runasden

[runasden]

KIRBO

This is GAY PRIDE Kirby! Reblog for 20 Years of good luck!

[runasden]

it/its pronouns are the coolest thing ever btw and you should give anybody who uses them $1,700 immediately

[runasden]

Yes, please scritch me here.

[runasden]

"Time to go beast mode" I say as I curl up into a ball, wrapped up in blankets, with my plushies and listening to soothing sounds for sleep .

[runasden]

Hello, yeen friend! this is @the-lycans-howl here, awoo!

Wishing you a wonderful and happy pride month, a very destroy all creeps and bullies, and hope you have a pawsome day!

Aww thank you dear! A happy pride and a pawesome day to you too!

[runasden]

oh poor thing. i can see it in your eyes; the weight of the day pressing down on you, the tension in your shoulders, the way your mind won’t stop spinning in circles. you've been trapped in that human shape for too long, haven’t you? struggling to fit into a world that demands too much from you? you don’t have to be human right now. not here. not with me.

you were never meant to walk on two legs. let me help you.

let your thoughts go. human words are so heavy, so complicated. you don’t need them. let your mind soften and blur at the edges. turn those thoughts into impulses; simple and pure. "hungry. tired. warm. safe." that’s all you need.

now, your body. can you feel it? the way your muscles loosen, the way your spine remembers a different posture? your fingers curl slightly, restless. do they ache to be a different shape? to feel the ground properly beneath them? your shoulders roll forward, your head bows just a little. you're doing so good. you're already sinking.

your senses are sharpening in the best way. human noises are fading and they're being replaced by the rustle of fabric, the sound of my voice, and the scent of the room you're in. your nose twitches without you meaning it to. colors might blur, but the smells are getting richer. you're catching traces of food, of warmth, and the natural scents of your pelt. your ears prick -- not literally, not yet, but *imagine* them flicking toward every sound, alert but not anxious. you're safe here. you don't have to be on guard.

your breathing slows. your eyelids are growing heavy. you don’t need to focus like a human does. feel the world narrow to the present, to the softness beneath you, and to the crisp air all around you. your limbs feel lighter, even as they grow more compact, more *right*. are you imagining fur brushing against fabric? the phantom twitch of a tail? let it be real. you’re already getting there.

no more human worries. no more thoughts. no more stiff, awkward posture. you curl naturally, tucking limbs close, resting your head down. your body knows what to do. you don’t have to think. you just exist, simple and happy.

that's it. let your human self dissolve for now. you don’t have to be anything but what you are: a creature of instinct filled to the brim with love. rest, and when you’re ready to come back, you’ll carry this feeling with you: the knowing that under your skin, in your heart, you’ve always been this:

you've always been an animal.

[runasden]

if this is you PLEASE hmu

[runasden]

mermaid megafauna

patreon . bsky

[runasden]

*WHHOOOOOP!*

Therians, start a vocals chain!

YIP!!

[runasden]

A very interesting read, will look more into it

What I've Been Saying!

I know there was discourse a while back about p-shifters and "why don't they call themselves delusional" and "is the idea of p-shifting itself harmful" and the like. A new paper came out by Dr. Jan Dirk Blom (a clinical lycanthropy expert, he's talked about otherkin before) about clinical therianthropy and a comparison to non-clinical therianthropic and otherkin groups. What he's saying seems fairly relevant to the current discourse:

"Misdiagnosis of clinical therianthropy can also be made in terms of overpathologizing certain individuals who report strong identification with animals. In order to avoid this possibility, certain terms and group memberships will be discussed. However, in reviewing the professional and online literatures, there seems to be an unavoidable degree of fuzziness or overlap in current definitions (Plante et al., 2016) and, at least at present, a definitive definitional guide seems lacking."

"Another relevant group, already alluded to, is called therians. Therians overlap with furries to a degree, but the identification of these people with animals (or rather as animals) seems to be far stronger. This could range from a strong perceived connection to their fursona to a firmly held conviction that they are less than 100 % human or would even prefer not to be human (Grivell, 2014). Reviewing the literature, people may identify themselves as therians on psychological, behavioral, spiritual, metaphorical, or existential grounds (Scribner, 2012)."

