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Vampires in Their Own Words: An Anthology of Vampire Voices
The code of silence has been broken
For this anthology, vampire Michelle Belanger convinced nearly two dozen real-life vampires to break the code of silence that has kept their fascinating subculture shrouded in secrecy.
Sometimes provocative, sometimes surprisingly down-to-earth, these candid firsthand accounts come from both psi vampires who feed on energy and sanguine vampires who drink actual blood. Their true stories shed light on a variety of topics, including awakening to vampirism, the compulsion to feed and feeding practices, donor ethics and etiquette, and vampire traditions and codes of behavior.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
28 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Belanger
69 books329 followersMichelle Belanger is an American author, singer, and television personality, widely recognized for her work on television's Paranormal State. A leading authority on psychic and supernatural topics, her non-fiction research in books like "The Dictionary of Demons" (Llewellyn, 2010) and "The Psychic Vampire Codex" (Weiser, 2004) has been sourced in television shows, university courses, and numerous publications around the world.
She has worked as a media liaison for fringe communities, lectured on vampires at colleges around North America, performed with Gothic and metal bands, including Nox Arcana, and designed immersive live actions RPGs for companies such as Wizards of the Coast. Her research on the Watcher Angels led to the creation of a Tarot Deck and the album Blood of Angels. She has appeared on CNN, A&E, Fox News, Reelz, and the History Channel.
Michelle resides near Cleveland, Ohio with three cats, a few friendly spirits, and a library of more than five thousand books.
She has worked as a media liaison for fringe communities, lectured on vampires at colleges around North America, performed with Gothic and metal bands, including Nox Arcana, and designed immersive live actions RPGs for companies such as Wizards of the Coast. Her research on the Watcher Angels led to the creation of a Tarot Deck and the album Blood of Angels. She has appeared on CNN, A&E, Fox News, Reelz, and the History Channel.
Michelle resides near Cleveland, Ohio with three cats, a few friendly spirits, and a library of more than five thousand books.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
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August 10, 2011I work in the Religion/Spirituality and New Age/Magic/Occult sections at my bookstore job, and the cover caught my eye. It was...interesting, that's for sure. It's an anthology of essays by people who believe themselves to be vampires. I mostly skimmed it, it was something unusual and quick to read through over a couple days when I was on break at work. It's always interesting to learn about different subcultures that exist in our country
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July 31, 2009self-indulgent and repetitious. not very interesting.
June 10, 2009
I actually need to buy this, I got halfway through at Barnes and Noble. An insiders look into the lives of "real" vamipres, from the psychic to sanguine.
March 23, 2018
I frequently purchase books from a great new age surplus shop online. The deals are great so I periodically go through the website and find any interesting books and purchase them. I can afford to risk $2!
I have seen Michelle Belanger on various paranormal television shows and somehow knew a little about her -- she identifies as a vampire and owns a large library of occult books, which I envy! I am interested in the occult and always have been. I have seen television programs on "real" vampires that were intriguing. I am also very interested in outsider status. Anything "weird" attracts me because I am a huge contrarian. So, this book should have been perfect, right?
I had a basic understanding of "sanguine", aka, blood vampires, and "psychic" vampires before reading the book. I liked it because it explained the different theories people have about why they are a vampire -- some believe it is a physical/spiritual issue that makes it difficult for them to process energy/burn through energy faster than non-vampires -- others believe it indicates an elevated spiritual standing.
The writers in the book work hard to combat the vampire equivalent to the "fluffy bunny" of the pagan community: angsty goths who use the identity to feed their own egos and abuse others. I found that some of the passages about donors were beautiful and expressed love and intense gratitude towards them. I also liked essays, like "Being a Vampyre Donor" by LadyBlak that portrayed honest situations where she struggled to maintain that love and gratitude.
It's always hard to truly assess due to the secret nature of the majority of vampire societies, but I felt like many different sects and identities were represented here.
I am a part of the pagan community (although I am figuring out what that label means to me at this time,) and was suprised by how many people said pagans had discriminated against them about their vampirism. I certainly don't feel I would -- at least not in the same way these people say they were.
