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Vuldari wrote: "What stimuli would trigger an instinctive desire to hide?"

Sunrise would work as an excellent stimuli for this. While the full moon does give off a good deal of light, it can still be quite dark, a good enviroment to hunting in without being discovered, that, and most humans, the species that would actually have the bravey(and lack of brains) to hunt them and kill them, sleeps at night. Rather than the day.

Humans are usually active during the day, so shifting back to human as the sunrises is to prevent detection and (likey) subsquent death, as the sun gives much more than enough light to be seen in clear detail. And you can never know if the one human who sees you is gonna shrug it off as a day-dream, halucination, drunk, etc. , or pull out a revolver and try to blow your head off while screaming, "Werewolf!"

Here is a good question. Does a werewolf have to revert to human form to sleep?

Figarou wrote:Here is a good question. Does a werewolf have to revert to human form to sleep?

I suppose that depends on whether or not Werewolves revert to human form when they calm down. If relaxing triggers the reverse shift, then logically, the werewolf could not fall asleep without reverting first. However, if werewolves can remain in wolf form while relaxed, then I don't see why they could not curl up in a warm spot and take a little" Doggie nap". (...no degradation intended).

It seeems to make more sense to me if a werewolf can change at will whenever they want and then stay in that form until they decide to change back.

As far as sleeping however what if you shifted during your sleep ? Much like talking in your sleep or sleep walking, canines will run in their sleep. So would a werewolf be able to shift only when they are concious or unconcious or both ?

I think that goes back to "what causes the transformation?". if the cause was adrenaline or something similiar, then a nightmare could definitely cause the change.

But what if the werewolf is having a "normal" dream for example running through a forest and then sit down and relax for the rest of the dream, would that cause them to shift back into their human form or remain as a werewolf until they wake up?.....

In my works I have my lead character shift in his sleep. It sometimes filters into his dreams, too. Just as we sometimes dream that we can't move, becoming aware of our real-life body in sleep paralysis (a normal protective mechanism that keeps us from acting out our dreams), he finds himself stuck in whatever form his waking body is in--usually wolf. It's also kind of like the nudity dream in a different sense--being in public, shifting in front of people.

Guessing aside, it would seem more likley a werewolf would only be able to shift conciously, at least after the first time.

Blade-of-the-Moon wrote:Guessing aside, it would seem more likley a werewolf would only be able to shift conciously, at least after the first time.

Of course.

Silverclaw wrote:I dont think that when the sun rises, a werewolf will suddenly turn back into a human. Even during a clear day, you can usally still see the moon. Anyway, I would think that a werewolf would have to calm down and concentrate to turn into a human again. The first few times would most likely be a fustrating time. Newbies will still be pumped full of adrenaline and then be surprised they were not turning back to normal in morning light. That may even cause them to panic, hence more adreneline. It would be best if an experenced ww explained things before paw.

Good point, for most werewolves, their first instinct at seeing the sun would be "Oh #### -- REVERT!!!" since there'd be a much greater chance of them being seen in the daytime, but if the body's adrenaline levels need to receed in order for it to revert, a werewolf would either need:

A) To be really experienced

B) To revert before sunrise.
C) A Mounds bar.

Terastas wrote:

Silverclaw wrote:I dont think that when the sun rises, a werewolf will suddenly turn back into a human. Even during a clear day, you can usally still see the moon. Anyway, I would think that a werewolf would have to calm down and concentrate to turn into a human again. The first few times would most likely be a fustrating time. Newbies will still be pumped full of adrenaline and then be surprised they were not turning back to normal in morning light. That may even cause them to panic, hence more adreneline. It would be best if an experenced ww explained things before paw.

Good point, for most werewolves, their first instinct at seeing the sun would be "Oh #### -- REVERT!!!" since there'd be a much greater chance of them being seen in the daytime, but if the body's adrenaline levels need to receed in order for it to revert, a werewolf would either need:

A) To be really experienced

B) To revert before sunrise.
C) A Mounds bar.

NO, Almond Joy. That has nuts!!

I thought it was coconut that made them trip. They both have it, right?

Terastas wrote:I thought it was coconut that made them trip. They both have it, right?

Of course. Both have coconut. But if you want to "feel like a nut," go for the Almond Joy.

