Many claim that they have had encounters with vampires, while others think that they don't exsit. But how do you explain the empty grave of Vlad the Impaler or Countess Bathory bathing in virgin blood? Are these made up tales? I believe that vampires are real and that they are amongst us, you just wouldn't recognize one. They won't go up to you and say "I'm a vampire!" They would blend in with us. I myself, feel at times like I'm being watched or stalked by one. They stay hidden so I don't see them, but I have a feeling that they are watching me for a reason.You may think I'm crazy but I know what I feel, cause I've had dreams about it.
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
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.
