Post by Shade on Sept 27, 2009 19:25:30 GMT -6
Vampirism: What It Is, What It Is Not.
In modern day society there has been an upsurge of people self-identifying themselves as “vampires.” This, along with such popular releases of vampire-related entertainment such as Twilight and True Blood, there remains a lot of hysteria, confusion, and delusion. When someone uses the term “vampire” to identify themselves, they are using it as a metaphor for how they interact with their environment.
There is still a lot of debate on the topic of metaphysics but most people will agree that it is just another theory that we are unable to prove with our current technology of science. The reason metaphysics apply to Vampirism is because when someone identifies as a vampire they are distinguishing the base principal that their body cannot properly sustain it's energy resources without the use of some outside aid.
In today's world Modern Vampirism had been around for roughly 30 years. A lot of people tend to get hung up on the buzz words but any other synonym could aptly describe the metaphor most vampires have with their surroundings: leech, parasite, feeder, etc. It's because of this propensity for people to get caught up in the word “vampire” itself and draw completely inaccurate conclusions that non-vampires see the vampire as inherently denying their humanity or that they're claiming supernatural powers and immortality. (More on this topic in the Category: Common Misconceptions.)
Vampirism is simply a manifestation of a lack of energy within oneself that needs to be filled. This energy is most often referred to as “prana.” The Etymology of word Prana is of Hindu origin meaning the “breath of life.” In the practice of yoga there is a term for this force called “Jainism,” it describes the vital principle of breath. It seen as one of the life-giving energies or forces of the universe; also, the processes of breath control; also called “pranayama.” Modern day Vampirism has taken the word “prana” and used it to describe it as the type of energy that is needed by the body. There are several ways that vampires feed on Prana. (That is discussed further in the Category: The Types of Vampirism.)
Many people have trouble getting energy in every day life. There are diabetics who cannot maintain their insulin levels or people suffering from depression that constantly feel fatigued, getting up in the morning can be the hardest part of their day. People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will almost always resemble vampires because of their energy levels. If you think of vampires and non-vampires as glasses of wine, the metaphor becomes easier to understand. With non-vampires and vampires alike, their glasses can be half empty or they can be half full. However, with a non-vampire's wine glass there's always room for more and the wine level changes naturally and constantly. With a vampire's wine goblet there is a permanent crack in the side of the glass that was put there by some sort of disturbance, whether it's a metaphysical manifestation or from real life trauma, and there will always be a constant leakage of wine. If the glass's wine level isn't maintained, through means of continuing to refill through feeding, the vampire will start to exhibit lethargy, sleepiness, even illness, and a general lack of energy. A vampire may continue to refill their glass anytime but it will always have a crack; the glass will always leak. That is the difference between non-vampires and vampires. The people suffering from medical conditions like Diabetes and Depression also have a crack in their glasses but it can be resolved, treated, or maintained through medications and therapy.
Now with all things of this nature, whether it be Vampirism, Therianthropy, or Quantum Physics we must always consider scientific, logical, and rational causes before jumping to conclusions and placing it in the realm of “magic.” To skip all of the science, without the desire to investigate more deeply, and ignore what might be a medical cause, would be foolhardy. Reported in the medical literature for more than a century and named after the mythical vampire, Clinical Vampirism - otherwise known as Renfield Syndrome, is a recognizable, although rare, clinical entity characterized by periodic compulsive blood drinking and an affinity with death. The cases documented in the medical literature only refer to those cases in which there is obvious psychosis. The people affected with this disorder are primarily male. The usefulness of this diagnostic label remains in question. Very few cases of the syndrome have been described, and the published reports that do exist refer to what has been proposed as Renfield's syndrome through the use of official psychiatric diagnostic categories such as Schizophrenia or as a variety of Paraphilia.
Very little has been written about vampire subcultures, so now vampires face the burden everywhere of being chastised, called crazy, and placed into a different subcategory called “vampire life-stylers,” in which individuals pretend to be and act out vampire-like characteristics. In those cases in which there is psychosis, the patients have an irresistible urge for blood ingestion, which is a ritual that brings them relief. They are attracted to death, not because they want to bring release to any suffering, but because they wish to experience it as a "living dead" being.
You'll find very little of this in the modern day Vampirism. No doubt there are a handful of people labeling themselves as “vampires” that are suffering from a mental illness but there should be no reason that one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.
There has been a slew of people trying to correct and re-establish what modern day Vampirism is, but no matter how much we explain it, we all wind up blue in the face. After numerous accounts of correcting and supplying the correct definition for Vampirism we are still plagued by trolls. Here's where the conflict arises as told to me by one person who identified themselves as a vampire,
“I never noticed this before, but you're absolutely right. And I have to confess, I do shy away from the term vampire. I guess it's just because it is kind of used as an insult these days. The world is very cruel and even though I believe you should be proud of what you are- the last thing I need is more problems with people like that. I am a Pranic [vampire] - but I don't think we should be starting issues.”
