Welcome to 2004.

This month as guest host for the interview section I have the pleasure of peeking into the personal side of Damien Daville, Founder and Elder of the Vampire Church.

Founded in 1996, the Vampire Church is the largest and most respected of the on-line real vampire communities. While other groups have come and gone, the Vampire Church remains strong, and even its detractors have nothing more than a different approach to site as its "faults".

Damien discusses his early life, what he knows to be true about vampirism, the foundling days of the Vampire Church, turning 50 and how to make the perfect Delano Shooter. Sit back and enjoy as I reveal to you one of the most public, private men you will ever meet.

Greetings Damien and welcome to 2004.

Thank you for joining me in what has become an almost annual event. In doing my homework on you for this interview I do have to say that you present quite a paradox. You are intensely private, yet openly public; highly empathic, yet calculating and logical; simple but yet highly complex. You present a kind of a ying/yang balance on all fronts.

Greetings to you LALA and thank you for asking me.

I am going to start with some history.

Go back with me if you will, growing-up in Virginia. I have seen in earlier interviews how you first learn of your vampirism by consuming energies and blood from school mates that thought you were a bit on the freakish side. What I haven't seen though is how you knew you were on the right path? For me it was easy at that age, I was part of a small group, I had support. But you were out there on your own. That must have been strange and terrifying. So what internally "clicked" for you? Was it all at once, or was it a realization over a period of time?

I discovered that I was highly affected by the emotional energies of other people when I was a teen in high school. That is I would feel what others felt emotionally and that included being affected in both an adverse way and a positive way. This was difficult to handle for a while and I had to find ways to try and block some of this energy. I also found that I was an Empath and that also some emotional energies from friends could have a positive impact on me. I would feel uplifted and energized with some kinds of emotional energy and that made me seek it. As for the energy of blood, I had an experience where I got a nasty cut on my hand while out and decided one way to dispose of the bleeding was to "lick" the blood. This also gave me an uplift although I found the blood to be bitter tasting. After a while I sought out the blood of friends thru simple cuts, and that is when I first was called a "vampire". All of this is taking place over several months.

Wow awakened for 35+years. That is a long time to have been balancing your daily energy needs. Lol more than two thirds of the people on your e-list are not even approaching that age. How was it that you first came to be around others with the same energy needs? Surely you didn't call yourself "vampires" back then?

I went through high school with a lot of questions about these newly found needs for the emotional energy and blood energy of others. I knew that there were times that this energy energized me and I sought it out more in the late 1960s. It was not until after high school that I started seeking out other people for answers and others who might be like me. I did not know what to call what I had, I even thought that there may be something medically wrong with me. Friends and family suggested therapy.

If I may ask - So what did you call yourselves and how did this term "vampire" first come into being?

I went to New York for a while after that and found people who had the same kind of needs and uplift I had from these energy sources. I did not know what it was I had, but I knew I was quite different and that maybe I was simply a "freak". Then I started learning more about what others called "vampirism" and that I had a condition that resembled it.

Fast forward a little bit, the 1970's, not high-school, but pre-college I think for you. The scene back then was all coffeehouses, pubs and diners - much the same as today's offline havens, yet intensely more secretive. How did you fit into all of this?

I use to attend meetings with other "Goths" and some people that I learned had the same condition as I did from going to clubs. We would meet at each other's apartments and sometimes at a coffee house when we had no other alternative or it was more convenient. I started to learn more about myself thru the experiences of others. Back during this time in the 1970s, it was difficult to find any information and we just decided to stick with the name "vampire".

You and computers, talk about a paradox. I know that you have a love / hate relationship with them. You are a highly skilled programmer, have worked for a major computer corporation, run your own consulting business and maintain not one, but two presences on the web. Quit a lot for a man that “growls” at the 'net on a daily basis. How did you first become involved with them and is this where you thought that path would take you?

Well... I became interested in computers much later in my life in the early

1990s as a curiosity. I remember getting my own first "box" and building my own system. I wanted to learn programming and coding and became interested in meeting people on the internet. I remember that there was not much information about vampirism on the internet back over ten years ago. Now there is this explosion of interest and there are now a lot of chats, forums, and groups about the subject. I decided I wanted to learn website coding and taught myself, that is how my business site started, the Darkfear Network.

Your business site, the Darkfear site, http://darkfear.com, shows quite a personal fascination with the subjects of darkness and fear for you. What is it with that?

Well... I have been fascinated with the subject of people's fear of many things. I decided I wanted to do some research on the subject and created a site to do that where people could post their fears. This is how the sister site at http://darkfear.net got started. I have compiled a lot of data on the subject and I constructed the site with a theme on the subject. I believe that fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of people.

Out of this involvement with darkness that you had with others on the web, came the early vestiges of the Vampire Church, I know that you did not own the name at first and it grew out of another group, can you talk me through that?

