don’t have a particular reason” is the most common reason I get when I ask this question — so you’re definitely not strange for that, nor alone in feeling it! I don’t think any one theory ever will explain everything; at least, not outside of very small groups of therian who happen to have concluded upon a single ‘source’ for themselves. Most of us contain multitudes, and most feelings & behaviors come from more than one place. ^^ At least, as far as I know.

Originally I throught it was because of reincarnation, but looking at my kintypes... I'm not that sure about it anymore. I'm starting to think it's more psychological.

To be honest, I don't really have an explanation for my therianthrophy, because every theory I've heard about doesn't explain everything. Maybe I was just born this way and am supposed to be like this for no logical reason...

(2023-06-08 1:08)Glitchy_XD Wrote:  I think It's because of my trauma, Ilzoation, and just, not fitting in with any human around me, if you get the jist. when I was young. But even when I was little little. I always felt like I had a deeper connection to cats. I would watch Yt videos on warrior cats, or watch documentaries and always think "Hey, that kinda feels like me!" If that makes any sense. But Im also not exactly sure what makes me a Therian. I am still on a hella big path of discovery so thats what I think. I also believe in reincarnation, But I don't think My soul used to be an animal.

I do get the gist! Trauma and isolation from humankind is a big part of why I found community here.

We all discover ourselves in different ways, at different paces. That early connection you felt is a good sign. Question everything, move forward with curiosity & an open mind, and all those missing pieces tend to fall in place with time.

I think It's because of my trauma, Ilzoation, and just, not fitting in with any human around me, if you get the jist. when I was young. But even when I was little little. I always felt like I had a deeper connection to cats. I would watch Yt videos on warrior cats, or watch documentaries and always think "Hey, that kinda feels like me!" If that makes any sense. But Im also not exactly sure what makes me a Therian. I am still on a hella big path of discovery so thats what I think. I also believe in reincarnation, But I don't think My soul used to be an animal.

(2023-06-08 0:33)StargazerStella Wrote:  I'll be honest I've never really been asked this question before so I need some time to think about a proper response but for now I believe I am therian because I was born different and that my past lives helped influence who I am today. I also believe in the idea of reincarnation as well so I do believe that I will come back as a wolf or a lion one day after this current life.

Does that make sense?

Makes perfect sense to me!!

Introspection is a process, and not all of these questions will have immediate, cohesive answers.

I also believe in reincarnation, and I haven’t considered how that might connect with my own therianthropy … so thank you for giving me something to think about as well!

I'll be honest I've never really been asked this question before so I need some time to think about a proper response but for now I believe I am therian because I was born different and that my past lives helped influence who I am today. I also believe in the idea of reincarnation as well so I do believe that I will come back as a wolf or a lion one day after this current life.

Does that make sense?

So … perhaps I am in a minority here, but — I do not think there is any one explanation for therianthropy, just like I do not think there is any one explanation for sexuality, or gender identity, or any other such individual facet of one’s self. We experience and are influenced by so many different things, perspectives, & people throughout our lives; I find it reductive to attribute any one thing about yourself to any one other thing about your life. Reality, and personality, just doesn’t work like that.

That is not to say there’s no place for theory! There’s tons of space for theory. And I’d like to invite you all to tell me why you think you are therianthropic.

For me, I openly attribute isolation from, lack of socialization with, and trauma caused by humans from an early age to me identifying as & seeking community with other nonhumans. All of these things are related to my autism and PTSD, but I would not consider those the source of my therianthropy; rather, I consider them external factors that led me to discovering my therianthropy.

My therianthropy itself, I feel, is more psychological than spiritual, yes — but I also feel that it is innate. I can’t tell you why I feel, think, and do some of the things that I do; whether I was predisposed from birth to be this way, or if I would have been different had I been a happier child — but I’m inclined to think that, whatever it is, it was Always inside of me, inside of my brain, my heart, what many would call my ‘soul.’

My two-spirit identity also ties into this. Rather than a human male and human female spirit, I feel a vague, ambiguous animal spirit & an even vaguer and more ambiguous human spirit live inside of me.

That said — those are just my influences and self-interpretations!

What are yours?

This is such a subject of intrigue to me, as an autistic critter myself & a teacher to those with autism — many of whom don’t know that a nonhuman identity is an option, but express similar behaviors & seem to perceive the world on a level similar to ours as animalfolk.

