I'm all for any kind of non-conformity. I'm even for any kind of conformity. Heck, whatever makes you life more fulfilling.

But I have been reading about, the Vampire sub-culture, recently, and I've been wondering about the validity of it. I'm not talking about the Goth's, as they call themselves. I'm talking about the people who consiter themselves vampires, and feel the need to dress in victorian era clothes, and actually drink the blood of others, (from volunteer hosts, of course).

I'm not dissing these people in any way, or saying that they're wrong for doing this. I just have to wonder, is it a fad? I would say that its just a teenage thing, but grown men and women, live and participate in this lifestyle. Do they actually believe they are immortal? Do they believe that they will burst into flames, should they walk into the sun?

Is there anyone out there connected, or into this lifesyle? Its very interesting to me. I know that those who participate in this lifestyle, are pretty tight-lipped, and there has only been a few authors and other media allowed into the "inner circle".

There's a couple of forums and message boards out there for people who believe they are "Real" Vampires. A Google or Yahoo search can find them. You should read some posts from them. They make everyone on this board seem completely sane and buttoned up.
It's an interesting study of the power of self delusion if nothing else. Anne Rice pretty much kicked the whole craze off if you ask me..

i think that these kind of people want to believe that they are different because they dislike everything else in the world. so they may or may not believe they are immortal or whatever, but they just try to be different from the rest of the world and they want to make other people think the same way as they do. they are just a little too weird and crazy for me because i think its kinda stupid if you really think you are a real vampire and immortal and to think that you must feed off of human blood to survive. its probably a little more than a fad. but i could be wrong.

Oh puhleaze! These "vampires" are a bunch of misfits who wanted to be special and they are saying: Look at MEEE!!!

I remember watching a TLC programs on vampires and they interview some of these "real" vampires. This one vampire lady was pontificating about drinking blood:

"Well, it is like..you know...when you drink somebody's blood...uh...you know....you get this connection...you know, this primal connection with the other person...ugh..when you drink their blood. The act itself...you know....is very...it is very intimate, you know....."


WHATEVER!

I think they are just people who want to be something other than themselves.
A vampire is a good choice of identities, immortality, super strength, flying....all the good stuff.

You can't really go around claiming to be a vampire without drinking some blood, you'd loose all credibility. So I would say that it is a passion or maybe obsession of sorts where the only way they can really get closer to their chosen identity is by totally submerging themselves in the lore that surronds this being.

They got nothing on this vampire!

Is that a gang sign he's flashing there, Chauncy?

J.K.- He's my favorite too!

Vamprism is some kind of deal where people drink each others blood to connect each others soul to become one, but i think it's a little farfetched if vampires were real (not saying they are not) i dont think they would publisiseing(sp?) them selves. i have to admit i drink blood (a few times it wasn't mine), but only 'cause i like the taste...i dont go around calling myself a vampire or anything.

you drink blood that isn't yours??

most of the time from my friends ya know, but even sometimes you can buy it from a blood bank

so you drink your friends blood???? how cud you do that??? i think you choose to become a vampire!

Hi, I am a total horror fan and i myself do not understand it either. I watched a documentary about it, and these people were describing that vegetarian blood is sweet tasting whereas meat-eaters was bitter!

And the amount of blood they drink is literally no more than a drops worth which makes them go all euthoric..

But then again the same programme had a real blood drinker, real cup-fulls. He has a blood disorder, and finds drinking a cup a day from the local butcher (pigs/cowsblood!) helps him.

I can see why people want to become vamps. Its all about the romanticism of the vampire legend.

As for blood, blood is an emetic so if someone really wanted to try their luck and drink a lot, it would make them ill!

I believe its the same thing being Gothic was.

Like people want to not conform, so they became goths, which eventually became conforming, so now they believe they are vampires because Goths are kinda soft compared to vampires.

Ive noticed a patern amongst certain people who could really stand out, you know they seem more intelligent than most people, and are more interesting no matter how strange they seem, and they dont conform to anything.
I think these "vampires" are people like that who are trying to hard to not conform and doing it in the end.

so yeh, its just a fad

how can you like the taste of blood? No offence but it sounds disgusting!!! What does it taste like?

Sounds like a fast way to catch something rather nasty and incurable!

yeh i agree fenris!!!! it's totally sik to do that in my opinion but each to his own!

If your gonna drink other peoples blood, you may as well just start licking toilet seats. In fact, the toilet seats will put you at a lesser risk of getting an incurable disease.

Or you could lick bloody toilet seats!

yeh i agree! how cud u drink someone elses blood?????

I guess common sense would stipulate that you just don't cut your buddy and drink what comes out.

There doesn't seem to be any type of disorder or natural tendency towards drinking blood. So those that do do so by choice, and therefore are the furthest thing from any true vampirism.

So to do it lacks logic and rationality........which makes it pretty stupid to drink your buddies blood.

YEP I AGRRE CHAUNCY!

EVERYONE PICKS ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm gonna go hide in a corner and cry now...

I saw a documentary based on the idea that vampirism is mainly a teenage thing ('fad' if you like). Teenagers playing with the idea of immortality and so forth (as teenagers often feel as they are immortal). The vampire is an idea they cling to, and as they visit these sites and so forth they become obsessed with the idea and believe they are vampires. I find the whole idea disgusting to say the least...

I had always thought of goths and vamps as intruiging. I liked the fact that they were non conformist, but now i know they are just conforming to non-conformity. its pretty ironic.

my blood doesnot taste that bad,
i have not tried anyone elses. when i was a teen i ate raw bloody beef, man was i screwed up.

Personally the whole goths thing is pretty much "Whatever floats ya boat". I do find some goths who are friends of mine to be particularly whiny but they can still hold an intelligent conversation (no offence to any goths on here). It's the ones who just do it because they think it makes them superior to me that annoy me....

Vampires, however, I think is taking it all too far. Read the books, enjoy the stories, dress up in victorian clothes but drinking each others blood? What wrong with their blood? Do they think it needs super boosting? Are the blood cells in need of company? All seems a bit silly to me.... Still, if they don't hurt anyone then let 'em think they're immortal or "connected"

janielsenj666, do you just drink blood to feel special or immortal? If not then just no preying on sweet innocent girl who jsut happen to leave their bedroom windows open at night...

WELL Y DO U DO IT????

me lol

the whole sceptiscism of vampires is widley renound. yeah i do believe vampires exist as does thefirstman yet we both agree if they o exist they blend in to society they do not parade themselves to be vampires and dont just live the lifestyle .... they are the lifestyle.
it is said vampires are not blood hungry fiends they do not need to drink and they only do so if attacked or near death. also believed to be loners and do not like being in crowds. unlike the guys in america who owns a mansion so his friends can come round to feast on that weeks girlfriend then have a rave about it afterwards
theyre born from death and therefore require blood to live, yeah it might be they need blood to survive but really whats the big deal with blood drinking chances are we all drink blood and like it was said earlier blood tastes good some salty some like honey its no big deal.

I agree that vamps are real but were do such people hangout then?

*sigh*....around here lately, so it seems...