Types of Shifts

Astral Shift: A form of shifting which is said to occur on the astral plane, where the shifter may experience an out-of-body experience as or with characteristics of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. Synonyms: Journey Shift, ALS.    

Attributes Shift: A form of shifting which is said to involve physical transformation, mental change, and aura change on a sliding scale. A defunct term that is now generally classified under “physical shift.” Synonyms: ATS    

Aura Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter’s aura or similar takes on the shape or characteristics of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. Synonyms: Aural Shift, A-Shift, AS.     

Berserk Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter loses control of themself and begins to act in an aggressive way reminiscent of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. Synonyms: Feral shift, Be-shift, BES.    

Bilocational Shift: 1) A form of shift where the shifter experiences a full phantom body, separate from their physical body, of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. Comparable to an out-of-body experience. 2) A form of shift where the shifter manifests a full physical body, separate from their physical human body, of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. A defunct definition that is now generally classified under “physical shift.” Synonyms: B-shift, Bi-shift, BS. Similar: Relocation shift.    

Cameo Shift: A type of shift where the shifter experiences a shift of a nonhuman creature they do not identify as.    

Classical Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter physically transforms into an anthropomorphic, folkloric creature. A defunct term that is now generally classified under “physical shift.”  

Dream Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter is or has aspects of their kintype, theriotype, or otherwise nonhuman within a dream. Synonyms: D-shift, DS.    

Emotional Shift: A type of shift which is induced or triggered by a specific emotional state.     

Envisage Shift: A form of shift where the shifter has a consistent mental image and personal awareness of non-existing body parts but does not feel those body parts as supernumerary phantom limbs as in a phantom shift. Coined by short-horse on February 19, 2021.  

Flicker Shift: A type of shift where a shifter will experience multiple strong, separate shifts in rapid succession. Coined by Pocketdog and Cameron “Luna” Silvermoon on May 29, 2019.  

Group Shift: A type of shift induced or triggered by a group of nonhumans interacting with one another. Has been recorded as happening at both in-person Howls and digital conventions.    

Integrated Shift: A type of shift which is fully “integrated” into the shifter’s everyday life and to which they constantly experiencing to some degree.     

Magickal Shift: A form of shift which is voluntarily induced by ritual magic. A defunct term.  

Mental Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter’s state of consciousness and way of thinking closer resembles that of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. The shifter may involuntarily experience urges or “instincts.” Synonyms: M-Shift, MS.  

Molecular Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter instantaneously physically transforms wholly into their theriotype, kintype, or another nonhuman creature. A defunct term that is now generally classified under “physical shift.” Synonyms: Mo-shift.   

Perception Shift: A form of shifting where one or more of the shifter’s senses become more like their theriotype’s, kintype’s, of another nonhuman creature’s. A defunct term. Synonyms: Sensory shift. Similar: Sense shift.    

Persona Shift: A type of shift specific to shifters which align themselves with dissociative models of nonhumanity, in which the shifter experiences a personality shift specific to their personal nonhuman side. A defunct term.  

Personality Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter’s personality gains attributes like that of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. A defunct term.    

Phantom Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter experiences supernumerary phantom limbs or a phantom body of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. Synonyms: Ph-shift.    

Physical Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter physically transforms partially or wholly into their theriotype, kintype, or another nonhuman creature. Scientifically impossible. Synonym: P-Shift, PS.    

Physiological Effect Shift: TBA  

Possession Shift: A form of shifting in which the shifter can perceive the world through the senses of another corporeal animal, though the shifter is not able to exert any control over the animal. A defunct term.  

Relocation Shift: A form of shift where the shifter experiences a full phantom body, separate from their physical body, of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. A defunct term that has generally been replaced by bilocational shift. Synonyms: R-Shift, RS.    

Sense Shift: 1) A form of shifting where one or more of the shifter’s senses become more like their theriotype’s, kintype’s, of another nonhuman creature’s. 2) A form of shifting in which the shifter is able to perceive the world through the senses of another corporeal animal or familiar, though the shifter is not able to exert any control over the animal or familiar. A defunct term. Synonyms: Possession shift.    

Sensory Shift: A form of shifting where one or more of the shifter’s senses become more like their theriotype’s, kintype’s, of another nonhuman creature’s. Synonyms: Perception shift. Similar: Sense shift.

Shadow Shift: A form of shift where the shifter does not change physically, but in which witnesses claim to see the shifter’s appearance change to show or resemble that of their kintype, theriotype, or another nonhuman creature. A defunct term. Synonyms: Ghost shift, Glamour shift, Illusion shift, SWS.    

Shifter’s Disease: A condition where non-therianthropes who are researching therianthropy may induce shifts for themselves and may otherwise attribute entirely mundane experiences to therianthropy. 

Sleep Shift: A form of shifting where the shifter physically transforms wholly into their theriotype, kintype, or another nonhuman creature while asleep. A defunct term that is now generally classified under “physical shift.” Synonyms: S-Shift.  

Sliding Shift: A type of shift specific to vacillant therianthropes and otherkin, in which the shifter experiences shifting as a constant that may fluctuate in form and intensity, comparable to that of a "sliding scale" or "spectrum."  A defunct term. 

Spirit Shift: 1) A type of shift which is affected or induced by the shifter’s totems or “spirit guides.” 2) A type of shift specific to shifters which align themselves with dissociative models of nonhumanity, in which the shifter experiences a shift of a creature which is representative of their human side and non-human side merged. A defunct term. Synonyms: SS.    

Spiritual Shift: A type of shift which has spiritual undertones or which requires specific spiritual beliefs or narratives. A largely vague descriptive term.