I never bothered with research. I just had my experiences and feelings that have persisted as long as I can remember. They were fairly obvious. Later, I learned all I could about bears but before I knew my inner feelings I didn't do any special research.

I see it as studying animal behavior, features, and even mythology. Every once in a while I look something up about wolves but I didn't have to do a ton of research to confirm that I was one. For at least 5 years now I've had lupine characteristics. When I first joined the therian community the idea that one had to research and question their theriotypes was pushed onto me so heavily that I dropped the wolf identity for a different animal, which at the time I was absolutely sure beyond a doubt was correct. I used to think I was an albatross and a fox, and I was always having an internal battle with myself of whether or not my experiences were valid. Turns out, they weren't. I made the identity up. When I started thinking of myself as lupine again, the internal battle was gone. It was just silence in my head, because I knew that it was correct. It just felt right.

My point is, I didn't really need to do much research to know that I was a wolf. In fact, it just threw me off even more. I think that it was partially my fault though, as I trusted the outside facts more than my internal gut instinct.

"Doing research" just means putting my experiences in a logical row. Kinda like what I'm doing with my journal, now. I wanted to figure out what therianthropy meant to me, how it started, looking to my journey, seeing how my therianthropy affected me. My research is looking for the entirety of the story, both of my therianthropy and behind my therianthropy. It's mostly a great deal of using what I've learned and comparing that with my experiences. It involves a lot of introspection.

This came up during a conversation on how to discover kintypes in the shoutbox, I believe. For that, it was relatively simple. My theriotype was less of a part in my therianthropic journey. I have done purring, and I have done some roaring. I've "seen" myself with saberteeth. Those were cues of a variety of cats. I've tried using it for research, but that was futile. In the end, it always ended as a research of what animal I resonate most with, inside.

I don't do research.

My draconity manifested when I was a child by factors that I cannot remember, and it stuck with me since then as well as into adult life, my current day to day.

I have *tried* to research and compare my experiences to more rational animals, but it does not compare to how I experience my draconity, thus, lying to myself in such a way is pointless.

I do experience some fluidity between lizard and dragon though, and there are certain situasions where one will be more dominant than the other.

All in all my experiences are based on feelings, desires, species dysphoria, and animality.

On a topic coffeebear had mentioned in the shout box I would like to create a little thread for it.

( staff feel free to move this thread, I am not quite sure where to put this )

What does “ doing research “ mean ?


To me it means reflecting upon past events, noting down behaviour and things you have or would have with your kintypes and further learning about them ( books, documentaries, pictures, even news articles )

I have an "animal name" but it's not like a name for my kintypes. As a therian/otherkin, I go by Flash. Neither my theriotype or kintype are named and they probably won't be, I also don't understand naming them as they should be you, or at least a part of you, not something else entirely enough to have its own name. Although some beliefs don't match up with that and that is perfectly fine, in my experience, I don't think therio/kintypes should be named unless for a special reason they already had a name. I personally don't feel separated enough from my vulture or drake for them to ave their own name as I am them, we are one.

I use my drake as a name which is a whole entire other thing, I like using the word drake as a name online and that helps decipher me from others, it's like a nickname for me. It's more the opposite of what we are talking about but if anyone is interested, what are your thoughts on using your therio/kintype as a name for yourself?

I feel like *if* my wolf self has her own name, it's probably just like... a growl, or something. Wolves don't give each other names like Shadow or Luna. Nothing wrong with calling yourself something like that, but that's something you as a human are assigning to your theriotype.

In my own, meandering experience, not everyone is so well integrated that their theriotype feels as if it is them. Some folks experience their therianthropy in a way that leads to them feeling it is somewhat split. Not separate, exactly, but more of a "side". A different version of themselves, where the mix of aspects is different. It usually isn't an entirely different personality, but for some folks the change is so dramatic that it feels that way. Some folks will compare it to like the balance knob on a stereo, or the hot and cold taps of a faucet.

Many groups run folks like that off, calling them fluff, or telling them they belong in some other community. Our shared animality is the important thing, and the level of mixing between their theriotype and their human personality isn't really so critical.

I do find it strange that there are folks which will name their theriotype, and suspect that it is an indicator that they may be experiencing something else, but it isn't a guarantee. So, I tend to give them time to understand their experiences in the context of the community, first.

Well... When I shift, I really feel like I don't have a name. I believe canines identify each other mainly by their senses (for example, the sense of smell), so I think I get that mindset too when I shift. In those moments, I even tend to not recognize my own human name, even though I know it's mine.

Personally, I believe that naming my theriotype makes perfect sense. When I’m not shifted, I feel like my human self. But when I’m shifted I feel different, like I need to shake off my human identity.