This document attempts to provide a structured analytical approach to shape-shifting which should be easy to understand. That doesn't mean however, that it does not require practice. The main difference with this method is that it attempts to get away from the familiar visual approach. This is something I have personally found difficult and unsuitable for me. This method is based on feeling rather than visualisation and is something I first discovered as a child.
The following sections will describe the process. I have tried to keep this as general and non-animal-specific as posible. Work with only the first one or two steps to begin with and gradually build with future attempts.
Preparation
Prepare as you would for any meditation. Make sure you are comfortable, relaxed and in tune with your surroundings. Think of the Animal you would like to experience. Concentrate on this throughout the excersise: how you feel about the Animal and what it means to you.
Step 1: Creating a Phantom Sensation
Concentrate on your feet. Imagine that your big toes are the equivalent of the index fingers on your hands. Now, imagine that on the inside edge of each foot there is an extra toe: a thumb. Try to move these 'thumbs' as you would the thumbs on your hands. Try various movements such as pinching and making a fist.
If successful, it will actually feel like the imaginary thumbs should be there (and attempting to move them should ultimately prove very frustrating). The reason for this, I suspect, is related to the human form in a previous evolutionary state (but don't quote me on that). It is the easiest of the phantom sensations to achieve and can serve as a point of reference when working with other parts of the body. If your chosen animal is a primate or a bird, having a toe in this position will serve as a useful starting point for the shift.
Step 2: Manipulating the Phantom Sensation
Once you have mastered the previous step, you can try changing the position of your phantom digits. They're not really there anyway so there are no set rules on where they have to be. Imagine that instead of on the inside of your feet, they are attatched to the ankles. Hopefully you should still feel them and more importantly, still know how to move them. Once you have done this, try as many different positions as you can, for example, further up your legs. Even have them sticking out of your knees. Some positions will be harder to imagine than others. Practice this technique until you are able to create the phantom sensation at will.
Step 3: Creating Other Appendages
Now that you know how to create the phantom sensation at will, it should now be easier to create some of the other body parts. There are numerous examples listed in the appendix but let's focus on one for the purposes of this section: the tail. Although not common to every animal, it is to most and is also a logical choice since it too is probably related to previous stages in human evoluition.
A tail is an extention of the spine. To create a tail, concentrate on the base of your spine (tail bone). Using phantom sensation, extend your spine from this point. If your chosen animal has a tail, it helps at this point to feel at one with the animal and to visualise the tail of this animal.
Step 4: Modifying Existing Body Parts
This is perhaps the hardest part, but with practice, it should come as easily as the previous steps. In order to achieve best results, you should be very relaxed to the point where your physical body sensation is nolonger a concern.
I have chosen the ears as the example for this section. For other examples, see the appendix. Depending on your chosen animal, the ears could be all manner of shapes and sizes, or might not exist at all. If the latter is true, then you just feel a flat area in their place. In cases where the animal has ears, try to imagine in as much detail as you can, every aspect of the animal's ears. The tricky part is to 'map' the new sensation onto the existing parts of your own ears. Try to imagine how each part of your own ears would feel if they were the shape of the animal's. Also, take into consideration the position of the ears. Moving the position is similar to moving the toes in step 2.
You're on your Own, now
As stated before, this method of shape-shifting requires alot of patience and practice. Keep experimenting with the various steps and combining their effects in a way that best suits you. Stay close with your animal and let it guide you in all aspects. Most important is understanding your animal's physical make-up to achieve as accurate a shift as possible.
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Appendix A: Various Shifting Examples and Considerations
Hopefully you should work most of these out yourself but here are a few examples to get you started
Canines: Ears: Top of head, shape dependant on subspecies
Canines: Nose and mouth: Elongated, includes cheek bones and lower jaw
Canines: Tounge: Long and thin, may hang out
Canines: Hind legs Knee joint close to hip, ankle joint 1/3 - 1/2 way, extended
'foot', combine with tail to force centre of gravity forward
Canines: Front legs Redundant thumb further up the arm, elbow joint facing back
Felines: Similar to Canines in most respects. More flexible joints, Retractile claws
(except Cheetahs), Higher degree of reflex action, shorter face
Birds: Wings: Entire arm becomes one limb.
(c) 2003 Peter Hanratty