• Blood Fetishists
• Role-Playing Gamers (RPG'ers) and other Vampire Fans
• "Feeding"
• "Turning" and "Awakening"
• Otherkin
• If you think you might be a vampiric person
• Are there more vampiric people now than there used to be?

The popularity of the role-playing game Vampire:The Masquerade has created an entire subculture of people devoted to the game, its universe, and the personae they create in order to "live" the game. These individuals have their own, quite extensive, network of interconnected websites, chatrooms and messageboards, and enjoy posting to these "in persona" as their gaming characters. As such, they maintain the illusion that they are "real vampires" as defined by the rules of the game and the fictional qualities, history and supernatural abilities accruing to their game persona. Like good actors, they hate to "break character" and explain what is going on, so their statements and dialogue online can be confusing to those who stumble into one of their fora without knowing where they are or being familiar with the game.
.....Some gamers and their supporters argue that the game serves a healthy purpose in allowing them to work out certain issues and to experiment with certain possibilities and potentials. Some of the players are also Vampyre Lifestylers who take the ideals of the vampiric universe in the game seriously and attempt to manifest them in real life.
.....Outside of structured role-playing game universes, there are vampire fiction-writing e-lists, forums and websites in which vampire fans also post in persona as their fictional characters, or create very convincing non-existent organizations. As a general rule, these vampire fans regard vampiric people with contempt, and feel that anyone who would believe the fans' fictional accounts must be incredibly naive or very stupid.
.....Unfortunately, many of those in the Vampiric Community feel that some gamers deliberately (and possibly maliciously) mislead seekers of vampiric reality, by pretending to be what they are not. By presenting themselves online as "real vampires" who claim to be centuries old predators, the gamers make vampiric people look like mere role-players themselves, or create the impression that all vampiric people claim to be bloodthirsty hunters of humankind or world-weary immortals with supernatural powers. Most vampiric people feel that the gamers create confusion, and make it more difficult for vampiric people to find each other online.
.....Undoubtedly, some role-playing gamers and vampire fans deliberately tease and mislead vampiric people. In some cases, they may simply be so skeptical about vampiric people's assertions that they just don't believe that the self-defined vampiric people aren't role-playing, too. In the past five years, the two groups have become more firm about distinguishing themselves, although nearly all "real vampire" websites state very clearly that "this is not a role-playing site." Vampiric Community fora and "personal ads" nearly always specify that gamers and fans are not to post "in persona."
.....Many vampiric people enjoy vampire fiction and games, but they keep their game personae strictly separate from their vampiric identities.

