What is M and P Shifting?

M Shift and P Shift are common terminology for Therianthropy. M (Mental) Shift is the shifting of your human mind into your animal's mind.  I like to associate M Shifting as Inner Shifting. The M Shifting process tends to be a permanent shift. You will begin to think like the animal, have instincts like the animal, and behave like the animal. If this shift is done properly, you should be able to still act like a human, but if done poorly, good luck surviving in today's society. As I have stated before, you have resources out there. Use them and take advantage of them!

Now, the P (Physical) Shift is the shifting of your human body into the body of your animal. I like to refer to P Shifting as Outter Shifting. This is when your human body will begin to manifest into your physical animal body in order to match the mindset of the animal.

"When he was concentrating on his m-shift, the muscles in his legs, feet
and hands subconsciously responded by conforming themselves by the
mental process. However, some muscles, probably the most visibly
inconspicuous, made more of a stronger reaction than some muscles which
we use most often. I'm certain that such a thing as p-shifting by intense m-shifting is
possible."

- Life Over IP

http://rayne-vandunem.livejournal.com/27502.html

Without first changing our minds from human, we risk our health and well being when we use P Shifting. Imagine one day, you wake up an entirely new species. You have six legs, two mouths, and a bigger chest. Do you know how to move your body? Can you eat everything or only certain things? There's a tingling feeling in your right eye; what could that mean? See my point? If you don't know how the mind works, how can you possibly work the body correctly?

Finding Your Inner Animal

The Wolf…The teacher, the guardian of the Tribe.
The protector of women.

Not every Therianthrope is Wolf (Lycanthropy). I have heard of werefoxes, wereeagles, wererabbits, etc. Basically, any animal in existence can possibly be your inner animal (Otherkin believe that your were animal is of a mythical creature such as a Dragon or Unicorn). But the question is not how many animals can be considered as another part of someone, but what is "your" were animal? This is not always an easy question to answer. Some know right away (myself), others perform research on multiple animals they are drawn to, and some even have reacquiring dreams of their animal spirit. Whatever the case may be, please do not take this step lightly. 

If your not sure what your animal may be, take time to reflect upon yourself. What animal matches your personality? What characteristics do you possess? Are there any senses that are more heightened than the others? Do you dream of a certain animal on a regular basis? I highly suggest researching any animal that you may think is your animal. Visit this link http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-totems.html to learn more about animal symbolism (VERY HELPFUL!!!) and http://www.wolfcenter.org/wolf-behavior.aspx if your animal is a wolf like mine (behaviors of wolfs, which is also very helpful!) I have also taken online quizzes to see if the Wolf was my animal spirit. Mind you, not every online test is accurate. Just like a daily horoscope; Some days that horoscope will be dead on, while other days you wonder if your parents really told you the right date of your birth.

 

Either way, take multiple quizzes online (not just one). I started with 10 quizzes and ended up with 9 different options (wolf came up twice). But I didn't stop there. Until I got at least 5 of the same animal, I wasn't satisfied. Use multiple methods to find your Animal spirit. Meditation to find your spirit guide is a great start, too. There are numerous guided meditations you can find on YouTube about "Finding your Animal Spirit", or "Finding your Spirit Guide". 

There are resources out there. Take advantage of them!! The possibilities are endless...

ABF aka Animal Blood Factor

Here's a short test to see what your ABF is. ABF determines how much animal blood is in your system. The higher the blood count, the easier it will be to M and P Shift. Please don't be discouraged if you receive a low score. This does not mean you are not Therianthrope. It only means that you might need more training. (I copied this test from RTA Razgriz Therianthropy Academy.) Add the score and see where you are:

1. Do you feel like you don't fit in with humans?

    a) I feel like I fit in very well with everybody. (0 pts)

    b) I feel very slightly different from everybody, but I still manage to fit in sometimes. (9 pts)

    c) I feel moderately different from everybody, and I still try to fit in, but I often fail. (22 pts)

    d) I feel very different from everybody, and I do not try to fit in. (35 pts)

2. Do you ever feel like you are not a human?

    a) I feel like I am human completely. (0 pts)

    b) I sometimes feel slightly inhuman, but it is just a feeling. (10 pts)

    c) I feel moderately inhuman often, and rarely forget that I am human at all. (23 pts)

    d) I feel very inhuman and sometimes or often forget that I am human at all. (43 pts)

    e) I rarely remember that I am human at all. I feel absolutely inhuman. (50 pts)

3. Do you feel more care towards any type of animal than humans?

    a) I feel more or the same care towards humans than any animal. (0 pts)

    b) I feel slightly more care in animals than humans, and find some comfort in animals. (10 pts)

    c) I feel moderately more care in animals, and I find more physical attraction to them, and/or great comfort in them. (25 pts)

    d) I feel a lot more care in animals, and I find little care toward humans, physical attraction, and/or most comfort. (39 pts)

    e) I feel no related care toward humans and feel all attraction whatsoever toward animals. (50 pts)

