Vampires loom large lately in the public consciousness. (Try saying that three times real fast!) T.V. series, movies, books, and comics play host to universes full of the suckers of blood, and the seducers of flesh. The vampire legend may not haunt the pages of too many paranormal sites, but that has not meant an end to interest in the subject of this particular brand of the undead.

Getting Medieval on Vampires

If you can for a moment imagine having no information about germs, bacteria, or how a virus is spread the concept of vampirism might sound entirely logical. A lack of any real medical knowledge prior to the Renaissance led to unhealthy conditions being the norm, ignorance of how diseases could be transmitted left communities open to biological disaster. Entire villages teeming with people could be wiped out by a contagion, an invisible enemy that moved among them claiming their lives. There would be a first victim whose suffering could not be relieved by any methods known at the time, and then members of the victim's family would likewise succumb. The strange illness would then spread throughout the entire population striking without any rhyme or reasons that was apparent to the populace. Citizens of these villages knew they had an adversary, but they had no means or method to uncover the truth. Instead the attention was often directed back to the first victim, since when no solution can be found human nature demands a scapegoat.

As naïve of the dead as they were of microscopic life the villagers looked for answers in the cemetery and thought they had found clues. Having no way of knowing how a body will decompose in some climates, or that a corpse might remain remarkably preserved in certain types of soil they took anything that appeared unnatural as evidence of the supernatural. A seemly flushed cheek, or what to them would have looked like growth of hair and fingernails amounted to frightening proof that evil walked among them.
 

 Worse yet, they occasionally happened on a burial wherein scratches could be found inside the coffin indicting the interred had attempted to escape the burial. Today we can wince at these findings realizing that in the middle of an outbreak certain mistakes might have been made, but this was not the conclusion reached at the time. That somehow the body had become re-animated by some demonic force, and that the deceased was now dining on the blood of its former family and friends made complete sense as far as they were concerned. There may also have been another factor that drove them to the dead as a possible culprit. After the death of someone close it is not uncommon to experience extremely vivid dreams in which the lost love one returns. We will never know of course if this perfectly normal psychological aspect of the death experience played a part in what would become a ritual of exorcism.

During that time and in that place the ritual was conceived and carried out countless times. The grave was disinterred, and the corpse inspected for signs. These signs would have been fairly easy to come by since during decomposition the skin pulls away from the cuticles making the fingernails appear longer, and similar changes to the hairline would give the body the illusion of longer hair. Once these indicators of non-corruption were found the village leaders would act out the ritual of either driving a stake through the heart or decapitating the deceased.

Other Explanations

Porphyria is actually a series of disorders, often heredity, that can cause skin problems, anemia, and in extreme cases some mental confusion if left untreated. The theory that the vampire legend may be linked to this disease stems from the symptoms of Porphyria: extreme sensitive to sunlight, very pale skin, and problems associated with acute anemia. Suffers of Porphyria DO NOT crave blood, and there is no recorded instance of someone with these symptoms ever being confused with a vampire. Sadly there is always the possibility that at some point in history there may have been individuals who were the victims not only of this disorder, but also of the prejudice and ignorance of others.


Another Possibility

Another opinion holds that the vampire legend came not from mistaken beliefs about how illnesses spread, but from the ability of certain individuals to prey on the unsuspecting by draining them of energy. This type of individual might be able to use astral projection to attack others, and this ability might continue even after their earthly body has been reduced to dust. More information on the energy vampire is in the section called Psychic Vampires and Attackers.

I don't drink....wine.

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" Seeing, I suppose, some expression in my face strange to him, he added, "Ah, sir, you dwellers in the city cannot enter into the feelings of the hunter."-From Bram Stoker's Dracula

Most people know that Dracula was based on the story of Vlad Tepes Dracul III also known as Vlad the Impaler. Bram Stoker used the bloody reputation of the Ruler of Wallachia and the setting of Transylvania for his novel, but while the actual Dracul reigned for a long period after 1460, and was reputed to have impaled over ten thousand unfortunates who managed to irk him, there was never any suggestion that Vlad was a vampire. Vlad did have an appetite for violence, and gore did not disturb his dinner. He often set out a huge feast in the very fields where his freshly impaled victims could still be heard moaning and screaming in pain as they died. While Vlad was obviously not a kind and gentle man, he doesn't seem to have been a vampire.

Don't hate her because she was beautiful

Erszebet Bathory (1560-1614) also known as Elizabeth earned the name The Blood Countess for her strange, cruel habit. Like an Enron executive Bathory would lure job hopefuls to her estate under the guise of employing them and then drain them dry, only instead of squandering retirement funds, the Countess would have her young, female housekeepers bound, their throats slit open and their blood drained into a tub. She would bath herself in the heart-juices of young women believing that doing so would keep her looking young forever. Whether this beauty treatment worked or not no one will ever know. When discovered she was bricked up in a room inside her own castle, with a small opening left near the floor that was used to provide her food and water. After a few years of this dark, cold, solitary existence she stopped reaching for her daily rations, the last few bricks were placed over the door and the Countess was left entombed in her prison.


