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Phantom Shifts and Dream Shifts
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Jarandhel Dreamsinger
Arlington, VA

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Wednesday, 30th November, 2011 - 1:58 pm
Member Since: Friday, 20th June, 2008
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I wanted to see what other folks think on this subject.

 

I find phantom shifts a very poor basis upon which to rest one’s kintype/theriotype.  I have experienced phantom limb syndrome with some of my kintypes, but always in addition to memories.  Never by itself.  But I see some folks resting an entire kintype/theriotype on feeling particular phantom limbs.  ‘My ears feel pointy, I must be an elf or fae!’  ‘I have wings, I must be a dragon or angel!’ That kind of thing, though I’m admittedly exaggerating for effect.  A little.  I really don’t understand how one could base one’s kintype just on phantom limbs.  If I shift my astral body, I can give myself the phantom sensation of having a rhinoceros horn or a mouth on my stomach or eyes in the back of my head.  Practically anything I can imagine, I can shape my astral form to match, and in so doing give myself the phantom sensations of having.  So how can this be a reliable means of determining one’s kintype?

 

 Similarly, I have a problem with basing one’s kintype/theriotype on “dream shifts”.  I’ve transformed into other things in my dreams countless times, everything from lemurs to anthropomorphic skunks to male genetalia.  Last night I had a dream of becoming a vampire, complete with two of my friends who are vampires (though vampirism in the dream was nothing like it is RL, it was the stereotypical hollywood version.)  None of these are my kintype/theriotype.  In fact, off the top of my head I’m really not sure I’ve ever had a dream in which I’ve been one of my kintypes.  Certainly, I’ve never had a dream where the events of one of my past lives has played out.  I’m not saying it’s impossible to have a dream of your kintype, or to dream a complete memory from one of your past lives, but if that’s all you have to go on then how do you know it’s not just a dream?

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Arethinn
California

Ancient of Days
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Wednesday, 30th November, 2011 - 7:06 pm
Member Since: Monday, 24th May, 2010
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If I shit my astral body

My goodness! What an image. (Think you missed an “f”, there.)

It is of course possible to purposely shapeshift the etheric or astral form, as you describe. But what if the person experiencing this phenomenon doesn’t know how, or doesn’t even know it’s possible, and the phantom limb manifests spontaneously without their conscious intent? Or if it’s something they wouldn’t have chosen, given their druthers?

I don’t think I’ve ever had any dreams of myself as my kin-self either, so I can’t speak to the second one fully, but I have experienced the sensation of waking from a dream and Knowing it was Something Important, something Real. If someone has such a dream they may be able to tell it apart from the more common “mental junk drawer” kind of dream.

Neither of these things would be too good to go very far on on if they are literally all the evidence you have, a single piece, alone. It would be jumping to a conclusion. But as parts of a “syndrome” of evidence, I think phantom limbs and dreams can be quite valid.

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Jarandhel Dreamsinger
Arlington, VA

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Wednesday, 30th November, 2011 - 7:20 pm
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Arethinn said:

My goodness! What an image. (Think you missed an “f”, there.)

LOL, yes I did.  Thanks for the catch. 🙂

It is of course possible to purposely shapeshift the etheric or astral form, as you describe. But what if the person experiencing this phenomenon doesn't know how, or doesn't even know it's possible, and the phantom limb manifests spontaneously without their conscious intent? Or if it's something they wouldn't have chosen, given their druthers?

Depends, I think.  If you've been exposed to images of or writing about the thing you're shifting into, I think it's entirely possible to shift into it without conscious intent or even necessarily knowing how.  IMO, it's a lot easier to astrally shift than most people make it out to be.  If it's really spontaneous, with no outside prompting whatsoever, I'd be somewhat less skeptical.  But I haven't seen much of that.  I also don't know that I've really seen examples of it not being something they would have chosen, given their druthers.  

I don't think I've ever had any dreams of myself as my kin-self either, so I can't speak to the second one fully, but I have experienced the sensation of waking from a dream and Knowing it was Something Important, something Real. If someone has such a dream they may be able to tell it apart from the more common “mental junk drawer” kind of dream.

Possibly.  I'm admittedly very jaded.  I've just seen the dream-stuff really abused lately.  A dream that one leapt further than a human can and growled at one's this-life pet dog != having been an inherent shapeshifter in one's elven past-life.  

Neither of these things would be too good to go very far on on if they are literally all the evidence you have, a single piece, alone. It would be jumping to a conclusion. But as parts of a “syndrome” of evidence, I think phantom limbs and dreams can be quite valid.

Now that I very much agree with.  They can definitely be part of a larger pattern of evidence.  It's just when the two are used alone, or in combination, as the sole evidence for a kintype or theriotype that it bothers me.

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