![wow ghost wolf forms wow ghost wolf forms](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d2/0c/af/d20caf418440185a1290cd3ceed58a0e.jpg)
Ghost Wolf is just the game mechanic, it's always been like this because of the Orcs which have a strong bond with wolfs and wargs (worgs ? ). Lorewise you could turn into any spirit animal I guess as long as you have a bond with it, there is also the Spirit Raptor glyph. It's not like druid shapeshifting in which they literally turn into an animal. The body of the shaman doesn't exist during that time, you become one with the spirit form. So if we put all of these together, you need to prove yourself to an animal spirit and then you can take its form. In the Ghost Wolf quest you had to summon a ghost wolf spirit then successfully track it in order to prove to it that you are worthy then it would bestow upon you the ability to take on its form. Shamans had to get their totems through quests and also their ghost wolf form. Warrior had to get their stances, druids had to learn their shapeshifting forms and so on. There are also the old Vanilla class quests in which most classes had quests in which they had to gain certain abilities. The only official information we have which is more an opinion of Micky Neilson - when a shaman transforms into a ghost wolf the shaman's body becomes incorporeal.
![wow ghost wolf forms wow ghost wolf forms](https://static.icy-veins.com/images/wow/large_icons/spell_nature_spiritwolf.jpg)
In Lore it happened with Thrall, when his soul was separated from his body and entered the spirit world he transformed into a spirit wolf. It's not exactly explained how it happens, the initial concept most likely had to do with native american shamanism and spirit wolfs and so they added that in the game.