More and more, I get asked a multitude of questions about feeding and its effects. So, in an attempt to create an air of truth about the matter, I will do my best to explain the generalities of what makes us who we are.
The Myths:
As many who are either mundane, or coming into an understanding of who they are, the term of "vampire" creates a very basic image. The image of "Dracula", a creature who is undead, turns into a bat, sleeps in a coffin, and bites unsuspecting people on the neck, draining their blood, and turning them into vampires is the prevalent image on most minds. The works of Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, and others of their ilk have perpetuated the myth in elaborate tales of fantasy.
For those of us that reluctantly claim the label of being vampiric, the myths are far from the truth. We are not undead, drink people dry, have the ability to "turn" someone, or anything else along those lines. However, we do have the need for feeding. The reasons and results, though are quite different than the movies.
Why we feed:
Many of us have a deficiency in our bodies. We simply don't have the capacity to maintain our chi (prana, life force, et cetera...) that allows us to life a healthy normal life. And so, we must get it from another source to help us maintain a healthy existence. Would we die without it? Most likely not. However, there are adverse effects of not feeding. It causes chemical changes and actual physical problems. Our vampiric spirit and human bodies, though two seperate entities, are in conjuction with each other. One affects the other. Our immune systems need the sustenance, just as a normal person might need the proper amount of vitamins and minerals.
Ways we feed:
The most common feeding technique is psychic. Not to be confused with palm readers and prognosticators, psychic feeding involves taking in the energy of our surroundings. This comes from the energy from a crowd at an energetic event, ambient energy from nature, and sexual energy made from desire. All can be taken in and used to compliment the energy we already contain within. The act of psychic feeding is chronicled as far back as dakinis in the story of Buhdda, and as recently as The Psychic Vampire Codex by Michelle Belanger. Some accounts have the act being a natural part of the cycle of life, whereas some claim it detrimental to existence. Most are quite benign, though there are some that make it detrimental if they feed too much.
Then there is there is the more commonly known technique of blood consumption. Most importantly to note, is that it takes only a pint of blood ingested to make the human body vomit. Because we all have a human body, there are no exceptions. So for those who believe they can be drained, or that we are not human, sorry to disappoint. The main reason some feed by blood is that they are simply incapable of taking in energy by psychic means alone. Both means contain the chi needed. The difference can be explained with a simple analogy. The difference between taking in chi through psychic means vs. blood consumption would be the same as the difference between drinking coffee, or sucking on a coffee bean. The delivery is different. The concentration is different. But, the contents are the same.
Most human beings have the capabiliy of producing extra energy, or blood, when the body gets depleted. We, on the other hand, aren't afforded such luxuries. So, there is where reality breaks from the myth. The phenominon is currently being researched by the AMA, and other medical organizations. Hopefully, this gets to become common knowledge so that the fear created by eons of myth gets dispelled.
