A new study of persons identifying as vampires has researchers calling for society to be more accepting of people who choose to “identify as real vampires” so they can “come out” of their coffins without having to worry about discrimination from people who think they’re nuts.

Seriously, National Review Online (NRO) is reporting on research conducted at Idaho State University and College of the Canyons and the Center for Positive Sexuality in Los Angeles entitled, “Do We Always Practice What We Preach? Real Vampires’ Fears of Coming out of the Coffin to Social Workers and Helping Professionals”.

The study involved 11 people who identify as “real” vampires – persons who believe they were born with their condition - as opposed to mere “lifestyle” vampires who simply wear fangs and sleep in coffins for kicks.

According to Dr. D. J. Williams, the study’s lead researcher and director of sociology at Idaho State, “Most [real] vampires believe they were born that way; they don’t choose this.”

As the study explains, “the essential feature of real vampirism is their belief in the need to take in ‘subtle energy’ (called feeding) from time to time from a willing ‘donor’ in order to maintain physical, psychological and spiritual health. Unlike lifestyle vampires, real vampires believe that they do not choose their vampiric condition; they are born with it, somewhat akin to sexual orientation.”

Some real vampires feed on psychic or pranic energy while others, known as sanguinarians, feed on small amounts of human or animal blood.

Of the 11 persons studied in this research, three fed on blood, three fed on psychic energy, and five said they got their “food” from multiple sources.

Dr. Williams believes none of us should be bothered by people who want to drink human blood because “it is generally expected within the community that vampires should act ethically and responsibly in feeding practices.”

Well, that's a relief.

Besides, the fact that they’re drinking blood isn’t the real issue. What really matters is that they have to worry about how people are going to judge them for drinking blood.

As the NRO reports: “After all, the study reported that all of the participants seemed to ‘function normally’ based on questions about their careers and ‘psychiatric histories’ (apparently, believing you need to drink blood in order to function was not taken to be an indicator of a psychological problem, and yet ‘nearly all participants were distrustful of social workers and helping professionals and preferred to ‘stay in the coffin’ for fear of being misunderstood, labeled, and potentially having to face severe repercussions to their lives’.”

As Williams said during an interview with MTV, “The message is to not take things at face value, to be more aware of our stereotypes and our judgments, maybe focus on commonalities that people have.”

He insists that “People understand themselves in very different ways, and that’s OK. We’re all human. We all have a lot of things in common. I think a little more awareness of our own biases and more cultural sensitivity — more compassion — that’s really the important thing underlying all of this,” he said.

"Tolerance" is becoming a rather big umbrella these days. In addition to encompassing same-sex couples and people who identify as the opposite gender, along with a nod toward polygamists and pedophiles who claim they don't act on their impulses, now we have to add people who believe they were born vampires.

Jesus said we are to love one another as He has loved us and so we must - but it sure can be challenging these days!

Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com