Good evening, my name is Darsuss. I am what some might call a vampire. One of the most frequent questions I get from people — other than if I can drink their blood — is how does one become a vampire. I’d like to answer this question through my own experience, in hopes that it may inspire you to explore for yourself. And if you truly desire to be a vampire, then consider this an invitation.
When we approach the topic of people with occult identities — beyond the obvious question of sanity — we want to know what makes them different from anyone else. In other words, what makes it real?
You’ve likely heard the stories of paranormal encounters and obscure diseases, but what about the people in today’s world who call themselves vampire. They wear fangs and a lot of black but it’s not just goth, the sun doesn’t kill them but they definitely love the night, and they might even consume the blood of a consenting donor. These are just a few actions and tendencies that, when observed together, could corroborate a vampire identity.
To better understand how alternative identities are formulated, we can look to the study of gender. Judith Butler states,
“it is a phenomenon that’s being produced all the time and reproduced all the time; to say that gender is performative is to say that nobody really is a gender from the start”
While an occult identity is by no means equivalent to gender or sexuality, we can use a similar framework to interpret it. Therefore there is no constant definition of vampire, but rather an archetype that is persistently being altered and reaffirmed by society and popular culture.
What may have been a vampire in late 1800s Romania may not have been what a vampire was in the nineties New York alternative scene and what a vampire is at an comic convention may not be a what a vampire is among a spiritual organization.
But there must be some constraint, otherwise the concept would be meaningless. What we perceive to be immutable definitions about vampires are moreso areas of consensus that shift here and there. We can agree vampires are supposed to consume life force, but some say it’s blood, others says it’s prana (psychic energy). In an attempt to organize all this I’d like to propose levels — or planes of reality that help articulate how we go about being vampires.
For the sake of this of this study, I’d like to divide a vampiric identity into three levels. And as we previously established, this identity requires performance.
The most obvious signifier of performance is that which we can perceive with our basic senses — all that exists within the Material. Ask any child and they’ll tell you what a vampire looks like. Put on a pair of acrylic fangs and colored contacts, and you might even convince them. When we think of a person taking on the appearance of a vampire, it’s often a Halloween costume or cosplay. Therefore those in the community would refer to this performance as costume vampirism. The identity is so heavily dependent upon what you wear that anyone with a credit card and shipping address can assume it. Although this may seem rather hollow, we shouldn’t overlook the power of costumes to alter our emotional and psychological states.
As we move from the material expression of vampirism into the mental, we enter into the Sociocultral Level. Here the identity is not demonstrated through objects, but performed through actions and the “scene” we create with other people. Self-proclaimed vampires might often opt for nocturnal schedules, research occult histories and legends, and roleplay covens and noble courts. In other words, the identity is manifested through the performance of culture, or way of life. Even when socially isolated, the individual is displaying tendencies and preferences that emulate the vampire such that we would call this lifestyle vampirism. This level requires a commitment of time, as well as the privilege to perform one’s habits though they may deviate from the norm.
The third level deals with Spirituality. Beyond the appearance and culture of vampirism, is the actual belief in one’s true vampiric nature. We may not have superhuman strength nor dominion over the creatures of the night, but we do feed. All people consume dense energy such as plant and animal matter for sustenance and breathe in oxygen, thus excreting carbon dioxide and waste material. There are however, less dense forms of energy — think creative inspiration, anger, and sexual energy. Though science cannot directly measure these phenomena, they greatly affect our momentary thought and perception, and can have long term effects over our physical health. We seek to control these energies to better function in a lawful society. But vampires and other awakened beings take this a step further — possessing greater sensitivity to this energy, and often a will to manipulate it to some intent. A performance of vampiric spirituality entails the consumption of the energy drawn from other people, and in some cases, their blood. Satisfactorily exploring this practice is not something we could accomplish in one evening, so I suggest you do your research. But I must warn you, though this may be a pathway to great discovery, it also carries greater risk.
After hearing all this, it’s okay if you’re confused about whether you fit into the vampire identity. If these three levels of performance already describe you — then great. But don’t be afraid to pick what works for you. Maybe you’re interested in the fashion but don’t care about the spirituality; or you vibe with energy feeding but think the rest is just fluff — it’s alright. Just be aware that we all come to vampirism seeking different experiences, and it has the potential to fulfill them so long as they’re safe and respectful to everyone’s freedom. And if vampirism isn’t quite right, there are other occult identities and practices to explore, such as witchcraft and shamanism. Or maybe you’d prefer to go without defining yourself. The identities we assume are meant to be used so long as they aid in our growth, and then discarded when they no longer serve us. I hope this has helped you rethink what you know about modern vampires, and inspired you to seek your own answers. I’ve listed some references and resources below. Thanks… until we meet again.