It is notable that I also have clinically recognized PTSD; considering the ‘trauma’ portion of this equation.

On one paw, I feel that my therianthropy and my autism + trauma are different things, with distinct and differing causes. My autism, for example, is genetic, and my trauma is obviously the result of … well, trauma; and I would not consider ‘genetics’ nor ‘unstable and violating childhood’ to be the cause of my therianthropy.

On the other … I feel that without my autism, I would not fall so easily into certain habitual behaviors, focus so hard on perfecting things like vocalizations, or fixate so intensely on information pertinent to my theriotype(s). I also doubt I would have sought community with other therian at all, were it not for the feelings of isolation and otherness — of dissonance from humankind — that led me to researching what a ‘therian’ was to begin with, & I can’t sit here and act like my autism and PTSD didn’t have something to Do with all that pain.

I’m happier here, though, with a much better understanding of All the parts of who I am. So theory or no theory, I think that’s what matters. ^^

A year or two-ish after, still a very very good read.

I love the tossles and waves of discussion and argument, even with touchy subjects such as trauma. As well as me practicing my open-mindedness with everyone's response or rebuttal. I think everyone here had a good amount to say, thou I think the main issue is having the reassurance that this is just their own belief and not the fact of life. Or misinterpretation. For example, something I'd like to note is when Tdae said, " Trauma can pull apart the masculine and feminine aspects of the soul causing altered experiences or confusion about gender/sexuality." and another took it in a rather different approach. In the context that it's in, it makes a lot of sense and I have personal experience with it. My dad is ( or was ) an alcoholic, narcissistic ( I'm inclined to believe he just has CPTSD rather than born Narc, that is just my observation, perhaps even both idek fuck him ) man-child who is me me me and swore he would care for me. He was also very misogynistic and as an autistic AFAB it affected me deeply. The thought process is like -

Why would I want to be a girl? The same women that are objectified and belittled by my dad and on TV, when I could be cool and like my dad and be with the favorable group.

That of course sent me on the path to gender identity for most of my childhood, even to the point where I thought I was trans. ( THIS IS NOT SAYING ALL TRANS PEOPLE ARE TRAUMATIZED OR HAVE SOME CHILDHOOD ISSUE, I HAVE SEEN IT MYSELF ) But alas, when I got to 18 and did my internal work, I realized this connection and became more content with myself as just... me. No need for labeling. But yes, long example but something that made me relate to what Tdae said. Some are born feeling another gender, some are not born with that feeling, and some have other reasonings, it's the complexity of life.


Most of what was discussed originally were things I've noticed about myself already, as well as others. I am only 20, but I recognize the years' worth of undoing, breaking, and self-loving I have to do. It is a journey only I and the Lord my God will walk together, and I've already learned so much. I've mentioned it somewhere on here, but how my autism goes hand in hand with my animalistic behavior. My - atypical behavior - and how it would be interpreted as out of the norm. I definitely struggle with this even when I'm masking at work and in public, though I'm trying to stop masking so much and just be me. These acts, gestures, and noises that I do are wolf/primate orientated than, ig you can say, " stereotypical stimming" and it helps me calm down. It comforts me to mentally shift when I can, and I recognize that to be disassociative or a coping method. Whichever one, deep down I know the root is trauma. Because in the calmer hours of the day back then, I would run in my backyard on all fours and pretend I was a variety of animals.

Also, one last thing before I create a whole article, what was mentioned in the beginning, "Early trauma can profoundly effect a person later in life even if it's not remembered. I think it's very common because people are cut off from their instincts and don't understand children's developmental needs. I think this is a major contributing factor to mental illness, addiction and antisocial behavior." The body keeps the score is what I thought of. Its really dark to discuss, but that's something I am struggling with currently. I feel it in my body something happened, but I don't remember because it was just so long ago. So early... it is disheartening to think. My earliest memory is seeing the black void, the womb of the universe, and a gradient light into existing as a 6-year-old. Not all together, but those are the two memories I have.

Anyways, I feel like I could elaborate more on what I wrote, but I think that's enough. Really great to think about and ponder on if you're at that level of the self. I love to read other's perspectives and comprehensions of aspects of life.