AN INTERESTING POINT OF VIEW
I am using the term "blood vampires" here to refer to those self-defined HLV's whose main vampiric tendency is a compulsion, or need, to consume blood for reasons that are not primarily related to eroticism or emotional satisfaction. Amy Krieytaz has coined the term "sanguinarians" for such HLV's. Blood vampires do not experience any psychic vampire tendencies of which they are consciously aware and tend to be rather bewildered by the reported experiences of self-defined psychic vampires. Blood vampires feel a physical craving to consume blood, and most do so on a regular basis. Most desire human blood, and many blood vampires have arranged for "donors" to supply them with fresh blood. Some blood vampires describe a life-long fascination with blood and blood-drinking, while others experienced an abrupt awakening of blood-craving which they may or may not be able to trace to a certain event.
The amount of blood consumed, and the frequency of consumption, varies highly among blood vampires, but few consume more than tiny amounts at a time, usually obtained through slight cuts or punctures made by lancets or razor blades on willing human "donors". Often, the "donors" themselves undertake the making of all cuts or wounds. Many blood vampires insist that "donors" undergo testing for blood-borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis. Some blood vampires consume animal blood, but this is unpopular and usually considered an inferior substitute for human blood.
Because of the obvious difficulties in finding trustworthy or consistent "donors", or other sources of fresh blood, many blood vampires are highly concerned with the problem of "blood famine" or blood deprivation. Online discussion fora for HLV's often address the issue of blood deprivation and ways of alleviating symptoms. These discussions sometimes result in more frustration than assistance, however, when blood vampires are urged to "psi-feed" as a substitute for drinking blood and find this suggestion impossible or incomprehensible. More material substitutes for blood that are reported include "blood" drained from raw meat, rare meat itself, milk and dairy products, and even chocolate.
Blood-drinking HLV's believe strongly that their need to consume human blood is not merely psychosomatic, but none of them has been able to present any workable theory as to just why they require blood. This remains an open area of inquiry.
Blood vampires are divided into two primary categories, by intensity of their need for regular blood consumption.
Severe or "bloodlusting" blood vampires experience the most critical and physical blood cravings. They report a need for larger amounts of blood than most blood vampires or psi-blood feeders consume at one time, and require it more often. They also report the strongest feelings of physical "withdrawal" when prevented from consuming blood, sometimes so extreme as to resemble narcotics withdrawal (although I have yet to hear of a blood vampire who was hospitalized for blood withdrawal or blood famine symptoms). Some severe blood vampires believe that blood consumption may in itself be addictive, with higher amounts consumed resulting in an irreversible higher degree of need.
Some severe blood vampires talk about the strength of their inner compulsion to obtain blood by any means possible, and the difficulty of keeping such antisocial impulses in check. The phrase "The Beast" has been used to describe this almost overwhelming "shadow self" that threatens to take over when a severe blood vampire is suffering from blood deprivation, or when he or she has a source and that source is threatened. While I have not yet heard any of these blood vampires describe giving into "The Beast", they seem to agree that it requires their constant vigilance to keep under control.
Moderate or "blood-craving" blood vampires are satisfied with smaller amounts of blood from "donors" and do not experience the same intensity of withdrawal symptoms, or inner compulsion as severe blood vampires. They may be satisfied for far longer periods of time with various substitutes, and their need for blood may be more intertwined with complex emotional and sexual feelings. However, they are not merely blood fetishists, because they do report a physical need to drink blood.
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Psychic Vampires or Psi-vampires
This is a multi-layered and somewhat conflicting category. The most succinct way I can describe human living psychic vampires is the following: psychic vampires are living people who feel a pronounced need to enhance their natural state of being by drawing, absorbing, "draining" or "feeding on" some kind of "energy". Most psychic vampires claim that the kind of energy they require is life force, or "pranic energy", that is to say, a specific type of energy produced by living things and the biosphere as a whole. While this is the most common "energy" craved by psychic vampires, other types of "energy" that are identified, and differentiated from "pranic energy", include sexual energy, psychic energy, emotional energy, magickal energy, negative energy, astral energy, and atmospheric energy (for example, thunderstorms), and there are others mentioned, as well. These "energies" are given conflicting and overlapping definitions, however, and the explanations of what "energy" is, exactly, and how the psychic vampire uses it tend to vary from one individual to another. Most psychic vampires "feed" primarily from other human beings, but a great many report being able to "feed" from non-human living things and from other sources. In some cases, this is an emergency substitute, but some psychic vampires attempt to "wean themselves" away from human sources altogether for different reasons. Some psychic vampires hold (and this is simply their opinion) that it is more "evolved" or advanced to progress beyond feeding on humans. (See the section on Nonpersonal Energy Hungerers.)