An interesting argument was made in the book -- why is the word "witch" appropriated and accepted by many, and the word "vampire" is not? I found the argument intriguing and a difficult one to answer. Perhaps it is because the "witch" often does not obsess over the trappings of the stereotype, ie, a pointed hat, as many "lifestylers" described in the book do -- perhaps because the one person I met who identified as a vampire was mentally unstable. Perhaps because I do have some of the bias described in the book.
Overall I learned a lot and learned about different societal structures, terms, etc. I also enjoyed the structure and the fact that Belanger included definitions at the end of each essay if necessary which often did not get repetitive even if they were utilized throughout the whole book -- they served as great reminders and included new information each time.
I suppose my only complaint is that the book often got repetitive, but when you bring a group of people togheter to discuss a topic or identity i suppose that is bound to happen.
I have seen Michelle Belanger on various paranormal television shows and somehow knew a little about her -- she identifies as a vampire and owns a large library of occult books, which I envy! I am interested in the occult and always have been. I have seen television programs on "real" vampires that were intriguing. I am also very interested in outsider status. Anything "weird" attracts me because I am a huge contrarian. So, this book should have been perfect, right?
I had a basic understanding of "sanguine", aka, blood vampires, and "psychic" vampires before reading the book. I liked it because it explained the different theories people have about why they are a vampire -- some believe it is a physical/spiritual issue that makes it difficult for them to process energy/burn through energy faster than non-vampires -- others believe it indicates an elevated spiritual standing.
The writers in the book work hard to combat the vampire equivalent to the "fluffy bunny" of the pagan community: angsty goths who use the identity to feed their own egos and abuse others. I found that some of the passages about donors were beautiful and expressed love and intense gratitude towards them. I also liked essays, like "Being a Vampyre Donor" by LadyBlak that portrayed honest situations where she struggled to maintain that love and gratitude.
It's always hard to truly assess due to the secret nature of the majority of vampire societies, but I felt like many different sects and identities were represented here.
I am a part of the pagan community (although I am figuring out what that label means to me at this time,) and was suprised by how many people said pagans had discriminated against them about their vampirism. I certainly don't feel I would -- at least not in the same way these people say they were.
An interesting argument was made in the book -- why is the word "witch" appropriated and accepted by many, and the word "vampire" is not? I found the argument intriguing and a difficult one to answer. Perhaps it is because the "witch" often does not obsess over the trappings of the stereotype, ie, a pointed hat, as many "lifestylers" described in the book do -- perhaps because the one person I met who identified as a vampire was mentally unstable. Perhaps because I do have some of the bias described in the book.
Overall I learned a lot and learned about different societal structures, terms, etc. I also enjoyed the structure and the fact that Belanger included definitions at the end of each essay if necessary which often did not get repetitive even if they were utilized throughout the whole book -- they served as great reminders and included new information each time.
I suppose my only complaint is that the book often got repetitive, but when you bring a group of people togheter to discuss a topic or identity i suppose that is bound to happen.
September 7, 2019
This was an interesting look at a subculture from people within the group, but I had two major complaints that knocked this down to 2 stars:
1) Most of the author’s represented wrote multiple essays throughout the book, and many seemed to be friends with the editor. Which is fine, but did make it seem like there wasn’t a particularly wide array of experiences being represented.
2) What really knocked this down to 2 stars (and had me considering rating this 1 star because of the fact that the editor chose to publish these things) is that there were a few essays that had some extremely problematic views in them. One essay offhandedly engaged in victim blaming towards individuals in abusive relationships. Additionally, a couple essays included some seriously racist/inappropriate stuff, including a comparison between descendants of slaves in the USA and vampires. I was particularly upset by this comparison - having to create your own culture because you’re part of a magic-adjacent subculture is EXTREMELY different from having to create your own culture because your ancestors were sold into slavery and you have grown up in a society that has been built on institutionalized racism.
1) Most of the author’s represented wrote multiple essays throughout the book, and many seemed to be friends with the editor. Which is fine, but did make it seem like there wasn’t a particularly wide array of experiences being represented.
