The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Greetings,

Is it possible that the term 'vampire' (as well as other similar 'creatures,' could merely be definition's for the darker side of our own human nature?

Think about it for a moment... a werewolf is a man that essentially possesses within him or her, an animal; an animal unbound by thics and with the baser impulses kicked into overdrive... Perhaps the werewolf is just a metaphore for man's baser needs; the need to hunt, to kill, to feed and to fuck.

Perhaps the vampire is a somewhat more subtle version... the lack of reflection being the means to avoid guilt on this occassion... and let's not forget the vampire's links to the sin of gluttony; with the thirst that is never quenched...

And Incubi and Succubi... a human's baser instinct of the carnal...

Akri

I personally see most vampires as fiction. The whole turning into a bat, no reflection, etc. That being said, I always think fiction is meant to reflect upon humanity's wants and needs in one form or another.

Many are archetypes of dark sides of our nature.

Good analogy.

Not just the darker side of man, but also represents the lust for things that are forbidden and tabboo.

A characterization of finding evil and dark things lustful and desirable, even pleasurable.

Whether the concept of the vampire was purposely created with the intent on representing this aspects, I'm not sure.

As well as immortality vampires gained in the tradition enriched skills and attributes. The ethics and social structures came along as well, I will look into it but I would like to see (out of the lores presented by an article here on VR how the oral tradition of vampires merged with the written. As we tend to re-adapt our spooky ideas to current social standards. I am waiting for a nano- vampire craze myself..

Im in two minds over this Akri
Having understood my darkness as ether a love for the macabre and an archetypes of anti hero for my darker desires. My succubus a vivid dream of which my alter ego or something does it’s own thing much to my delight.
Of late im wondering if and im going to ask you try to digest this…….
Say we were visited by aliens we call the nephlim who tried to mate and as documented in the bible sources n the book of enoch realy goes into detail about the nephlim or the giants or the fearful ones or the dead ones even the long necked ones which are all used to describe the genetic manipulation they performed as it is noted after the maidens found the angels fair they couldn’t give birth to living children so they were pulled from the mother wombs …. I believe are darkness comes from this in our DNA a echo from a past we have forgotten, were just expressing a built in image of them…..
Recommend one reads the book of enoch before passing judgment on my theories

What you are saying makes sense to me and I could see what you are trying to get at. As you have said a lot of these creatures are human based or were a human at one point. But some of the other creatures in the world I'm not so sure if they could be connected to what you are saying. But, very good analogy !

i suppose that is possible given the fact that their dark side is sang or psi where they would have to feed off of blood or psychic energy

I believe a vampire is definatly part of our animal side, a darker side, The wolf usually shows up when it shows up to women when they want a piece of ass then it turns into an animal

Does that bring into question that people who enbrace Vampire culture are embracing the dark side of life. If you believe that is it a reflection of the "dark side of Humanity" Do you believe that it is wrong to follow that culture.

I think humanity made those terms up to express their true personalities

Maybe, as I can see it being used as an outlet for an aspect of ourselves that may be socially unacceptable, the animalistic side of ones self. Much of what a vampire is by definition is forbidden or taboo as it were.

i dont know really, i mean sure we all have a dark side but is it so easy to pinpoint it and try to fit into some catagory?

I think that the vampire and the werewolf are metaphors for humanity's dark side. Another prime example of this would be the Hyde character of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
When the doctor transformed into Hyde, he had absolutey no conscience in right and wrong - he did whatever the hell he wanted to do at the given moment.

I don't think it is an "dark side" reference at all - but instead an allegory of those who have power/strength/skills and have been forced to hide it because of typical human fear of these things.

Vampire is a beautiful term, and perhaps modern society chooses to see it as a "darkness." I however see it as the recognition of hidden talents, the fear that others have of these, and the desire for "typical" humans to label that which they fear as "evil".

Not all vampires are evil,as seen, some are calm and loving.. Its all how you would look at it.

i've always thought of vampires as more of the psychic vampire than a real blood-sucking undead thing. i've never thought about it in the way you mentioned though.