Actually in my early days of looking for other forums to talk about the subject of vampirism, I met some people on the internet whom I thought were doing some good work. I worked with a person who had started a group called the Legion Of Darkness, and at the time he had started work on a group called the Vampyre Church (notice the "y" in Vampyre). He decided after a few months to leave the group and asked me to take it over. I told him that I would not do that and went on to start the Vampire Church, with a change in name.

Why is it then you stuck it out and held on to the name Vampire Church, why not just start-up under another name?

The name, Vampire Church was of my own choosing and was a new group. I started it with just about nothing and created it's own website myself. It was a new beginning of my ideas of an organization about the vampire condition, that offered a "haven" to people for fellowship, and knowledge and information to help others learn about this condition I have come to know well. This idea was designed to take advantage of the technology of the internet in being able to reach out to other people separated by distance.

It was a new concept to me considering I had all my life worked in communities without any internet.

In back-reading much of the material that you keep openly archived on the Vampire Church site, I notice several things. One of them the several different paths and directions that early members of your group and those involved though loose association, (such as Father Todd) seemed to be pulling the evolving Vampire Church. In much that I have read, others in your organization always seemed to want to cloud the issue of vampirism with that of a spiritual path, yet in even in your early on-line writings you separate the issue quite clearly. Why is it then that you allowed some of the early on-line confusion to occur?

I attempted to allow people in my Organization to speak their minds. I learned that people can easily hide themselves behind a keyboard and portray that which may not be themselves. I have always maintained that the Vampire Church is about the vampire condition, and not about lifestyle or religion or a fetish relationship. I met with and worked with other groups to promote events and meetings to enhance the community, but I always maintained that the programs of the Vampire Church only supported the condition definition of vampirism no matter how others in the community wanted to define it. I did my best to keep that intact when other groups portrayed vampirism as a lifestyle.

There was also early thoughts at making the Vampire Church a non-profit organization, but selling materials here to make it self supporting. That never happened. What is it that made you decide to finance this community out of your own pocket, a practice which you continue to this day? That is quite a gift you give to the vampire community.

Well... I wanted an Organization that did not ask for membership fees and offered knowledge and programs for free.. I remember looking into some other groups such as the TOV where knowledge comes with a price and a hierarchy. I did not want that. I set out for it to be a not for profit organization. I also learned that if I offered a free haven and free programs for people to meet and learn, people would see that there is no other motive behind this organization. I also found in time that people who became members naturally offered their time to help in an organization that they shared the same experience with. I decided to put up the money to support the Organization with the idea that like minded people who joined would naturally want to help in its mission. That was and is my contribution to the vampire community and the public.

With your permission here I want to nose into your personal life a little.

Being highly empathic how do you deal with all the confusion of energies?

I believe that an empathic vampire has the most difficult time with accessing this kind of energy. There is focusing and blocking skills to learn and then filtering skills needed to get the most desirable energy without getting affected by energy that can harm or be useless to you. It is definitely not the preferred choice but it is what I learned early in my life. I have found that my empathic feeding skills deteriorating over the years as I get older and that has been reason to resort to other kinds of feeding opportunities. I take advantage of weather events, and other things in my environment. I also have had opportunities for prana energy sources in the past. I do not recommend empathic feeding unless one has the skills to manipulate this energy and filter it, otherwise it can be harmful.

Would you share your views on relationships? And how is being a vampire affected your perceptions that way?

I believe the best relationships for vampires are long term close relationships with a mate who may also act as a donor. Relationships are difficult to establish among vampires and friendships can be difficult with the amount of disbelief and ridicule that pervades the public on the subject of vampirism. On the other hand vampires have to take risks in relationships and so finding one that offers friendship and trust is something that many should take advantage of.

Thank you. I know that you are a private man, one more personal question.

Now that you have re-settled into Virginia, where do you see yourself in a few years?

That I am uncertain about. I am still taking care of some family matters and as time goes on, I may have a better picture of where I may see myself. I know that I am living about as far north right now as I want as I am very sensitive to cold weather, which is one reason I had lived in Texas the last ten years.

Getting back to the Vampire Church, it certainly has grown beyond what I would say is your wildest expectations. The vampire communities as a whole seem to have a love / hate relationship with you, and admittedly the hate is one-sided - theirs. How is it that you are the most respected Elder in the communities, the most copied, yet the man with which everyone wants to disagree?

Well... I have wondered about that. There is a lot of distrust and disagreement between groups and organizations in the vampire community. A lot of it I do not understand but I believe there are too many egos and that leads to belittling or attacking others. I am the founder and elder of one of the larger vampire organizations that offers online and offline help to others. The Vampire Church defines vampirism as a real physical condition, whereas many on the internet look at the subject in terms of a lifestyle or a religion which I do not. There are no ranks or hierarchies in the Vampire Church and no fees for membership or services. I am very particular about who is accepted as a member, because of how we define vampirism as a condition. I don't care about numbers of people, and I know it is difficult to become a member of the Vampire Church.