2) What really knocked this down to 2 stars (and had me considering rating this 1 star because of the fact that the editor chose to publish these things) is that there were a few essays that had some extremely problematic views in them. One essay offhandedly engaged in victim blaming towards individuals in abusive relationships. Additionally, a couple essays included some seriously racist/inappropriate stuff, including a comparison between descendants of slaves in the USA and vampires. I was particularly upset by this comparison - having to create your own culture because you’re part of a magic-adjacent subculture is EXTREMELY different from having to create your own culture because your ancestors were sold into slavery and you have grown up in a society that has been built on institutionalized racism.
February 12, 2017
This book is an anthology of written works by self proclaimed vampires/vampyres from psychic to sanguine, edited by Michelle Belanger. This is the second book I have of hers and I enjoy her style. From awakenings to proper feeding etiquette, moral codes and the different traditions; this book covers a lot of ground. It is as good as its going to get if you want to get up close and personal with the 'real' vampire community (I'm not talking about life-stylers). Whether or not you believe these accounts, whether or not you believe in vampyres/vampires, their community is indeed more real than most of you will ever know.
November 10, 2020
I've known I was a vampire since I was 15 but I've never been involved in the community nor do I know anyone in it. I didn't know if I would be accepted. Reading this book has enlightened me on so much, including that reiki massages could help my headaches. I recommend this book, especially with anyone who doesn't know where to begin. I enjoy reading the experiences of so many different people. (Reviews are not my forte).
November 3, 2017
I really enjoyed this!!
August 9, 2023
2.5
strasznie ciezko mi sie ja czytalo, tresc czasami okej czasami nie
momentami nie wiedzialam o co chodzi
strasznie ciezko mi sie ja czytalo, tresc czasami okej czasami nie
momentami nie wiedzialam o co chodzi
March 25, 2013
Have you ever heard of a psychic vampire? When I first learned the term a few years ago, I was told it described a person who drained energy from people around them, and they were to be avoided if you liked, you know, not being exhausted. But for Michelle Belanger and others who self-identify with the term, it's very different.
The general idea that I, a non-vampire, got from the various essays is that psychic vampires do not process energy the way most people (like me!) do. They do not get the necessary energy the way I do, nor can they get the energy they need from other living things, i.e. trees or non-human animals. Instead, in order to be healthy, psychic vampires manipulate the energy of other humans and take it for themselves. It should be noted that vampires still need to eat and exercise and whatever to get energy, but there's a kind of energy they can't get from those things that they still need in order to be happy and healthy--it's much more eloquent in the book
Psychic vampires have chosen the word "vampire" because it's the closest word in the English language to match what they do, which is take vital life force from other humans--it just isn't blood. (Some of them do drink blood, though it's a very small amount, especially when you go into it thinking they are like the vampires in fiction who drain their victims.) This book is a collection of essays written by self-identified vampires: Some who drink blood, some who do not, some who like to look the part of the archetype, some who hate the archetype, some who double as donors for other vampires, some who prefer the spelling vampyre, and some who avoid the word completely but still identify with the definition of a psychic vampire.
The essays within describe various ways vampires deal with their condition, how it affects them personally, the relationships they formed because of their condition (especially with donors), etc. Most of them are very relatable. I have no problem believing that psychic vampires exist and most of the writers seemed to mean no harm. They are respectful of their donors, they don't intentionally take energy from people who don't consent, etc. Admittedly, a few of the essays came off as being extremely pretentious and I had to skip some because I couldn't handle the tone, but they were the minority, and it's normal for me to skip a few essays in compilations about anything.
I'm glad this book exists and I hope it will help open minds and educate. I definitely learned a few things. Unfortunately, the less-awesome essays brought the book down a bit--but I still strongly recommend it for those interested in the misunderstood psychic vampires.
Review originally posted on my blog.
