What's Your Opinion on VAMPIRES?

Hi there! I'm new to ATS, and if I'm doing anything wrong, please tell me.

This year in school, we're required to do a huge research project called the iSearch. We are required to write an 18-30pg essay on our search to answer a question. For my topic, I picked vampires.
My question is:
"Do vampires exist or not?"

However, at this moment, I'm not in need of that information whatsoever. What I am asking for now, is an insightful opinion on whether you think they exist or not, which "myths" about them are true, and which you think are not. If you can, post theories on vampires. I'm searching for opinions, whether they are the truth...or not.

We are also required to interview experts on our topic, and I'm looking for experts on vampires that may be willing to be interviewed. If you know of someone who has extensive knowledge in this area (it can be an expert on mythical creatures or a vampire novelist), please tell me their name and e-mail. This would help me greatly.

Thank you very much in advance! :]

i would LOVE for them to be real, but i just don't see how they can be

Oh. My. God.

Please look at this forum.

LOOK AT THE FORUM.

There is so many vampire threads its not funny,

Sorry, I know you are new, BUT, We DONT NEED ANOTHER ONE!

Phycic vampires???
vampire sightings
Who would like to be a vampire?
Is it possible to be... born a vampire?
Vampire-Werewolf hybrid?
Vampire Encounters
Vampires! Do they exist?
Vampires, the real deal


[edit on 5-3-2009 by fooffstarr]

When I was in school I wrote a paper on vampires as well. I would suggest reading up on Vlad Tepes(Vlad the Impaler/Vlad Dracula), who is the basis of Bram Stoker's novel. I found some really good information in my studies on him.

Elizabeth Bathory also had some interesting habits.

It's all a very intriguing topic, but I have to admit that I do not believe that vampires exist, at the least not anymore.

The real stories of some of the accused "Vampires" in history are almost as unbelievable as the monster. History makes some monsters very real.

I can't imagine how a Vampire, by any of the traditional definitions, could exist.

Thank you very much for the information, but I have already read those, and it's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for specific ideas on vampires.

Thanks! That's actually very helpful, I'll look into the book. :]

Hmm.
Well, what do you mean by "traditional definitions"? What part of it makes it so...unbelievable?

Why do you want them to be real? I'm guessing you think they're the ones from Twilight. But what if they were real...but instead of the "vegetarian" ones, they were the "human-blood sucking" vampires?

We had to do the same thing for a college English class. Except it had to be on Slaughterhouse-Five. My paper ended up being 76 pages. So have fun.

And no I don't believe vampires exist. The History Channel did a documentary on vampires that I thought was pretty good at explaining the myths, history, etc. of vampires. You might want to check that out.

Well, I've always equated meat eater to vampires. I mean, they do love that taste of flesh and blood, right? So, yeah, vampires certainly do exist.

Seems like every time I turn around there is another vampire doing this or that. Whether it's a movie or a tv series, they don't stop
I don't understand the fascination with vampires because they are overrated and overexpose.. Then again I don't understand the fascination with Obama either.

But to answer your question, they are probably connected to the blood sucking European royalty that secretly sacrifice babies and drink fresh baby blood to keep them younger looking.
Some say it's also to keep them from turning into reptiles
Someone ran with this basic premise and the rest is history.

My opinion is this topic comes up way too much and people should learn to use the search function or just scroll down the forum page as its unlikely that a vampire thread would ever not be on the first page.

Decoding the Past: Vampire Secrets

This may help you with researching this topic.

By traditional, I mean Count Dracula... blood sucking, transforming, severe allergy to holy things...

That helps very much! Thanks! :]

Would you believe that there are "vampires" that exist who aren't traditional? For example, they feed off of the blood of donors, or buy from butchers?

Just in case you're interested, the most interesting I found out so far is a disease called Porphyria, or known as The Vampire Disease. The symptoms are similar to what a "vampire" is known as. It's a disease related to the production of heme (iron-containing compound), which occurs the most in hemoglobin, which in found in red-blood cells. The urine becomes reddish, and people used to think it was a result of drinking blood. The patient also develops an extreme sensitivity to light, and their skin burns easily. Afflicted people may have increased hair growth, and their skin tightens and shrinks. When this occurs around the mouth, the canines look as if enlarged. The gums also recede to increase the "fang" look even more.

:]

Actually, so far, I haven't found a single topic here that is exactly what I need. This topic isn't affecting you whatsoever, so if you dislike this subject, then simply stay away from it instead of criticizing it and being rude. Just leave it. Please and thank you.

I was confused the first time I read that, but I get it now, and it actually really does make sense. A few articles I read on vampires suggested that vampires weren't far from cannibalism. In fact, a few definitions on the word just stated that "vampires were beings that enjoy feeding on humans, leaving them either afflicted or dead."

Thanks!

If you mean in the traditional shape shifting bloodsucker form, I don't think so.
I been going to goth/punk bars most of my adult life and have met many that wish they were, but they are not. I mean the really hardcore ones in NYC too. As seen on T.V.

Vampires are overly exposed, but not enough so that enough researchers, scientists, and mythologists have to come to a conclusion on whether they exist don't exist. Till then, I think vampires will continuously puzzle all of the world, and appear everywhere.

That's a new idea though! So far, I haven't found this idea anywhere before...I'm going to further research into that. :]

Thank you very much!

I'm still trying to figure out why people like them.

It must be something other than Anne Rice novels and Brad Pitt