Akri,
I find it funny that this subject came up as this is something I was just discussing. I agree with your analogy.
I also believe that there is nothing wrong with fitting into this. Embracing your "darker" side isnt neccessarily parallel to something evil. Embracing your darker side is just accepting things about yourself that isnt normally discussed outwardly or practiced by everyone.

We also like to be scared by imagined possiblities, notice how even though a vampire is complete with a weakness (stakes,silver, and things attached to our faiths once shielded us from them) so as the vampires broke out of their "traditional" britches, and stopped having easy kill buttons. so are we trying to scare our selves again, some would even blur the line between noitional and claim them real, to embrace vampires or to spook others with such possililities..?

This can go in two directions so I'll say two things....
I dont think a persons calling themself a Vampyre (on the subject of Living Vampyres) is to scare anyone. It has nothing to do with anyone else, its a personal journey and decision.

Now those that do the dress up game for halloween and the attention seeking individual, those people just like the thrill of possibly scaring people with their look.

So the increase in vampire novels and the greater degree of their carnage, is that just a personal journey of the writers and directors? or are they trying to pack more "gun powder" into an old rehashed "cannon"?

I think the by product of make believe real vampires involves an amount of ... "I am mysterious" and those who do so are seeking to be noticed, for it. those that don't I could agree it would be more of a personal journey. but the bulk of those who make such claims are really waiting for a shocking response from people they tell. I notice this with so called "non-conformist" the claim to not conform, yet seek to acknowledged and even accepted, as a nonconformist, as if support to be a non-conformist is important.

The previous message was in regards to an individual living the lifestyle.
As for the authors and creators of these books, its nothing more than a way to make money.
On the same subject, look at directors and the intensity of horror movies nowadays. The way this world is going and the things people have seen in their own lives, we have a tendency to become desensitzed to alot and the media takes it upon themselves to "step it up" in a manner of speaking and raise the bar on gore and blood to satisfy the masses.
long story short. People love that shit.
People love having the piss scared out of them because it gives them that extra heart flutter that they dont get with their everyday mundane lives.

Yes, I can see how that could be.

The lack of conscience maybe ?

and people like to see others cringe when they are told stories that scared them when they where told.. it is the pass it along scare, so if all the friends you have are "jaded" by the last scary thing.. you do what.. ? up the ante. role play characters in books and movies.
when that loses its luster.. claim that you are really a vampire. The sources for method acting are numerous and with a little personal spice.. your own mysterious ( are they or are they not?)

This stands true for those that this applies to. Unfourtunately those in the "public eye" that chose to act a fool and be these so-calleds' make it this way.
Like I said before attention seekers.
This goes into another thread on posers that we were on. But this deters from the actual thread so I will not go into that but you remember what was there dabbler right?
So with that I will say as I said before, I can agree with the idea that people use the word or term "vampire" as a metaphor for their human dark side.

An alter ego foundation.. I see that as healthy role playing.. I do like to see (an I acknowledge)when I see someone play the role well.

this is a great analogy..
i think maybe it would apply to the incurable condition of greed... by that i dont mean on a small scale, i mean humanity as a whole, were all like vampires in some way - taking someone elses life (blood) away from them

however i also think that due to the literature associated with vampirism this it itself has become a lot more beautiful than the human features it represents!

i think it is more of a dichotomy of base needs with discipline; short term pleasure with long term pleasure; flamboyance with secretiveness; and addiction with restraint.

the people who termed Vampires as dark did it to impress a leason on people to becareful at night. I don't think that it is a sign because regular humans can be much more dark.

Hmm..

Even more obscure would be a being whose existance slightly elevates them above mankind and his presence on the planet.

A creature that is more powerful than man and feeds on man, yet has no predators that occur naturally.

Kind of like a land-roving great white shark.

Like any other allegory, some use this as a temporary control over their psychie. Whether or not this is a good thing is a good question.

The audiance of the Black Veil teachings, consume this idea as if they were gluttons. Most within said society, take the venture as a lifestyle then state "It is the basis of the animal within". This sort of mentality, demonstrates the very core of what the "vampire" is not. It is more of a "otherkin" statement.

