Warning: Some may find this post unsettling.

Of all the topics I’ve written about for Supernatural October, this is the one that almost didn’t happen. Most people think vampires are make believe—and to a degree they’re right. But while researching this subject, some of the information I found made me so uncomfortable that I had to stop a couple of times and pick it up again later. (I found this somewhat odd, because I've researched topics in the past that were equally unpleasant and graphic without being affected in such a negative way.) I’ll spare you some of the more specific details, but it turns out there’s an actual “vampire” subculture that exists among young people (and probably other age groups), and depending upon their level of involvement, some of the stuff that goes on is rather disturbing. I’m not referring to the goth subculture, although there may be some overlap. The goth subculture is arguably more about fashion, music, and expression than about being an alternative lifestyle or spirituality. (Simply put, all goths aren’t vampires, and all vampires aren’t goths.) But I’m getting ahead of myself—let’s back up.

A vampire is technically defined as a being that feeds on the life force of living creatures, especially humans. So how do modern day “vampires” relate to the blood-sucking immortal beings of fiction and folklore? Well, other the whole drinking blood thing (in some cases), not a lot. But as with many beings from fiction and folklore, vampires are in some ways rooted in reality. Yes, apparently there are actual people who claim to be vampires and drink human blood. However, characteristics like immortality, superhuman strength, undeadness, and aversion to garlic and sunlight are more than likely just products of the imagination.

What concerns me most about the existence of real self-proclaimed vampires is the fact that some of them actually ingest blood from “donors”. (Murdering one’s “prey” is apparently considered the stuff of fiction nowadays.) I doubt the practice of drinking human blood is widespread, but there’s enough detailed information about it on the internet (including how-tos) to make me think that it’s not isolated. Some demonolgists and experts on the occult will tell you that when actual blood is part of a ritual or religious practice, it can become a doorway for demonic activity in the lives of participants. There are probably several theories why this is the case, but apparently in the spiritual realm, there’s power in blood. Christians, of course, know about the power in the blood of Jesus Christ to atone for sins, and we’re also aware of the Jewish animal sacrifices that ultimately pointed to the crucifixion of Jesus. But sacrifices exist in other religions, and throughout history, various pagan and satanic religions have even encouraged human sacrifices.

When people start messing around with blood, it’s usually not a good sign. Go ahead, call me superstitious, but I promise you, it’s bad news.

Some claim there are other kinds of vampires that don’t drink blood. They feed on life force or spiritual energy and are called psionic vampires, psychic vampires, or energy vampires. Now admittedly this sounds like something straight out of science fiction. (Specifically I’m thinking of the Wraith from Stargate Atlantis.) But whether there’s much truth to this or not, there are kids out there who are convinced they are feeding off other people’s energy, and they’ve published elaborate websites with tutorials for people to learn how to do it. Now if this were just the overactive imaginations of teenagers and college kids, I’d say there’s probably not much harm done. The problem is, I’m not sure what kind of supernatural evil they’re (knowingly or unknowingly) opening a door to. I've read accounts of cases where exorcists have encountered demons that—get this— drain energy from their victims. These spirits are referred to as —you guessed it— energy vampires. If such beings do exist, then it’s not such a leap to consider that they might work through people, especially impressionable youth experimenting with the dark side of spirituality.

Some of this, of course, is speculation. You may not buy any of it. I've observed that those who’ve actually experienced the supernatural tend to be more open-minded about it, while those who haven’t are generally more skeptical. That’s understandable.

Do vampires exist? Well, probably not the ones that sleep in coffins or the ones from young adult fiction that look like Robert Pattinson and Ashley Greene. But the interesting thing about legends is there’s often a reason for them. Vampire-like creatures have existed in literature from around the world dating back to ancient times. Do the physical vampires of our imaginations actually find their origins in spiritual beings that have possibly existed for millennia, and continue to exist today? No one can prove it one way or the other, but it certainly makes for an intriguing discussion.

Supernatural October Series: For the rest of the month, I’ll be blogging about topics like ghosts, demons, exorcism, spiritual warfare, death, hell, witchcraft, Satanism, the occult, psychics, vampires, and Halloween. If you have any ideas or experiences you’d like to share, send a message to feedback@ministrymatters.com.

Read additional posts from this series.