The general idea that I, a non-vampire, got from the various essays is that psychic vampires do not process energy the way most people (like me!) do. They do not get the necessary energy the way I do, nor can they get the energy they need from other living things, i.e. trees or non-human animals. Instead, in order to be healthy, psychic vampires manipulate the energy of other humans and take it for themselves. It should be noted that vampires still need to eat and exercise and whatever to get energy, but there's a kind of energy they can't get from those things that they still need in order to be happy and healthy--it's much more eloquent in the book
Psychic vampires have chosen the word "vampire" because it's the closest word in the English language to match what they do, which is take vital life force from other humans--it just isn't blood. (Some of them do drink blood, though it's a very small amount, especially when you go into it thinking they are like the vampires in fiction who drain their victims.) This book is a collection of essays written by self-identified vampires: Some who drink blood, some who do not, some who like to look the part of the archetype, some who hate the archetype, some who double as donors for other vampires, some who prefer the spelling vampyre, and some who avoid the word completely but still identify with the definition of a psychic vampire.
The essays within describe various ways vampires deal with their condition, how it affects them personally, the relationships they formed because of their condition (especially with donors), etc. Most of them are very relatable. I have no problem believing that psychic vampires exist and most of the writers seemed to mean no harm. They are respectful of their donors, they don't intentionally take energy from people who don't consent, etc. Admittedly, a few of the essays came off as being extremely pretentious and I had to skip some because I couldn't handle the tone, but they were the minority, and it's normal for me to skip a few essays in compilations about anything.
I'm glad this book exists and I hope it will help open minds and educate. I definitely learned a few things. Unfortunately, the less-awesome essays brought the book down a bit--but I still strongly recommend it for those interested in the misunderstood psychic vampires.
Review originally posted on my blog.
August 11, 2012
When I first heard the term psychic vampire I automatically assumed that it was some pesky person who hung around you and annoyed so much that you felt drained just from being around them. They would leach off you, much like a moocher who has no money. Real vampires of course were the work of fiction and lore and in no way shape or form could ever possibly exist. That a psychic vampire could send out astral tendril and feed off of someone's aura because of their own energy imbalance to me was just like a joke. I did not believe in the existence of vampires.
It was not this book that changed my point of view, I should say that it was Father Sebastian's Sanguinomicon that brought me around. Like me there are other that burn off energy really quickly an thus need it replaced. Of course I do not consider my self a psychic vampire. My entire life I have been addicted to things , especially caffeine that give someone extreme jolts of energy. I a may not be a vampire but I also may have lots in common with them.
This book has essay from Michelle and various other members in the vampire community. These community members discuss a wide variety of topics ranging from awakening to who they are, community structure, vampire donor relations, ethical feeding, relation with Pagans and Ceremonial magicians and the use of blood in rituals. The book was a captivating read that I finished in about two days and it was enjoyable. More over it moved my position a bit and spoke about things with which I was familiar.
There are two types of vampires sanguine and psychic vampires. Sanguine vampires get their needed energy from blood while psychic vampires get their energy from other people's energy. Sanguine vampires usually only require a small amount of blood to meet their energy needs. I still do not buy into sanguine vampires. I think they need help. There are is instruction in the book on how to feed safely with blood. There is also tips on how psychic vampires should feed.
If one wants an in depth view of the vampyre community then I strongly suggest you get this view. It will answer you questions and whole lot more.
It was not this book that changed my point of view, I should say that it was Father Sebastian's Sanguinomicon that brought me around. Like me there are other that burn off energy really quickly an thus need it replaced. Of course I do not consider my self a psychic vampire. My entire life I have been addicted to things , especially caffeine that give someone extreme jolts of energy. I a may not be a vampire but I also may have lots in common with them.
This book has essay from Michelle and various other members in the vampire community. These community members discuss a wide variety of topics ranging from awakening to who they are, community structure, vampire donor relations, ethical feeding, relation with Pagans and Ceremonial magicians and the use of blood in rituals. The book was a captivating read that I finished in about two days and it was enjoyable. More over it moved my position a bit and spoke about things with which I was familiar.
There are two types of vampires sanguine and psychic vampires. Sanguine vampires get their needed energy from blood while psychic vampires get their energy from other people's energy. Sanguine vampires usually only require a small amount of blood to meet their energy needs. I still do not buy into sanguine vampires. I think they need help. There are is instruction in the book on how to feed safely with blood. There is also tips on how psychic vampires should feed.