How sad that people are not “coming out of the coffin” because of their fear of ridicule by a closed-minded society. There are countless people who agree that choosing the term “vampire” was one that should have been considered more carefully as it brings certain connotations with it. However, the term was chosen a long time ago and it's stuck around. Many people would like to change it, however, many people would argue against it. It seems that there is an impasse.
Let me take this opportunity to clarify Vampirism once more. There are two types of vampires: The Mythological Kind and The Modern Day Vampire.
The Mythological Vampires that we see in Twilight, True Blood, and even Anne Rice novels are the kind that embody the "myth.” Immortality, super speed, super strength, stakes, holy water, and so on and so forth. These are beliefs and superstitions regarding vampires that date back to medieval Europe. The vampire is thought to be of Slavic origin. They are fictional characters that are believed to be evil spirits that have been refused entry into another world after death because of some unsuitable behavior. They must drink the blood of the living in order to sustain themselves. These mythical characters live in cemeteries and only leave their grave site at night. They do not have a real identity and therefore do not cast a shadow or a reflection in a mirror. If bitten by a vampire, you could become one. Vampires are immortal beings that can only be killed with a wooden stake that must be stabbed through their heart. Reality check: The only existence of these kinds of vampires of this mythological nature are found in only one place in the entire world: Fiction. The types of humans that think they are this type of vampire have a mental illness. The idea that you can become a mythological, immortal vampire is based in low self esteem, being surrounded by a bad environment, or not liking the life that you're leading. You can no more be a Mythological Vampire than you can be a physically shifting Werewolf; you can no more be a Mythological Vampire than you can point a wand at yourself and turn yourself into a toad. Let me add, Lycanthropy is real, it is a true mental illness. These people that suffer from the delusions of the mental illness Lycanthropy cannot physically shift in to a wolf or any other form of animal.
Modern Vampirism has nothing to do with the things summarized above. People are not allowing themselves to separate the two disparate concepts of Modern Vampirism and Mythological Vampirism. Modern Vampirism refers to the social phenomena of Vampirism, energy working, Sanguine and Pranic/Energy Vampirism (More on the different types of Vampirism under the Category: Types of Vampirism.) I highly doubt that anyone will dispute the fact that we are all human beings.
Vampirism is a metaphor for how certain individuals interact with their environment. Let me reiterate: When we associate ourselves with the word “vampire,” we're describing the relationship that we have with the people, animals, or the environment around us. Vampires are just like everyone else, they come in all manner of shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, and religions.
In modern day society there has been an upsurge of people self-identifying themselves as “vampires.” This, along with such popular releases of vampire-related entertainment such as Twilight and True Blood, there remains a lot of hysteria, confusion, and delusion. When someone uses the term “vampire” to identify themselves, they are using it as a metaphor for how they interact with their environment.
There is still a lot of debate on the topic of metaphysics but most people will agree that it is just another theory that we are unable to prove with our current technology of science. The reason metaphysics apply to Vampirism is because when someone identifies as a vampire they are distinguishing the base principal that their body cannot properly sustain it's energy resources without the use of some outside aid.
In today's world Modern Vampirism had been around for roughly 30 years. A lot of people tend to get hung up on the buzz words but any other synonym could aptly describe the metaphor most vampires have with their surroundings: leech, parasite, feeder, etc. It's because of this propensity for people to get caught up in the word “vampire” itself and draw completely inaccurate conclusions that non-vampires see the vampire as inherently denying their humanity or that they're claiming supernatural powers and immortality. (More on this topic in the Category: Common Misconceptions.)
Vampirism is simply a manifestation of a lack of energy within oneself that needs to be filled. This energy is most often referred to as “prana.” The Etymology of word Prana is of Hindu origin meaning the “breath of life.” In the practice of yoga there is a term for this force called “Jainism,” it describes the vital principle of breath. It seen as one of the life-giving energies or forces of the universe; also, the processes of breath control; also called “pranayama.” Modern day Vampirism has taken the word “prana” and used it to describe it as the type of energy that is needed by the body. There are several ways that vampires feed on Prana. (That is discussed further in the Category: The Types of Vampirism.)
Many people have trouble getting energy in every day life. There are diabetics who cannot maintain their insulin levels or people suffering from depression that constantly feel fatigued, getting up in the morning can be the hardest part of their day. People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will almost always resemble vampires because of their energy levels. If you think of vampires and non-vampires as glasses of wine, the metaphor becomes easier to understand. With non-vampires and vampires alike, their glasses can be half empty or they can be half full. However, with a non-vampire's wine glass there's always room for more and the wine level changes naturally and constantly. With a vampire's wine goblet there is a permanent crack in the side of the glass that was put there by some sort of disturbance, whether it's a metaphysical manifestation or from real life trauma, and there will always be a constant leakage of wine. If the glass's wine level isn't maintained, through means of continuing to refill through feeding, the vampire will start to exhibit lethargy, sleepiness, even illness, and a general lack of energy. A vampire may continue to refill their glass anytime but it will always have a crack; the glass will always leak. That is the difference between non-vampires and vampires. The people suffering from medical conditions like Diabetes and Depression also have a crack in their glasses but it can be resolved, treated, or maintained through medications and therapy.
