What is a vampire?

Someone asked me a few days ago a fairly common newbie question of “what do you think a vampire is?”. It made me think about what my answer is, beyond the cookie-cutter answer of that a vampire is a person who needs a supplement of some form, be it physical blood or metaphysical energy.

“Vampire” is a seven-letter word that has been assigned to and associated with so many things and has so many varied definitions, depending on who you are asking, that I think it now borders on being utterly meaningless as a description, because there is no one set definition.

There are first, of course, the vampires of Hollywood and folklore. Even this, however, isn't clearcut...is one talking about a vampire like Dracula, truly a zombie-like undead? Or are they talking about the romantic versions of the word embodied by the likes of Anne Rice's Lestat and Louis? Or do they mean those teenage, sparkly beings out of the currently popular Twilight series? Or, in a less dramatic sense, are they referencing those out history with much more mundane explanations, like people buried alive, then exhumed only for people to find that they'd clawed at the insides of their coffins? Even within the world of fiction and lore, the term “vampire” can refer to far too many things.

Beyond the vampires of fiction and lore, there are the medical and pseudomedical and pseudoscientific types of vampirism, such as the thoughts populated of porphyria and the V5 virus, and the vampirism of animals or insects who are termed such only because their diet is purely of blood (such as the vampire bat or mosquito). 

Next, there are those who consider themselves vampires by their choosing to follow a vampiric lifestyle. This tends to split into two categories; those who actively drink blood or draw metaphysical energy from others and, as such, are vampiric, and those who follow a more neogothic lifestyle, complete with capes, fangs, sleeping in coffins, and wearing white makeup and entirely black clothing. To further confuse matters, some of these “vampires”, often referred to as lifestylers by themselves and others, may also be vampires of other definitions of the word, as well, and simply also choose to live a vampiric lifestyle on top of it.

Finally, enter the modern, Western metaphysical sense of the word, and the current vampire community. Even within the community, we cannot seem to agree on a set definition for the term. There is the ever-present argument of energy vs. physical needs, the mostly recognized splits of “types” of vampires, ranging from sangs to psis to tantric to elemental, and branching down into any number of subtypes. Add further the difference and distinction of those who are vampires vs those who are simply vampiric, but are also often labeled as vampires. Also, some within the vampire community will recognize those who are basically temporarily vampires, for any number of reasons ranging from damaged energy systems to being overfed on by another vampire (sympathetic vampirism), as falling under the term of vampires.

My definition of what a vampire is falls into the last category, referring to the more modern, metaphysical line of thinking. I would say that a vampire is 
1.Someone who requires an additional supplement, gained either through physical consumption of certain things (such as blood) or via the direct absorption of metaphysical energy, to be able to maintain the balance of their system, 
2.Such need for supplementation to their system is longterm and constant,
3.Not caused by addiction, fetish, temporary injury or illness (physical or to their energy system), or influence from an outside source.
I cannot stress enough that the key point to my definition is that there be an actual need for energy that is not caused by extenuating circumstances (addiction, illness, etc); all instances of someone feeding due to extenuating circumstances I firmly class as being vampiric, but do not recognize the person as a vampire.

Ultimately, though, I think what it comes down to is that given the myriad assortment of definitions assigned to the word “vampire”, common ground of definitions must be established most any time the term is to be used or there simply will always be conflict and confusion rooted simply in misunderstandings. 

So, what do I think a vampire is? I think it's a person being described by a seven letter word that means absolutely nothing without more information being given.