This inner self speculates that a fear has been lost, forgotten, or just plain set aside for the preservation of what their psychie truelly represents. Whether or not this is a danger to themselves or others around them is yet another good question.

I believe that everyone has a dark side no matter what anyone calls it. There are different levels of dark or what some people call evil. I don't know of anyone every calling it vampire however. It's just another part of human nature.

Evil has many Names indeed; perhaps this is a good angle to look at, that maybe perhaps being a Vampire is yet another metaphor for being evil itself...just aptly given a "Name".

But who then, says that vampirism is evil. Who says that your "darkside" is evil?
I have a darker side to me but it doesnt involve things that one would consider evil....or maybe they would but that would go into the subject of who considers what to be evil.....

How ever strong we make the metaphoric beastly undead personification of suave killer instinct reduced to hunting. We create a "stake" as well.

why does vampirism have to represent a dark side of humanity? why can't it just represent the side of humanity that people are forced to repress most of the time due to societal pressures and conformity?

i don't know if i would use parasitic. just an aspect of ourselves which we don't reveal to others regularly and which, therefore, is less understood.

Many psychologists use the term "vampire" to refer to a type of personality who "sucks the life" out of others. Basically meaning that they make one feel fatigued/tired after spending time with them.

Also a lot of authors use the term to mean the same thing.

I think if there were Vampires out there who are exactly like the media portrays them, we would know about it.

I believe Vampires exist as a species just as we exist as humans. I believe they are not a metaphor.

I don't think so.

Vampires are usually portrayed as something to animalistic to be human, even the dark side of them.

i don't think vampires are a different species. that to me seems very far fetched.

sweetblooded -

What do you think they are, then? Certainly they can't be considered human, with what 'supernatural' abilities they're usually given.

Human without all the complicated consciousness..?

to MBK, yes I think I am in some ways vampiric, but i don't think i'm a different species. i think of vampires not as the bram stoker undead fiend, but more of a modern psychic vampire. i don't think that a corpse can be animated into the undead. so, no i'm not a different species.

dabbler, maybe not as complicated a conscious as non-vampires, but still having a conscious. i know i have a conscious.

so is your consciousness feed by others or your own.. what is the spiritual state of your being.

I agree with " the dog ",

Good analogy.

Not just the darker side of man, but also represents the lust for things that are forbidden and tabboo.

A characterization of finding evil and dark things lustful and desirable, even pleasurable.

Whether the concept of the vampire was purposely created with the intent on representing this aspects, I'm not sure.

I too feel this way dog

As Humans we must be able to justify our dark-side! If not we are considered heathens. As humans we lust for many dark things, some for blood, some for lust, some for murder or the desire to control through killing. POWER can be dark. If one so chooses.

Vlad the impaler was said to have been vampire, However if you look at his true history, he was just a mad man ,I feel. He definitely could be the metaphor for the darker side.

Vlad was not a madman...
You must judge a ruler by the times in which he lives.


Half (or more) of the people on this site are heathens.

I agree. Vlad Tepes wasn't a mad-man. He controlled and punished his kingdom the way he saw fit.

Of course the mythos surrounding the word vampire is a metaphor for our darker side, and we've touched on most of the levels: greed, gluttony, lust --- all the seven deadly sins. It all starts with the Blood, though.

Blood flow, Blood life, Blood ritual.

Taking it from another person is verboten, considered grand theft.

Although I think there are vampires...the appeal to ones who are not is that darkness, that mystery that we are so curious about... they live are dark side for us..

A nice metaphor, but I believe that vampire is a vampire, not just only a metaphor.

Metaphorically, since my ex drained my bank account and has emotionally sucked me dry, she may be a type of vampire.

I buy the metaphor for vampires representing the human's dark side. It's all I can afford.

But our darker nature is simply darker nature. Vampire is something that takes from another. The darker is more our shit. ?

Folklore & legends, even children’s stories told around the campfire change the more they are told. Maybe vampires & werewolves originally started this way as well. Just someone’s way of describing the inner demons. As time went on, the story evolved and became much more detailed.

