The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

The term lycan is thrown around on VR like a whore that costs a penny. It is used by those that watch too much tv, follow hollywood a little too closely and do not do their research. In my mind it is a garbage word for those too closed minded to do research. Lycan stems from the word Lycanthrophy which in mythology is a disease that causes someone to "change" at the full moon or whatever the case may be.



So, what is lycanthrophy? It is a fictional idea that if bitten by a wolf or another lycan one can become a werewolf. BUT what is it really?



Lycanthropy is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome that involves a delusion that the affected person can transform into, has transformed into, or is a non-human animal. Its name is connected to the mythical condition of lycanthropy, a supernatural affliction in which humans are said to physically shapeshift into wolves.



Affected individuals report a delusional belief that they are in the process of transforming into an animal or have already transformed into an animal. It has been linked with the altered states of mind that accompany psychosis (the reality-bending mental state that typically involves delusions and hallucinations) with the transformation only seeming to happen in the mind and behavior of the affected person.

A study on lycanthropy from the McLean Hospital reported on a series of cases and proposed some diagnostic criteria by which lycanthropy could be recognized:

A patient reports in a moment of lucidity or looking back that he sometimes feels as an animal or has felt like one.

A patient behaves in a manner that resembles animal behavior, for example crying, grumbling, or creeping.

According to these criteria, either a delusional belief in current or past transformation or behavior that suggests a person thinks of themselves as transformed is considered evidence of lycanthropy. The authors go on to note that, although the condition seems to be an expression of psychosis, there is no specific diagnosis of mental or neurological illness associated with its behavioral consequences.

Lycanthropy is thought to be a cultural manifestation of schizophrenia due to the first 4 symptomatic criteria[citation needed. The first criteria are delusions, and this fits lycanthropy because a person believing that he or she turns into an animal is a delusion. The second symptom is hallucinations, and people with lycanthropy have vivid hallucinations of being an animal, and having whatever traits that animal has, whether it be claws, fur, fangs, or whatever that particular animal has. The next symptom is disorganized speech. The people who have the diagnosis of clinical lycanthropy often take on the sounds of the animal in which they believe they turn into. So, if a person believes that he or she is a werewolf, they would thus begin to howl at the moon. The last symptom that matches schizophrenia is grossly disorganized behavior. This is appropriate because individuals with clinical lycanthropy often act like the animal they believe they “shift” into which includes living outside and picking up their diet, which can be classified as disorganized behavior.

It also seems that lycanthropy is not specific to an experience of human-to-wolf transformation; a wide variety of creatures have been reported as part of the shapeshifting experience. A review of the medical literature from early 2004 lists over thirty published cases of lycanthropy, only the minority of which have wolf or dog themes. Canines are certainly not uncommon, although the experience of being transformed into a hyena, cat, horse, bird or tiger has been reported on more than one occasion. Transformation into frogs, and even bees, has been reported in some instances. A 1989 case study described how one individual reported a serial transformation, experiencing a change from human, to dog, to horse, and then finally cat, before returning to the reality of human existence after treatment. There are also reports of people who experienced transformation into an animal only listed as "unspecified".



Therefore, Lycanthrophy is a mental illness stemming from schizophrenia or too much Hollywood and living in an RP fantasy world. It is truly impossible for a human to shift form and survive. The human body does not have the ability to survive something so strenuous no matter what you believe.



Therianthrope: A person who is, feels, or believes he/she is in part or whole (non-physically) one or more non-human animals on an integral, personal level.



Therioside: The non-human animal(s) that a therianthrope identifies with.



Contherian: One who is constantly integrated with their therioside and does not shift.



Suntherian: One who is constantly integrated with their therioside; suntherians do not shift, but their therioside/human ratio varies.



Cladotherian: One who relates to a group of animals as opposed to a specific species. (eg: “Feline” as opposed to “Tiger”)



Mental shift: Shift wherein one’s mental outlook is changed to resemble that of one’s theriotype.



Phantom shift: Shift wherein “phantom” or non-existent limbs or body parts (eg: tail) are experienced.



Dream shift: Shifting in one’s dreams to one’s therioside.



Aura shift: If you believe in Auras, this means changing the shape of your aura to match that of your theriotype.



Cameo shift: A one-time shift to a species that isn’t one’s therioside(s).



he general belief in the community is that therians are born, not made. You don’t simply decide you’re a therian and become one. Neither can you join an organization, pay a subscription fee, and become an official therian. Therianthropy isn’t generally considered a religion either. There are no central undeniable beliefs. Everybody has their own theory and reason regarding their therianthropy.



However, some people want to be a therian (or claim to be one) for all the wrong reasons.

These include:

-The need to feel special. This also covers those who need to feel like they are part of a secret organization, unknown to mainstream society.

-The desire for attention.

-Over indulgence in role-playing games/fantasy.





Being therian does not give you special privileges, discounts at the mall or special therian powers (there’s no such thing as “special therian powers”). Being therian is no excuse for inappropriate behavior. It does not excuse biting unwilling parties or failure to take responsibility for you actions (among other things).



At the end of the day, nobody has a right to say whether or not you’re a therian. The only one who can possibly come close to answering that question is you. Be wary of people claiming to be able to make you a therian, give you special therian abilities, etc. Chances are, you'll end up more than just a little disappointed.



Also, a lot of times people will include 'other-kin' in with this slot. I think that this is not correct and does not equal a correct response. An other-kin includes many things such as "vampires, chimera, fallen-angel-kin, angel-kin, fae, and the list goes on.





Otherkin are a community of people who see themselves as partially or entirely non-human. They contend that they are, in spirit if not in body, not human. This is explained by some members of the otherkin community as possible through reincarnation, having a nonhuman soul, ancestry, or symbolic metaphor. According to Joseph Laycock, "scholarship has framed this claim as religious because it is frequently supported by a framework of metaphysical beliefs." Not all otherkin necessarily share these beliefs; some may simply prefer to identify as non-human.



Otherkin largely identify as mythical creatures,[4] with others identifying as creatures from fantasy or popular culture. Examples include: angels, demons, dragons, robots or androids, elves, fairies, sprites, plants, and aliens. Many otherkin believe in the existence of a multitude of parallel/alternative universes, which would explain the existence and the possibility to relate to fantastical beings and even fictional characters. These otherkin still do not possess super powers, being in a human body, shape shifting included.