This is one of 114 sayings taken from the Gospel of Thomas, a gnostic noncanonical gospel, banned in and around the 5th century a.d. and rediscovered early this century in what is now called the Nag Hammadi library. The Gospel of Thomas was a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus, and has many parallels in the canonical gospels of the New Testament. This gospel though has a decidely gnostic theme to it.

It's not often that one finds in Christian theology a reference to transformation, so i thought this interesting enough to take a further look at, Gnostic philosphy aside, which is VERY different from orthodox christianity. As this gospel is just a collection of sayings, there is no interpretation to fall back on. It is left to the reader to find the wisdom in the words.

In looking at this saying, i break it down into several parts, these being:
1) who or what is the Lion?
2) who is the Man?
3) what is meant in each case by "consumed"?

As is the case in most transformation myths i have found, this too seems to be a metaphor. The Lion in this saying is not literally a lion (well, i guess it could be, if that's your thing), but rather i think represents a goal. This goal could be, if you are Orthodox christian, the Kingdom of Heaven, or if you are gnostic, the Kingdom of the Father (much different from the former). For the Therianthrope, the Lion could mean the grail of so many weres, the physical transformation of the body. It could mean wisdom to transform the soul, it could mean immortality. I think for each person, the Lion is unique. Why is Lion used, rather than another animal? Lion in mythology is a solar animal. It is the warmth of the mother who nurtures, it is the blistering heat of the sun which destroys. Lion is both of these things, and more, Lion is magnificence with danger. We do well to remember this. Our goals, our Lion, can be both salvation and our destruction.

The Man has the same multiple meanings as the lion, i think. Man represents of course, ourselves. We quest, it is in our nature, in this all men are equal. Man could also represent our humanity. It is our humanity which allows us to quest, to question, and to appreciate what we find, and to lament what we do not. Were we not human, we would not search. Unless by some miracle, a way to physically transform is found, we will always be human, no matter how much we may wish otherwise, or convince ourselves to the contrary. Whether you pray to the Nailed God, or to Allah, or to a God of the forest, or no god at all, we were created as we are, Men. Our purpose, our being, no matter how we may justify ourselves, we are Man. (as an aside, the gnostics have some interesting thoughts on men vs women, but that's another story) Whether or not we are an animal born into the body of a human, or we share the spirit of an animal, or we have a totem spirit, or a spirit guide, or none of the above, or even all of the above, we are still Man.

The word "consumed" is used twice in this saying, yet, on the one hand it is a curse, and on the other it is a blessing. If the man consumes the lion, and the lion becomes man, then it's a blessing. But, if the Lion consumes the man, and the lion becomes man, then it's a curse. Why? What difference does it make? I think the difference comes down to priorities and control. If you keep your head, and your heart, then you will not be consumed by that which you seek. If you keep your wits, and your priorities, then you may not ever find that which you seek (always a risk), but you will be the stronger for your journey. Ok, what's this have to do with therianthopes? What happens to those who become obsessed by their search for PSing? They become bitter, unable to free themselves to consider other possibilities. Their quest consumes them. But a therianthrope who keeps his heart pure? What he finds, will become a part of him, and he will gain strength from it. The Lion will become him. I think it's a matter of taking in, versus being taken over. Taking the Lion into you, or the Wolf, or the Bear, or Enlightenment, or Wisdom, or what have you, and letting it Become You, is the key.

Why does the Lion become the Man, and not the other way around? I think this is because if we become the animal, or we become what we seek, then we loose our humanity. Some may not find anything wrong with this. And, well, that's their prerogative. It is our humanity that allows us to seek. It is being human that allows us to appreciate what we have, and what we do not have. If we become consumed by the Lion, then we loose something crucial. We become mired, unchanging. If we consume the Lion, then we add it to our being, and be become stronger for it.

egyptian transformations

In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, several chapters are devoted to the making of transformations into several forms. These transformations are all done in the realm of the dead, and are meant to help the deceased make his journey through the realms of the dead into the Kingdom of Osiris.

Each chapter presented here is in itself a formulae for transformation, which through recital in the realms of the dead allowed transformation to take place. Chapters in the Theban Recension have no fixed order, and selection of chapters seems often left to the purchaser or scribe.

There are few stories of making transformations in the realms of the living. Most shifting was for the object of making perfect the soul in the Dead-lands.

