Am I a Therian?

The term “Therian” seems to be popping up more and more across social media. But what exactly does this term stand for, and what does it mean to be a part of the Therian community?

• Therians are individuals who identify as certain non-human animals while still acknowledging and understanding that they are human. A person doesn’t “choose” to be Therian, nor do they choose the animal they identify as—it’s a conclusion they reach based on the experiences they’ve had.
  
  • Being a Therian is an incredibly individualistic experience. Some Therians might identify completely with an animal (while still acknowledging that they are human), while others might partially identify with aspects of an animal.
• Therians belong to the alterhuman community. “Alterhuman” is an umbrella term for individuals who identify as something non-human (in the case of Therians, animals). The alterhuman community includes (but is not limited to) groups like:
  
  • Otherkin : People who partially or fully identify as a non-human creature or character. Therians fall into the Otherkin umbrella.
    
  • Fictionkin : People who partially or fully identify as a fictional character or species. Fictionkin also fall into the Otherkin umbrella.
    
• Therians are not furries. Furries are individuals who enjoy content related to anthropomorphic creatures and characters. Many furries develop a fursona, which is an anthropomorphic character (that some choose to cosplay as). Being a furry is a fandom-based hobby, however, while being a Therian is a part of a person’s core identity.
  
  • Some Therians may use special accessories to better connect with their theriotype (the animal they identify as), but this is still distinctly different from being a furry.
    
• Therianthropy is not a religion or belief system. While plenty of fellow Therians have formed their own community, this community does not have any religious basis. There are no special deities, rituals, or anything remotely religious involved with being a Therian.
  
• Therians and quadrobics are not mutually exclusive. Quadrobics is a form of movement and exercise that involves being on all fours. While Therians may better connect to their animal self with quadrobics, it’s ultimately up to the individual—quadrobics is not an expectation nor a defining quality of being a Therian.
  
• There’s nothing wrong with being a Therian. The idea of Therianthropy can seem a bit foreign and confusing at first, especially if you aren’t familiar with the alterhuman and otherkin communities. However, it’s important to remember that Therians are not indulging in fantasy: they recognize and acknowledge that they are human beings and that it’s impossible for them to physically exist as animals.
  
  

What do Therians experience?
Therians go through experiences related to their animalistic identities, which is best known as “shifting.” These shifts are never physical, as Therians don’t believe that they can physically turn into their animal identity. Some well-known shifts include:

• Phantom shifting : Therians get the distinct sensation of having unique or different body parts related to their animal identity, like tails, ears, or hooves.
  
• Mental shifting : A Therian experiences the thoughts and instincts of their animalistic identity.
  
• Dream shifting : A Therian becomes their animalistic identity whenever they fall asleep, or they experience other types of shifting while they’re dreaming.
  
• Sensory shifting : A Therian experiences their physical senses in a way that lines up with their animalistic identity.
  
• Astral shifting : A Therian goes to the astral plane in the form of their animalistic identity.
  
  

Important Vocab

• Therianthropy : The phenomenon of people identifying as an animal (that’s non-human in form).
• Theriotype : An animalistic identity that a Therian deeply associates themselves with.
  
• Polytherian : A Therian who has multiple theriotypes.
  
• Species dysphoria : A feeling of discomfort about having to exist as a human rather than as one’s theriotype. This is not a universal experience among Therians.
  
• Were : An outdated term that precedes Therian. It stopped being used in the mid-2000s, and Therian is now the proper term used by the community.