One of the main things that your detractors always seems to take difference with is that all of the Vampire Church programs are moderated by you or someone on your Council. They say that it represses the individual's freedom of speech. Address that and why it is that you continue to moderate these forums?

Well there use to be a time years ago when none of the forums were moderated. But I found in recent years as the website got more popular and attracted more people and different kinds of people, personal posting increased such as insults, belittling others and other groups, and flaming others. I wanted a peaceful place for the discussion of vampirism, so I decided on a set of rules for posting and then setup a moderator program of Council members to enforce these rules without censoring content or opinion. I believe it has worked well despite having to resort to it.

Speaking of your Council, the unpaid help as I have heard them referred to, what is your relationship with them? You certainly have had a number of personal / community trials & tribulations there, and yearly have had changes. Many of them eventually start their own smaller groups. They all seem to be highly varied individuals, is there any core values they possess?

I am very close to the Council members of the Vampire Church, they along with me run the programs of the Vampire Church and make them possible. Without them, I could not offer the programs that I do. They are like my other family and we work closely together. I have seen people come and go and I respect the path people believe they must take. I look for leadership from them and the willingness to give their time to something we all believe in.

That is our reason for being here despite that their work is freely given. I have never asked for any funds from anyone. I believe if I pay for this Organization to exist, that they and the Associates will offer their help in time and energy.

What is it that you, after all your experiences both on and offline, know to be true about vampirism?

I know that vampirism has been the curse of my life, that it has made my life very difficult and is in part the cause of the relationships I have had and not had. It has been the purveyor of pain in my life as an Empath. I live with it, with the desire to help others cope better with the problems that vampirism brings. I have learned much from knowing nothing and knowing no one who knew anything about it. I hope that from my life, that people will better learn of it and be glad that they who do not have it don't get it.

Tell me what is it that you lecture about in your offline work?

I teach about my understanding of real vampirism and how to cope with it's problems. I have met many in my life whom I knew to be true vampires and have been fortunate to have learned a lot from them. I live to reach out to people offline in meetings and classes, for that is the only place to really share about this life with others. My greatest love is to teach what I know and then to see others better cope with such a depressing disease. The realities of this condition are all important and are best communicated in offline events and meetings where people can gather in the best learning environment there is.

On-line people can say or claim what they want. Lol you could declare yourself the pope. Offline is a much different reality. You look people in the eye one-on-one. How do you deal it then offline when someone says "ha vampirism, prove it?"

I explain it as a medical condition involving prana energies which cannot be easily measured by the medical profession or easily proven by people who have never experienced it... I define it and explain it in simple terms. I know that when I am done, most will walk away and think about the possibility that vampirism does exist and it is not like the movies they saw. I have a wealth of experience that goes back over three decades and I draw from that thru showing knowledge and sharing experience.

I know that one of your future focuses for the Vampire Church is the continued growth as an offline presence. Where do you see that headed in the next few years and where do you see your personal role in that involvement?

It is my hope that the Vampire Church continues to expand its offline contacts in others areas of the States and in other countries. It has always been my belief that the offline work we do is the most importance. The internet is a good tool to help people find others, but ultimately the goal has to be to lead to offline contact. I would like to see myself spending more time offline in an educational sense, teaching classes. I would like to travel more if my funds will permit it and meet more people in the community.

Has this the on-line community been fulfilling for you on a personal level or is that something that you more associate with your offline work?

The online community is a lot of work just in getting people to work together and offer the programs that help people to find others. I have met and worked with some very good people online and have made some good friendships, but I have also seen some good friendships die due to misunderstandings and the egos of people. The online community is a challenge and a difficult place to work in, I prefer the offline environment where misunderstandings are not as common.

Thank you being so candid with me here. One last question… I know from having the privilege to have had a few drinks with you, that you are a fun, entertaining, easy going absolute gentleman. You know how to laugh and relax, yet are one of the rare individuals that knows just when to stop. That is quite an achievement. I know that your favorite drink is Absolute and cranberry, but what is this Delano Shooter that I have heard bantered about?

Well the Delano Shooter is a creation of mine that I often enjoy. You make it by taking a shot of Blackhouse, a shot of grape-cranberry juice, and mix that in a shaker with a squeeze of a wedge of lime. You add some crushed ice to chill it and then shake it. Pour it with a strainer in shot glasses and serve. I assure that you will enjoy it.

Thank you Damien for talking the time to sit with me and share some of your insights and yourself.

You are welcome LALA, I enjoyed it.

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