Some psychic vampires report an ability to absorb "energy" from material sources, including fresh vegetables, rare meat and blood. Although many psychic vampires have an interest in blood-drinking, they do not seem to crave or lust for it as do blood vampires. It remains an open question whether psychic vampires who have an interest in blood, but who do not actually drink it, may not be reacting to the power of suggestion, and feel interested in blood because they self-identify as vampires and on some deep level associate vampires with blood. But this is a question that psychic vampires themselves will need to puzzle out. (See Psi-Blood Feeders for a discussion of psychic vampires who crave blood.)
Like blood vampires, psychic vampires feel that they must "feed" on the energy they require on a regular basis, and many report physical feelings of discomfort if they are denied access to a source. Symptoms of "energy deprivation" include extreme fatigue, depression, mood swings, immune system suppression with an increase in illnesses, uncontrollable "draining" of non-targeted sources, negative reactions from others close to the psychic vampire, insomnia and anxiety. Psychic vampires often discuss methods of finding energy sources and "feeding" reliably and harmlessly, and these methods vary to a high degree. I could not give a fair representative sampling, but some examples include psychic vampires who "feed" during sex, those who "feed" on large crowds, those who draw energy from the natural world and visit parks or wilderness when "hungry", and those who "feed" by finding people in highly energized states and either calming or further provoking them.
Unlike blood vampirism, psychic vampirism may be diagnosed either subjectively by the vampire or objectively by observers. Symptoms that one is a psychic vampire oneself include mood swings, dizziness, alternations between high energy and fatigue, headaches, a distinct feeling that one is pulling or drawing energy or emotions from other people, and similar feelings. But more and more people are being "diagnosed" as psychic vampires by other self-defined psychic vampires, on the grounds of numerous criteria. These include observed effects of the suspected psychic vampire on others (fatigue or depression in the presence of the psychic vampire, a sensation of phantom "tendrils" or attachments, a sensation that something is being pulled or drawn out of the body or aura) and direct psychic perception of the aura or energy field of the suspected psychic vampire.
Psychic vampires are developing a completely independent subculture of their own and have their own acknowledged leaders and their own vocabulary. They are also developing a consensual agreement on what being a psychic vampire feels like, both to the psychic vampire and to others around him or her, especially psychically sensitive others. Some psychic vampires identify what they call an "energy signature" that allows them to interpret whether another person is a psychic vampire, as well as what specific type they are and how they function. Such signatures are often read and interpreted during direct contact over such media as online chat or the telephone. Training methods adopted from modern magical traditions, standard psychic development disciplines, meditative paths such as Taoism and other sources are being introduced to help psychic vampires learn to control their "feeding" and learn to "manipulate energy". There are an increasing number of websites aimed specifically at psychic vampires and their concerns.
Psychic vampires proper fall into two main categories:
Conscious psychic vampires are fully aware of what they are and have identified as psychic vampires at least on some level. While they may not be able to completely control their "draining" tendencies, they do try, and seek methods of learning how to do so more effectively. When they have achieved at least some feeling of mastery, they often offer to teach and support other nascent psychic vampires by sharing what they have learned. They tend to have strong and volatile personalities.
Unconscious psychic vampires do not understand what they are, and tend to wander through life in a state of blissful ignorance or denial. They may or may not be aware of the effect they have on others, although they can see the results. Unconscious psychic vampires may stumble across a vampire website or other forum and experience a shattering moment of truth when it all clicks together. They may also be "diagnosed" by conscious psychic vampires and urged to face what they are and learn to control their tendencies. Of all vampires, unconscious psychic vampires tend to be most noticeable to ordinary people, who see them as clingy, attention-seeking, demanding, inconstant individuals. In some cases, these assessments are not supported by actual behavior, but are a materialist's rationalizations of the psychic perception of the vampire's energy draining, for which the average person has no context. Either way, unconscious psychic vampires do tend to have rocky and difficult relationships, home lives and personal interactions until they come to some kind of understanding of what they are.
Psi-Blood Feeders
During the past year, several vampire writers observed that the vast majority of self-defined human living vampires in the online community report both psychic vampire tendencies and a greater or lesser interest in drinking blood. For some, psychic vampire energy feeding is a possible substitute for blood-drinking; for others, the situation is the reverse. There appears to be a continuum running through the middle area between "pure" psychic vampires (psychic vampires with no craving to drink blood, although they may have some interest in it or even be blood fetishists) and "pure" blood vampires (blood vampires with no psychic vampire tendencies that are perceptible to themselves or others, although they may have psychic ability). HLV's falling within this continuum do experience some degree of blood craving at the same time that they experience definite psychic vampire tendencies. Whether these two tendencies alternate in predominance or remain in balance with respect to each other varies with the individual.
