WTF Is Permashifting?
Like many people, I waste my time scrolling through TikTok just to feel something. On my journeys I’ve stumbled across WitchTok, a dancing nun, glass bottles smashing on staircases, and the world of NPC’s. None of those prepared me for permashifting.
On a very basic level, permashifting is taking yourself to your “desired reality” (DR) permanently because you’re struggling to deal with your current reality (CR). At first, I thought it was just a joke and people were like “See ya, I’m out of this reality because it sucks” vibe. But then I got deeper into permashifting TikTok and things got a bit dark. People genuinely believe that they are transporting themselves to a different reality that they’ve conjured up.
If you’re thinking this is all a bit odd, you aren’t alone. People on Twitter have called permashifting “tiktok induced schizophrenia”. Naturally, the permashifters didn’t take kindly to that labelling.
What Is Permashifting?
Okay, prepare yourselves.
As mentioned, permashifting occurs when someone permanently moves to their “desired reality”. It can be anything that brings comfort. Permashifters script alternate lives and world-build inside that reality. If they don’t want to leave their families behind, they’ll just script their loved ones into the new reality. Yeah, it’s a lot.
But what happens to their bodies? Well, they claim that their “clones” will continue to exist in the current reality but they will basically be a “shell”. So… disassociating?
The idea of permashifting or shifting realities isn’t new. As you can imagine it’s incredibly popular on Tumblr for people who wanted to shift realities to date Draco Malfoy and live in the Harry Potter world, among other things. There’s even a whole Reddit dedicated to shifting realities.
When someone tries to shift, they will use a combination of meditation techniques to move their consciousness into a different reality. Scripting allows them to have a clear outline of what they want that reality to look like and who they will be in it.
Clinical psychologist Dr Joshua Kaplow told Inverse permashifting didn’t present any harm to those who participated in it. “Like any other habit, the practice of reality shifting is not inherently unhealthy,” he said. According to Kaplow, it’s common for people who have experienced some intense trauma or are struggling with their mental health to engage with permashifting, which can actually be beneficial. “Holding on to the idea that no matter how bad the world may feel around us, we have the ability, skill, and permission to be whatever we want by experiencing it internally can bring great hope in times of great distress,” he said.
Not going to lie, it makes me a bit sad thinking of how many people don’t want to exist in this reality. Feels a little morbid. But fair enough, there’s a lot going on. Between the cost of living crisis and a potential environmental collapse, I don’t entirely blame people for not wanting to be attached to this world. Whatever they need to cope, I suppose.
Ky is a proud Kamilaroi and Dharug person and writer at Junkee. Follow them on Instagram or on X.
Image: Getty