THE PSYCHIC VAMPIRE CODEX

A MANUAL OF MAGICK AND ENERGY WORK

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

Contents

CHAPTER 1

METAPHYSICS AND VAMPIRISM

Vampires have titillated our imaginations since Lord Byron imported the conceptto English literature almost two hundred years ago. Prior to that, vampires werecreatures of myth and folklore, ravenous night demons who gave form to that fearthat the living hold for the dead. Folkloric vampires were vile and unlovelycreatures, but through Byron's writings and the writings of his contemporaries,a more romanticized ideal emerged. Through these writings, the vampire becamemore human than monster, more archetype than myth.

The notion of the living dead has lost its horror in our scientific age.However, the figure of the vampire and the concepts it represents have becomefirmly entrenched in the popular imagination. Vampires went from literature tothe stage, from the stage to the cinema, and from the cinema to more modernmediums of expression such as the Internet and computer games. They have servedas the inspiration for music, as mascots for breakfast cereals, and even aswell-known characters on children's television shows.

A little over two centuries ago, the word "vampire" was barely known in theEnglish language. Now, CEOs who line their pockets with the money of thosebeneath them can be likened to vampires in the press. A woman who preys sexuallyon men is often known as a "vamp," and in the nineties there was even a lipstickcolor with that name that intended to evoke that same devilish allure. As thearchetype has integrated itself into popular culture, "vampire" has come to meananyone who preys upon others to sate their own needs.

PSYCHIC VAMPIRES

While the vampires of fiction and folklore are admittedly not real, many occultand metaphysical works have been devoted to a different type of vampire. The"psychic vampire" is a person who preys upon the life energies of others.Psychic vampires are not believed to be undead, but are mortal people whose needfor energy metaphorically connects them to the life-stealing predators of myth.

Dion Fortune, analytic psychologist and member of the Hermetic Order of theGolden Dawn, was one of the first to write openly on the topic of psychicvampirism. In her seminal work, Psychic Self-Defense, she discusses some attacksfrom an astral entity that preyed upon the vital energy of its victims. Shelikened this "astral vampire" to the vampires of myth, suggesting that it wasthe remnant of a powerful magickal worker who had refused to succumb to theSecond Death, or death of the subtle body. Later in the same work, Fortunediscusses unintentional psychic vampires: individuals who prey upon theemotional or vital energies of their partners, eventually weakening the partnerto a point where sickness or even death could result.

That was almost a century ago. In keeping with Fortune's writings, mostmetaphysicians approach psychic vampires as something to be defended against.Most books on the topic suggest that the majority of psychic vampires areunaware of their condition and that they feed upon energy unintentionally. It isgenerally assumed that if a psychic vampire were to become aware of what theywere doing, they would choose not to do it. It is further assumed that the needfor energy arises from some physical or metaphysical weakness, which, onceproperly addressed, would bring the vampirism to an end.

A few rare books, such as Konstantinos's Vampires: The Occult Truth, mentionintentional psychic vampires. These are individuals who are aware of what theyare and who take energy consciously. In general, it is assumed that this is alearned technique and not a behavior arising from a legitimate need. WhileKonstantinos's book does feature some letters written by psychic vampiresthemselves, no book on the market addresses the issue of psychic vampirismcompletely from the vampire's perspective. Yet it is impossible for an outsiderto accurately portray such a way of being.

A thriving community of self-aware psychic vampires exists hidden beneath ourmainstream culture. Many of these people refer to themselves as "vampyres,"using the alternate spelling to differentiate themselves from the vampires offolklore and myth. This vampire subculture is rich and diverse, and its membershave the most reliable information about their experiences. Unfortunately, theirvoices are rarely heard.

CONFUSION AND SECRECY

There are a number of reasons why psychic vampires are not forthcoming abouttheir experiences. First among these is the fact that not all vampiresadequately understand what they are. Because the capacity for psychic vampirismis inborn, most psychic vampires function intuitively. While they may beconscious that they are taking energy, they do not always fully comprehend howor why. Many psychic vampires do not even have a word for themselves until theyencounter descriptions in books such as those on psychic self-defense.

Many psychic vampires are also hesitant to speak openly about themselves forfear of being judged. Throughout almost all of the available literature, psychicvampirism is depicted at best as an affliction and at worst as a consciouschoice to victimize others. As a result, many Pagans, Wiccans, and othermetaphysical practitioners see psychic vampires as a scourge to be protectedagainst, and their opinions on the matter are strongly emotional. It is easierfor most to live in silence than to fight such firmly established prejudice.

Further, some vampires have bought into the negative portrayal so typical of theself-defense literature. Many of them feel ashamed of what they are and whatthis requires them to do. Still others embrace the negativity so completely thatthey make a self-conscious attempt to be dark and "evil." These people divehead-first into the archetype of the vampire—cape, fangs, and all—in a confusedattempt to reconcile themselves with their natures. Neither approach makes suchindividuals willing to discuss what they are with outsiders.

Finally, there is the fact that many psychic vampires have conflictinginterpretations of what they are and what this means. Although there have beenattempts to come to a consensus within the community, there are too many voicescompeting for attention. The resulting cacophony of definitions, theories, andbeliefs insures that very little ever gets officially communicated to anyoneoutside of these debates.

