The original site this came from is long gone, so this has been rescued from the Wayback Machine.
The views here are those of the author, and are presented for archival purposes.
I have made layout changes, but otherwise left the grammer alone. ~Sphynx
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 12:16:46 -0500 (EST)
Last Modified:16 Oct 1996
For the past two years or so, I have researched "real" vampires. The method
of my research has been observance of and discussion with those people I have
met who claim to be real vampires. I decided to heavily research this topic
when an acquaintance of mine claimed to actually be a vampire. Since then, I
have cultivated this relationship into a close personal friendship. She was
my first contact into the world of vampires and has been my best research associate
ever since. Special thanks to her and all the other vampires who have been kind
enough to talk about this condition.
Now for the nitty-gritty of real vampires as I have observed them. I have been
able to classify real vampires into several categories. These are as follows:
PSYCHIC VAMPIRES
These are people who, for whatever reason, derive nourishment from "feeding"
from the "life energy" of people around them. This form of vampirism falls into
the category more of metaphysics and the occult than mainstream science. It
seems psy-vamps have the ability to draw out the "chi," "manna," or plain energy
of their victims. They do not seem to have the craving for blood found in most
other forms of vampirism. In advanced cases, the vampire can choose from which
victim to draw and even which types of energy to take. The one with whom I have
spoken uses this ability to heal others by feeding from the "negative" energy
in the victim's aura. From what I have heard from the "victim/patients," she
is quite good at what she does. In less developed cases, the psy-vamp might
not even know about this condition. Other people around him or her might feel
"drained" from the person's presence, and hence the vampire will usually have
trouble keeping friends. A good psychic can usually tell if a person is a psy-vamp.
There is no known cure, but a psychic vampire can learn to control his/her feeding
habits.
"SPIRIT-INFLUENCED" VAMPIRES
These are, no doubt the most frustrating cases to study
because they differ so widely. In the one case I have been able to study, the
vampire was involved in demonology and either erred or made a pact he later
regretted. It seems that certain "spirits" or "demons" can give people some
of the characteristics of other types of vampires in exchange for partial possession.
The new vampire then has certain enhanced abilities and, in exchange, allows
the spirit to take over now and then. At first this almost sounds like a form
of symbiosis, but the human in the deal soon finds that the spirit usually does
things that are morally unacceptable. He seems to be in a constant state of
remorse for the things he's done. He wouldn't go into details, but he did hint
at murder. Also in this category are the vampires who claim to have been changed
by a visitation in a dream or by the apparition of a ghostly vampire. Cases
in this category are documented in the book _Vampires_Among_Us_ by ???????.
I have not personally met any such vampire, but I have met people who were visited
but not changed.
"VIRAL" VAMPIRES
This is the category where I have had the most experience. "Viral" vampires
are the ones that seem to have the most reason to call themselves vampires.
This "virus" is what causes the change to take place. It is passed on through
blood, sexual secretions, and occasionally saliva. Transmission is usually deliberate
and ritualistic. I have heard of one case where the would-be vampire "got over"
the virus, and a few cases where the receivers died during the process. It is
unknown if this is an actual virus or if the effects are psychosomatic based
on the archetype of the American Vampire. Nonetheless, the effects and changes
associated with this type of vampirism are real. The process of change is the
traditional exchange of body fluids in a ritual setting. The fledgling commonly
experiences a near-death-experience at some point, sometimes seemingly unrelated
to the change into a vampire. Effects of the change include photosensitivity,
increased night vision, anemia, dual-personality (one normal personality and
another that takes over when the vampire looses it's temper), a blood fetish,
a craving for rare red meat, and if the person had any psychic ability, this
is increased. Sex drive is first decreased then increased beyond the intensity
before the change. Most vampires describe the sensation as like that of being
on LSD during a mild trip. From the descriptions, it seems to me to be more
akin to the effects of thojune, the hallucinogen in Absinthe. Either way, the
sensuality of a vampire is apparent. Some vampires notice a change in muscle
movement. It is more direct, smooth, rapid, and efficient. Most vampires of
this variety notice a slowed aging process. Depending on the strain of the virus,
all of these changes are present to differing degrees. I have not met any one
older than mid-sixties, so longevity is debatable. The one in her mid-sixties
I met looked like a sickly mid twenties. Her lack of signs of aging was remarkable,
but it remains to be seen how long these vampires live. The oldest one I've
heard of anyone actually meeting was in his nineties. He is rumored to have
looked not a day over 60.
VAMPIRES BY BIRTH
This is by far the largest category of vampires I have met over the 'net.
It seems that in some circles, the proper answer to the question of "Are you
a Vampire?" is, "All my life." This type differs very little from the viral
variety, if at all, other then how they got that way. Many vampires by birth
can trace their vampirism through several ancestors, though not always in a
direct line. It seems that this type of vampirism may be genetic, being a recessive
trait, according to one fellow researcher I know. Many vampires by birth are
somewhat indignant towards those of the viral variety, kind of like a king from
an ancient house would be towards a king at the start of a royal line. Vampires
form birth do have their share of problems, however. Usually they don't know
what they are. During puberty, they begin to show signs of what they are, and
may not know who to talk to about it. This is why so many of them talk about
it on the 'net. It is rather impersonal and don't have to be told to their faces
that they are crazy, which, of course, they are not. Some, however are lucky
enough to have parents and even grandparents who also have this genetic trait,
so it is much easier for them to deal with what they are.
IMMORTAL VAMPIRES
What can be said? They are elusive. I've heard rumors as to their existence,
but despite intense research, I have not found any real proof. One person I
know claims to have spoken with one, but I cannot verify his account. The theory
I am going on is that immortals are possibly an extremely powerful strain of
the "viral" variety. The characteristics are almost identical, with the exception
of intensity. Again, this is a virtually unexplored topic because of the lack
of evidence.
WHITE WOLF GAMES CONNECTION
The emergence of White Wolf's Games' Vampire: The Masquerade has sparked not
only a surge of interest in vampires, but it has also given rise to the application
of the game's terminology to real life vampires. The reason for this seems to
be twofold. First, for those who wish to keep their existence as vampires relatively
secret, at least to certain people, it is a perfect excuse to get people to
stop asking the wrong kind of questions. ("It's just a role-playing game. See?"
- Holds up a copy of the rulebook...) The live-action version of the game is
especially suited to that sort of excuse. (Don't get me wrong, the vast majority
of people who play this sort of game are NOT vampires.) Second, The game gives
vampires and non-vampires, alike a common jargon. It is almost like a first
dictionary on the subject. As for the game itself, I have the same comment on
it as I do on all of White Wolf's other games: "Take reality. Make it interesting
and adventurous, add excitement and a whole lot of exaggeration, and you get
a White Wolf Game." This was originally my opinion on their Mage: The Ascension,
but I've come to apply it to every other game I've seen by them since. I am
convinced that the writers there at least know something about the real-world
equivalents of their various topics.
This article is presented as part of an ongoing effort to present other views outside of, as well as within, the online vampire community. Those of us who consider ourselves vampiric don't always look at things from the same viewpoint due to our life experiences. As such, the views and opinions contained in this article are entirely those of the author(s), and may not necessarily be shared by SphynxCatVP. The webmaster is not under obligation to update or otherwise keep current the contents of this article. Most importantly, only you can decide for yourself whether this article or any of the author(s) other views are useful or applicable to you - you are responsible for using your own reasoning and judgement, so judge wisely.
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