I thought I was headed someplace much warmer!

Between 1725 and 1727 Serbia had vampire trouble. In the village of Kisilova Peter Plogojowitz was caught walking around several weeks after his death and burial. His body was exhumed and found to have the tattle tale signs: the only part of his body that had decomposed was the nose, he had what looked like new skin and nails, and blood was coming out of his mouth. A few episodes of CSI and the villagers might have been more enlightened as to what was in fact happening, but as it was they decapitated the body. Two years later the deceased Arnold Paole attempted the same stunt and showed up in the homes of several people after they had been kind enough to decently bury him. Witnesses claimed that Paole was guilty not only of post-mortem trespassing, but that he also had taken to biting people. This was not considered too serious until several of the individuals making these complaints also expired. Surprised that Paole had become so disagreeable after his death, the villagers of Medvegia exhumed his body and found that not only had he failed to properly decay, but had somehow managed to get his coffin and clothing muddy. The body's heart was pieced by a wooden stake and was re-interred this time face down. As he was never seen again it could be said he got the villager's point.

"No one will ever understand"---Dusseldorf Vampire

"They say sorry that's a word
They only use too late
Sorry is a word that only ever means
Forgive my yesterdays" -- From the song "Sorry" by The Moody Blues


As is the case with many serial killers the beginning of Peter Kurten's life was violent. Marked by the abuse he endured as a child he was tragically unable to contain his own worst impulses. Born in May of 1883 Kurten was abused physically by his drunken Father and then fell victim to a pedophile before he was an adolescent. Despite this he seemed at first to find a normal life for himself. He maintained a job as a truck driver, and was seen by all who knew him to be a calm well-mannered person, but in 1913 he began a series of petty crimes, which led to deeper obsessions he couldn't restrain.

During a break-in he was surprised to find a ten-year girl in what he had thought was an empty residence. He attacked, molested and strangled the child. This began a string of similar murders. Kurten developed a fascination with blood; he enjoyed watching it flow from his victims. Although he did go to jail for smaller crimes he was never arrested or even suspected of the increasingly brutal murders. At least two other men were accused, tried and convicted for the horrific slayings, but no fingers were ever pointed at the mild-manner Peter Kurten even after a handkerchief with the initials P.K. was discovered at the scene of one murder. For a time he was able to leave Dusseldorf, marry and avoid not only detection but also the lust for blood that had drove him to commit the brutal killings. Returning back to that city after a few years absence he fell into the same old pattern until finally one victim managed to escape and identified him to police.

Knowing that his arrest was imminent Kurten went to his wife and gave her the details of his criminal career. He wanted her to turn him in so that she could collect the reward being offered for him and be financially cared for after his incarnation. He was tried for nine murders even through he eventually confessed he had committed many more killings. Finally the Vampire of Dusseldorf as he was already being called was sentenced for his crimes to the Guillotine. A prison physiatrist called upon Kurten in his prison cell to answer any questions about the coming execution. The guilty man's only thoughts must have still lingered on his fixations since he asked if after the Guillotine's blade fell would he be able to hear the rush of blood that would pour from own his neck before he died.

Before his sentence was carried out on July 2, 1932, Peter Kurten was repeatedly questioned regarding his mania but could only answer: "No one will ever understand." Perhaps even Peter was never able to completely comprehend the dark impulses that drove him to kill.

What to hear one that's really scary?

One story that you might hear when taking a tour in New Orleans concerns two brothers who committed sinister and frightening crimes. In an interview that What Was Then had with Kalilia Smith of Haunted History Tours she gave us this account.

In the early 1930's a couple of brothers by the name of John and Wayne Carter plagued this city with their lust for blood. In May of 1932, a little eleven-year-old girl staggered into the police station and reported a very heinous crime committed by these men. She said she had been enticed in off the street and when she got into the apartment the men tied her to a chair, and then cut into her left wrist, draining some of her blood into a cup and drank it. They bandaged the wound and repeated the act for the next three nights. She managed to escape while the brothers were out during the day, they did leave every morning, presumably to go to work, and reported the crime to the police. The police went over to the Royal St. apartment; the brothers were still not in. But someone else was. In another room were four other victims, also tied to chairs, their left wrists bandaged. There was an adult male, an adult female, a fourteen-year-old boy and a dead nine-year-old girl. The nine year old died from blood loss. Of the surviving victims, the adult male went on to kill over 30 people between 1937 and 1949. After drinking their blood, he dissolved the bodies in sulfuric acid, dumping the remains in the Mississippi River. He disappeared in 1949 after reading about a similar crime in England. His journal of his accounts was found behind some bricks in the fireplace of his former French Quarter home.


