Meditation: Unlocking Your Theriotype

Meditation is one of the most popular methods used by therians to find their theriotype. It is a way to access your subconscious and figure out what you are. However, it is not the only method, and it can be unreliable if you are not experienced in meditation. Other methods include looking at your personality, how you see yourself, and analysing your shifts.

Analyse your shifts

Meditation is one of the ways to find your theriotype. Therians may experience many kinds of non-physical shifts throughout their lives, or none at all. A theriotype is the species of vertebrate tetrapod animal that is a therian's identity.

Journal your shifts

Write down any possible dreams and shifts you've had. Make a journal of all shifts, dreams, and animalistic thoughts and actions. This will help you identify patterns and connections between your shifts.

Identify common themes

Look for common themes or animals that appear in your shifts. Are there any specific animals that you feel drawn to or connected with? Are there any physical attributes or behaviours that recur in your shifts? For example, you may notice that you often have shifts involving owls, or that you feel a strong connection to the ocean.

Research potential theriotypes

Once you have identified some potential theriotypes, start researching and learning about them. Look into the personalities and habits of these animals, and try to match your behaviours and experiences to them. For example, if you feel a strong connection to the ocean and have shifts involving swimming and breathing underwater, you may want to research aquatic animals such as dolphins or whales.

Meditate on your shifts

Use meditation to explore your shifts in more detail. Focus on the physical attributes and sensations you experienced during your shifts. For example, if you had a shift involving flying, meditate on the feeling of the wind beneath your wings, or the sensation of soaring through the air. This can help you to identify the specific type of animal you shifted into.

Be patient and keep an open mind

Finding your theriotype can be a long and complex process. It's important to be patient and keep an open mind. Your initial impressions may change as you learn more about yourself and your shifts. Remember that it's okay to take your time and that your theriotype may evolve over time.

Reflect on your personality

Reflecting on your personality can be a helpful way to find your theriotype. While your behaviour and personality do not necessarily have to reflect your theriotype's personality, it can be a good starting point to narrow down the possibilities.

First, identify the aspects of your personality that stand out to you. Then, apply these to a list of possible theriotypes. For example, if you are a quiet person who keeps themself to themself, you might consider animals that are typically solitary. If you are a highly sensitive empath, you might consider animals known for their extreme empathy.

You can also try to match your behaviours to a certain group of animals, such as domestic dogs, big cats, or owls. For instance, if you are a person who loves to climb up in trees, you might consider animals that live in trees, like monkeys or squirrels.

After narrowing down your list, you can try on an animal as your theriotype for a few weeks or months and see if it feels right. If it doesn't, you can move on to the next possibility on your list.

Consider how you see yourself

Considering how you see yourself is an important step in finding your theriotype. This is because your theriotype is you, so how do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as something big and strong or small and fluffy?

This method shouldn't be the only one you use, but it can help give you a starting point for research. For example, if you see yourself as big and strong, you might start by researching large, powerful animals. If you see yourself as small and fluffy, you might start by researching small, fluffy animals.

You can also look at pictures of animals to see if any of them make you think, "That's me!" However, this method should also be used in conjunction with others, as it is not foolproof on its own.

Remember, therianthropy is about experiencing animalistic thoughts and behaviours and identifying as an animal in some way. So, when considering how you see yourself, it's important to reflect on any animalistic traits you may have.

Look at pictures of animals

Looking at pictures of animals is a great way to help you find your theriotype. Therians are people who identify as animals on a non-physical level. This could be due to a spiritual belief, such as having the soul of an animal, or a psychological belief, perhaps due to trauma or neurodiversity. Therians do not choose the animal they identify as, and it is not a choice to be a therian.

To find your theriotype, you can look at pictures of animals and see if you feel a connection with any of them. You can start by looking at general categories of animals, such as mammals, reptiles, or birds. Then, you can narrow it down to specific types of animals within those categories, such as felines, canines, or avians. Finally, you can identify the specific species of animal that you feel represents your theriotype.

For example, you might first identify that you feel a connection to mammals. Then, you might look at pictures of different types of mammals and feel drawn to canines. Finally, you might look at pictures of different species of canines and realize that you identify as a wolf.

It's important to note that this process can take time and it's okay if your theriotype changes or evolves over time. You don't have to see your theriotype to believe it's in your soul. Additionally, you can use meditation and journaling to help you identify your theriotype.

Research animal behaviours

To find your theriotype, it is recommended that you research animal behaviours. This is a crucial step in the process of identifying your theriotype, and it should be done after journaling and meditating. Researching animal behaviours can help you understand your animal urges and connect them with specific animals.

Firstly, you should analyse your animalistic behaviours and feelings. For example, do you howl, roar, or feel the need to fly or swim? Write down these urges for a month without sticking to a single animal. Your urges can be very different, and you might have two theriotypes, such as a feline and a flying animal.

Next, look at which urges are the most frequent. If you only felt cat-like behaviour twice during the month, it is likely not frequent enough to be a full-on cat theriotype. Focus on the most frequent urges and research animals that match them. You can search by clades (canines, mustelids, rodents, corvids, etc.), or by their lifestyle (tree climbers, swimmers, burrowers, etc.).

It is important to note that your food preferences should not be a factor in determining your theriotype. There are vegetarian/vegan therians with carnivorous theriotypes and vice versa. Similarly, your personality and hobbies should not be considered. For example, introverts can be 'pack animal' therians, and people can have hobbies unrelated to their theriotype.

Additionally, try to avoid stereotypes when researching animal behaviours. You don't have to fit a specific mould to be a certain animal theriotype.

Finally, remember that theriotypes are based on known animal species, both extant and extinct. Most theriotypes are mammals, but they can also be reptiles, birds, amphibians, or fish.

Frequently asked questions