Vampire Phobia
By debrakcarey
@debrakcarey (19887)
United States
June 14, 2009 4:50pm CST
When I was a young girl my older brother let me watch one of those old black and white vampire movies...don't remember which one. From then on I was convinced a vampire was after me. ;)
I would steal my mom's garlic powder from the spice rack and set it next to the bed (lid off) with every intention of dashing it in the face of any fanged visitor to my room. I even would clutch the blankets up to my chin, thinking that if one tried to pull them down to bite my neck, at least I would wake up and perhaps be able to escape!
After I became an adult and had children of my own...and thought about childhood fears, I decided to do something about the still lingering nagging phobia I had about all things to do with vampires. My brother..yes, the same one...suggested I immerse my self in all things to do with the subject. Deliberately read books, watch movies, even paint a portrait (I was in art school and needed a subject) of one. I did this..and was cured! I think? lol I was even able to take the Ghost & Vampire tour down in Naw'lins when visiting there.
My question to you is...do you think vampires are real? Is there such a thing?
5 people like this
12 responses
@Toxicon (163)
• United States
15 Jun 09
I like goth music and have met several people that claim to be vampires when going out to shows, I personaly find most of them to be amusing since when questioned about it they really dont have good reasons as to why they choose to call themslves vampires in the first place. The majority of them dont even drink blood and insist they feed off other peoples energy.
I consider myself to be a chef and rather profecient in the kitchen and as I DO NOT claim to be a vampire, I have drank cows blood just to try it when I cooked up a recipe that called for blood, like , you guessed it, blood pudding.
In it's purest form blood has a rather strong metalic taste and is almost impossible to drink. however when cooked it thickens up nicely and adds to the other flavors in the dish.... I'll have to remember to start a discussion in cooking and see if anyone else is cooking with blood.
Oh yeah, where was I, Vampires..... amusing people that dont always have a clue..... nothing to be afraid of.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
The human mind searches for something to believe in...and I have met one person who thought they were a vampire (in New Orleans) and he even went so far as to have canine fangs surgically implanted....? I don't understand the fascination to embrace the dark side. My searching was for an explanation, not because I wan't to join them. :)
@Toxicon (163)
• United States
15 Jun 09
A few of the ones I met also had the teeth implants, I think thats going a bit to far especialy when there are so many other forms of body modification that to me would have more meaning, and look better.
I'm glad to see that you have confronted and overcome your fear of vampires and finaly see them for what they are, whatever that may be exactly.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
Knowledge is power! lol I to think that the implants are going a bit far. But then evil and it's power is mesmerizing too, isn't it? I've not made up my mind to the absolute truth of what I have learned...but it seems to fit my world view. We will find out someday, I'm sure, if I am correct or not.
Thank you for joining in my discussion!
@dawnald (85130)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Jun 09
Only in the bat world (Dawn goes for the laugh)...
No, I don't really believe in vampires. I think they're among a bunch of things that imaginative people made up to explain things that they didn't understand and to entertain people.
@dawnald (85130)
• Shingle Springs, California
16 Jun 09
Nope, but somehow I'd rather believe in fairies (nice ones) than vampires...
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
16 Jun 09
Being mostly Irish...I would have to agree with you on that. But those mean fae folk can be as nasty as the vampires. lol And the nice ones...well, they are tricky, so watch out!
1 person likes this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
They have been recommended to me by others. But I am pretty stuck on Anne Rices characters and am wondering if I'll find this story as interesting?
1 person likes this
@apples99 (6556)
• United States
14 Jun 09
No of course not vampires are not real, but there are people out there in the world that consider themselves vampires they drink blood and live what they believe to be a vampires life style, and people have the right to live as they please as long as there not hurting anyone, but real supernatural vampires dont exist I'm talking about the kind of vampires that can change form or hypnotize people and live forever and explode under the suns rays, that was created by film makers only to entertain people, I love watching a good vampire story on TV or in the movie theater, but thats it, I dont believe in real supernatural vampires, so theres nothing to fear.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 Jun 09
Perhaps the vampire lore is not for real....but what got me thinking about all this again was my friend at work said she saw on the news that they found a young man drained of blood with bite marks on his neck. She did not remember where this occured. But I just wonder. Are they for real or is someone just psycho and trying to emmulate a vampire or perhaps he really thinks he is one? There are so many myths that go back much further in history that there must be a reason for all those people to believe in them. Why did they think them up in the first place? What got them started? I am of the opinion that satan and the fallen angels are partially responsible for a lot of those so called myths. The universe is much stranger than we can imagine. lol
@geniustiger (1694)
• Philippines
15 Jun 09
I think vampires are not true. Just the imagination
of the writer to create a fantastic movie that would
interests to anyone. It is rare so thats good for the movie
and its scares to all those who believe in it.
But in my own point I will not so fond of it because
I dont want to have it in my dreams. I better like to see
comedies than vampires.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
The movie industry is interested in making money and they do play off people's fears. I tried to face my fears head on...and find an explanation that fit as to why these myths and legends were about. The knowledge that good and evil exist in the world....and my firm belief that God is in control of all things, gave me what I needed to over come the fear.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
Alot of those joining in here have focused in on the movie industry's portrayal of vampires. I admit...the movies have spread the idea of vampires to more people, but the original myths are very ancient and most of the movies are based on writings of modern authors...who researched these myths.
That bit of knowledge is what led me to look into the origins of this myth...and wonder why so many cultures developed them.
