Subject of myth, legend and folklore, the vampire has haunted the imaginations of people for centuries. Developed in literary and cinematic treatments, evolving over the centuries into a glamorous being, the vampire legend is alive and flourishing.

Of all vampire species, psychic vampires can be considered one of the most potentially dangerous, and the internet, as usual, is an endless source of information about the matter.

Existing among mortals, and feeding on them to ensure their immortality, the vampire can be divided in different species.

One of those species is the psychic vampire. So what makes him special? Unlike the typical vampire that feeds on blood, the psychic vampire, like the name suggests, feeds upon the psychic energies of their victims. This can lead to permanent debilitation, and even death.

In the past, it was common belief that young humans and animals had the capability to steal life, so they were kept apart from adults, especially while they were sleeping.

This phenomenon has been studied by several occult experts, such as Franz Hartamann and A. Osborne Eaves. They wrote not only about the specie itself but about the possible ways to resist an assault by a psychic vampire. The first, described the typical psychic vampire as having a hand that feels clammy and cadaverous, while Eeves advised the use of incense and garlic in a room. He also recommended protecting oneself by imaging white mist beyond he person’s own aura, that would act as a protective barrier against the attacks.

Research & Fiction

This form of vampirism has been detailed in numerous works, and I would recommend:

• Dion Fortune’s Psychic self-defense (1930)
• Eave’s Modern Vampirism: It’s dangers and how to avoid them (1904)

But fear not fiction lovers, many writers found this idea enticing, so there are plenty of books to satisfy the curiosity of all. Tales about psychic vampires can be found in:

• Webber's Spiritual Vampirism (1853)
• Frank Stockthon's A borrowed mouth (1886)
• Ivan Turgenev's Clara Militch (1882)
• Edward Heron-Allen's The princess Daphne (1888)
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The parasite (1891)

"Recent" fiction works:

• Fritz Leiber's The girl with the hungry eyes (1949)
• C.M. Kornbluth's The mindworm (1950)
• Harlan Ellison's Try a dull knife (1968)

Movies
The increasing popularity of the psychics attacks subject lead to the creation of some mainstream horror movies, one called One Dark Night (1982) and other Lifeforce (1985), both dealing with psychic predations.