Phantom Shift (ph-shift): occurs when a Therian experiences phantom limbs or a full phantom body of the therioside. The physical human body remains unchanged. This is a phenomenon that refers to the sensation of having non-human body parts attached to the human body. The most common example is the feeling of having and moving a tail. These phantom limbs can even overlap the normal limbs of one's body, such as feeling paws instead of hands. Phantom cameo shifts are possible.
Discussions about this type of shift appeared on Alt.Horror.Werewolves in 1996. Phantom shifts are a common experience for Therianthropes that are often brought up in discussion.
"The specific ways in which these can be experienced varies vastly, but included amongst them are a diversity of levels of 'realism', some being very minor to some even being so intense that the phantom part feels almost entirely "real" regardless of the fact it is not physical. Some phantom parts are constant, but the ones referred to in this definition are those that are temporary and 'shift' in and out of occurrence. Other effects associated with some phantom parts include pain or discomfort in/on or associated with the phantom part, movement (voluntary or involuntary) of the phantom body part, and reactions to outside 'real' stimuli such as objects, sounds, movement of other things, and so forth." - Project Shift
One does not need to be Therian or an amputee to experience phantom limbs. Experiments prove that people can be fooled into thinking that another object or even an invisible limb is part of them. The deception is known as the rubber hand illusion.
References
Therian Wiki - https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Phantom_Shift
O. Scribner, "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged," last modified Sept. 8, 2012 in The Art and Writing of O. Scribner http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Sonne, Types of Shifts, Project Shift - http://project-shift.net/types-of-shifts/
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm
Phantom Limbs
Choi, Charles Q. "Even Non-Amputee Can Feel A Phantom Limb," Live Science, April 12 2013, http://www.livescience.com/28694-non-amputees-feel-phantom-limb.html (accessed June 25 2016)
"Phantom Extra Limbs" Mind Hacks, May 14, 2008, https://mindhacks.com/2008/05/14/phantom-extra-limbs/
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The Types of Therian Shifts
Non-FictionThis book goes in depth into describing and explaining Therianthropic Shifts including the history of the shifts and references for each.