4. Do you wish you could become any type of animal?

    a) I do not wish I could become any type of animal. (0 pts)

    b) I have a slight desire to become something other than human, but nothing more than slight. (6 pts)

    c) I have a strong desire to become something other than human, but I don't know if it is worth doing. (20 pts)

    d) I have a strong desire, a strong driving force, passion, and I know that it is worth doing. (35 pts)

5. Is there any type of animal that you sometimes act or think like?

    a) I never act or think like an animal. (0 pts)

    b) I sometimes think like an animal, but never act upon those urges. (11 pts)

    c) I often think like an animal, and occasionally act upon the urges. (28 pts)

    d) I often think like an animal, and often act upon urges, but I still have some control. (40 pts)

    e) I always think like an animal, and have little or no control over myself. (50 pts)

    Now, you may score yourself. Take all the numbers, and add them up. That is your ABF (Animal Blood Factor) Score. This score technically tells how much human and animal you are, but it is actually telling you how easy it will be for you to shift. It is based off of your general transition (mainly in mind) into an animal. The highest score is 220ABF which is technically 100%, but in actuality it is probably only 95% or so, the point at which you would begin to lose all of your humanity, and permanently become animal, if you passed it. And your actual DNA isn't affected until 200ABF, at which point you might begin to inherit physical animal traits that cannot be reversed. The average score areas (called spikes, or modes) are probably around 0 (regular humans), 86 (students), and 150 (masters). The transition between those are short and desolate usually, as passing between these stages happens quickly. If you score over 175, you are likely undergoing slight induction, which is when you begin to lose your humanity. Anybody who scores less than 80 is considered to be in the "Human Range". Anybody who scores between 80-175 is considered "Were Range", 80-135 is considered the "Average Were Subrange", between 135-175 is considered the "Master Subrange". Anybody who scores above 175 is considered "Inhuman Range", between 175 and 200 is "Dehumanization Range", and between 200-220 is considered the "Sub-Were Range". This test can be used in both the primary and the secondary version. The primary version goes up to 220. This version describes only the shifter range, but nothing past it, and that is why the secondary version was created. The secondary version goes up to 250. 0 being human, 110 being the half range, 220 being the last point of being at all humanized, and 250 being 100% animal. The standard is the secondary, so we will use it. It is also the only one that can describe the spin-off shifts.

    Now that you know your ABF score, you may calculate the others.

To calculate your HL (Humanity Level): 220 - your ABF, then divide that by 2.2. This is shown as %HL.

To calculate your AL (Animality Level): Your ABF, then divide that by 2.2. This is shown as %AL

To calculate your GAL (Genetic Animal Level): Your ABF (if it is over 200) minus 200, then multiply that by 2. This is shown as %GAL.

    That is all there is to the ABF-Test.

What do you see in the mirror?

No one ever has told me of the meaning of being a Therianthrope. Let alone, ever hearing of the word from the lips of another. I couldn't even tell you how I came about finding this word. All I can say is that I came across it by my interest in Vampires. No not Dracula or Edward Cullen inspired my research, but pure curiosity of uncommon beliefs. Vampirism is real and alive today. There are two types of Vampires; Blood drinking, and Psychic Draining. Either path leads to draining the "life force" out of a victim, whether it be human, animal, or nature in general. I had questioned why someone would choose such a path? Something felt unethical and wrong to me. Drinking someone else blood for life force (what I also believe to be another term for energy)? I have discovered that many Vampires will try to provoke anger, jealousy, frustration, and other strong emotions to make the victim's life force at it's peak, only to drain it psychically for their own needs.

After researching the true side of Vampirism, I started to wonder about their natural enemies; Werewolves. If Vampires were real in today's world, why not Werewolves? Obviously, (from my statement of Vampires) this would be no reenactment of Hollywood horror fiction. So I continued my research to come across Therianthropes, who possessed human bodies, but with human and animal mind. From my research I have come across statements claiming that you cannot physically transform into another animal, but have the mindset of one. I believe this to be false. 

Walk in my shoes for one moment here. My boyfriend thinks I have the body of a natural Goddess. He loves my curves, my eyes, my ass, and my boobs. I look in the mirror and see someone entirely different from his description of me. I need to loose weight, and I see too many flaws to count. Where is this natural Goddess? Not in the mirror in front of me. My point is, is that we have trained our minds over the course of our life to see the physical world around us in a certain way, just as we do in the mirror. 

When you can truly look in the mirror and see your were form (Whether it be wolf or another animal), the heart, and the mind of your animal, than you are truly Therianthrope.