The first chapter (ch86) is on making the transformation into a Swallow. The swallow represented an incarnation of Serquet, the Scorpion-goddess, daughter of Isis and Ra, and a harbinger of glad tidings. All roads are then known to him, the deceased, and he flies everywhere in sunshine, and is not doomed to remain in the Dead-land.

The next chapter (ch77) is on making the transformation into a Hawk of Gold. The Hawk was a giant, measuring 4 cubits from wing tip to wing tip. The reason for this form was to fly up into the sky to the realm of the Sun-God, so he could refresh himself with the offerings recieved by the gods. Once there, he could transform himself into a Spirit-soul and live with the Spirit-souls of Osiris and Ra.

The next chapter (ch78) is a very important and long one in the Book of the Dead. It is the chapter of making the transformation into the God-hawk. This recital means to make the deceased into the very hawk which is Horus, son of Osiris and Isis. Horus [the elder] was believed to have provided the primeval Spirit-soul with a Spirit-body, and is therefore linked with Tem, who dwelt in the Celestial Waters, before there were "gods" or men. Horus, son of Osiris and Isis, was a vessel for this primeval Spirit-soul, and by making the tranformation into the God-hawk, one was part of the being and substance of God, and a fellow with Osiris, Horus, and Ra, their equal.

This chapter (ch87) is on making the transformation into the serpent Sata. The serpent could cast off its old skin, and appear with a new one, and so is integral to reincarnation/immortality myth. By becoming the serpent Sata, one would be associated with new birth and a rejuvenated body.

The next chapter (ch88) is on making the transformation into a crocodile. With this body, one could strike terror that is always associated with the crocodile. One could then traverse the Nile(integral to Egyptian myth), or any stream without danger. [along the Blue Nile, until recently, not sure about now, there were myths that natives could tranform into crocodiles at will]

This chapter (ch82) is on the transformation into the god Ptah. This god is highly regarded as one of the cosmic Gods, who made the heavens and the earth at the command of Thoth. This tranformation guaranteed the strength of Ptah, a master blacksmith, and a portion of his offerings, and he could identify himself with Tem and Ra.

The next recital (ch85) is of making the transformation into the soul of Temu [Tem]. This chapter was very important, as it made one into the Soul-God of Nu [the heavens], and is the counterpart of the primeval Soul of Temu, the Father of the Gods, placed in Ra, which exists under the name Khepera. In this form, the deceased becomes an emanation of the Light-God.

This chapter (ch83) is for making the transformation into the Benu bird. This bird, which is sometimes identified with thh Phoenix, is self-produced, and therefore a extension of the god Khepera, who was self produced and self-begotten. This form has many functions, including alowing the deceased to take any form he pleases, to travel over the earth with Ra, to eat the food that Osiris eats, and to be free from every evil thing forever.

This chapter (ch84) is on making transformation into a Heron. The purpose of this transformation is vague. It is thought that by taking this form, one gains power over the animals of the sacrifice, and could then provide himself with food and offerings. It is also thought that one could never take the form of the Heron unless one was pure in thought and deed, part of the recital is this proclamation.

The next chapter (ch81a) is on making the transformation into a Lotus flower. This flower was a favourite of Ra, and is an emanation of him, and represents of idea of resurrection, to emerge daily into heaven like the Sun-god. The lotus is also a representation of Nefer-Tem [young Tem], son of Ptah and Sekhmet. In this way, one becomes both the elder and juvenile forms of the same god. This is also seen with Horus.

The final chapter (ch80) in this version of the Book of the Dead which concerns transformation is on becoming the God who Giveth Light in the Darkness. The land of the dead was believed to contain many dark places before one finally reached the Kingdom of Osiris. To take this form one could produce light and so travel in safety. In this form, one was a personification of Horus, and of Set, and could emit light and dark at his whim. The deceased could merge his form with the substance of Osiris, the Moon-god, just as earlier he could merge himself with the dual-soul of Temu.

-- Budge, Sir E. A. Wallis, ed. and tr. The Book of the Dead. Random House, 1995.

the beserkrgangr

What do you feel when you enter the berserkrgangr state? What do you experience? If you have been in a berserkrgangr (and not every berserk has), then you know what it feels like to be literally ridden by energy that seems to control your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions. If you have not, that is well and good, for now. But someday, you may find yourself there without knowing how you got there and even worse, how to get back from there. Control of the large will also enable control of the small, as in broken dishes and feelings, or simple embarrassment at overexuberance not shared or understood by others.

