The Furry Forums
Furry Chat => Therian and Otherkin => Topic started by: Rocket on April 02, 2016, 10:30:06 PM
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Hey all!
Although I've often read that "phantom llimb" sensations are a popular topic among therians and otherkin, I myself haven't experienced it until relatively recently. Gradually, I've become aware of the muscles in my face and head that would correspond to certain canine features (such as ears, nose, etc.) in a way that I was not previously. Currently, the most prominent sensation is that of canine ears, which I notice only when concentrating on something intently.
Has anyone here had a similar experience, or actively experience sensations like that?
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I have a genetic thing, a rarer and rarer genetic code, that makes it so I can move my ears individually in the same way a wolf or really any animal does. Because of that, I absolutely feel the 'phantom limb' a lot more acutely than you would think. My tail, I do feel, and always have. My tailbone needs a massage from time to time - like when you scratch at a cat's tail at its base, they lift up on their hind legs? It's the reason I wear my tail on my days off. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable and normal. I haven't experienced any others, other than my canine teeth, but those are obviously there to begin with, so I wouldn't call them phantom limb. My leg also actually does twitch when petting if you hit a spot that kind of tickles but feels good. No, not -that- spot. X.x
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Im the same way with my wings, main reason why I sleep on my side, or else it feels like I'm crushing them. They also itch every now and then, which drives me crazy because I can't actually itch them.
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But see, that's why you have a wolfie that will happily nom and scratch them for you, Maki! :D
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Thanks Proto ^_^
Best wolfie ever!
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I find myself moving my ears from time to time to hear stuff more easily.
I really want a tail, it would be awesome to have :3
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Im the same way with my wings, main reason why I sleep on my side, or else it feels like I'm crushing them. They also itch every now and then, which drives me crazy because I can't actually itch them.
Heh, my dragon says the same x3 He also really likes to be scratched between his wings.
Post Merge: April 05, 2016, 05:56:11 PM
I have a genetic thing, a rarer and rarer genetic code, that makes it so I can move my ears individually in the same way a wolf or really any animal does. Because of that, I absolutely feel the 'phantom limb' a lot more acutely than you would think. My tail, I do feel, and always have. My tailbone needs a massage from time to time - like when you scratch at a cat's tail at its base, they lift up on their hind legs? It's the reason I wear my tail on my days off. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable and normal. I haven't experienced any others, other than my canine teeth, but those are obviously there to begin with, so I wouldn't call them phantom limb. My leg also actually does twitch when petting if you hit a spot that kind of tickles but feels good. No, not -that- spot. X.x
That is very interesting. I myself might have a similar genetic anomaly, but as of yet I have very restricted control of my ears... usually just one.
Post Merge: April 05, 2016, 05:59:46 PM
Yes, I do.
I feel the muzzle a lot. The ears are a lot less, especially since I wear headphones a lot. Then come the claws, especially hind claws instead of my feet, but I can feel front claws as well. I rarely feel my tail, so I was really surprised when I felt it brush in my neck once...
Funny thing: I used to bite my nails a lot. As my real nails grew it felt like my phantom nails grew as well. It seems my physical condition is reflected in phantom shifts.
It seems that feeling a tail is a lot less common than other limbs (at least from the small sample that is this thread). I myself can say that I've felt claws, to an extent... It confused me at first, because it felt as though they were semi-retractable, and red foxes do not have retractable claws. Soon after, however, I found out that gray foxes (not really foxes at all) have semi-retractable claws for climbing trees.
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Well, I say "my" in the sense of a significant other, who, in this case, would be Kamren Heartstrings. He's not very active here on the forums.
And yeah, I should've guessed that feeling a tail should be relatively common. I just wish I had ever had the sensation myself.
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I've found that I can only fall asleep on my side, usually curled up.
I desperately want to get a tail, just because I always get disappointed when I reach behind me and can't feel one there.