"We would argue that misdiagnoses can be avoided by focusing on i) the nature of the animal identification, ii) the presence or absence of a belief in actual transformation, iii) one’s overall level of reality-testing, and iv) the presence of clinically significant distress and impairment."

"The notion of zoomorphism has such a long and impressive track record in the history of humankind that it is probably safe to say that it has always been around. It has been part and parcel of many cultures, and individuals may have felt attracted to the belief that human-to-animal transformations are possible under the influence of psychological, social, religious, philosophical, chemical, and cultural influences."

"That the number of published cases of clinical therianthropy is so modest is probably due to underdiagnosis, but it may also indicate that zoomorphism in its numerous different forms is a harmless trait that only leads to excesses in relatively rare cases where people feel misunderstood, become socially isolated, and start showing grossly erratic behavior."

"First, and consistent with prior reports, clinical therianthropy rarely occurs on its own, but far more frequently in the context of other serious psychiatric or somatic conditions and occasionally intoxications. It may therefore be a useful additional diagnosis or diagnostic qualifier with no assumption of it becoming a ‘standalone’ diagnosis. Second, we advise against applying this additional diagnosis or qualifier to nonclinical cases (i.e., to situations where people fulfill one or more criteria of zoomorphism in the absence of clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning). We thus hope to prevent a spurious epidemic of nonclinical or ‘minor’ cases of therianthropy, as well as to protect people who enjoy their perceived non-human animal characteristics - or perhaps simply tolerate them - from seeing their ideas and sensations being pathologized."

(bolding mine)

He also went into some interesting questions regarding clinical therianthropy (like if a person claims to turn into a mythical creature, are they still a clinical therianthrope? Probably not) as well as the -anthrope names for some common and uncommon animal transformations.

[runasden]

I relate to soooo many of these

Things that make me feel like the wolfdog i am

[runasden]

the wolf girls

(she/they) 🐺🐺🐺

[runasden]

Allow me to explain a bit!

Therians are creatures like me; identifying as an animal, but having a human form.

Otherkin would define more mythical creatures like yeah, angels, elves, satyrs, etc.

Alterhuman is the more general umbrella term!

The iceberg goes much deeper than that of course, but that's the tip of it.

Oh hmm... I always thought Therian just referred to anyhting non-human. So me, as an angel would count. And your plant mommy would count.

Wa. Nodnod.. Maybe she got it wrong.. She's not too sure wawa :<

[runasden]

get in therians we're going frolicking !!

[runasden]

This. As one who is starting to discover that I may identify more and more with 'transspecies' and 'zoanthrope' myself, I couldn't agree more.

It's helping me understand myself better. And I hope to meet creatures with whom I can discuss these experiences.

I remember when I used to think p-shifters were all dangerous;

that the experience of delusional alterhumans should always be shunned away;

that transspecies individuals were "taking it too far";

and that none of those identities were valid or welcomed in alterhuman spaces

they can seem scary

other alterhumans can make it feel that way

I totally get it

I used to think they were scary too

I'm guilty of reproducing that same speech, and I admit that

but the more I've actually listened to them? they quickly became my favorite part of the community

getting to listen firsthand experiences from things that people claim are "unreal" or "shouldn't happen" can be so incredibly interesting

reading on transspecies' transition goals and their personal relationships with the concept of species itself is simply amazing

and hearing about physical nonhumans' relationship with how they view their body and their identity is so enlightening as well

it's a real shame so many of them are discouraged from sharing what they go through because of stigma, and it's a shame so many don't want to listen to them because they have been taught to fear and to judge

we all started somewhere, and I fell victim to that way of thinking as well, until I stopped to learn about and from them

consider this an invite to be more open about the experiences of physical nonhumans, CL/CZs, holotheres, endels, transspecies, and many more

shout out to all alterhumans with "odd" or otherwise stigmatized identities

please do know that I love and appreciate you, and every word you have to say about your experience

every single one of you is amazing and unique;

don't allow yourselves to be silenced;

you belong

[runasden]

Guys, they're selling autism at walmart now

[runasden]

Positive affirmations:

I deserve a halberd

I should be given a halberd

People want me to have a halberd

I can be trusted to own a halberd

I will be given a halberd one day

People will think my halberd is incredibly hot