THROUGH VAMPIRE EYES

Psychic vampirism, on the surface, seems pretty cut and dried. Psychic vampiresare people who take energy. Some of them do this consciously; some of them do itunawares. However, it is only from an outside perspective that this simplicitycan be maintained. Among the psychic vampires themselves, there are manydifferent reasons for vampirism and many different interpretations of how it isexpressed.

First of all, psychic vampires have many different explanations for why theyneed to feed. Some believe that they feed as a result of a physical or spiritualailment that has reduced their own vitality. In such cases, the need for outsideenergy arises either because the vampire's own system does not produce enoughvital energy to sustain itself or it "leaks" energy, using the energy it doeshave inefficiently.

Some psychic vampires believe that they require outside energy because theyeffectively have a higher spiritual metabolism. They produce vital energywithout a problem, but for some reason they very quickly use up a great deal ofit. Often the vital energy is being burned at a faster rate to fuel psychicabilities, although this is not always the case. Because their systems use upenergy faster than it can be produced, the difference must be made up by takingenergy from others.

Some psychic vampires believe that they have an imperfect connection to theuniversal sources of energy that fuel ordinary people. This can take one of twoforms. Either the vampire's connection to the sources is completely cut off orthey process this energy in a limited or inefficient way. Usually these problemsarise as a result of permanent damage or alterations to the portions of thesubtle body that are connected to these sources of energy and to those thatprocess outside energies for use as vital energy. Weaknesses or blockages in thechakras can have the same effect.

Some vampires believe that they are disconnected from certain sources of energybecause these sources of energy are foreign to them. Vampires from this schoolof thought believe that their spiritual point of origin is elsewhere, and forsome reason they have had difficulty integrating here. Many of these individualsare not cut off from all forms of energy but are limited to a specific narrowrange. Some even purport to have an "allergy" to certain energies that, althoughthey are sustaining to others, can actually cause them harm.

Finally, still other psychic vampires see their condition as the result of amutation or some other genetic inheritance. A small and somewhat radical portionof the community maintains it is the result of a virus. Most discount thistheory, as nearly everyone in the know agrees that psychic vampirism issomething you either have or you don't; you cannot be made into a psychicvampire, nor can you "catch" psychic vampirism from being fed upon. It may seemas if some people "become" psychic vampires, but these individuals are actuallyawakening to a condition that has been latent within them all along.

VAMPIRES AND ENERGY

All beings, vampiric or otherwise, engage in a constant exchange of energy withtheir environment. For the most part, this exchange is unconscious, and it is asinstinctive as breathing. Energy exchange is part of the natural flow of theUniverse, and it serves to connect all living things. Any being that is cut offcompletely from all energetic sources will suffer physically, emotionally, andspiritually.

Certain magickal or metaphysical techniques can help people become aware oftheir relation to energy, and some of these ultimately allow them to consciouslyparticipate in energy exchange. Taking an active role in energy exchange isbeneficial both physically and mentally for any being. Magickal workers, martialartists, and others who channel their energy into extraordinary acts can learnto consciously draw energy from their environment in order to support theiractivities. So what makes a vampire unique?

Among psychic vampires, it is agreed that their nature is defined by need. Whileall beings exchange energy with their environment, there is a certainequilibrium that is nevertheless maintained. The draw of an ordinary person isconstant and low level, barely noticeable to him- or herself or anyone else.Furthermore, ordinary people give as well as take energy, and there is rarely ahuge disparity between the amount given off and the amount taken in.

Psychic vampires require enough energy that they must take significant amountsof it in. The drain this generates is very noticeable, and there is a distinctdisparity between energy intake and outflow. The powerful draw possessed by mostpsychic vampires has inspired some magickal workers to describe them asenergetic "black holes."

Even those vampires who are unconscious of their role in energy exchangenevertheless actively reach out and take additional energy from those aroundthem. This is not a once-in-a-while thing but occurs quite regularly. Awakenedvampires report that they feed on a weekly basis, consciously taking asignificant amount of energy from outside sources. Some feed biweekly, whileothers have such a significant need that they must actively feed every day.Although frequency varies from individual to individual, any psychic vampire whois prevented from taking in more energy than he expends will rapidly suffer aloss of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Not everyone who takes in more energy than they give out is a true vampire,however. Many people can wear themselves out through illness or overwork andconsequently exhibit vampiric tendencies. This increase in energetic need isonly temporary, however. Once the individual's system has regained its state ofequilibrium, energy intake and outflow will become balanced once more. A truevampire requires a regular and significant intake of energy regardless of thestresses on his or her system. The need is constant, not temporary, and simplerest or healing will not suffice to "cure" vampirism.

SOURCES OF ENERGY

There is a school of thought that maintains that psychic vampires can draw uponany form of energy, including natural, elemental, and celestial sources, inorder to fulfill their need. In my opinion, this is not entirely true. The wordvampyre has been adopted by a community of people for a reason, and this isbecause there is a certain amount of resonance between what they experience andwhat they understand a vampire to be. In the myths and folklore, vampires feedupon life, as symbolized through the potent image of blood. Modern-day vampiresdefine themselves as such because they, too, have a need to take the vitallife force from others.
(Continues...)Excerpted from THE PSYCHIC VAMPIRE CODEX by MICHELLE A. BELANGER. Copyright © 2004 Michelle A. Belanger. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.