Entry 2 - Misconceptions and Species Identity
Unlike some cultures that attribute external influences such as having an animal totem, spirit guide, or being possessed to having animalistic tendencies, Therianthropy is instead the belief that they are or have the animal inside them (Robertson, 17). This realization and distinction causes Therians to manifest animalistic traits in their base personality, or have occasional “shifts” into a more animalistic mind depending on how integrated one is with their animal. I found the concept of shifting interesting researching this, I assumed most Therians were like me. I am always just “me”, with no distinction or line separating my therioside. I learned throughout writing this paper that there is a term for this, Contherianthropy, adding the Latin con- or “contas” meaning “Unchanging”.
Most Therians also believe that they were born Therian; it’s often something that is either always known, or discovered early in their lives. Theriantropy is also starting to become more known in child psychology in recent years; behavioral issues and parents worrying that their children are taking their imagination a little too far when claiming to be animals have them come seeking help from professionals (Steadman). For the rest, the discovery of their “therioside” might come in a moment of “Awakening”, either completely by accident out of the blue or by researching topics adjacent to Theriothropy (Robertson, 20). I learned of my identity when I was 11. I knew I was different before then, but I didn’t discover my main species until later. Everything up until then suddenly made sense; and with that came a profound feeling of self-acceptance and understanding. I finally discovered not who I was, but what. I’m still working on that first bit.
Once identified, however, it is extraordinarily rare for an individual to change their species. The identity of self is often as strongly recognized, or even stronger than the image of self that most “normal” humans hold. A short quote from Robertson’s paper beautifully sums up Therianthropy: “Fully realized Therianthropy is described by leopard Therian Quil as a state of being, ‘I define myself as a cat because that felinity is not just in the way I behave; it’s also in the way I exist.’” (Robinson, 14)
Comparatively, “being Furry”, or part of the fandom surrounding anthropomorphism is almost entirely social. The Furry community is focused on the interest in and around anthropomorphic animals while Therians believe they are the animals. (Anthropomorphism vs Anthrozoomorphism) Furries create individual characters and personalities within the anthro community, making art of, and sometimes even fabricating costumes of their personas to varying degrees of complexity, but may not be involved at all with Therianthropy. A Therian involved with the Furry community need not make a separate persona; instead, they choose to manifest themselves in their works as a form of self-expression but may not interact with the Furry community at large.
Examples of the differences in Furry/Therian “Fursuits”, Fursonafy
Both Furries and Therians may end up attending Furry conventions; a significant percentage of Therians who attend, and Furries themselves, both see the conventions and costuming as an escape from reality or difficult lives and an avenue for social acceptance (Plante, 40; Satinsky and Green, 2). However, Therian-specific in-person conventions just do not exist at current. The lack of scale and interest are the main factors. Amongst the community, support is mixed. Older individuals say they might be interested in going if there were a convention in their area, but see it as more of a curiosity than genuine interest. However in recent years, along with the new surge in interest in Therianthropy, some of the younger members have put together “Othercon”, a fully online convention over Discord and other streaming services that just celebrated its 5th anniversary.Clegg, Helen, et al. “Therianthropy: Wellbeing, Schizotypy, and autism in individuals who self-identify as non-human.” Society & Animals, vol. 27, no. 4, 28 Aug. 2019, pp. 403–426, https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341540
Plante, Courtney N., et al. FurScience! A Summary of Five Years of Research from the
International Anthropomorphic Research Project, 2016.
Robertson, Venetia Laura. “The Beast Within: Anthrozoomorphic Identity and Alternative Spirituality in the Online Therianthropy Movement” Nova Religio, vol. 16, no. 3, 1 Feb. 2013, pp. 7–30, https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2013.16.3.7
Satinsky, Emily, and Denise Nicole Green. “Negotiating identities in the furry fandom through costuming.” Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion, vol. 3, no. 2, 1 Sept. 2016, pp. 107–123, https://doi.org/10.1386/csmf.3.2.107_1
Steadman, Jason. “My Kid Is an Animal: Furries and Therians in Child Development.” CAPTVRE Imagination, 25 July 2024, www.captvreimagination.com/post/my-kid-is-an-animal-furries-and-therians-in-child-development
Additional Video Sourcing:
Additional Resources:
https://therian.fandom.com/wiki/Contherianthropy
https://www.othercon.org/
https://fursonafy.com/therians-vs-furries-whats-the-difference/
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