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An Explanation Of Vampirism
Vampirism - A unique thing, simple to explain, yet a complex issue, in and of itself. Most people tend to think straight away in terms of Vlad Tsepes, or Count Dracula. Also, in terms of the more popular nowadays versions of Lestat, Louis, Frost, and Blade, the Daywalker. These are all mythical and movie vampires, and while they may seem exciting, even alluring and romantic, this is hardly what real vampirism is about. Many assume that a real vampire, like its mythical counterpart, automatically drinks blood, or hunts people, have fangs, long black hair and pale skin. Another popular thought is that we somehow have "gifts" which no one else has, simply because we are vampires, or that we are immortal by right of vampiric bloodline..
Vlad Tsepes was a king in Romania, not a vampire..His favorite method of punishing people was by impaling - this is hardly a vampiric quality..It is whispered widely that Bram Stoker never visited Romania, and, that Count Dracula was a little bit closer in character to Abhartach who was Dreach-Fhoula (pronounced droc'ola), than he was to the fabled Dracula. You can read the Story of Abhartach for more details. So, what is real vampirism, and why do so many assume it is other than it really is? Well this is a good question, though not simple to answer, nor will the answer be short. Quite simply, yet complexly, a vampire is an individual who, for whatever purpose, does not (or even is not able to) produce an adequate amount of energy, which helps to get through daily life.
Most people have their energy needs met daily by simply eating, drinking, and excercising. This is unfortunately not the case for the vampiric individual. Eating food does not impart the energy which is needed, even for simple tasks. Sometimes getting up in the morning can be a chore in itself. Now, many would automatically assume this was due to depression, or maybe anemia, or some other issue.. But supposing the individual in question does not suffer from any of these issues? It is true that vampirism exhibits many similar symptoms that other disorders and conditions do, (this is to say, it can mimic some symptoms of other conditions, but does not, and is not the cause of these other maladies) and some conditions and disorders can eventually be corrected with medical intervention. Vampirism cannot. It won't kill you, but you will die with it. Vampirism is simply an evolutionary step. While it is not a step forward, nor a step backward, it is still a step. Consider it to be experimental in nature. Man changes all the time, and throughout the lifespan of Man upon the earth, Man has adapted and changed to suit his environment. This is simply another one of those changes that eventually, will die out, because other than pronounced psychic abilities, it imparts no real benefits to humanity.
How do vampires take care of their energy needs?
This is a good question. There are several methods of gaining energies, but it must be stressed here, that all vampires are the same in the sense that the end result is, that we need more than the average amount of energy for health and well - being. This is the only real difference between us and other people, just energy requirements. The known methods of energy grabbing are as follows:
Sanguine~
This is a very rare method of grabbing energy, since it is done via consumption of energies found within live blood. Normally, it only requires a small amount to impart the needed dense prana energy as required by the sanguine vampire. Before I continue, there are some things that need to be stressed here..Firstly, in this day and age, we know about all the health concerns with blood borne and other communicable diseases. Those sanguinary vampires who have donors for this purpose, make sure that their donors and themselves are rigorously tested for AIDS, all forms of hepatitis, and other diseases, as well as going into the medical histories of their donors. Lifestyles are another thing that are checked into, as well as physical and mental health. Whether or not the donor smokes, takes drugs (whether legal or illegal), what they eat, drink, and sexual history, are all important factors to consider and check thoroughly before such a relationship can and should be entered into.
Those who suffer with mental health issues are not acceptable as donors, same as those who engage in illicit behaviour such as unprotected sex with many partners, and those who suffer from alcoholism/drug abuse. Trust is a major issue as well, which is a very good reason for not simply entering into this kind of a relationship, in a hasty manner. Getting to know someone is a long, drawn - out process. This doesn't happen overnight, obviously, as with any relationship. Gaining energy from a sanguinary donor is something I will explain in another article. But it must be said, that sanguinary energy needs are to the vampire, what air is to the lungs, and just as sweet.. The energy is strong and fast acting, and therefore, preferred above the other methods, by most vampires..
