Shapeshifting: A Practical Guide

Abstract

"Shapeshifting: A Practical Guide" explores shapeshifting as an embodied and ethically grounded practice that expands our understanding of selfhood, kinship, belonging, and care. Drawing from physical theater and play traditions such as Jacques Lecoq and InterPlay, Buddhist teachings on no-self, and animist worldviews including those of the Yukaghir hunters of Siberia, I argue that intentional shapeshifting can be a method for softening the boundaries of the self and cultivating a felt sense of relationality with other beings, whether real or imaginary. Through both scholarly analysis and experiential inquiry, I investigate how mimetic embodiment allows practitioners to move beyond imitation into internalization: not merely “playing at” being a tree, animal, or fictional character, but temporarily being that entity from within. Shapeshifting becomes a form of "kinning"—an imaginative and physical process that reveals our interdependence with the world. However, this practice is not without its risks. The project also considers the psychological and cultural ethics of shapeshifting, particularly when engaging with real people or culturally significant identities. In response, I explore the importance of protective rituals, humble intention, and conceptual grounding to guide safe and responsible practice. In addition to theoretical reflection, the project includes a section devoted to shapeshifting practices I designed, both for solo exploration and group contexts. These practices offer structured, accessible ways for participants to explore the transformative potential of the work. Ultimately, shapeshifting emerges not as escapism, but as a method of coming into deeper contact with life itself. It is a method that trains us in empathy, flexibility, and moral responsiveness by means of the body.