It's an interesting theory, certainly, but a little too convenient for my liking. Perhaps our ancestors recognised animalistic traits in these creatures and that's why they were afraid of them, but I don't think that it's where the legends actually spring from.

..this is definitely one of the more articulate threads I've encountered, for quite awhile.
I look it at this way, since the early caveman drawing, man has embodied 'other thing's with physical manifestations of his fears.. perhaps it is just an extension of that??

Yes i do belive that because wen we sleep we dream
and are bodies can do things with us knowing
and maybe turning something els to an exstant

Really good thread

Why should this metaphor only pertain to the darker side of mortals, for in fact alot here believ all the time they are vampires or other creatures even when they may do a helping hand. A metaphor is probably correct on the sence of beliefs and life style of the lore of such creatures, but not just on the dark side of us.

it could be possible..
i mean... it could be used to describe a human's darker side...
but what about those human out there that do feed on blood or have a constant thirst for blood...
do we consider them to be real vampires??
and werewolves..
what about their constant call to the full moon..
or there need to be more agressive...
and are all of are serial killers werewolves??
no...
but...
i mean they are violent and they rape...
that is a need for them... to kill, to fuck....
to taste the pain of someone else suffering...
but then again... it could just be a metaphore for a human's darker side...
it is all in what you believe in and choose to believe...

I believe most could be archetypes to describe our own human nature, this is a really good thread, good job

It could be used to describe some humans nature. e.g. Murderers and such.

it is possible that the concept of vampires is a metaphor for the darker side of humanity. the unquenchable thirst could equal gluttony. the biting and drinking of blood could be representative of some of humanities sexual taboos. i hadn't thought of the whole no reflection = avoidance of guilt but it is also a good point.

however, there is no definitive proof so i can't say either way

I made a reference to Saddam being a vampire in another thread...he was feeding off of his people and his country, for his own wealth and power. That likens him to a vampire.

I don't think that vampires are a darker part of our nature. I don't think that everyone is a vampire.
I am one, and dont consider it my darker side, its just who I am.

Sure... why not. Someone could call anything a metaphor to any aspect of human life. But with saying that... i doubt that by that manner the idea of a vampire came into existance. Sure, the idea of a vampire could be compared to anything... the idea of life being life a roll of toilet paper does just the same.

In a nut shell... anything can be compared to anything else... but not always that is how things come into being.

I guess it could be used to describe the darker side of human nature, the part that drives some people to commit murder and other crimes. But then again, stories of vampires have been told for a very long time, I doubt that they were based only on human nature.

slippingamongsttheshadows summed up the arguments through the thread simply.
..
the reason this thread has carried on as it has, is that we recognise the validity of the thread and the argument.
..
chuff opinion, I feel it's historically a good point of view: look at the way early man related his cave picture, to the spirits of the animals they hunted.
..
Even they, they saw a connection...

The fact that our blood is what is most important to us - out of everything, it is what we need the most - this could portray the "vampire"'s desire to take away what is most important to us.

I agree that vampire could be considered a metaphor for humanity's darker side.. But the truth is, without it, where would we be?

We need balance in our lives.

Such an original Thread- always nice to see. I agree, There's a strong possibility that terms such as "Vampire" and "Werewolf's" Refer to human aspects that quite honestly, we dont like owning up to. Perhaps this is the reasons that we, in some way, idleise them. For example, Some people roleplay to feel a little darker and unbound from reality, Which is understandable. I suppose back in the old days, These were more serious term's and designed to strike fear into law abiding people...Yeah, you pick up the slack on that >.<

Excellent discussion.

We feed off of every resource we can and usually waste more than we can possibly utilize. Very excellent comparison of the two...

If we was to feed like a vampire, wold we admit it due to the fact that we are so hunted and this day and age we would be sentenced for a crime. Is OK to kill chicken to eat. but to drink blood like a vampire it is not OK.

misterstikki -



I wouldn't say we feed off of every resource we can. There are some we're trying to protect as well as some [such as fuel] in which we're trying to find alternative sources.

I do think that many have a darker side to themselves. Just depending on that person or the persona they tend to carry within themselves.