"Going Berserk" is defined by Webster's Unabridged Dictionary as entering "into a state of violent rage or frenzy." Webster's further defines "frenzy" as: "wild excitement; frantic outburst; brief delirium that is almost insanity," and as: "passionate, madly excited." This is really a rather descriptive term for a berserkrgangr, which does not depend on rage alone, but on passion, or deeply felt emotion, which brings the mind to a level of high excitement.

Examination of the Norse terminology, however, adds to the definition. The word "gangr" means "going/faring." The meaning implies a form of "out," in the sense that you can "gangr" to the store, but you probably wouldn't "gangr" to read the book (as in: I am going to read this book.) The sense of "out" implicit in this term lends itself to the "letting out" or "expressing" of the "frenzy" that has been raised in the berserk state. It also has expression in the "going out" from one's body and ordinary senses.

Let us examine what happens during a berserkrgangr: the physical and emotional changes that one undergoes in this state. First, of course, is the emotion or feeling that "charges" the body. The vision begins to change. Everything will appear to become crisper and brighter, as if you have entered a bright room from a dark place. Then the visual field will "sparkle" and "waver" and things will become slightly out-of-focus. A checkered-type pattern follows. A red tinge will color the visual field, working from the sides toward the center. The red will then fade out to "animal vision." This is somewhat hard to describe, as the "seeing" is different from normal- - but there is more clarity and awareness to the vision. You may be aware of objects and people to your sides and behind that you couldn't possibly really see. The visual changes occur as the eyes physically change their shape, in a manner similar to focusing, only on a more extreme level (one reason why vision can deteriorate as a berserk ages--muscles become weak, damaged, or torn.)

The physical body will tense, and the hands may form into claws as a result of this tensing of the body. You may feel that you want to cry (a result of the eye changes-- and sometimes the reason why you may find yourself sobbing when you are really, really angry and cannot express it well.) The breathing may become rapid for a short period of time. As the body starts to oxygenate, the breathing will deepen into stomach/diaphragmatic breathing that is very similar to the meditative breathing taught in yoga, though it may seem shallow to outside observers. The face will flush red, as the muscles and the posture pull in. This is the peak of the "change," when the heart will "lock and load" (the feeling that it's been slammed against a wall doing 90 miles .an hour.) After the "change," the body posture and limbs reverse and "reach out," as the body muscles relax. (full-blown gangr.) You will start to assume animal posture.

Whatever emotions may have brought you to this state will now become very pure. There is hatred rather than anger, and an impersonalness and lack of human regard for those around you. It is cold, rather than hot-- logic, reasoning, and training will function- - but your focus is very directed. There is a joy and exultation running with it. A good sound track would probably be Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, "Ode to Joy," or even Rossini's "William Tell Overture."

These changes can occur in a matter of minutes or seconds, or they may come on so gradually that you are "there" in a long-term mild state without being fully aware of it.

Another phenomenon that frequently occurs is psychetachia. Psychetachia is a phenomenon in which time seems to slow down, and everything and everyone around you is moving in slow motion, but yourself. It is a distortion of the perception of time. It frequently can occur to normal people is stressful situations, such as car accidents, or to police officers in shooting situations. ,Well-trained martial artists can sometimes learn to bring it on at will. This phenomenon is a result of the altered state of the stressed brain fighting for survival, which is why it will more than likely occur in a full-blown berserkrgangr.

When in berserkrgangr, you are in a total state of "beingness." Whatever disturbs, or irritates, the sense of beingness can make you hate whatever it is.

When the berserkrgangr starts to end, a period of "frothiness" can occur. By "frothiness" is meant the throwing around of emotions and "snapping at thin air." It is possible to avert a berserkrgangr by "frothing" instead, but it isn't always desirable to do so.

The vision can become confused in images and somewhat disjointed. A reversal of the visual changes will take place as the eye resumes its normal shape. For a period of time afterwards, the vision will seem abnormally bright, with possibly a green tinge (counter-image to the red from the blood pumped into the eye initially.)

The body will experience physical lethargy that is proportionate to the amount of time spent in the berserkrgangr state. The muscles of the body will frequently spasm, making the jaw chatter and clench, and the hands form claws. The body will try to tense up, but it can't really because of the fatigue.

Emotionally, you will be very sensitive and may find yourself having the shakes and crying as the emotions surge up and down. Aurically, you will be very, very sensitive-- as if your aura had a bad sunburn and anything that touches it hurts like hell. A headache will usually occur, though for some reason there is usually a small portion of the brain that feels incredibly at peace (according to one berserk, about the only reason you don't just give up and die from the way you feel.)

