Thanks for the interest.
Firstly, of course no body, in the scientific field has come across a 100% legit vampire. If they did (looking at the Hollywood depiction of them)
they wouldn't be around to tell the tale anyway. There is no scientific evidence of actual vampires, but there are a number of real medical
conditions that might result in vampiric behavior or appearance. As mentioned already, porphyria is a rare disease, which has the symptoms or side
effects of the Hollywood vampire. Chemicals in the body called porphyrins are key to producing haem - a molecule that's vital in red blood cells for
carrying oxygen. A dysfunction on this production causes the disease porphyria stemmed as you can see from the chemicals called porphyrins.
Side effects? Well they are your classic vampire appearance. Although granted, the disease is very rare, there are around 5-7 different strains of
porphyria. These sufferers can display a redness around the gums and teeth, blisters on the body and sensitivity to sunlight. Sounds like a vampire
right? So take a step back from todays day and age and travel back hundreds of years. It wasn't long ago that witches were hung and drowned for
apparently conspiring with the devil. I'm sure porphyria sufferers would be looked upon differently. Also medication has improved where it can be
controlled through injections. Of course, injections hundreds of years ago were non existant, so some say to help ease porphyria, the consumption of
blood would have helped. So a blistered, sun scared, red mouthed blood drinking man would have stood out I'm sure you'd agree. Did the myth stem
from that disease? Well, it's certainly a valid option.
Also another disease that could be heavily linked with vampires and the apparent rising from their death, could be catalepsy. It effects the brain and
has links with schizophrenia. The symptoms are such that the human body becomes very rigid, so it could give the impression of a rigid corpse. Not
only a rigid body, but the heart rate and breathing slow down. So imagine seeing somebody like that, only for them to come out of 'their trance,'
and start moving around again. Human rises from the dead?! Today, doctors have the knowledge and tools to accurately determine whether or not someone
is alive, but in the past, people would decide based only on appearance. I'm sure the word would have gotten around a few hundred years ago right if
somebody apparently rose from the dead?
Another common theme was the digging up of coffins and the entering of crypts of supposed vampires only to see that their nails had 'apparently
grown' and that would signify the origins of life to the un-informed. After death, fingernails and hair often appear to continue growing because the
surrounding skin recedes, which may give the impression of life. Gases in the body expand, extending the abdomen, as if the body had gorged itself.
There's many stories out there or people being dug up because rumors spread around ancient villages of the supposed vampire still rising from his
coffin. On inspection of the coffin, seeing the body with an apparent full stomach (gases released on death) and finger nails that had grown (actually
receding skin around the nails giving the illusion) - the persons heart was usually taken out and burnt. Ever heard of rest in peace?
Many pieces of information were of course passed around in ancient times that were scientifically false. It's natural that with the improvements of
our science and more importantly biology, we can make judgments on life and Worldly events with a lot more basis of analysis. These stories would have
been seen to be 100% true, which of course they weren't. It was just their lack of not knowing what was right and wrong.
The appearance of so many vampire-like monsters throughout history, as well as our continued fascination with vampires, demonstrates that this is a
universal response to the human condition. It's simply human nature to cast our fears as monsters.
Would you say that one becomes vampiric or is born vampiric?
Well, going back to the diseases that possibly could reflect vampirism in terms of appearance, then that of course could be either. I've yet to come
across a blood sucking, other worldly vampire, but I did have contact with a girl who confessed an awfull lot about what she knew, as she herself
claimed to be a vampire. This is and was my main research into the field and analysis that I posted on numerous websites as mentioned back in the mid
90's. As the post is getting quite long now, I can always post more information on what 'she' told me about her kind if need be and people are
generally interested.
Also, do you see any links with low-vibe/low-energy/depression and vampirism?
This I'm guessing links back in with energy vampires. People who claim to have gifts to drain the life force away from people from their aura's. Not
in terms of drinking their life force through the consumption of blood. There are two different types of energy field vampires from what I've
stumbled across. 'Negative leeches' who are adicted to sucking energy from others on a daily basis in order to feel more complete and stong
themselves. Then on the lighter, angelic side are energy drainers who specifically target negative energy. I guess you could like that to spiritual
healing. They drain away negative energy from other peoples life forces to actually aid and help them. I guess in all aspects of life, we can choose
how to use our gifts that we have been given in a good or a negative way, shape or form. A good psychic can usually tell if a person is a psy-vamp.
On a materialistic, obvious level, there are people who suffer with depression who feel the need to make themselves have a purpose in life again. They
obviously join with the wrong people and are easily 'swayed' into vampire practice or maybe some sort of black arts. Not all people of course, but
when you're very fragile in terms of mental state, you can be easily mis-guided. So in terms of depression and vampirism, then I guess there is an
obvious link there with certain people of the younger generation.
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