That makes sense to me. Many creatures or fictional stories or characters in my opnion are based apon mans self. The way he acts as a human like stated above his own guilt with the reflection of the mirror. To me it sounds more resonable an more human.

I don't see anything dark about it really. It's human nature to want the same things as any animal would really, we just go about it different ways. We are beings of the Earth so it's only natural we share a connection with other beings and have some common ground some where if we really thought hard about it. :)

LeopardGoddess -


What if you go by the murderous part of the human ... part ... thing?

i totally agree, i think that is the original purpose of the vampire

i agree with akris analogy on this one. Vampire and werewolfs is easy to use as a path to what is concidered a darker nature.

I believe that vampires and werewolves are considered the "dark" side of human nature because they do the things that most would not admit to.

We are animals but we have the ability to feel emotion and guilt..that is what makes us different then all the other animals..but the basic needs are still there and if we admit to those needs then that makes it wrong somehow...hence they call it the "dark" side of human nature.

Distortion-

We do murderous things every single day. War is an example, some might call it "population control". When we murder the murderer in prison. When we kill those we socially see fit to do so, or go out and kill animals (not including to survive because that's more socially acceptable). It really depends on what side of the coin you are on. The dark side is only one side of the same coin. How we view those sides depends on which is acceptable on whatever side you choose to take.

The concept of vampires and vampirism indicated that vampires are not mere stories or explanations created by personal experience or folk tales, but are in fact a species-wide psychological structure that all humans share in primitive thought

The Jungian interpretation of the vampire assumes that all humans have a vampire inside of them. What this means is that Jungian believe vampires are an intuitive concept to the human psyche. Something we understand in some way, shape or form, from the moment we exist into this world. Vampires reflect significant issues universal to all human life.

For Jung himself, the vampire was the representation of a psychological aspect he called, "the shadow." The Shadow is made of aspects of one's self that the conscious mind and ego were unable to recognize. The shadow was primarily negative concepts, such as repressed thoughts and desires, out anti-social impulses, morally questionable judgment, childlike fantasies, and other traits we normally feel shame for expressing or thinking.

Reference:

Psychoanalysis Vampire

Even those who murder consciously mostly know it's wrong. No matter what, murder is a horrible thing therefore putting it on the dark side of human nature.

Is that so? Because the way i see it, only humanity tends to question their own actions to define if it's wrong or right. I'm sure a Lion wouldn't stop to say...hm, should i kill this animal to eat or is it wrong? lol

This philosophy sounds closer to the truth, for me at any rate.

I am not discounting the fact of whether vampires, or werewolves exist. However the dark, sinister and evil aspects of such creatures do describe that other half of ourselves. The side that is pure evil, some can control it and keep a fine balance of their inner good and evil. Some can't!

So I can see the werewolf representing the animalistic side of our selves, the vampire as the seductive life drainer, the succubus as the carnal. You could throw demonic as well in that ring.

So I can agree with this ideal, taking out the fantasy and the mysticism of such creatures.

sadly we feel the need to give a name to what we can't explain or an excuse for what is not consider "normal" to most humans.

Mankind has alwasy seek an excuse a reason to avoid responsibilty of their action, which result is causing harm to those who are actually simply being themseves and don't meddle with thosse using the vampire comunity or name as a pityful reason to get pity or forgiveness int eh name of their" dark side"

Sadly this kind of behavior result in dirtying the name of the vampire community.

Leopard -


That's only because animals minds differ from humans. Humans minds are normally more advanced than animals. I'm not saying this is true in all cases, but it is in a lot.

In a way you are quite right. I agree whole heartily in your opinion. People judge what they do not know and we are in that category.

i think that would be more of the term vampyre. I strongly believe vampires are human, but further extended.

Can you clarify what you mean by further extended?

So....further extended humans should be called vampires? o.O

If you want to put it that why, then I suppose. But not everybody has the thirst for another's blood or energy. Not everybody changes into wolf-form on a full moon. In a more general way, I can agree with what you're saying Akri

If further extended humans were to be called vampires that wouldn't make too much sense ... I'm confusing myself.

If someone is a human they can't be a vampire. If someone is a vampire they can't be human.