Pranic~
This type of energy gaining is also not very common. Pranic energies are found within the sexual fluids as well as within the blood of everyone. Some people just have higher concentrations of these energies than others. The pranic vampire gains his or her energies via sexual intercourse and foreplay. I have been made to understand that the best energy feed, happens when you have had a very passionate session (intimately) with your donor, and then tap their blood energies afterwards. Blood energies are highly desireable, because they impart the needed energy almost immediately, but to combine these two resources, would indeed be a heady combination. Like sanguinary feeding, the donor should of course go through medical testing to ensure he or she is free from communicable diseases, and it is preferrable if the donor is not having intimate relations with other people. Also like sanguinary feeding, pranic energies are greatly affected by what one puts into their body. Smoking, doing drugs, drinking, having risky lifestyles etc, all affect the energy flows. Pure energy is what is desired, but this is not always found - not everyone chooses to keep their bodies as organic as possible, and the above - mentioned things can cause the body's energy to become sluggish or erratic. One final issue to be addressed here - Pranic vampires are able to grab energies via sexual contact as well as via blood energies..Sanguine vampires simply rely on the blood energies alone.
Empathic~
This method is not very common either. This is largely due to the fact (I believe) that many people, over their lifetimes, have been taught *not* to feel. Also, the very fact that many people have been hurt time and time again, tends to make people emotionally numb, so, many people simply switch themselves off, and pretend they don't care and don't feel, or even more to the point, don't want to feel. But there are some of us who cannot merely "switch off" like that. We feel EVERYTHING. When someone is suffering, we are able to tune in to that and feel the emotions expressed by the suffering individual. Emotions for the empath, can sometimes be a nightmare. But not always :o) There is always an exception to every rule. Notice how you feel when a friend comes with happy news and shares that with you. Smiles are infectious, as are upbeat moods, and it's very easy to be affected by these stimuli, and even easier to tap those energies as released by the individual. And then, there are also those times when some emotions are not preferrable, and there is a need to block them, and/or sift through them. There are times when we are literally bombarded with excess emotional energy from other people, and this can and does have a real effect on us. It is very easy to become confused when hit by someone else's depression, or anger, or sadness, and feel it as your own. And then not have a clue why this happens. This is why shielding becomes necessary - to avoid such energies.
Psi~
This is the most common method of energy grabbing out there. This is probably due to the fact that one does not need the permission of anyone to tap into this energy flow. People are constantly letting go of energy. Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by it. It is like being in a huge pot of energy stew. I say "energy stew" because it is a mixture of all kinds of energies (except sanguinary/pranic). These energies are erratic, and always changing, and never the same way. You have only to go to a local mall to experience this "energy stew" I speak of. You will find people who are happy, sad, upset, mad. You find children who are running all over the place, crying, laughing, and their parents who are frustrated, or happy. Sometimes you will encounter people arguing or the younger generation shouting and having a good time. All these things contribute to the energy stew. So there is no real need to tap one person directly, when all your needs can be met by simply tapping into the ambient energies within that environment. Anywhere where there are people, there is an abundance of energy.
Elemental~
This is another fairly common method of energy grabbing - gathering it via the environment. There are some who don't believe that these are viable energy sources, but I beg to differ. When a force 4 gale wind blows, it takes limbs and leaves off trees. That's viable energy. When the skies open up and the downpour is so severe, that you are unable to even see across the street, that too, takes energy to make that happen. Imagine the energies these two weather patterns impart! Same thing with thunder and lightning, or a tornado, or a hurricane. All these weather patterns take alot of energy, and they pack a real punch. Nature itself is constantly releasing its energies, so all the vampire really neeeds to do is make like a dry sponge, and open up and absorb from all around them. Pull it in like you are drinking from a thousand straws all at once.
Negative~
Energy, in and of itself, has no polarity. It is "flavored" via a situation, with a negative or positive polarity. Some vampires prefer to feed from negative energies, such as conflict, fear, or pain. This does not mean they go out there creating these situations (though some do)- there are enough of these energies already in the world, that no more needs to ever be created. They just simply prefer the "punch" these energies impart. I have fed this way on numerous occasions, but I don't prefer it, for even though the energy is quite strong, for me, it feels heavy, sometimes even dirty. One benefit from it that I can see is that the impact of negative polarity energies are immediate and sometimes long lasting, depending on the situation. A very good example of negative polarity energies is the following which I have borrowed from my friend and co-worker Nodecaf -
"Nature is neutral. While nature is neutral the reactions and interactions of the neutral elemental energies can generate a positive or negative effect. The earth nourishes and nurtures the life that grows from it (positive) yet can in an instant turn deadly and destructive in landslides & earthquakes (negative). Fire cooks and brings warmth (positive) yet
uncontained will char everything in is path (negative). Interactions in the form of a reaction with the neutral elements complete the cycle. The pendulum swings and balance is maintained.