If one wants an in depth view of the vampyre community then I strongly suggest you get this view. It will answer you questions and whole lot more.
January 15, 2014
Interesting 'slice' of the vampire subculture and spiritual path. "Vampires in Their Own Words" serves as a sampler of sorts; an introduction to the subject as well as a general disinformation guide. Readers who are already a part of this particular demographic will likely see nothing new, but it offers insight to those of us on the outside.
Some of the essays were better than others. Almost all of them were enjoyable to read. The organization of the various sections caused the book to drag at a few points. The authors were all writing around the sections' central themes and quite a few of their experiences were very similar; this occasionally created a sense of repetition and monotony. It's definitely easier to read a bit at a time, as opposed to during one sitting.
My favorite essays were the ones written by the founders and/or leaders of the various Houses in an effort to describe principle beliefs and customs. These essays in particular have inspired me to dig deeper and learn more about psychic vampirism in America today.
Some of the essays were better than others. Almost all of them were enjoyable to read. The organization of the various sections caused the book to drag at a few points. The authors were all writing around the sections' central themes and quite a few of their experiences were very similar; this occasionally created a sense of repetition and monotony. It's definitely easier to read a bit at a time, as opposed to during one sitting.
My favorite essays were the ones written by the founders and/or leaders of the various Houses in an effort to describe principle beliefs and customs. These essays in particular have inspired me to dig deeper and learn more about psychic vampirism in America today.
June 15, 2015
Stephanie, North River patron, June 2015, 4 stars:
This book was an unusual read for me in that one of its main purposes is to persuade the Wiccan community that the modern real life energy consuming and blood consuming vampire communities are not all bad. As I am not associated with any such communities, it was interesting to read such an anthology. It gave me an understanding and respect for some American subcultures and provided personal narratives in a nonsensational and well-written manner.
This book was an unusual read for me in that one of its main purposes is to persuade the Wiccan community that the modern real life energy consuming and blood consuming vampire communities are not all bad. As I am not associated with any such communities, it was interesting to read such an anthology. It gave me an understanding and respect for some American subcultures and provided personal narratives in a nonsensational and well-written manner.
May 25, 2009
I liked it overall. I was disappointed that it was mainly focused on the Psi aspect and rarely delved into the Sang but it was a nice intro to the culture for someone who isn't well aquinted. It allows one to somewhat understand the culture and how it isn't just something people do for attention in most cases. Every now and then it would get a little dry but overall the fact that this is an anthology really made it worth reading
September 30, 2011
The reader must keep in mind that the various people submitting to this book have written their own personal experiences and opinions. I say this because some of the opinions in this book I found to not be particularly nice and I wondered why they were even included. There are however a few really interesting and inspiring stories within.
November 1, 2008
Easy book to pick up and put down with a limited amount of attachment do to a compilation of short excerpts from those involved in some vampyre communities, areas of expertise or happenings. It's definitely a touch and go kind of book...which is great for people with a limited schedule!
August 18, 2013
I found this book full of blow-hard bs. I don't doubt the existence of psychic vampires and such but the writing style was so pretentious that I didn't care enough to wade through it to the heart of the matter. Bored!
April 12, 2016
Książka ciekawa, jednak przeznaczona dla osób zainteresowanych wampiryzmem z innej strony niż fantastyczne Stokerowskie przedstawienie tej postaci. Książka opowiada o subkulturze wampirów z perspektywy członków różnych osób związanych z tym światem.
August 7, 2008
Many of these essays assume a familiarity with a belief system that never is fully explained but the essayists definitely assume that the reader shares the belief system.
Read
July 29, 2011Well, you either dig it or think the world is a strange place. To me the book is great primary source material.
February 23, 2013
Very interesting and well detailed.
September 17, 2013
This book is good for ref and a look into the vampire world of today. A great read if you like vampires.
February 28, 2014
seemed like there were not enough vampires and MB got to much credit while most wrote it. still seems stilted etc
D, ,
D, ,
June 22, 2014
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12741444
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12741444
January 15, 2018
This book wasn’t what I expected and found it boring. I gave up on it and likely won’t finish it.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews