Written by LA Judge

These days there is a lot of confusion over what defines real vampirism, not the least of which comes from the vampire "community" itself. It seems that with the wave of Hollywood sci-fi and pop fiction - role-playing games - mass marketing - mass media - and the internet, real vampirism has become intertwined, mixed and confused on many levels away from its long held traditions of only a generation ago. (This too is something that I am sure that anyone from the pre-1980's Pagan communities can relate to as well.) Too often these days real vampirism is considered to be anything that is conceived of as "dark" in cultural orientation. This unfortunately includes mixing with the Goth, BDSM or role playing gaming (and live action role play) sub-cultures, the mixing of real vampirism and the Pagan religions and anyone that is depressed that wants to feel that their depression has a more "ancient" exotic source. All of this has literally been a tidal wave that has swept over real vampirism and washed away many of its original understandings. A "real vampire" in our current western terminology has become somewhat of dark romantic mythical icon with few moral restraints. In our rigid modern culture, with complex rules to every part of our social order, this icon is often something to which many aspire. But that icon is a fantasy and no closer to real vampirism than television is to the real world.

Vampirism is a real physical condition related to bio-energy need. Bio-energy is that life force energy found in all living things. Bio energy is literally the spark of life. It has been called many things in many culture over the years. Chi, ki, prana, and many other names all refer to the same life force living bio energy that separates living from dead, animate from inanimate. Living bio-energy is the energy it takes to be alive and to physically run and maintain your body.

The key words with real vampirism are NEED and PHYSICAL. It has been known for centuries that bio-energy does exist, but science is just now getting the tools it needs to start to make that confirmation. (For more information check out the work being done on empathy at University College in London. It is a good place to start an exploration of bio energy, but there are many others as well.) In folks affected with real vampirism, there is a direct physical connection to physical health and bio-energy. Because the affected person cannot produce enough bio-energy on their own, they have real physical symptoms and problems. Severe body aches, joint pain, persistent blinding migraines, constant low-grade headache in the base ganglia, mental confusion or fuzziness, weight gain (even when not eating), lowered immune system resistance to disease, severe problems dealing with weather extremes (particularly cold and low pressure systems) are some of the more common physical symptoms with which real vampires are affected. Most of these physical symptoms disappear (with the exception of the weather sensitivity and the base ganglia headaches) once the affected individual adds bio-energy from outside sources. There is no cure for real vampirism, only treatment. The treatment is learning to understand your body's energy needs and adding supplemental bio-energies as needed. It is thru balancing energy needs that the real vampire manages their physiological condition.

Most real vampires have shown signs of lower bio-energy from birth. However, the full affects of real vampirism are usually not fully present until puberty or later. Most have also been diagnosed with, and have ruled out a variety of other maladies. These include anemia, vitamin deficiencies, Mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Fibromyalgia and where appropriate Sickle Cell. The vampire condition mimics many other afflictions in its physical properties, but does not show the biological properties that confirm diagnosis. Things such as the presence of virus, joint deterioration and inflammation are not present - just the physical pain. Like all physiological problems, there are degrees of severity with which someone with vampirism can be affected. Affected individuals can run from the mild to extreme and the degree of severity can fluctuate with living conditions, available bio-energy and with age.

In the vampire community, these days there are a number of misconceived sub-cultures that have decreed themselves "real" vampires. I am going to address a few of these groups here.

One such group is comprised of mostly underage young people that claim they are "unblooded" (usually the same ones listening to Marilyn Mason and shopping at Hot Topic). They are attracted by that by that dark romantic icon of the Goth sub-culture and see vampirism as means of self expression allowing them to act our their darker feelings without out the moral constraints usually present in modern culture. These of course are not real vampires, in fact, they closely mimic the role-play gamer sub-culture but since they are not actively role-playing, they declare themselves to be the real deal. Adopted are extreme behaviors and personality traits that can lead to at risk behavior. Such things include self-cutting, lack of basic social morals including respect for others and respect for property and uncontrolled blood drinking in group social situations. Most of the people that participate in this behavior have a 2-5 year fascination with vampirism and out grow the need to feel as if they are participating as their economic or educational horizons change.

Another group calling themselves "real vampires" are those having some sort of emotional trauma which they cannot accept. They are just that - trauma victims. They usually are struggling with depression but unwilling to accept the diagnosis. And frequently they are not willing to accept the therapy or the medications. Very often, these are very energy sensitive people that have found they can cover or mask their own feelings of depression by supplementing their own feelings with bio-energy. They are particularly drawn to instances where they can take on the feelings of others and hence use the energy taken from empathic situations. While these individuals claim they "need" the energy, it is not for physical reasons. They have no physical symptoms of vampirism. Their only "need" comes from their own psychological need to mask their depression. In real vampire circles, these folks are referred to by the somewhat derogatory term of "psychic leeches". These folks can range from the mild to the aggressive in behavior but in all cases, it is the trauma or depression driving them to seek out emotional energies. This too is the group from which you will hear such claims of being "cured" of vampirism. Once the underlying cause of the trauma is addressed, they no longer have the "need" for such energies.

The last group or subculture that I am going to address is "spiritual" vampirism. There is a growing group of folks that seem to disconnect the physical symptoms and ailments of real vampirism with the human ability to sense and take bio-energy. But as I have stated many times, real vampirism is determined by physical need, not just human ability. This subculture includes folks that feel they are a vessel for or are possessed by a "vampire spirit" those that can feel or draw energy (particularly emotional / empathic energy) and those that have mixed this energy ability with the basic of the Pagan religions. I have even heard of some stating that there are "vampire gods" to which they pray or aspire. In all cases these are people that have stepped outside of the more formally recognized formal codified religions and finding a path where they can incorporate a Gothic lifestyle with their human need for religion. Often these groups are organized into "clans" or 'houses" and include a great deal of ceremony and pomp that has grown out of the fictional literature, the role-play gamer and fictional film industries. Such things can include energy raising ceremonies, drinking of a communal cup of wine and hierarchies within in the group that can even include a vampire priest / priestess of sorts. All of these things have been part of long held traditions of formal religions, but once they are included under the guise of vampirism they are mistaken for the real vampirism of which they are not a part. After all the spiritual is just that and has no connection to the symptoms associated with the physiological condition. Illness does not equal religion.

There is starting to be a growing mountain of evidence that humans are genetically hardwired to seek out a spiritual connection. (See the work of geneticist Dean H. Hamer and others.) In much the same way that humans are hardwired to communicate thru the use of language, we also seem to be driven to seek a spiritual connection. But a need for spiritual connection is not physical. It does not address physical ailments associated with real condition of vampirism. People do feel a spiritual connection or spiritual energy, but this under no circumstances should be mistaken for real vampirism. It is the same spiritual need that is present in all humans and not part of a physical ailment.

In conclusion, I want to point out that while in modern pop culture the general definition "vampirism" has changed greatly to encompass many things, the real condition of vampirism has not. It is always defined by physical symptoms and physical need for supplemental bio-energy. Real vampirism will still be a physiological condition long after the pop culture fascinations with vampirism run their course and are forgotten in time.