.....Hypothetically and in the Modern Vampire Myth, the process of converting an ordinary human being into a full-fledged vampiric person (of any type) or vampire is referred to as "turning." Sometimes it is also referred to as "being embraced," a phrase from role-playing games, and there are a few other terms drawn from vampire fiction ("the dark gift," "the dark kiss," "bringing across," and "bloodsiring," are several of the most common examples).
.....Vampiric people disagree as to whether "turning" is a real phenomenon or is even possible. Many vampiric people believe that we are born as we are and can't be "turned" or "turn" anyone else. However, some vampiric people report that they underwent a dramatic change that felt physical and externally catalyzed. They experienced a sudden development of either blood-craving or "psi-vamp" tendencies, along with secondary symptoms such as sun sensitivity, nocturnalism, and alterations in appetite. Less often, the secondary symptoms include positive changes such as greater strength and stamina, faster healing, better reflexes, enhanced senses and so on.
.....This sudden development (or awareness) of vampiric symptoms is commonly called "Awakening." In most cases, "Awakening" is seen as a spontaneous occurrence in a person with inborn, dormant vampiric qualities. But sometimes, vampiric people trace the changes in themselves to a specific incident. Sanguinarians most often identify an experience of sharing blood with another person who was already a Sanguinarian--either inadvertently, or with prior agreement that the other person was "turning" them. Self-defined "psi-vamps" may describe an experience in which they "linked" or psychically bonded with an existing self-defined "psi-vamp," sometimes via such media as online chat or the telephone. "Turn" stories involving sex or the injection of an unknown substance (supposedly blood) have also been described. Although the vampiric person reporting this experience believes that it was causative and that he or she was literally "turned" or transformed from an ordinary human, many others interpret the experiences as a triggered Awakening of a naturally vampiric person. Several years ago, Sanguinarians were more likely to consider the "vampire virus" hypothesis seriously, which supported a model for "turning" caused by transmission of the virus. Currently, more Sanguinarians favor a genetic basis for their condition, which supports the model of "turning" being a catalyst for "Awakening."
.....Only a minority of vampiric people gives full credence to the possibility of "turning." While some believe that it may be possible, or is possible in rare cases, and a very few hold firmly that "turning" is the only way to become a vampiric person, the majority of vampiric people of all types believe that they were born as they are. Sanguinarians frequently say that their obsession with and craving for blood goes back as far as they can remember. At least one Sanguinarian reported a mid-life Awakening of her blood-craving tendencies but had absolutely no idea what could have catalyzed it. For the most part, vampiric people regard "turning" as belonging to realm of role-playing and fiction.
.....A separate issue, however, are the constant requests that almost every public vampiric person receives from people asking to be "turned." The "turn fantasy" is a powerful one for many people who are deeply invested in the Modern Vampire Myth. Such individuals not only contact vampiric people asking to be "turned," but place personal ads and post messages on messageboards, guestbooks and other fora in droves. Those who are seeking to be "turned" do so with an earnestness and even desperation that amazes most vampiric people. I have only encountered a tiny handful of people seeking to be "turned" because they had a terminal illness. Most are simply unhappy with their lives, or are seeking to change themselves in some profound way. The majority of them (although by no means all) also seem to be very young.
.....Most vampiric people are appalled by requests for "turning," whether they believe such a thing is possible or not. Sanguinarians and self-defined "psi-vamps" overwhelmingly regard their condition as a serious liability, like a chronic disease. They often respond to "turn" requests with a litany of the woes they suffer and demand whether the aspirant has thought through all the disadvantages to life with an uncontrollable craving for blood or "energy." In many cases, it seems that the aspirant is not, in fact, asking to be "turned" into a vampiric person as described in these articles. "Turn" aspirants nearly always seem to be seeking a variant of the Modern Vampire Myth. They appear to assume that the vampiric people are just trying to hide the truth from them; anyone who calls themself a "vampire," they think, must be a "vampire" like the Myth, someone privileged and special, and they want that special identity, as well.
.....The serious danger comes from the type of person who is all too happy to respond positively to "turn" requests, especially from young women. Like the social networking sites that are plagued by pedophiles and sex offenders, the online vampire fora have their own schools of sharks cruising for young girls (and boys) they can lure with a promise of "turning." These human vampire-like predators will spin stories about being immortals, throwing out more and more outrageous details to test their mark's gullibility. They will promise all the beautiful details in the Modern Vampire Myth: agelessness, immortality, power, endless love and an enfolding community of peers. If they succeed in meeting their mark at last, the results could be very serious. There have been a number of cases of girls being tricked into sex under the pretense of "turning," or of people being injected with harmful foreign substances. Some of these vampire-like predators have attempted to form a cult-like "vampire clan" of mind-controlled slaves.
.....Members of the Vampiric Community try to be alert to these threats, and to denounce and banish vampire-like predators when they're detected. The best way the community can protect itself from negative repercussions is to deal immediately and ruthlessly with predators, and to treat "turn requests" with some sympathy and patience. If the "turn" aspirants are ridiculed or rejected, they'll keep looking until someone tells them what they want to hear.

(Note: Some of the offline Vampiric Community groups and organizations use synonyms for "turning" to refer to the ceremonies or procedures for initiating members into the group, or into a new rank. In most of these cases, as far as I am aware, the group is using the term metaphorically. There are a few organizations in which some literal transformation of some kind is implied.)

.....The topic of "Otherkin" is tangential to this set of articles, but it is definitely relevant to the consideration of vampiric people, some of whom consider themselves to be non-human. Otherkin, or Kin, is the term applied to living people who self-identify as non-humans living among the human world. To quote the definition in the Otherkin FAQ,

The Otherkin (aka Fairth, Metahuman, and sometimes Furries) are those people who believe themselves to be spiritually and/or physically other than human. While mythological species (elves, satyrs, fairies, dragons, and so on) are widely accepted as being included under the term "Otherkin", many people in the community prefer to include aliens, vampires, furries, extraterrestrial humans, and other nonhuman races. A mythological or literary equivalent is not necessary to be included under "Otherkin"; there are types of otherkin that have not shown up in known legends or fiction (star-dragons, Elenari, etc.).