Issues faced by these psi-blood feeders are similar to those faced by both blood-drinking and psychic vampires. Symptoms of blood/energy deprivation are essentially the same as those of moderate, blood-craving blood vampires and those of psychic vampires. Psi-blood vampires share similar concerns related to finding "donors" or energy sources and benefit from training programs designed to control psychic vampire abilities.
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Other Vampiric People
Among the evolving Vampiric community, there is considerable controversy over the inclusion of certain types of people who are deeply interested in vampires and vampire concerns, yet do not report the same degree or type of cravings that HLV's do, either for blood or "energy". Some of these people have ventured into the online fora for "real vampires" (predominated by psi-blood feeding or psychic HLV's) and been hurt or discouraged by the attitudes expressed there generally, or by their reception when they introduced themselves. Pejorative terms such as "wannabees" are applied to them, and "vampersonals", or classified ad listings for HLV's, are thick with "no RPGers" admonitions. Nevertheless, these individuals often are seeking someplace where they belong and feel that they can be "themselves", and some writers, including Amy Krieytaz, Vincent Verthaine, and myself, have urged that they not be arbitrarily excluded. Some true HLV's also fall into some of the categories below. Boundaries among categories can be hazy and overlap considerably, and there is no rule that says a bona fide HLV might not also be interested in lifestyle vamping or be a blood fetishist. Some of these individuals may be HLV's who have not yet accepted their true nature, and use role-playing as a way of coming to terms with their inner selves. Amy Krieytaz in particular has urged the adoption of terms such as "vampiric people" and "the vampiric community" in order to avoid excluding those who sincerely wish to be a part of the HLV's reality.
Blood Fetishists
This is a category defined more by modern psychology than by popular consensus. A blood fetishist is a person who derives intense erotic/sexual arousal or satisfaction from the taste, sight, or feel of human blood. In psychological terms, such a person requires the object of obsession in order to gain any sexual release; in practice, blood fetishists may be more flexible. Amy Krieytaz explains that some blood fetishists practice bloodletting as an expression of trust, intimacy and bonding, apart from specifically erotic aspects. Blood fetishists are often found in the BDSM subculture, where their specific activities may be referred to as "bloodplay" or "bloodsports". These generally involve BDSM scenes that include bloodletting with razor blades or other implements (and sometimes by very imaginative methods). The amount of blood involved is almost always very small, and cuts seldom penetrate the dermis of the skin. Safe bloodletting techniques are highly emphasized. Blood fetishists may or may not be bona fide HLV's, or be interested in actually drinking or tasting blood. While referred to as "vampires" in psychological literature, they tend not to describe themselves with that word.
"Nonpersonal Energy Hungerers"
A term coined by Amy Krieytaz, "nonpersonal energy hungerers" are humans who have a need to draw "energy" from the environment around them, or from more esoteric sources such as "god". The term refers to the fact that these individuals don't require energy from human "persons", as do psychic vampires, but can drain it from other living things and non-living sources. Amy explains that both nonpersonal energy hungerers and psychic vampires may shift back and forth between drawing from people and drawing from "nonpersonal" sources. Another writer (who has now withdrawn from the community) discussed similar ideas, but applied them to psi-vampires, as she called them, generally, and defined herself as a "psi-vampire" although she stated that she usually did not "feed" on other people at all. However, Amy explains that the principal distinguishing feature of nonpersonal energy hungerers and psychic vampires is that psychic vampires require energy from human sources, while nonpersonal energy hungerers require energy from nonpersonal sources. For each, the alternative source is an optional and inferior substitute. Although it seems a fine distinction, it seems to be a critical one for those who experience this condition. Some nonpersonal energy hungerers have called themselves psychic vampires or otherwise identified with the psychic vampire community, but have tended to feel uncomfortable there, and sometimes felt that they were rejected or did not truly "belong". They sought a defining identity that corresponded with their actual needs without insisting that "all psychic vampires" shared their characteristics.
Nonpersonal energy hungerers experience many of the same symptoms of energy deprivation as psychic vampires. They face many of the same issues in terms of identifying and learning to tap the appropriate energy source, while controlling tendencies to "vampirize" unconsciously when in a deprived state. They can benefit from the same (or very similar) training techniques as psychic vampires. Their unique challenge is to discover precisely which source or sources of nonpersonal energy will provide them with what they need, and then locate and form connections to those sources.