Mentally you may feel like you want to go back into that state, and just stay there (ecstasy.) You may even try. But your body just won't handle it.

The description given here is rather clumsy, because it is difficult to try to describe a state that almost seems to need another language to define it. Our language is based on our human experience and relationship, but the berserkrgangr experience somewhat transcends the human experience. It is a shamanic experience; it. is a transforming experience. The berserkrgangr is truly an altered bodily state that alters the consciousness of the individual.

Now that we have looked at the experience of berserkrgangr from the inside, it is important to be able to understand why some of these things happen-- what their mechanisms are. You cannot live with, control, nor guide these energies, unless you understand what and why things happen.

As life happens, you will have to adapt and adjust to meet it. Unless you realize, and have the knowledge to figure out, what is going on with yourself (to have true self-knowledge) you can easily find yourself unable to contend with difficulties, and experiencing "blocks." Because a berserk's reactions to life are more extreme than most people's, this advice is much more important for them to follow than anyone else. Plan "A" may solve your problem today, but it may not tomorrow. But if you experience what Plan "A" does for you and you understand why, then you will be able to find for yourself an alternative solution, a Plan "B."

Most importantly, by studying the extremes, you can learn to recognize the lesser states that are so easy to fall into for long periods of time. You can really put yourself into an emotional spin this way, without mentioning what you can do to the physical body!

So, enough lecture. The body basically functions like a loop system between the brain, the body systems, and the hormones/enzymes. Notable examples of this co-functioning are the menstrual cycle in women, the hunger/eat cycle, and the infamous "fight or flight" adrenaline syndrome. Each of these systems involves the brain initiating an activity that acts upon a body system, which then feeds back to the brain, which will eventually shut of f the activity.

In a berserker, the brain initiates the flow of hormones and enzymes that work on systems throughout the body. They become "charged," and when fully "charged," the brain acts to "discharge" the body's systems. Of course, this is an oversimplification. But the reason why I choose to describe it in this way is that a berserkrgangr can occur on a mental/emotional/ astral level- - when you are writing music, a book, doing seidhr, or having an orgasm. What is important to know is that the energy will be discharged, MUST be discharged, whether it is through a physical action or not. THIS IS ALSO WHY A BERSERK AND THE BERSERKRGANGR IS NOT A MEWING, FROTHING DISPLAY OF BAD TEMPER. Beethoven might have been hard to get along with, and so might Egill Skallagrimsson-- but they chose to "discharge" through the artistic media of music and poetry respectively.

Of course, gross physical actions will discharge it more efficiently, and more quickly. Learning to recognize by "feel" the emotional state of your brain, the way the energy comes "up" and goes "down," practicing different mechanisms to "release" the energy and how it feels to do so, and keeping the body in tune to be able to handle the energies to the best of its ability (berserks can be prone to neglecting their bodies horribly because they are so used to having them function when someone else might be falling down that they get spoiled.)

The berserkrgangr can be brought into a trained state and used at will. But that requires hours and years of dedicated training and understanding of yourself and the mechanisms of a berserkrgangr. It can take a much shorter period of time to learn to live comfortably with yourself, which is not the same thing as learning to deliberately induce a "gangr" and keep it fully under one's control. There is the same difference in learning to defend oneself in a street fight, and in achieving mastery of a martial art.

berserkers

The unfairness of it, the sheer rudeness of it, brought a red-hot rage rising up like a column of force from deep within me until it choked my throat, and tried to run out my eyes and nose in tears. But even if I could have spoken, there would have been nothing to say, because in her eyes, I had no rights. Only she had those. And I dared not show my reaction. There would only have been more talk of doctors and medications to 'control' my feelings, and 'counsel' me out of being what I was. And the doctors hadn't a clue as to what that was, nor would they have believed me had told them. So I fled into the night, and ran, and ran, until the sheer physical exertion had drained me of feeling. But I was still afraid to return, knowing that my flight was but another sign of 'not being able deal with things.' Knowing that what I felt and what I was would never, and could never, be understood. And she would never know how close she had come to dying with my teeth buried in her throat.