After reading the discussions of vampiric people on this website, you might be wondering who to talk to if you think you might be a vampiric person and aren't sure what to do about it.
.....I strongly believe that no one should draw conclusions without being fully informed. I would recommend that you read all of the articles in this section, and the websites recommended within the articles (especially Sanguinarius.org for Real Vampires and SphynxCatVP's Real Vampires Support Page). I also recommend reading through all the websites I list in the links section, Sites About Real Vampires, and checking out some of the forums in the links section, Messageboards and Forums.
.....Once you have all that information to mull over, once again consider why you think you might be a vampiric person. What aspects of the information you read and the first-person accounts made sense to you or seemed to strike a familiar note? Essentially, if you are Sanguinarian, your primary indication of this should be a deeply felt desire, craving, or even stronger urge to consume blood from other people (or other living things)--not just your own blood. Blood should hold an almost incomprehensible and irresistable attraction for you; you should feel as though you need it, that without it you are lacking a critical element for your continued well-being. This is apart from (although not necessarily in place of) any erotic attraction blood holds for you. If (and only if) the above is true of you, then consider other, "secondary symptoms." Do you avoid sunlight and other bright light, wear sunglasses all of the time, try not to go out in the day, and sunburn easily? Are you sure there are not other medical or circumstantial explanations? (For example, some medications, and contact lenses, can make you photosensitive, some diseases cause sun sensitivity, and use of illicit drugs often dilates the pupils and makes your eyes very sensitive to light.) Are you naturally nocturnal, preferring to be awake and alert during the night and feeling lethargic during the day?
.....If you have thought about all of this and concluded that you have definite symptoms of being a Sanguinarian that can't be easily explained away, then your next step would be to (re)read the information on the websites recommended for Sanguinarians, log on to one of the recommended messageboards , and connect with others who can help offer advice on finding donors, learning about blood safety, and otherwise solving some of the problems you face. If you are an adult over 18, you may also wish to explore the offline blood-drinking/bloodletting scenes. You should do this with caution, however, and preferably with a more experienced mentor as a guide.
.....If you feel that you are an Energy Medium or a "psi-vamp," the situation is a little more complex. The "psi-vamps" differ considerably in how they can be "diagnosed." Some "psi-vamps" self-identify on the basis of how they feel; others include, or rely on, how they seem to affect people around them (which is probably a better method, provided that the effects observed are fairly consistent and not limited only to specific individuals). But some "psi-vamps" hold that the only way to know if you are a "psi-vamp" is to be "diagnosed" as one by another "psi-vamp" who reads your aura or "energy signature." This is often done via online chat sessions. Five years ago, it was rare for "psi-vamps" to have actually met each other offline. Now, many of them have collected into small groups or organizations, so their "diagnoses" are not quite so remote. In any event, as with Sanguinarians, I recommend reading the recommended "psychic vampire" websites and books, visiting some of the forums, and acquiring as much information as you can before you draw any definite conclusions.
.....You won't find specific information about Energy Mediums outside of this website, but there are some symptoms suggestive of this condition (some of which are mentioned in the article). These include feeling a strong sense that one's own energy bodies are fluctuating in a distracting way, more or less all of the time. This may be experienced as an odd illusion of fullness and emptiness, a sensation of pressure, both inward and outward, in the solar plexus or above the bridge of the nose, a sense of sudden elation, euphoria, or increased vigor, alternating with occasional, unexplained lassitude, weakness and depression. (Note that this is distinctly and qualitatively different from emotional "mood swings" or the phases of Bi-Polar Disorder.) You may also notice an optical illusion that the area around you has gotten a little brighter, as though someone just turned on an extra lamp somewhere, or darker. Occasionally you may feel a sense of physical and emotional "overload" in which you easily "hit the wall" in social situations and need to withdraw and be alone, without any rational explanation for your reaction (that is, there is nothing stressful about the situation and a moment ago you were feeling fine). Emotional empathy ("feeling" other people's emotions and experiencing them) is also a symptom, although non-vampiric people can be highly empathic. "Secondary symptoms" might include sun sensitivity and nocturnalism, migraine headaches, and a high degree of psychic ability, especially tending toward the psycho-kinetic area. You may notice that things seem to break or fall on the floor around you a lot, that clocks and electrical equipment stop working--or start working well when they didn't before--and that people tend to hear strange noises in the house when you're there. Some Energy Mediums were the focal personalities of poltergeist activity as adolescents.
.....Unfortunately, the ideal solution for Energy Mediums is a type of training that is best done with a live teacher in person. It's possible to teach yourself physical mediumship disciplines but very difficult to get feedback on what you're doing. If such training isn't available, some form of body-work that utilizes Asian traditions of Qi and "meridians" in the body will be extremely helpful, as will learning about the structure of the human energy system and how to see/sense auras and work with them. Some types of useful body-work are Touch For Health®, reflexology, acupuncture, acupressure, or reiki. Martial arts can also be an excellent way for Energy Mediums to channel their dynamic abilities and help balance and center their own energy systems.
.....The primary indication that you might be a Gwaetgar is the inner certainty that you are not truly human--a certainty shared by those who define themselves as Otherkin. Gwaetgar also share the blood-craving or blood-obsession of Sanguinarians, but for a different reason, as explained in the article about this type. It is, however, at least as pronounced as the blood-craving of the average Sanguinarian. Gwaetgar also share the energy-working abilities, and the symptoms these create, of Energy Mediums. Generally speaking, Gwaetgar don't arrive at adulthood with any serious doubts about what they are. It's a condition that tends to make itself known quite inexorably. There aren't many other information resources for Gwaetgar besides this site, but you might find it helpful to read more information about Otherkin, and consider the training suggestions given above for Energy Mediums and the practical blood drinking guidelines for Sanguinarians.