*ahem* CocoNUT

So by that definition, Mounds can make you feel like a nut and Almond Joy can make you feel like a nut with a split-personality disorder.
Wow. Look how off topic we are.

Terastas wrote:*ahem* CocoNUT

So by that definition, Mounds can make you feel like a nut and Almond Joy can make you feel like a nut with a split-personality disorder.
Wow. Look how off topic we are.

I take it you never saw the commercial for these candy bars, correct?


Head to this page and you'll see what I'm talking about.

http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/almondjoy.asp

ALMOND JOY candy bar
If “SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT,” grab this classic treat of almonds and sweetened coconut dipped in milk chocolate.

Figarou wrote:I take it you never saw the commercial for these candy bars, correct?

Are you kidding? I almost had that as the quote for my yearbook!
So yeah, I know about it. I was just pulling your tail feathers.

Terastas wrote:

Figarou wrote:I take it you never saw the commercial for these candy bars, correct?

Are you kidding? I almost had that as the quote for my yearbook!
So yeah, I know about it. I was just pulling your tail feathers.

HA!!

*Hands Terastas an Almond Joy*

*eats it* Your food is never safe when i'm here... so, anyway...

I figure becoming calm would do it, whenever. Night could provoke excitement, though.

Nigth could provoke a shift for some people, but you have to take into consideration some people find the night calming, so it would have to depend on the person really.

This raises the question of whether the trigger is physiologic or psychological, or both.

Digestion and heartbeat are physiologic. You can't turn off your stomach, rare biofeedback expertise aside, and no one in one's right mind would stop the heartbeat. If lycanthropic shifting is physiologic, then biofeedback might give one the ability to manage shifting a little, but it would take an extreme amount of work, and most lycanthropes would be subject to the will of the trigger, be it the full moon or what-not.

Crying tears is a reaction to a psychological trigger. Actors and con-artists train themselves all the time to do it, though it also happens involuntarily to highly emotional triggers, such as the tears of joy when The Howling finally came out on DVD.

Whether or not one can shift while unconscious depends on the physiologic mechanism.

Reverting would probably comme upon exhaustion or from becoming calm, entirely. it could also be forced reverting by a particular element.

IMHO

From what I’m reading, most of you feel that the shift is connected to adrenaline and/or the moon. Since we’ve covered this in other places on this board, I’ll reiterate. The moon has a definite influence on humans and animals. Why it WOULDN’T affect a WW is what I want to know. Besides, I like the whole werewolf moon connection.
I like Blade-of-the—Moon’s theory. An experienced WW, say after several years, would be able to control his shifting. The moon, however, pulls at them making it harder to control.

As for shifting back, I would guess that the newbie WW would have no more control over that than shifting TO. However, since their body’s natural state is human, they would shift back when the body calmed down on its own. I would think sleep would cause that to happen, as well as

Could a WW change because of a nightmare? Some of you think yes, some no. I would guess that if they could, it would be a very experienced WW, one that was used to changing.


Just my points of view.

Silver wrote:IMHO

From what I’m reading, most of you feel that the shift is connected to adrenaline and/or the moon. Since we’ve covered this in other places on this board, I’ll reiterate. The moon has a definite influence on humans and animals. Why it WOULDN’T affect a WW is what I want to know. Besides, I like the whole werewolf moon connection.
I like Blade-of-the—Moon’s theory. An experienced WW, say after several years, would be able to control his shifting. The moon, however, pulls at them making it harder to control.

Which phase? Full moon? any phase? or it doesn't matter. If a werewolf was born under a half moon, would that affect him?

Silver wrote:Could a WW change because of a nightmare? Some of you think yes, some no. I would guess that if they could, it would be a very experienced WW, one that was used to changing.

If it takes concentration to shift, then its an uncontrolled urge during a nightmare. That nightmare could be an urge to kill. Or maybe defend itself in some way. Will that werewolf wake up screaming in bed, or out in the field covered in someone elses blood.

Hhmmmm... I suppose it could go either way.... I guess it would depend on the kind of nightmare the ww is having....

There is definitly a tie to the moon in this. Although with enough training, you can resist changing. And eventually, change at will without the moon. But at first, its the moon, full, in the sky that causes the first shift. And it takes several full moons before you can have enough practice being in form to learn control.