"Lives Of Real Vampires: More Than A Diet Of Blood"
By Merticus for Everyday Health - October 29, 2015
http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/hear-me-out/lives-of-real-vampires-seeking-acceptance-from-society-and-medical-professionals/
"Dracula On The Couch: The Psychiatry Of Vampires"
Myth, Medical Illness, Madness, And Modern "Real Vampires"
By Joseph M. Pierre M.D.; Health Sciences Clinical Professor Of Psychiatry At UCLA
Psychology Today (Psych Unseen) - October 29, 2015
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psych-unseen/201510/dracula-the-couch-the-psychiatry-vampires
"Why 'Real Vampires' Fear Going To The Doctor"
By Jennifer J. Brown, PhD for Everyday Health - October 28, 2015
http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/why-real-vampires-fear-going-doctor/
"Inside The Human Blood-Drinking, 'Real Vampire' Community Of New Orleans"
By Yanan Wang for The Washington Post - October 26, 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/26/inside-the-human-blood-drinking-real-vampire-community-of-new-orleans/
"The People Who Drink Human Blood"
By David Robson for BBC: Future - October 21, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151021-the-people-who-drink-human-blood
"New Study Confirms Existence Of Real-Life ‘Vampires’"
By Marygrace Taylor for Men’s Health Magazine - October 9, 2015
http://www.menshealth.com/science-of-real-vampires
"Interview With A Real-Life Vampire: Why Drinking Blood Isn't Like In Hollywood"
By Kim Wall of The Guardian - August 15, 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/15/real-life-vampires-interview
"On Second Thought - The Real Vampires"
Interview w/John Edgar Browning & Merticus
Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) Public Radio - August 5, 2015
http://www.gpb.org/on-second-thought/episodes/307
"The Real-Life Vampires Of Atlanta"
"Real-Life Vampires: We 'Feed' During Sex"
By Abby Haglage of The Daily Beast - August 4, 2015
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/04/i-feed-once-a-week-the-real-life-vampires-of-atlanta.html
"The Daily Beast Podcast: Interview With A Vampire (Merticus)"
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/08/the-daily-beast-podcast-interview-with-a-vampire.html
"There's A Global Community Of Actual Vampires & They're Afraid To Go To The Doctor"
By Isha Aran of Fusion - July 13, 2015
http://fusion.net/story/164737/real-life-vampires-drinking-human-blood/
"What It's Like To Be A Real-Life Vampire"
By Sarah Jacoby of Refinery29 - July 10, 2015
http://www.refinery29.com/2015/07/90375/real-vampires-study
"Is 'Vampire' A Genuine Identity? A Look At The Surprising World Of 'Alternate Identities'"
By Sarah Caspari of The Christian Science Monitor - July 9, 2015
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/0709/Is-vampire-a-genuine-identity-A-look-at-the-surprising-world-of-alternate-identities
"Real Vampires Exist, And They Need Counseling Too"
By Max Kunter of Newsweek - July 9, 2015
http://www.newsweek.com/real-vampires-exist-and-they-need-counseling-too-351575
"Take People Who Think They Are Vampires Seriously, Taxpayer-Funded Professor Urges"
By Eric Owens of The Daily Caller - July 7, 2015
http://dailycaller.com/2015/07/08/take-people-who-think-they-are-vampires-seriously-taxpayer-funded-professor-urges/
"Vampirët: Historia e Vërtetë"
By Endri Farka of Flurudha (Albania) - February 23, 2015
http://www.flurudha.com/2015/02/vampiret-historia-e-vertete.html
"Lawyers, Doctors, Bloodsuckers: The Real Vampires Of New York City... And Their Fangsmith"
By Emily Levy of Vocativ - August 6, 2013
http://www.vocativ.com/08-2013/ra-the-fangsmith-the-court-of-lazarus-and-the-real-vampires-of-new-york-city/
"Unearthing Real Vampire Culture"
By Anne Neville of Buffalo News - October 28, 2011 (Printed October 30, 2011)
http://www.buffalonews.com/life/article611232.ece
"Vampires: Fact Or Fiction?" - Interview With Zero & Merticus
True-Ghost-Story.com - November 24, 2007