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The weird thing is, I've always felt fox ears and a fox tail. Like, I could always literally FEEL them there, and I could feel them move when I'd flick or wag my tail or move my ears down or back. I can also usually feel the muzzle and the actual fox fangs, and even paws. Claws, however, are something I haven't really felt, though my nails somehow always grow to be shaped like claws.
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I've found that my ears twitch from time to time, usually when someone is speaking to me. It's kind of cool.
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My ears go down, up or back depending on my mood. They're usually down for some reason though.
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Curious thing I've discovered lately...
When I fill my backpack to go somewhere, whether it be the shops or to either parent's house, I always need to fill it and make it weigh something. I roll my shoulder blades a lot too.
It feels a little like I have wings...
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Yeah, I get phantom parts (fins, scales, hair, fangs, gills, claws, extra mouth, etc) a lot. And sometimes my left eye hurts for no reason (one of my kintypes lost that eye).
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Strange; I can't beleive I have not yet added my thoughts to this thread :?
Yes, a side-sleeper I am; winged wolfkin... There are a lot of hills where I grew up; I feel so alive to stand at the tallest peak and let the wind buffet me; I feel my wings spread out.
I feel my tail wag when I am happy; I sit forwards in chairs, and I prefer open-back seats. I feel it curl around me.
I naturally have sharper canines, but I feel them larger than they are; phantom fangs. When I yawn, I feel my muzzle :P my ears... I feel them perk up.
When my body was more able, I would trim my nails into points, like claws ^_^
I once had written a post, about meditation and getting in touch with your phantom limbs. I hope that you find this interesting; first posted by Star Wolf (me!) for 'Kinsenses', 2012.
Meditation takes some practice, and can differ from kintypes. First, surround yourself in your natural surroundings, for instance, firekin and fire-related kins should set out a circle of candles around them, waterkin and water-related kintypes should run a warm bath and turn the lights down, spacekin and the likes should sit in a dark room, etc.
Make sure to have some scents. Try to make these scented to your kintype - woodland creature kintypes should try to go for earthy scents like patchouli essential oils, flowerkin would have floral scents, sea life kintypes should have salty scents.
For added effects, soothing sounds can be played, such as howling wolves, rustling leaves and singing birds.
Now, relax, and imagine your body as your kintype. Close your eyes and picture what limbs you would gain or lose - you will soon feel the transformation take part. Make sure you are not lying on places where essential limbs sprout like wings and tails!
If your kintype does not bind to a body, just relax all muscles and imagine blank, floaty empty space.
If you do these meditation sessions once a week, soon your physical body will feel different. You will feel more in touch with your kintype.
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Yessss I so rarely get to feel my wings but when I do yippee!!! I also fly in my dreams a lot, it feels like practice.
In real life I mostly get phantom tail or ears! Always one of my favorite sensations
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It is certainly worth trying meditation to get in touch with your phantom limbs. It feels freeing; like doing a satisfying yawn, or a really big stretch. I would always recommend it - if you can't get into the meditation mindset, here is a trick I have...
What you must do is pull up a chair, and stare at a blank wall. Just stare. Count in your mind - '1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1' - do not focus on your breathing. Do not focus on anything but your numbers. If you slip, go right back to your numbers; '1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1'.
You do not need to clear your mind; you simply need to empty it of anything other than the act of looking at the blank wall, and counting.
After 5 minutes, you will feel calm and relaxed; it is like taking a short nap.
From here, you can begin your true meditation, as documented in 'Kinsenses', posted on the previous page :3
Good luck out there.
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I do a morning run now actually! that's very meditative for me 0w0 i've never been good at sitting still
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Ooh! That's good! But I had moreso meant the ritualistic spurring of your phantom limbs; sort of like a mental massage, connecting you to your past lives.
The preliminsry meditation I had mentioned is specifically for those with ADHD, it's one I use myself - but I reckoned it could be useful for anybody who has trouble getting into the calm mindspace ^_^ (It's also just a good trick for calming down whenever you are stressed - I had learnt this one during CBT.. Which is a lot less mystical sounding. Ha!)
Of course, you don't have to do any of it - but I find it feels spiritually empowering myself, so I would certainly recommend it ^_^