The Five Stages of Shape Shifting

I really enjoy working things out in my head. I like to come up with explanations on how things work, with full understanding that it’s impossible to actually do so. Nonetheless, I believe that a sound and logical basis for things (and a philosophy about them) helps everything I might write about them to be stronger and more believable.
So, when it came time to write “Doublesight” and when I started writing “The NSA Files”, I wanted to have some sense of shape shifting that I could ground in a philosophy. There’s much more to all this than just my thoughts as you’ll read here. I have longer explanations and examples of each stage that I’ve practiced, that I’ve witnessed, or that I’ve imagined. Believe me, I know there is a lot more information and a deeper understanding of shape shifting than I could ever come up with, but focusing on it has helped me understand my own characters—and that’s why I did it in the first place.
Here you go. The five stages of shape shifting as understood by Dan Johnston, Shaman Detective (from “The NSA Files”) and as used (but not explained) in “Doublesight”.
1-    Action = acting like the animal you wish to shape shift into. Get up and move like that animal, take on its expressions, eat what it eats, sit or lie down where it might sit or lie down. Consider whether it is shy and timid or bold and aggressive.
2-    Sensation = actually feeling like the animal. This is often a mental exercise. Close your eyes and feel yourself as whatever animal you wish. Feel your fur, feathers, hair, and notice how many paws or hooves you have. Sense what it’s like to slither, or stand on four legs, to fly. Mentally get into the animal as much as you can.
3-    Mental shift = Think like the animal might think. Let yourself become wary of humans, other animals, or the environment. Add the action and sensation pieces together. Take on the persona of the animal while moving around. Let yourself want what it wants, see like it might see, and feel like it might feel. These steps are cumulative, so push yourself to include every other step into this one.
4-    Physical likeness = this is when your physical appearance adjusts to be more like the animal you are shifting into. Draw the animal inside you forward until you begin to look like it. Sometimes I can “see” what animal totem someone is carrying around just through how they look, how they act, and sometimes how they dress. This step is the precursor to taking you into a complete physical change.
5-    Complete Shift = this means you are in “animal mind” and “animal body” (your human mind is minor or gone altogether). Your appearance is that of the animal you chose to shift into (usually your totem animal, since that is the one you are most familiar with). Now, you have joined its clan. You are one with that animal. There may be the underlying fear that you will remain in your animal image forever, which is why complete shifts don’t typically last long.
There you have it, my thoughts on shape shifting. You can read more about some of this stuff, along with other journeying and shamanic work in my novels. This is a fun subject to play with, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this.
* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel “Cathedral of Dreams” won a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, “Sweet Song” won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is “Hear No Evil”.