http://www.true-ghost-story.com/readarticle.php?article_id=65
"Vampires Seek Tolerance, Understanding From Others"
By Christopher Quinn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution - November 17, 2009
http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/vampires-seek-tolerance-understanding-199809.html
"Vampire Community In Search Of Positive Energy - An Interview With The Vampires"
By Laura Figueroa of the Miami Herald - October 30, 2009
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/v-fullstory/story/1308594.html
"The De-Evilution Of The Vampire"
By Rick Allen of the Ocala Star-Banner - October 25, 2009
http://www.ocala.com/article/20091025/ARTICLES/910251018/1016/ENTERTAINMENT?Title=The-de-evilution-of-the-vampire
"Vampires Of New Jersey"
By Lisa Rose of Inside Jersey Magazine - October 15, 2009
http://www.nj.com/insidejersey/index.ssf/2009/10/vampires_of_new_jersey.html
"V Is For Voracious: Vampire Culture Unveiled"
By Alexandra Zayas of the St. Petersburg Times - August 16, 2009 http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/v-is-for-voracious-vampire-culture-unveiled/1027763"A Vampire's Life? It's Really Draining"
By Monica Hesse of the Washington Post - November 24, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/14/ST2008111401409.html
"Real-Life Vampires: Who Are They?"
By Ki Mae Heussner of ABCNews.com - October 31, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=6154446&page=1
"Night Neighbors" - FOX News Channel
Hannity's America w/Michelle Belanger & Anshar Seraphim - December 7, 2008
Members Of America's Vampire Subculture Could Be Living Right Under Your Nose
http://www.foxnews.com/hannitysamerica TAPS Magazine - Halloween 2007 Special Edition
"Interview With A Vampire" By Amber Vanzant w/Merticus Of Suscitatio & AVA
http://www.merticus.com/vampirism.html - Full Text Of Interview
http://www.tapsparamag.com/subscription.php
"First Rule Of 'Bite' Club: Vampires Are People, Too"
By Norma Meyer of Copley News Service - October 19, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20071019-9999-lz1c19vampire.html
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| TAPS Paranormal Magazine - Halloween 2007 Special Edition - Interview With A Vampire (Merticus) |
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| "Would The Real Vampires Please Stand Up?"
Paranormal Insider - Blog Contributed By Michelle Belanger - September 2007
Is
vampirism a condition that exists outside of folklore and film? Are
there real living people who psychically feed on human life force — or
even on blood? What is the source of these supernatural hungers? The
Atlanta Vampire Alliance (http://www.atlantavampirealliance.com) has the answers. Formed in 2005, the AVA is a
research group devoted to the modern condition of vampirism — but
Dracula would never recognize these vampires as kin. The vampires of
the AVA are living human beings, often psychic, who have a need for the
life force of others, and they have come together as a group to study
and better understand that need.
This is no fly-by-night
venture. The AVA's Vampire and Energy Work Research Survey, circulated
to thousands of self-identified vampires and energy workers around the
world, has hundreds of questions, focusing on everything from an
individual's religious beliefs to the minute details of their medical
history. The AVA's goal is to gather hard statistics about real
vampires — statistics which they hope will ultimately be taken
seriously in an academic context. Part of this goal has already been
achieved. Featured in the recent book, Vampires in Their Own Words, the
AVA has also worked with several individuals attached to colleges as
part of academic research. Most recently, they have started working
with author and fellow Paranormal Insider blogger Rosemary Ellen Guiley
to help add their knowledge to the future re-release of her landmark
work, Vampires Among Us. The ongoing research of the AVA may very well
change the way vampirism is defined.
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| Psychic Vampirism - Halloween 2008 Special Edition - Bizarre Magazine |
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| Are Vampires Real? - December 2009 - Paranormal Magazine (UK) |
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| [Click Book To Order] |
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| "Vampires Today: The Truth about Modern Vampirism"
http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Today-Truth-Modern-Vampirism/dp/0313364729
Joseph Laycock, PhD
Praeger Publishers - May 30, 2009
ISBN: 0-313-36472-9
Vampires are not just the stuff of folklore and fiction. This book
explores the modern world of vampirism in all its variety. Based upon
extensive interviews with members of the Atlanta Vampire Alliance and
others within vampire communities throughout the United States,
Vampires Today looks at the many expressions of vampirism: "lifestyle
vampires," those who adopt a culture and a gothic ascetic associated
with the vampires of art and legend; "real vampires," those who believe
they must actually consume blood and/or psychic energy for their well
being; or others who self-identify in some way as vampires. Is
vampirism a religion? Is it a fantasy? Is it a medical condition? Is it
a little bit of each? Throughout the world, untold numbers of people
are self-identifying as "vampires" and following the ways of
"vampirism." Over the years, but particularly in the past decade or so,
vampirism has come under increased study, yet most scholarship has
portrayed the vampire community at best as a cultural phenomenon and at
worst as a religious cult. In this book, author Laycock explores the
modern world of vampirism in all its variety. Having interviewed many
vampires across the country, both "lifestylers" and "real," even those
"reluctants" who try not to be vampires, he argues that today's
vampires are best understood as an identity group and that vampirism
has caused a profound change in how individuals choose to define
themselves. As vampires come "out of the closet," either as followers
of a "religion" or "lifestyle" or as people biologically distinct from
other humans, their confrontation with mainstream society will raise
questions about the definition of "normal" and what it means to be
human. In this book the reader will meet "lifestyle" vampires, who
adopt a culture and a gothic ascetic associated with the vampires of
art and legend; and "real" vampires, who believe that they must
actually consume blood and/or psychic energy for their well being. The
reader will hear from members of the Atlanta Vampire Alliance and will
learn about the Order of the Vampyre, the Ordo Strigoi Vii, and the
Temple of the Vampire. Even before Dracula and Bella Lugosi, people
have been fascinated with vampires, and this interest has continued,
through Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Anne Rice's Interview with the
Vampire and other novels, to HBO's new series True Blood and the recent
big-screen hit Twilight. Readers will find the details of real vampire
life--including vampire role-playing games, grimoires, "vampyre" balls,
vampire houses like House Sahjaza and House Kheperu, the vampire
"caste" system, and other details--utterly fascinating.
"Modern Vampires: Your Neighbors and Spouses"
By Joseph Laycock, PhD for Religion Dispatches - May 28, 2009
http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/rdbook/1438/modern_vampires%3A_your_neighbors_and_spouses/?page=1
"Joseph Laycock: Vampires Today"
By John W. Morehead of TheoFantastique - August 25, 2009
http://www.theofantastique.com/2009/08/25/joseph-laycock-vampires-today/
Interview With Joseph Laycock - Real Vampirism
Radio Interview by Dave and Tom of KAPS Paranormal Radio - October 11, 2009
http://www.veritasvosliberabit.com/VVCArchive/KAPSParanormalRadio-10.11.09-JosephLaycock.mp3
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"Vampires In Their Own Words: An Anthology of Vampire Voices"
http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Their-Own-Words-Anthology/dp/0738712205
Edited By Michelle Belanger
Llewellyn Publications - September 1, 2007
ISBN: 0738712205
"Revelations" by Kiera of House AVA; Pages 30-35
"Accepting Our Differences, Revealing Our Natures" by Eclecta; Pages 109-112
"Finding A Path In The South" by Eclecta of House AVA; Pages 192-199
"Atlanta Vampire Alliance: Initiating Serious Studies"; Pages 200-201
For this anthology, vampire Michelle Belanger convinced nearly two
dozen real-life vampires to break the code of silence that has kept
their fascinating subculture shrouded in secrecy. Sometimes
provocative, sometimes surprisingly down-to-earth, these candid
firsthand accounts come from both psi vampires who feed on energy and
sanguine vampires who drink actual blood. Their true stories shed light
on a variety of topics, including awakening to vampirism, the
compulsion to feed and feeding practices, donor ethics and etiquette,
and vampire traditions and codes of behavior.
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| [Click Book To Order] |
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| "Allure of the Vampire: Our Sexual Attraction to the Undead"
http://www.amazon.com/Allure-Vampire-Sexual-Attraction-Undead/dp/1448658942
Corvis Nocturnum
Dark Moon Press - July 23, 2009
ISBN: 1448658942
The
mere mention of vampires used to be enough to make people think of a
nocturnal predator. But over the centuries the vampire has changed from
monstrous villain to sexual object, for both men and women alike.
Allure of the Vampire examines our intimate attraction to these beings
in a detailed manner. Now, join occult author Corvis Nocturnum as he
reveals the fascinating evolution of this icon as it has lured and
enticed us in folklore, film and books from the days of ancient
civilization to the living breathing inhabitants of our modern
subculture, the vampire community.
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"Real Vampires, Night Stalkers and Creatures from the Darkside"
http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Night-Stalkers-Creatures-Darkside/dp/1578592550
Brad Steiger
Visible Ink Press - September 1, 2009
ISBN: 1578592550
A
chilling chronicle of the often ignored history of vampirism as it has
surfaced repeatedly in news articles, historical accounts, and first
person interviews, this shocking account of occultist rituals and the
inhuman forces that influence them shines a light on the horrifying
truth. Revealing that real vampires are not immortal, do not have fangs
or sleep in coffins, and have no fear of sunlight or crucifixes, the
examination dispels many myths but also confirms the truth behind
several traits of real vampires, such as the insatiable thirst for
blood and the dream of an eternal soul. Complete with 30 spine-tingling
tales of the hideous wraiths and creatures that lurk in shadow, this
fascinating collection includes the stories of the Mexican prostitute
who mesmerized an entire village, convincing them she was an Incan
goddess who required human sacrifice for her magic; the three teenagers
who left a trail across the South as they conducted blood-drinking
rituals with animals; and the mysterious Lady in Black who draws
psychic energy from men who dare approach her as she wanders through
city streets and parks.
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| [Click Book To Order] |
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| San Diego, CA - AAR 2007 Conference |
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"Gathering Data with the Vampire: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community"
Annual Conference of American Academy of Religion, November 17, 2007
Joseph Laycock, PhD Boston University & MTS Harvard Divinity School
http://www.aarweb.org
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"Ontological Rebellion: The Otherkin Community and the Struggle for Reality"
Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) Annual Meeting, August 8, 2009
Joseph Laycock, PhD Boston University & MTS Harvard Divinity School
http://www.sociologyofreligion.com
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| San Francisco, CA - ASR 2009 Conference |
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Academic Citations:
- Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism
Joseph Laycock, PhD Boston University & MTS Harvard Divinity School
Praeger Publishers (2009); Pages 7-8, 13-14, 18, 26, 33, 34, 37-38, 60-61, 67-68, 82, 84, 106-07, 110, 118, 121-122, 125, 133-34, 138-42, 145, 158, & 161-63
- Handbook Of Hyper-Real Religions
Adam Possamai, PhD (Editor); Joseph Laycock, PhD (Author - Real Vampires)
Brill Handbooks On Contemporary Religion Volume 5 (2012); Pages 141-163
- Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community
Joseph Laycock, PhD - Author of Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism
Nova Religio - The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions
August 2010, Vol. 14, No. 1, Pages 4–23
http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1525/nr.2010.14.1.4
Abstract:
"Real vampires" believe that they must either consume blood or feed on "subtle" energy in order to maintain their physical, mental, and spiritual health. Recent scholarship has analyzed vampirism as a religious movement or as a cluster of "vampire religions." This article argues that vampirism should be viewed foremost as an identity around which social and religious institutions have formed. This model accounts for the mosaic of religious and cultural orientations held by vampires and acknowledges the vampire community's claims that vampirism is not a choice. It also facilitates a functionalist reading of vampire discourse as validating a new category of person.
- We Are Spirits of Another Sort: Ontological Rebellion and Religious Dimensions of the Otherkin Community
Joseph P. Laycock, PhD
Nova Religio - The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions
February 2012, Vol. 15, No. 3, Pages 65-90
http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1525/nr.2012.15.3.65
Abstract:
Otherkin are individuals who identify as "not entirely human." Scholarship has framed this identity claim as religious because it is frequently supported by a framework of metaphysical beliefs. This article draws on survey data and interviews with Otherkin in order to provide a more thorough treatment of the phenomenon and to assess and qualify the movement's religious dimensions. It is argued that, in addition to having a substantively religious quality, the Otherkin community serves existential and social functions commonly associated with religion. In the final analysis, the Otherkin community is regarded as an alternative nomos--a socially constructed worldview--that sustains alternate ontologies.
- Do We Always Practice What We Preach? Real Vampires' Fears Of Coming Out Of The Coffin To Social Workers And Helping Professionals
DJ Williams, MSW, MS, PhD & Emily E. Prior, MA
Critical Social Work, 2015 Vol. 16, No. 1
http://www1.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/Vampires
Abstract:
Helping professionals in multiple disciplines, including social workers, are commonly taught to embrace human diversity, think critically, empower clients, and respect client self-determination. Indeed, much of clinical practice with clients is predicated on such professional values, which are important to the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance and an effective treatment outcome. This study applies qualitative measures, such as an open-ended questionnaire and creative analytic practice (CAP) strategy in the form of poetic representation, to provide insights into how people with a specific nontraditional identity, that of “real vampire,” feel about disclosing this salient identity to helping professionals within a clinical context. As a CAP method, poetic representation is valuable in acknowledging participants’ subjective realities and preserving emotional intensity in participants’ responses. Results suggest that nearly all participants were distrustful of social workers and helping professionals and preferred to “stay in the coffin” for fear of being misunderstood, labeled, and potentially having to face severe repercussions to their lives.
- Social Work, BDSM and Vampires: Toward Understanding and Empowering People with Non-Traditional Identities
D.J. Williams, PhD
Canadian Social Work - Volume 15 Number 1, Fall 2013; Pages 10-24
http://www.casw-acts.ca/en/resources/publications/canadian-social-work
Abstract:
Social workers are obligated to embrace human diversity, challenge social injustice, and work to empower vulnerable populations. Two separate, but somewhat related, law-abiding populations that remain hidden due to legitimate fears of marginalization and oppression, including among social workers, are the BDSM and real vampire communities. In an effort to educate social workers who likely will encounter (whether knowingly or not) individuals with BDSM or vampire identities, this article discusses current scholarly literature on these communities and their practices. Suggestions for empowering people who practice BDSM or vampirism are also provided.
Les travailleurs sociaux ont le devoir de tenir compte de la diversité humaine, de s’attaquer à l’injustice sociale et d’aider les populations vulnérables à se prendre en charge. Deux populations respectueuses des lois, distinctes bien qu’elles aient des caractéristiques communes, vivent dans la clandestinité en raison d’une peur légitime d’être marginalisées et opprimées, notamment par des travailleurs sociaux; il s’agit en l’occurrence la communauté BDSM et celle de vrais vampires. Voulant éduquer les travailleurs sociaux qui (qu’ils en soient conscients ou non) vont vraisemblablement venir en contact avec des personnes dont l’identité est liée au BDSM ou au vampirisme, cet article se penche sur la littérature savante relative à ces communautés et leurs pratiques. On y présente aussi quelques suggestions quant à certains moyens pouvant permettre aux personnes qui s’adonnent au BDSM ou au vampirisme de se prendre en charge.
- Contemporary Vampires and (Blood-Red) Leisure: Should We Be Afraid of the Dark?
DJ Williams, LCSW, PhD - Idaho State University
Leisure/Loisir - Volume 32 (2) (2008); Pages 513-539
- “Predatory Spirituality:” Vampire Religion In America
David and Kiara Falk of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Sacred Tribes Journal - Volume 3 Number 2 (2008); Pages 102-131
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TWILIGHT - A Formal Gathering Of The Vampire Community
TWILIGHT I - Los Angeles, CA - October 30, 2007
TWILIGHT II - Atlanta, GA - March 7-9, 2008
TWILIGHT III - Seattle, WA - September 26-28, 2008
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