Literary Answer: Since "Varney the Vampire" was published in 1847 there has been an endless number of stories about vampires in print and in movies, each being more outrageous than the one before it. The classic example is
Dracula by Bram Stoker and the modern cinema incarnations of
Twilight and the
Vampire Diaries.
Scientific Answer: No scientific evidence has ever been provided to support the existence of human vampires. Repeated studies into the subject by parapsychologists and monsterologists have revealed no factual basis whatsoever. Actual biological vampires do exist: parasites such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, bedbugs, leeches, and the vampire bat of South America (
Desmodus rotundus).
However, the absence of an actual pathology has not prevented historical and continued belief in such creatures. This includes the allure of romantic fiction and many cases of psychological/physiological identification with the concept.
Perhaps apocryphal, the legend of medical indications lending themselves to the appearance of vampirism were bandied about the Cal Tech bars in the 1990's, as reported by Joseph Wambaugh. The basis for this was the way an uncommon genetic disease called Porphyria works. Porphyria is a hereditary disease that relates to the way your body generates
heme -- part of the respiratory pigment, hemoglobin. Heme is a porphyrin, over-produced in this disease.
- Porphyria, being genetic disorder, may occur with greater frequency in small, enclosed populations. Places like Transylvania come to mind...
- Porphyria induces a photo-dermatitis which can cause terrible blisters to appear, which look like burned skin, and this in turn generates a justifiable fear of exposure to sunlight.
- Drinking blood slows porphyrin production, so it's conceivable that victims who knew this would seek blood sources. Wambaugh suggests cows but..
- Garlic appears to block an enzyme that inhibits or removes porphyrin, hence the negative reaction to garlic (quinine does this too -- so never give a vampire a gin and tonic!).
- Porphyria attacks sometimes manifest with significant personality changes. Also, blood pressure often drops, which might explain the pale countenance.
- Don't give this rather fascinating speculation too much credence :}
- Citation, Delta Star by Joseph Wambaugh, and the NIH pages on Porphyria.
Other, more personal opinions exist. Some examples are listed here.
Opinions:- I just have a strong belief in vampiric nature and such, yes vampires do exist and yes they do have powers. They live in our world in secrecy and as time progresses more vampires will be made and some will die. you have to open up your mind and realize that anything is possible and that vampires exist whether you believe it or not.
- Yes! Of course they do! Vampires have existed just as long as humans have. There have been cases in history where people have drunk the blood of others. Elizabeth Bathory is one case.
- Of course NOT, if they would exist we would be dead by now!
- Vampires, as they are described in Anne Rice novels, probably do not exist. Vampires do, in fact, exist; however, there has been a great deal of misinformation, making them into superhuman, almost godlike, monsters.
- Vampires do exist. When you've witnessed what I have then you'll believe if you disagree with the people who do. Ice cold skin and vampiric teeth mean nothing, it's the way the person acts, wolf like growls, are not human like, they are vampiric like, the eyes - when a 'human' vamps out, they usually blink obviously and you will notice an obvious change in eye colour, sea blue coloured eyes turn to icy blue coloured, how they run - arms move back and forth, and they run at an incredibly fast speed, if you are not a vampire you will know about it. Screw science for something like this, they cannot prove that they do not exist, just depends on how much you believe, until I witnessed a vampiric act of human to vampire I did not believe so much, if you ever do, be wary of whoever it is, don't let them look you in the eye, they have a charming power to over power you. Also a big big change in personality over comes them, the thirst of blood for them is not controlable. Just be careful.
- Vampires do NOT exist. People who are bored with their lives and dying for some form of entertainment delude themselves into thinking they believe in vampires.
Yes vampires exist! I'll say it nicely and say that don't go around judging us by what we believe in and I will believe in vampires for the rest of my life and until the day that I die shall I believe that vampires are in this world and that they will forever exist in secrecy!
- No they aren't! The myth of vampires came from vampire bats! people found teeth marks on cattle and made up the story for publicity!