-- from the diary of a berserker

A Berserker warrior. What does this word conjure up for you? The most common picture associated with a berserker is a rage-filled, frothing at the mouth, shield-biting, uncontrollable armed man, who will destroy anything in his path. Rage, in fact, seems to be the prime ingredient to "make" a berserker. The very phrase, "to go berserk," is part of our modern English language to describe someone who has gone mad with rage. That the phrase is almost a literal translation of the term "berserkergangr," which actually denotes the battle trance of a berserker warrior is unfortunate. It is unfortunate, because, in truth, rage and anger do not a berserker make. It may very well break him or her, but it does not define that person.

What then, does define a berserker? The picture drawn from many of the sagas does not paint a very clear image of what, exactly, a berserker is. The nature of the berserker demands that the definition not be left to scholarly studies or historical documents, nor to modern practitioners of pseudo- "Northern Warrior Traditions" who are not themselves berserkers. Unlike other paths, which may be donned or doffed at one's whim, berserkers cannot ever evade or escape their pathways. In a way, they are living, breathing manifestations of what we once were as a people.

One does not wake up one morning and decide to "become" a berserker. Wo/man is either born a berserker, or s/he is not. You are either born with green eyes, or you are not. It is that simple. A berserker is the result of inherited physical, emotional, and mental differences from the average, ordinary person. Training can produce physical conditions which can simulate a berserker's physical makeup, which is the actual intent of most military special forces training. Abnormal psychological states can remarkably resemble some of the berserker's "weak" emotional points. But only a berserker will possess the physical differences, emotional make-up, mental functioning, and sheer intensity that distinguishes them from others.

A berserker's physical body is very different. Their lungs, hearts, and adrenal glands an larger than normal. Their hands are large in proportion to the norm. Their self-healing abilities are higher than average. Despite this, a berserker tends to suffer from exercise asthma, and digestive disturbances are quite common. Intestinal gas, ulcers, gastritis, and diarrhea are a lifelong plague. While it is possible for an ordinary person to change some bodily systems, like heart size, it is not possible to change others. Nor, in the opinion of most berserkers, should anyone really want to.

Although the sagas tend to promote berserkers as being ugly, troll-like people, this is not an entirely correct picture. A large lung-size can make them look "squatter" because of the bigger chest size for their relative height. The larger shoulder widths of most berserkers also contributes to the "squat" impression. The body shape of berserkers can vary widely from small and delicate, to large and hefty. Whatever the body type, berserkers are able to quickly develop and add muscle mass to their bodies.

A physical ability that is actually a combination of their built-in agility and intensity of mental focus is the ability to move very fast. And their abundance of energy (even when tired) keeps them moving fast, physically and mentally. They may get a bit uncoordinated when they are tired, leading sometimes to injuries, but normally their coordination ratio is quite high.

The apparent appearance of a berserker can change from moment to moment from old to young, ugly to beautiful, short to tall. It makes remembering what they actually look like difficult, even for the berserker. This particular aspect of berserkers is a result of their shape-changing abilities, and is usually driven by their emotions, though it can be deliberately controlled as well.

While berserkers are known for their physical fighting abilities, these are actually the result of factors other than the mere physical attributes they possess. The body is the mere means of the intensity and locus of berserkers, and is "designed" to allow the berserkers' abilities to be expressed, and survived. The real "heart" of berserkers is the mind and emotions, and their abilities to focus intense mental and emotional states.

Most berserkers, unless they have undergone real training, are totally vulnerable emotionally. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and neon signs on their foreheads. Unless they have been "burned" enough to learn to "turn it off." Berserkers are driven by their emotions, their feelings, and their desires. They are much closer to these than the average person.

Imagine, if you will, enough energy to blow up a small city block, and everything on it. Now, lock that inside a person and flavor it with emotion. Does it scare you? It scares most berserkers. It is not a comfortable feeling to get so angry at someone that you would like to tear his head off (especially with someone close to you). It is not comfortable to be so sad that you are dying inside. Squelching all these emotions can feel like someone threw your heart against the wall doing about 70 mph (the adrenaline "rush").

Berserkers can do a good imitation of a manic-depressive, which can be confusing to those around them, themselves, and any doctors who may try and "treat" them for their "disorder." A berserker's moods logically follow a stimulus, unlike a manic-depressive's mood swings. The intensity of the response is what leads to the confusion. The intense moods can also prove infectious to those around them (do not poke a concentrated berserker - you will have to apologize after your face has been smashed in). The plus side, however, is that the positive emotions are equally as intense. when berserkers love something or someone, it is not half-way. when they are happy, they radiate joy in waves around them.

Most berserkers learn very early in life that they do not seem to fit in well with other people. It is hard to say for sure why this is so, but perhaps the very intensity of the berserker makes it difficult for others. Trying to scale down and "turn down" their emotions to the same level everyone else's are at can help produce another malady to which berserkers are prone in today's society: chronic depression. Unfortunately, most modern medications have not been formulated with the berserker's body chemistry in mind, so "treatment" can be difficult, and even sometimes dangerous.

other drugs, as well, do not interact the same in a berserker's body as most of the test subjects used to develop these drugs. This can mean an exceptionally high tolerance to pain medications, anesthesia, and certain forms of antihistamines, and extremely low tolerance to other medications, or some other weird reaction. Most of the time, this is but a minor annoyance, though there are times when it may become life-threatening. A point to be kept in mind for any berserker contemplating using street drugs (or anyone else, for that matter).

Berserkers are, in a sense, a more primitive type of person. They are closer to the natural world around them, and their shape-changing abilities garner them the instincts that are usually possessed only by animals. Smell, taste, sight, hearing, can all be developed in extraordinary ways within a berserker, as can the "sixth sense" abilities of animals, such as direction-sensing, seeing in dark light, etc.

Spiritually, they are a "doorway" between the inner realms of mankind, and the outer realms that lay beyond Midgardr. Another way of putting it is that they have one foot in the twilight zone, and one foot in the real world. They also possess the natural talent for drawing forth massive amounts of focused energy, the "berserkrgangr."

The berserker nature is to nurture. Their instincts are very strong to protect that which is dear to them. The horrible irony of most berserker's lives is how much they need the very society that usually rejects them for their abilities.

All too often, under the stress of strict parents, an over-demanding boss, or the demands of a "normal" modern world that neither accepts, nor believes, in those things that cannot be measured or felt, a berserker learns to reject and hate the very part of himself that is his heart and soul. The "seeing" into the realms beyond is turned off, or rationalized away.

Anger, and other emotions, that cannot be allowed to be felt lest the berserker act inappropriately, or "offend" someone else's sensibilities, are repressed. It is easy for an untrained, unschooled berserker, who has not the slightest idea of what he or she is to turn those emotions inwardly, for lack of anything else to do with them. This is not only the primal cause for the chronic depression mentioned earlier, but it can also lead to bodily sickness, the overuse of drugs and alcohol and other forms of self-destructive behavior, which generally only serves to further reinforce a berserker's negative self-image.

The best summation of a berserker is of a person who melds all that is opposite within the soul. They are deadly killers, yet they are the most gently and loving people you can imagine. They will sacrifice their lives in a heartbeat to protect a friend, or stranger, yet none possess a stronger drive to survive. Berserkers embody a bundle of contradictions, and perhaps no one is more confused than they are themselves.

in order to create a true place for the berserker in the modern world, and to understand the warriors of old as well, the "raw" berserker must be understood. Berserkers truly need the Norse gods to balance the berserk half of themselves, and to provide direction for the awesome powers that rage within them. As Thorr symbolizes, might without wisdom is an etin-force that needs the stroke of the hammer to contain it.

using a mirror

Here is an exercise you can try which may or may not aid you in mental shifting or in discovering your totem animal. As with many things, your mileage may vary.

Stand in front of a mirror in a dark room. You will need just enough light in the room to see a dim reflection of yourself in the mirror, but no more. Stare at yourself in the mirror for several minutes, trying not to move your eyes. After a few minutes your image will begin to fade out. I'm not sure why this happens but it is an optical illusion. At this point the idea is to keep looking and watch what happens. Try to "look past" yourself if that makes sense, to see what might be behind or within you that cannot normally be seen with your human body there. Watch for any changes that you see as your image fades out. Sometimes this has resulted in people seeing their totem animal or "wereside" as their human image fades out. Other times it can result in seeing a ghost (your human soul, perhaps?), an aura, or nothing at all.

You can also try variations on this; one is to try and force a change. As your human image starts to fade, try to imagine yourself changing into the animal you want to change to. Sometimes this works but it must be practiced. One way to get this to work is to try and imagine your eyes changing first, since you are staring at your own eyes, and then try to change the rest. Another variation is to try this with varying levels of light, all the way from a completely dark room to a very bright room.

Don't expect results the first time you try this. It takes some practice for most people before they see anything.

Please follow me and we shall begin the tour.

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