More than just a pint of O+

In the last few decades Blood Fetishists have emerged from the closet, or the coffin (as the case may be) and seem to fall into the same category as many others with unusual predilections. Some folks have sharpened or had their teeth professionally altered into fangs. It should be well noted however that drinking, handling, or even coming into contact with human blood is extremely dangerous and anyone doing so runs the risk of contacting diseases such as AIDS. It should be noted as well that not everyone who dresses, or who has body modifications to appear more vampire-like actually has a blood fetish.

I know how you feel...really I know exactly how you feel.
Psychic Vampires and Attackers

The Psychic Vampire

The psychic vampire claims the ability to "feed" or gain energy from the aura or spiritual energy of another. Drinking blood is not necessary as this life force (i.e. positive and negative emotions, strength, vitality, essence) sustains the vampire's needs. Some vampires appear to need contact such as touch to feed, while others maintain this is not necessary and they can access someone else's energy even from a distance.

The Psychic Vampire Attacker

Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
Relax said the night man
We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave---From Hotel California by the Eagles


The main difference between a Psychic Vampire and an Attacker can be summed up in one word: permission. Unlike Vampires who share or take from the essence of a willing participant the Psychic Vampire Attacker "steals" energy from others without the acquiesce of the victim. The Attacker might act deliberately knowing the harm they could be inflicting on others, but this isn't always the case. There are theoretically Attackers who drain those around them of energy in an unconscious attempt to offset a deficiency of their own resources. Another way to think of this is someone with low energy being capable of reaching out and plundering the vigor of another human being.

The common profile given of this type of Attacker details a personality not unlike Peter Kurten's in some ways. It might also be important to realize that there are also similarities between the Attacker and what has become known as the Toxic Personality.

* Painful childhood that might have included abuse or neglect.
* Wild mood swings. Cries easily, rages, tantrums, yells, and these emotional displays might account for the constant need for more energy.
* Frequently demeans others either directly or by spreading malicious gossip.
* Can be charming when necessary, and may deflect blame easily on to others. (Ex: "I wouldn't have yelled at you if so and so hadn't made me so angry.")
* May have ways of luring people to them. (Ex: Keeps a desk full of candy or supplies for co-workers or frequently visits areas where large groups gather)
* Seems to attract friends who lack confidence or who have a poor outlook on life.
* Has difficulty being around anyone with either strong self-confidence or self-control. (These people have a natural resistance to such attacks, and the Attacker will often feel hostility towards them.)
* May claim supernatural talents or abilities such as being able to read the emotions of others. (Possibly this is true since they have after all been snacking on them!)
* Extremely jealous of friends and relationships.
* Has a tendency to "turn the tables" on anyone who refuses to take abuse from them. (i.e. will claim they are in fact the victims instead of the other way around.)
* Lacks certain ethics in other areas. (May take bribes, enjoy the discomfort of others, or take credit for someone else's work.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: No automatic conclusion should be drawn about someone who fits a few descriptions on this profile. For example many individuals have happily triumphed over early tragedy and have fulfilling (non-vampire) lives

This type of attack can cause lasting harm; and complaints range from a nagging weariness to strange illnesses. Another claim made of this type of vampire is the ability to attack a sleeping victim while they dream. This conjecture sounds much like another alleged supernatural intruder-The Old Hag an entity who many swear has attacked them in their sleep leaving them terrified, and extremely fatigued.

How to Combat a Vampire

"How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads, to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams."-From Bram Stoker's Dracula

Even as late as the 1930's it was not unusual in some remote areas to see a procession being led to the cemetery in an attempt to convince the more obstinate of the departed to stop disturbing the living. At first the ways of warding off vampires were as clear-cut as the legend itself. A cross, a clove of garlic and holy water were the prescriptions for doing battle with anyone who refused to see the graveyard as a final resting place. Of course a marauding re-animated corpse intent on a feast of blood is a strange, but fairly straightforward issue. How can you fight the invisible?

Warding off the Unseen

Not all psi-vampires are intent on doing harm. Some as mentioned earlier only nibble at another person's essence after asking nicely first. The Attacker either doesn't know they are stealing someone else's energy or doesn't care. Garlic isn't going to defend you in an extrasensory battle, so how can you defend yourself from such an attack?

One of the most often mentioned antidotes mentioned is Positive Imagery. This is fairly easy to do and actually a good way to relax for a few minutes.

* Find a comfortable spot where you will not be disturbed.
* Close your eyes and relax.
* Imagine yourself being surrounded by a warm, comforting protective light.
* When you see this light clearly, tell yourself that this radiance will continue to surround you throughout the day shielding you.

While this will certainly promote both protection and healing what about a more lasting measure? Less frequently described, as a remedy to psychic attack is becoming less of a target.

Developing Immunity

It's difficult to attack or manipulate a confident, self-controlled individual. Having low esteem, or constantly harboring negative thoughts and emotions are the loose threads of the psyche that anyone, psychic or not, can use to unravel you. Working on having a positive attitude and self-image doesn't make you invulnerable, but it could make you less of a likely victim.



Below are a few good links to information about Vampires.

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