Vampire Characteristics and Misconceptions
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"'You can't change your nature. You can't contain it, you can't shift it. You can only be what you are meant to be."Alright, so we've determined that real (mortal) vampires exist...but what exactly makes for a real vampire? Below are some common characteristics as well as popular misconceptions about real vampires. Bear in mind, we're NOT talking about undead, immortal vampires such as one might find in fiction...rather, real, living vampires (psychic and blood) are all around and more normal than one might expect. (By the way, these lists are by no means exhaustive and not all characteristics apply to all vampires, they are just a general overview) |
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Common Characteristics
(may not
apply to all real vampires)
You might be a vampire if...
* You have a strong desire for and/or Stimulation by blood (sexual,
revitalizing or otherwise)
* You have a nameless craving that can never quite be fulfilled
* People you get close to tend to become tired, weary and upset a lot
around you
* People tend to find you interesting at first, then begin to avoid
you
* Even when surrounded by others, you always feel alone
* Sunlight/bright light in general hurts your eyes (but you can go
out in it, even so)
* You tend to be a night person by nature (because you may feel more
comfortable and "alive" at this time)
* You have had a strong interest in vampires(in any aspect of the genre)
probably since puberty onwards
* You have had a strong interest in vampires since a traumatic event
occured in your life
* You don't get sick often, or if you do, the maladies are often strange
or severe
* You are a fast healer
* Sex tends to leave you feeling revitalized and full of energy
* You have drank blood before or would like to, if you could
* You enjoy imbibing sexual fluids because of the vitality they contain
* Electrical appliances and you don't generally tend to get along well
(watches stop often, computers malfunction for no reason, microwaves start
up by themselves, etc)
* You prefer rich fabrics, tastes, scents etc.
* You are very sensitive to sensory extremes (strong scents, rough
textures, sour tastes,etc)
* You feel totally different on some elemental,intuitive level to most
other human beings
* You feel you don't belong in this century, maybe even this world
* You believe in reincarnation and maybe even have had past life visions
* Your dreams are often extremely vivid and sometimes result in cases
of deja vu
* You easily "trance out" or find yourself detached from the world
* You posess an ability similar to ESP (or are highly intuitive in
general)
* People often find you very empathetic to how they feel
* People often either trust you completely or think you are very dangerous.
* Your style of clothing tends to be more on the dramatic side
* Your relationships tend to be very rocky and emotionally unstable
* Your relationships tend to be very intense and passionate
* People tell you that you are too intense/an "enigma"/"dark hole"/add
similar phrase here
* You look younger than you are (when you're beyond twenty years of
age) or look older than you are (when you are younger than 20 yrs of age)
* You can see and/or read auras
* Animals tend to get along well with you
* You have good, natural "magickal" abilities (if you do spells, etc,
usually they work)
* You have only one or two friends/lovers who really understand you
and whom you get along with
* When you will things to happen, they usually do
* You can often easily tell how other people are feeling
* You feel sick/get rashes/etc in the daytime when the sun is shining
* (you're a woman) Your period starts late in the day and your cycle
is usually timed to the full moon
* You suffer from allergies
Important Note: Many visitors to VAU tell
me that they have most of or all of these symptoms and does this mean they
are definately a vampire? The answer is, not necessarily. Having
all of these traits does not necessarily mean you are vampiric, nor does
having none of these traits mean you are not necessarily vampiric. Therefore,
let the following be your primary indicator of vampirism above all else:
a real vampire, whether psychic or blood oriented, will have a craving.
The vampire will either know what he/she craves, or will have a nameless
craving they can't quite put their finger on, but nevertheless it is there.
If you don't have a craving, you are not a vampire.
Common Misconceptions and their realities
* Misconception:
Vampires are seductive, powerful, hypnotic creatures
* Reality: Vampires
are just like everyone else, although generally tend to have more intense,
charismatic personalities.
* Misconception:
Vampires don't need jobs
* Reality: Vampires
need to earn a living just like everyone else. They hold all types of jobs
from the mundane to the exciting, just like everybody else also.
* Misconception:
Vampires are physically immortal and/or undead
* Reality: Vampires
are physically mortal, with immortal souls. Vampires live normal lifespans
and normal lives and have never, at any point in their physical life, died
and risen from the grave.
* Misconception:
Vampires are repelled by garlic/crosses/roses/etc
* Reality: Vampires
can eat anything, are of all religions and the only time they might be
repelled by a rose is if the thorn happens to prick them :)
* Misconception:
Vampires drink only blood
* Reality: Vampires
come in two types: The blood drinking type (sanguivores) and the energy
absorbing type (psy-vamps). They, just like any other human, cannot survive
without a regular diet of food and drink as well.
* Misconception:
Vampires are evil and know what they are doing is evil and wrong
* Reality: Evil
is a relative term, and there is no being on earth who can state with any
validation what is good and what is evil. There are a great many evil humans
out there too, anyway. Furthermore, not all vampires even know they are
vampires...let alone contemplating whether their vampirism makes them good
or bad.
* Misconception:
Vampires can't go out in sunlight
* Reality: Vampires
can go out in sunlight, it just generally tends to hurt their eyes and/or
give them heat rashes/headaches or illness (to varied degrees)
* Misconception:
The only way a vampire can be killed is through sunlight/staking/add other
fictional vampire-killing method here
* Reality: Vampires
can die of anything from bullets to AIDS to even a stake through the heart...just
like any other human being. Sunlight; however, will not kill a vampire...this
is a fictional device.
* Misconception:
Vampires sleep in coffins/wear capes/have fangs/ are extremely pale/cast
no reflection/etc
* Reality: Vampires
are just like everyone else, as I've said. Many look, dress and live quite
normally. None are borne with fangs (tho anyone and everyone can get fangs
surgically implanted)...all cast reflections...and the only reason a vampire
might be a tad paler than most is an avoidance of sunlight (if they are
sensitive to it).
* Misconception:
Vampires are pretentious/arrogant beings who believe they are a superior
race and who insist that everyone accept the fact of their existance. Vampires
will, if necessary use threats and/or go mainstream (ie: appear on tv shows,
in magazines, news casts, etc) to force people to believe in their existance.
* Reality: For
the most part, vampires are very easy-going and tolerant...well as much,
that is, as any other human being on earth. Many will not force their beliefs
on others or share with the world that they are a vampire, unless a specific
individual asks and/or is interested in learning. If that individual still
doesn't care to believe that the vampire is a vampire (and/or has a difficult
time of understanding the concept of real vampirism vs, stereotypical fictional/folkloric
vampirism) then the vampire will generally not force the issue further.
Real vampires also will rarely go mainstream with their nature...in fact,
most, if anything, set about to undo the negative connotations the vampiric
community has received by the influence of those alleged "members" of the
vampire community (who aren't really members) who have indeed gone mainstream
and committed heinous acts of crime, etc. Vampires also will not go around
making threats such as "Oh...I am a 400 year old vampire and if you don't
surrender to me I will kill you, etc, etc). Most will even seek to debunk
such fictionalized stereotypes. Furthermore, vampires generally also do
not believe themselves a superior race, just a different race...if anything,
they may have more of a deeper appreciation for life than do normal human
beings. Basically, vampires tend to live by a "to each his own" motto...they
will not judge your lifestyle/values/beliefs etc if you do not judge theirs.