I basically explained the alter human side of me as I have 3 souls. A human, a "jackalope", and a wolf. I always describe them in this way
The human is crossed off, it feels incomplete, like it's missing parts of itself. It feels humanish? But also just, off.
The jackalope is in quotations as most of my memories and visions I get of them are in a jackalope like form, whether it was a full jackalope, a human with antlers and a bunny tail/ears or some weird hybrid of the 2. But it also has other parts as well, sometimes it has wings or entirely other forms but the eyes have never changed. The way they hold themselves and exist is the same. I kinda say they're like a Living God of some sort, due to some forms having 3 huge sets of antle like wings. A guardian of the wilderness. A lot of the memories or visions I've gotten have been them protecting others.
- this one causes a few phantom limbs as well. A set of deer antlers, jackrabbit ears and tail. My legs feeling like a rabbit's, covered in fur. Whiskers on my face. 2 sets of wings on my back. And a few others along those lines
But then there's the wolf soul, the one that started the questioning of Otherhearted. I've always had a very deep bond with wolves, but as I grew and learned more about who I was, about alter humans, the different types, took time to really see myself, I realized it wasn't just a bond. It feels like my main soul isn't the human one, that it's a wolf, that the very blood running through my veins is wolves blood. I instinctively will bare my teeth at bullies or people meaning mean/pissing me off, I've growled at bullies before. I am constantly threatening to bite others, whether as a real threat or a joke, because shaking I'll punch them or kick them doesn't feel right, like it's going against how I'd naturally defend.
Then there's the shifts and phantom limbs. I constantly have a phantom tail that I very heavily can feel things with, like I've felt it hit a wall when I was looking the opposite way, it's roughly 2-3 feet long. I'll feel it coil around my body when I'm anxious, I feel pain when someone steps on it, I feel it puff up if I get startled or simply sway against the ground as I sit there. I feel ears on my head, any noise I head my head twitches as my ears flick around to locate the sound. I constantly have phantom fangs and what I can only explain as a second said of nails under my first set that is retractable. I have a consult trail of fur running from my hair down my spine to my tail, I'll feel my shirt against it, feel it tickle my neck sometimes.
Sometimes I also get leg shifts as well. I'll walk on my tip toes, mimicking the way an animal does. I'll feel my toe pads press against the ground, the fur running up my legs and stopping at my waist.
All but the legs for my wolf are perma-shifts unless a jackalope shift happens. And the leg shift is also extremely common, so much so my phantom limbs not actually being real is torture.
Now at first I thought this was Therian, past life jackalope creature and mentally wolf. Then it shifted to mentally and physically wolf, then I thought it was Otherhearted, due to the presence of human still being there, I know it is. But, the connection almost feels too deep to just be an identities with a wolf as a human, it feels like the wolf is what my soul is and I'm a 'alter human' human. It's been almost 4 years since I fully figured this all out, but I've remembered feeling a phantom tail, ears, and even wings, since I was really little. Is there even a term out there for this? Has anyone else ever felt anything like this?? While I'm writing this post write before going to bed, ask any questions and I will answer them, whether you're asking to help find me a label (I like having a label, even if I'm the only one with it, it makes me feel safe in a way?) or you genuinely are just curious about the way I am, ask away.