The Modern Vampire

I admit it, I'm a huge vampire mark. I love the lore, the stories, the fiction and the fact. It's true what a lot of vampire fiction says, they are alluring in their charms, and fascinating in their mystery, and that's why I find myself researching vampires more than most any other creature. And that's how today's topic came to be. I came across an article that sent me into a research spiral. At one point I had dozens of tabs open in my browser and on my phone, and they were all about modern vampires. What's a modern vampire? Well, they aren't the supernatural beasts you'd see on TV or in novels. They're people with a seemingly medical need to ingest blood of some kind - be it human or animal. Though, that only covers the Sanguinarian vampire. There are also Psi vamps, who feed off of energies. Then there's the hybrid that sort of do both.   These people not only claim to need blood, but if they don't terrible things can happen, such as ending up in hospital. It's hard to determine the underlying cause, as no medical research has shed much light on it, other than some very rare and specific cases of porphyria, or other mental disorders. But that's simply not the case with these people - who have developed a community around it. Those who suffer from the need to drink blood are of sound mind - well, for the most part. Surely there are some outliers in the field, but for the most part they're as sane as you.    These communities are also very interesting, with some being very inclusive, and some exclusive. But they all share a common goal, especially the one based in New Orleans, called NOVA. It's made up of several houses, which act as independent arms of the same branch. It's all really... well, neat. According to a study, at least 5000 people in the USA identify as a vampire in some way. But, if you want to know more about these truly fascinating people, you'll just have to listen.   Our sponsor: www.morbidlybeautiful.com Merch: www.redbubble.com/people/HorrorShots Youtube Twitch: www.twitch.tv/muskyfaux Website: www.horrorshots.com Instagram: ominousoriginspod Twitter: @horrorshotsprod Facebook: Horrorshots Patreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshots Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com