Vampires in Our Midst?
Reviewed by Theresa Welsh
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Here is the book that began the modern interest in vampires — Bram Stoker's classic, Dracula — and another book (see the review below of Vampires: The Occult Truth) that claims to tell us the truth about vampires. Vampires — those bloodsucking "undead" creatures — never seem to go out of fashion. I've recently read two books about vampires, one fiction and one non-fiction, and I was surprised to find that some people take the idea of these creatures seriously. There are web sites and chat rooms in which modern day vampires exchange stories (do a search on vampires to find sites). Who or What are Vampires?So what or who are vampires? Bram Stoker's classic story, Dracula, published in 1897, has shaped the modern idea of a vampire. Tjhe book is out there in many editions published over the years; I bought a lovely hard-cover edition for cheap at a local bookstore. The story is a series of diaries of the characters and switches from Transylvania to London. The switching of points of view can get somewhat confusing and the story drags a bit in the middle, but I have to admit that large parts of it are truly terrifying. As horror literature goes, this one deserves to be a classic. The story begins with a gripping tale of young Jonathan Harker on a business trip to Transylvania to visit Count Dracula who has purchased land in England. Harker notices along the way that people react with fright and concern when he tells them where he is going. However, he perseveres and his coach meets an eerie man with a horse-pulled caleche at the infamous Borgo Pass who takes him amid howling wolves and darkness pierced by a strange blue flame to a "ruined castle from whose tall black windows came no ray of light and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the moonlit sky." Prisoner of Count DraculaHarker's stay at the castle is not a pleasant one as he realizes the strange-looking Count is the only person there, and that he, Jonathan Harker, is actually a prisoner with no means of leaving. He notices the Count never eats, never appears in the daylight, and hates mirrors, which fail to show his reflection. But the most frightening discovery is made on a heart-stopping search of the castle's basement, finding a collection of coffins and finding in one of them the Count himself! Harker's frantic attempts to leave form much of the terror of this part of the book and it is a let-down when you switch over to his fiance's diary, back in England. Mina, the fiance who loves him, is worried about why Jonathon has stopped writing. The story also involves her friend Lucy and the two men who are in love with her. Lucy gladly accepts the proposal of Arthur, a wealthy nobleman and friend of Jonathon's, leaving Dr. Seward, her other suitor, to throw himself into his work at an insane asylum. But the fate of the beautiful Lucy, who does not marry her beloved Arthur, is too terrible to contemplate and you'll have to read the book to learn more. The last part of the book is a the efforts of Jonathon, Lucy, Dr. Seward, Arthur and the memorable character, Dr. Van Helsing, to catch and kill the evil vampire, who is now residing in the estate in England. Their horrifying task takes them back to the howling wolves and ghostly towers of the Count's castle where good finally tiumphs over evil. How to Ward Off and Kill VampiresIt was Bram Stoker who told us in the pages of this book that garlic is good for warding off vampires and that you can only kill a vampire when he is at rest in his coffin where you must destroy him. A stake through the heart is a sure method. Count Dracula was an "undead" -- a real person who had died hundreds of years ago and who was cursed to come alive each night and seek out blood, the substance that kept him "alive" (or whatever you call his state of existence). He could change shape to become a wolf or a large bird, and those from whom he drank blood would become vampires too, doomed to wander for all eternity in search of blood. Vampires: The Occult Truthby Konstantinos
No Evidence of Stoker's VampiresKonstantinos found no evidence for immortal blood-drinkers of the Count Dracula type. The only evidence is stories from over 100 years ago that are not well documented. But he did find plenty of people who like to drink blood and call themselves vampires. One of the more interesting parts of the book is letters he received when he placed ads asking to be contacted by vampires. Many have a belief that blood is related to the life force and that drinking blood somehow enhances their vitality. One wrote that drinking blood lets vampires "reconstitute their spiritual force indefinitely through regular infusions of the life-force of others..."Many of these modern-day vampires talk about being attracted to blood-drinking as long as they can remember. They believe they are vampires. Psychic Vampires: Stealing the Life Force?Because the idea of "stealing life-force" is behind vampirism, Konstantinos sees a connection with ghosts or ethereal entities that come in the night and take energy from the living. These spirits do not drink blood, but they leave their victims drained. He discusses what is apparently a fairly common experience of feeling paralyzed at night, unable to move, then awakening in fright. Because the attacks were associated with a folklore Old Hag originating in Newfoundland, the paralysis was called a "Hag Attack." Here's a quote from the book: "The vampires of Newfoundland are believed to be witches or sorcerers who can leave their bodies and attack others. What's interesting about the documented cases of Hag Attack, however, is that blood drinking is never mentioned, even as a metaphor for pychic vampirism. The belief in this form of psychic vampire became so common over the years that some who live in Newfoundland developed ways of preventing the attack." Just how common is psychic vampirism in Newfoundland? David J. Hufford, the folklorist, reported in his excellent book The Terror That Comes in the Night the results of a survey conducted among residents of Newfoundland. He distributed a questionnaire that described the most basic form of the experience in the question: Have you ever awakened during the night to find yourself paralyzed, i.e. unable to move or cry out?" In answer to the above question, 23% said yes. Hufford collected more information, leaving out mention of Old Hag and just asking about night paralysis. Many people mentioned the feeling of something pressing down on their chest during an attack. An essential feature was being unable to move or speak. Interestingly, these night paralysis attacks have been interpreted different ways by other researchers. In his book, Soul Traveler, Albert Taylor says night paralysis preceded his out-of-body flights, and UFO writers have said this paralysis comes before a victim is abducted by aliens. A Real Threat?Books and stories about vampires are popular, made so partly by the success of author Ann Rice's vampire novels. These fiction stories incorporate various parts of the vampire lore. It seems likely that vampires are yet another manifestation of the unknown reality that pychic researchers seek. In the process of looking into real phenomenon, various stories have arisen to explain what people have experienced. And, as always, there are the copycats, fantasizers, and nut cases. Konstantinos, who also relates the experiences of people he interviewed and tried to help, concludes his book with some tips on how to avoid vampire attacks. It seems he takes the threat seriously. You might too if you check out these web sites: Buy Vampires: The Occult Truth |
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There seems to be a revival of interest in vampires -- those horrifying creatures who
terrorize innocent victims by stealing their life-force. But do they really exist?
So is Dracula just fiction? I obtained a copy of Vampire: The Occult Truth by Konstantinos. Compared to Stoker's gripping tale, I found this book badly-written and boring at first, but as I read further I realized the author had made an attempt at tracking down all the stories on which the vampire tale could be based. He had done something else as well; he divided vampires into "blood-drinkers" and "psychic vampires," an interesting concept based on the ideas that vampires basically steal someone's essence or life-force.
and
at Amazon.com. 