Of the types of human energies, those generated by emotional sources are the most complex. In much the same way that the natural elements are neutral in nature, so are human emotions. It is how the emotion is portrayed
and interpreted by each individual that gives the emotion its positive, neutral or negative energy context. In much the same way as fire just "burns", anger by itself just "is". Expelled outwardly in a rough manner, it becomes negative, yet harnessed it can be the igniting spark for positive change. Love, like water, flows, saturating all that it touches. Tender loving moments can be the most positive of feelings, yet love taken to an extreme, becomes a negative obsession, injuring all with whom it has contact".
To read the whole of LA/Nodecafe's article, please click here .
Eclectic~
Eclectic vampirism can best be explained by stating that the vampire is not confined to being able to grab energy from simply one source, but rather can make use of any viable source as it becomes available. They tend not to have a fixed energy preference, meaning for example, their preference is not for empathic energy but they are able to make use of elemental, sang, psi, etc - but rather, the need is for all the different types of energies. To best explain this, it may help the reader to understand that there are times when one type of energy is needed, and later during the week or whatever the duration between feeds may be, another energy type is required. Let us say for example, that you have a sweet tooth, and so will want to eat something sweet, and on another occasion, you may find that a green salad hits the spot. Just to borrow the words of a colleague, Gray Angel/Justin, he states in his article on eclectic feeding, that:
"I can be fully fed from an empathic energy source and need not feed again that night, but this does not lessen my need for a pranic or elemental feed"..
"If a newly awakened eclectic were to mistakenly believe themselves to be a different type of vampire they could end up getting very ill and very depressed as they fail to feed enough to sustain themselves despite having a ready supply of what they mistakenly consider their primary feed"..
To access the whole of Gray Angel's/Justin's article on eclectic feeding, please go here .
Adaptive~
This type of feeding is fairly uncommon. Sometimes this is what happens when the main energy type cannot, for various reasons, be accessed, leaving the vampire frustrated and bereft of the preferred energy type. Not all can do this, but sometimes the vampire can "adapt" to being able to grab energy from another viable source such as empathy or psi energies when their own method is not available, as it would be in the case of a sanguinary only vampire. This method is not simply employed because the vampire has had no choice but to go without for a few weeks or a month - but more because the vampire has not been able to access the preferred energy type in a very long time. The key factor here is that the vampire must eventually have access to the original preferred energy type at some point. It's one thing to be able to take on and make use of other energy types, but there is a reason why one type is preferred over another, and this is the difference between a sugar rush, and a meat and potatoes dinner - obviously, one provides more in the way of sustenance than another. You can make use of a sugar rush for awhile, but clearly it doesn't provide all that you require.
This article was written to explain the various aspects of vampirism, and the needs which are a part of it, and of those who suffer from this condition, to those who may think vampirism is more along the lines of what is seen on tv, and within the movies, or that it is some sort of a lifestyle. "Lifestyle" implies a choice to live, dress, and interact a certain way. Being a vampire is no more of a choice than is bipolar disorder, or tourette's syndrome. This is a condition of life, for life, that we must endeavour to find a means of living with, and addressing the needs of this condition is first and foremost within our lives. The need to communicate this to others, and educate them so they can see this for themselves, is of import to this community. One fervently hopes that the articles displayed within this site, are helping to do just that. My thanks to LA Judge/Nodecafe for her gracious permission on making use of her extensive article on negative energy vampirism, and to Gray Angel/Justin for the explanation on eclectic vampirism.
Dark Blessings~
Silver
Copyright held by Silver Rainbolt, LA/Nodecafe, GrayAngel/Justin, and the Vampire Church/Damien Daville.
Copyright 2006 held by Silver Rainbolt/In Medias Res, and Damien Daville/Vampire Church
Updated on: April 3rd, 2004
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