Vampyre Lifestylers (sometimes "Vampyres" as opposed to "Vampires")
Individuals who dress in exotic vampire-like costumery (capes, anachronistic clothes and hairstyles, baroque and macabre jewelry, pale makeup with heavy black accents), decorate their homes in dark Victorian (or funeral parlor) gloom, assume prosthetic fangs and colored contact lenses, and in other ways imitate the Twentieth Century Vampire Myth, are sometimes called Vampyre Lifestylers. The term (to the best of my knowledge) is borrowed from "lifestyler Goth", which denotes people who are so serious about being Goth that they dress and act the part at all times and in all areas of life, as well as for clubbing or concerts. Many Vampyre Lifestylers are also Goth, and many are role-playing gamers. However, Vampyre Lifestylers take their vampiric presentation very seriously. They tend to regard vampirism as a state of mind, or a way of existence, rather than a specific tendency to "vampirize" others by "feeding" on them. For Vampyre Lifestylers, the image of the vampire is a metaphor for qualities they wish to manifest through emulation (classic imitative magic, after all). These qualities, based on the 20th Century Vampire Myth, include unearthly beauty, detachment, a long view of history and the future (if not immortality), an elegance of personal style, loyalty to a "clan" or "tribe" of "special" others like oneself, an acceptance if not a full embrace of death as a fact of life, individuality against social pressure to conform, and so on. Vampyre Lifestylers rarely if ever advocate predation upon others, although they may speak disparagingly of humans or "mortals" when they're socializing in full bloom. As a general rule, unless a Lifestyler is also an HLV (which is quite possible) or blood fetishist, he or she only dabbles in blood-drinking (or blood-tasting, more accurately) for the minor thrill and for the additional authenticity it lends to the vampire image. Some Vampyre Lifestylers form cooperative group households or "families" in order to live out the ideal of the "vampire clan" or extended family of "sires" and "fledglings" that is found in vampire games and fiction.
Some bona fide HLV's become full-blown Lifestylers as a way of expressing their inner nature. The well-known personality Catrina Coffin might be one example--Catrina's home full of macabre gimcracks, the coffin she sleeps in and the hearse she drives have been featured on several television documentaries, but she is evidently a true blood-craving HLV, as well.
For more information about Vampyre Lifestylers, see Vincent Verthaine's website, The Dark Aesthetic
Psychotic Vampires
There are those who may protest my inclusion of this category here, and there is no question that I am about to describe individuals who by no means are welcome among HLV's or in the vampiric community. However, I feel this category needs to be addressed, because for the average person on the street, these people--and none others--are what comes to mind when the notion of "real vampires" in any sense is brought up. They are frequently included in popular books about "real life vampires" and are the primary focus of "vampire" documentaries. HLV's and the vampire community need to clearly distinguish themselves from these people and their labeling by the psychological establishment as "vampires".
A psychotic vampire is a person who has a sociopathic mental illness that leads him (they are almost invariably male) to behave like a vampire, and sometimes to actually self-identify as one. In most cases, this identification is with folkloric/fictional vampires such as Dracula, Anne Rice's characters or the vampires in role-playing games. But more usually, psychotic vampires are simply obsessed with blood and will commit brutal crimes without remorse in order to see, taste, and feel it. They may also take on some of the trappings of Vampyre Lifestylers by wearing capes, sleeping in coffins, filling their homes with skulls, bones, and souvenirs stolen from cemeteries, and so on, but they should not be confused with true Lifestylers.
Several notorious criminals in history are considered by scholars and psychologists to have been psychotic vampires, including Fritz Haarman, Gilles de Rais, the Marquis de Sade, John Haigh, and Elizabeth Bathory. These individuals appear over and over in non-fiction books about vampires.
Some attention has been given to a condition named "Renfield's Syndrome" in psychological literature, based on the fly-eating character Renfield in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Renfield's Syndrome is described as having four stages: a trauma or "critical incident" in childhood in which the patient discovers that the taste and sight of blood is "exciting" or attractive; "autovampirism", the drinking of one's own blood (autohemophagia); "zoophagia", or the consumption of blood from animals; and finally "true vampirism", in which the patient must have human blood, and may resort to stealing blood from medical facilities, or serial murder. It should be obvious what kinds of complications could arise for HLV's being evaluated by psychologists, given this definition.
The difficult question, of course, is whether or not some psychotic vampires could actually be true HLV's suffering from mental illness. Obviously, they could. This presents even more critical reasons why HLV's need to be better understood, including to themselves.
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