Now with all things of this nature, whether it be Vampirism, Therianthropy, or Quantum Physics we must always consider scientific, logical, and rational causes before jumping to conclusions and placing it in the realm of “magic.” To skip all of the science, without the desire to investigate more deeply, and ignore what might be a medical cause, would be foolhardy. Reported in the medical literature for more than a century and named after the mythical vampire, Clinical Vampirism - otherwise known as Renfield Syndrome, is a recognizable, although rare, clinical entity characterized by periodic compulsive blood drinking and an affinity with death. The cases documented in the medical literature only refer to those cases in which there is obvious psychosis. The people affected with this disorder are primarily male. The usefulness of this diagnostic label remains in question. Very few cases of the syndrome have been described, and the published reports that do exist refer to what has been proposed as Renfield's syndrome through the use of official psychiatric diagnostic categories such as Schizophrenia or as a variety of Paraphilia.
Very little has been written about vampire subcultures, so now vampires face the burden everywhere of being chastised, called crazy, and placed into a different subcategory called “vampire life-stylers,” in which individuals pretend to be and act out vampire-like characteristics. In those cases in which there is psychosis, the patients have an irresistible urge for blood ingestion, which is a ritual that brings them relief. They are attracted to death, not because they want to bring release to any suffering, but because they wish to experience it as a "living dead" being.
You'll find very little of this in the modern day Vampirism. No doubt there are a handful of people labeling themselves as “vampires” that are suffering from a mental illness but there should be no reason that one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.
There has been a slew of people trying to correct and re-establish what modern day Vampirism is, but no matter how much we explain it, we all wind up blue in the face. After numerous accounts of correcting and supplying the correct definition for Vampirism we are still plagued by trolls. Here's where the conflict arises as told to me by one person who identified themselves as a vampire,
“I never noticed this before, but you're absolutely right. And I have to confess, I do shy away from the term vampire. I guess it's just because it is kind of used as an insult these days. The world is very cruel and even though I believe you should be proud of what you are- the last thing I need is more problems with people like that. I am a Pranic [vampire] - but I don't think we should be starting issues.”
How sad that people are not “coming out of the coffin” because of their fear of ridicule by a closed-minded society. There are countless people who agree that choosing the term “vampire” was one that should have been considered more carefully as it brings certain connotations with it. However, the term was chosen a long time ago and it's stuck around. Many people would like to change it, however, many people would argue against it. It seems that there is an impasse.
Let me take this opportunity to clarify Vampirism once more. There are two types of vampires: The Mythological Kind and The Modern Day Vampire.
The Mythological Vampires that we see in Twilight, True Blood, and even Anne Rice novels are the kind that embody the "myth.” Immortality, super speed, super strength, stakes, holy water, and so on and so forth. These are beliefs and superstitions regarding vampires that date back to medieval Europe. The vampire is thought to be of Slavic origin. They are fictional characters that are believed to be evil spirits that have been refused entry into another world after death because of some unsuitable behavior. They must drink the blood of the living in order to sustain themselves. These mythical characters live in cemeteries and only leave their grave site at night. They do not have a real identity and therefore do not cast a shadow or a reflection in a mirror. If bitten by a vampire, you could become one. Vampires are immortal beings that can only be killed with a wooden stake that must be stabbed through their heart. Reality check: The only existence of these kinds of vampires of this mythological nature are found in only one place in the entire world: Fiction. The types of humans that think they are this type of vampire have a mental illness. The idea that you can become a mythological, immortal vampire is based in low self esteem, being surrounded by a bad environment, or not liking the life that you're leading. You can no more be a Mythological Vampire than you can be a physically shifting Werewolf; you can no more be a Mythological Vampire than you can point a wand at yourself and turn yourself into a toad. Let me add, Lycanthropy is real, it is a true mental illness. These people that suffer from the delusions of the mental illness Lycanthropy cannot physically shift in to a wolf or any other form of animal.
Modern Vampirism has nothing to do with the things summarized above. People are not allowing themselves to separate the two disparate concepts of Modern Vampirism and Mythological Vampirism. Modern Vampirism refers to the social phenomena of Vampirism, energy working, Sanguine and Pranic/Energy Vampirism (More on the different types of Vampirism under the Category: Types of Vampirism.) I highly doubt that anyone will dispute the fact that we are all human beings.
Vampirism is a metaphor for how certain individuals interact with their environment. Let me reiterate: When we associate ourselves with the word “vampire,” we're describing the relationship that we have with the people, animals, or the environment around us. Vampires are just like everyone else, they come in all manner of shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, and religions.