A Loaded Word

Let’s face it. “Vampire” is a loaded word. It seems to be one of several visceral words in the English language, words so powerful as to engender a reaction just by speaking them. But let’s take a closer look.

VAMPIRE

Etymology: French, from German Vampir, from Serbian vampir

Date: 1732

1: the reanimated body of a dead person believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood of persons asleep

2: one who lives by preying on others

Well, all right, if you insist on frolicking in folklore and Saturday horror movie matinees. Vampgeist prefers a different definition.

VAMPIRE

There exists an entity of living energy all around us and in the universe. This energy is both alive itself and imbues all things with life of one degree or another. A vampire is an adept at energy play, an adept at tapping into this living energy for self-benefit. A vampire knows how to take what energy they want and need and use it for their own purposes.

At Vampgeist, we are especially interested in the vampire archetype. Our studies over the years have brought us to conclude that some variation or variety of the vampire exists in the common lore of human beings around the world. In brief, this suggests that the vampire is an archetype we all have in common as humans, or perhaps it is further evidence to suggest a collective subconcious mind. Whatever the case may be, the vampire has been humanity’s companion since the earliest days. Recent interest in the vampire–fictional and real–indicates that the vampire will be with us for a long time to come.

But let’s go back to the vampire as a common archetype among humans. Suddenly there is much more involved than Hollywood schlock, gothic fashion, and darkness. The vampire and the human need each other. What would happen to the collective subconcious mind if the vampire had never been? What if it disappeared? And why is it there in the first place? If we study the vampire, we are also studying a keystone in the human experience.

Simply put, vampires move us. Whether in horror or fascination or sexual excitement, we can’t help the lure of the vampire. This is why Vampgeist exists. This is a transition place, a realm between worlds where questions can be answered and impressions expressed. Our relevance is the relevance of the non-waking mind on human thought.

The possibility of human beings better understanding ourselves through the vampire–if that’s not reason enough to move ahead, what is?