@Toxicon (163)
• United States
15 Jun 09
As a few of the previous replies mentioned, some of the idealism behind the vampire are based in fact with various cases thruought history. There is also a rare medical condition that makes the patient unable to go out in sunlight and need regular transfusions just to stay alive.
The movie industry, using some clever spin doctors have managed to make these historical and medical facts into a fictional monster by adding atributes such as imortality, shape changing into bats and extraordinary powers of persuasion.
As you said, God controls all, including those past, present, and in the future that have the traits to be considered vampires even if they dont fall into the average movie goers stereotypical ideas of what a vampire is.
@flzmlady (418)
• China
15 Jun 09
i believe in vampires,not something magic or dramastic, but some people who get infected by some mysterious viruses or bacteria and can only survive on human blood.
it seems that vampires have really long teeth,esp.the four canines in the mouth.
funny enough,i do have a right down canine longer than all of my other teeth by 0.5 centimetre,and i wonder about that since the doctors i visited have no comments or way to deal with this "high" tooth.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
I don't think your tooth means you're a vampire. I would have it looked at by an orthodontist if it causes you physical discomfort.
As for the virus theory...I have wondered if viruses are something extra terrestrial. They don't 'act' like any other life form, do they? To think that they infect our very DNA....and are always present in our bodies once taking up residence is a scary thought.
On the spiritual side of that....perhaps they are responsible for the shortened life spans of the human race... that the ancients speak of man once living for centuries. It is not just a Biblical story but found in many ancient writings.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
15 Jun 09
I believe that vampires might be real, and if they are, I would just kill them. I am a slayer and werewolf sympathizer.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
Now...I am into wolves big time....had a friend who was half wolf...the other half was German shepherd. But I am not fond of metamorphs who eat humans...:) To tell the truth...not really wanting to meet a vampire either!
Curiosity killed the cat?
@darkangel079 (1498)
• United States
14 Jun 09
For some odd reason I find vampires a bit cool and sexy. I don't believe they exists to the extreme like those movies. Sometimes I day dream of a cute vampire woman, dressed in goth, black lip stick and such. But say if that were true, I'd say yeah I would want to be one, to say I'm a night person most of the time and sleep during the day. Twisted fantasy I know, but oh well thanks for sharing this topic.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 Jun 09
I have to admit to a bit of a fascination for that too....but more 18th century than modern goth. lol
We all have a good & an evil side...I do my best to feed the good and starve the evil.
In my fantasy...I always wind up thinking about the immortal side of being separated from God and from those I love forever. I think that is the message of most vampire stories.
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
15 Jun 09
Vampires are real but they don't turn into bats or have large fangs.
Vampires are more like the undead, some might even call them zombies, however, they're completely different.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
16 Jun 09
I have never understood that term...undead? Either you are, or you're not. ? I did know from Anne Rice's research for her books..that they do not turn into bats. And they CAN see themselves in mirrors too.
I don't really believe in them...just having a bit of fun.
I do think though, that there are people who think they're vampires. And they go so far as to drink blood....but I think they die just like the rest of us humans.
@Archie0 (5636)
•
15 Jun 09
For me vampires wer never a phobia because in real i have hardly seen them.But i have a phobia from dreams because i get werid dreams and werid people looking at me.I feel stressed when i dream them.And they come suddenly any day without any prior notices or hints and thats why i have a sleeping phobia sometimes.werid but its true.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
Hi Archie...have you looked into talk therapy? Perhaps there is a reason for this you are unaware of? I've had nightmares in the past too. Really set me into a tailspin emotionally. I finally went to a therapist who understood my beliefs and convictions about spiritual matters. It was very helpful...found memories I had repressed and was able to deal with them in a way that was comfortable to me.
There is a spiritual side to each of us...and spiritual reasons for what goes on in our psyche. Hope you will look into it and find relief.
Are you a Christian, are you open to the idea that perhaps this is a spiritual attack?
@LiveLove (443)
• United States
14 Jun 09
I wouldn't say the media's representation of vampires is real. I will say that there are credible documents of historical figures who did drink the blood of animals and humans. There was a woman, Elizabeth Bathory, who drank and washed in the blood of young maidens because she believed it would make her remain young. It didn't. As for the vampire film, could it have been the German "Nosferatu"? I actually loved scary movies as a kid and I still do now. But it is nice that you have grown out of the fear.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 Jun 09
No...I think it was one with Boris Karloff. I have seen the Nosferatu film since deciding to immerse myself in all things vampire. But my favorite vampire has to be Lestat.
He is the most believable vampire character I've read about so far. I like that he is still human enough to wonder about his spiritual state. Anne Rice is amazing. Her books on the story of THE CHRIST were fascinating too. We all struggle with a good side and an evil side...and she explains that very well in her writing.
I like a scary movie if it's not all blood and guts....got to have some thought provoking plot or I'm not into it.
@start20090509 (52)
• China
15 Jun 09
These are just a legendary story.
I feel does not exist.so far,the west western ghosts ,also did not find a favorable
scientific basis to prove their existence.
In accordance with the human body structure,not there is so much variation.However,
there is no scientific evidence to indicate that they do not exist,perhaps in a corner of them wathing us,you'll be careful
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
Science is the final word on everything? I remember reading some of what science once thought about the world...and now we know it to be false. Perhaps we just haven't found out all the 'scientific' facts yet? lol
