MARIJUANA: MEDICINE OR DOPE

Introduction

This article will cover the cannabis plant and its different species and uses; its chemical makeup, and the effects on the human body and brain, positive and negative, dangerous and harmless. It will explain the plant’s history throughout the world, from ancient times to present, from a simple agricultural product, to a medicinal treatment, to a spiritual hallucinogenic, to an illegal narcotic. It will cover some of the myths and truths about the cannabis plant, from medical, legal, and individual viewpoints. It will also talk about the controversy over legalizing medical marijuana, and its possible benefits in many health conditions, both debilitating and terminal.

The Plant

Cannabis, the scientific specie name for what we call marijuana, has two major varieties of plants, cannabis sativa and cannabis indica, (there is a third minor specie called cannabis ruderalis found mostly in Russia.) The cannabis sativa plant grows taller and the leaves are more defined and fern like in appearance. Coming from Asia originally, it grows all over the world. Cannabis sativa is used for its plant material (also called hemp), and as a drug for hallucinogenic effects on the brain, giving a defined high. The cannabis indica plant, is more weed like, having a shorter more bushy appearance with broader leaves, it is found all over the United States, and can be grown in colder climates than its cousin cannabis sativa. It is used for its strong more physical hallucinogenic psychoactive effect on the chemicals of the brain, producing a more stoned out of mind experience. Most of the plants grown in the United States are human created hybrids, combining cannabis sativa and cannabis indica, to get the defined high and the stoned effect of both plants in one.

History of Cannabis

The cannabis plant has been prized throughout the ages as an agricultural crop, a medicinal herb, and for its psychoactive properties, from around 6000 B.C.E. to the present day, in all corners of the world. “The history of cannabis products and their use has been long, colorful and varied. “To the agriculturist, cannabis is a fiber crop; to the physician, it is an enigma; to the user, a euphoria; to the police, a menace; to the trafficker, a source of profitable danger; to the convict or parolee and his family, a source of sorrow” (http://www.skunked.co.uk/index.htm.) In ancient times cannabis was not viewed as an evil or illegal substance, but as something coming from the earth, with its own special gifts, like all plant life on earth. Humans of the past experimented with many plants and their uses, when a benefit was discovered, that plant became prized for that benefit. Most ancient peoples did not view a plant as having only one use, usually they found more than one. Cannabis was no different. 

Cannabis is mentioned in many ancient and present cultures throughout the world, in religious texts, literature, poetry, and agricultural writings, and can be found in many anthropological studies, past and present. Ancient remnants of the plant and its products have been found in archaeological excavations, showing physical proof of its uses. Almost all the plant was used one way or another, by these cultures. The ancient Chinese first used the seeds of the cannabis plant for food around 6000 B.C.E., later using the plant for Chinese medicines and the fibers for textiles. Their culture at the time viewed cannabis as an earthly product, like any other plant, its hallucinogenic properties seemed to be ignored. The ancient Egyptians used it for an eye treatment, helping eye strain and soreness; this may have been the first time it was used in glaucoma. In India around 1200 B.C.E. cannabis is mentioned in the Hindu holy text called Atharva Veda, as one of five “scared grasses”, a holy plant used in spiritual rituals and medicines. The Indians called the dried plant bhang, viewing it as another gift from Shiva. Persians speak of the herb bhang in many of their religious texts from around 700 to 800 B.C.E., calling it a spiritual narcotic, most likely used for dream quests, like the Native Americans use peyote. In the Talmud, a Hebrew book of biblical, Jewish commentary, and laws, from around 500 C.E., the cannabis plant is called a mind altering substance. It can also be found in Arab and other Middle Eastern cultures’ writings.

The introduction of hemp into Northern Europe began in 500 B.C.E. by the Scythian tribes, who used its fiber for weaving clothing and its seeds as offerings to their dead. The Romans seemed to have liked the plant’s psychoactive properties. Its use, both as a drug and plant crop, found its way throughout Europe and Russia, finally making its way to the New World, where the British and French grew hemp in there colonies. George Washington, our first president, wore clothing made out of hemp fiber, so did others of the day and beyond. By 1907 cannabis, like cocaine and alcohol, was regulated by the “Pure Food and Drug Act”, by 1915 cannabis is beginning to be restricted to medical use only. Around this time new laws are also being passed around Europe and around the world on other addictive substances, including cannabis. In the United States propaganda was being used on the dangers of cannabis, calling it a danger to all American youth, tying it to crime, (which was never proven), and using negative racial imagery, which all helped make it federally illegal in the United States, by 1937, with the Marijuana Tax Act, which was over turned in 1969, when the United States Supreme Court found it unconstitutional. Today it is still seen by the federal government and most states as an illicit and dangerous drug, without value, even for those that are suffering from long-term or terminal illnesses, even though states are legalizing its medical use and in a few states today, its recreational use.

The Drug

Cannabis is a very complex plant, contains over four hundred different chemical components, having only sixty-six chemicals unique to the plant. It contains many psychoactive cannabiniods like delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC), the primary chemical agent in the cannabis plant, which gives it hallucinogenic properties.

The drug we call marijuana, comes from the dried leaves, flowers and stems of the plant, which can be smoked or consumed. The resin of the plant is also used, having high amounts of delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC), the purer the resin amount, the stronger the effect on the user. Hashish the most potent form is used around the world for its powerful hallucinogenic quality, though rarely seen in the United States. Smoking marijuana gives a more rapid high, than consuming it, because delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC) is absorbed faster into the blood stream, going to the brain first, then the rest of the body. When consumed delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC) goes through the digestive tract and the liver, which breaks it down and changes it in to another chemical called 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC. This makes for a slower and less potent effect because a smaller amount of delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC) is reaching the brain. The chemical stores in the fatty tissue of the body and is alimented from the body just like food, through the bowels. High doses of delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC) can cause brain effects like paranoia, delusions, and confusion. It can also cause tachycardia in some, especially those who already have some type of heart problems. The chemical does pose a risk to the fetus in pregnancy just like many other drugs, causing developmental problems to the child in the future. It also can affect the child or teenage user’s normal maturation and brain development. Smoking marijuana long-term can put the smoker at risk of developing lung cancer, much like tobacco. Other long-term studies of the effects of marijuana use in adults are unclear, some say it is addictive, but most say alcohol and nicotine are more addictive. Some studies show it might affect the brain and cardiovascular systems if used over a long period of time, but there are just as many studies that say it causes no long-term effects. This writer found the studies of cannabis fascinating, at best, confusing, at worst. Cannabis is truly an enigma rapped in a riddle, even the doctors and scientists can not completely understand its make up or what truly causes its effects on the human system, both physically and psychology.

Medical Marijuana Today

The cannabis plant can be used for much more than just a recreational drug, it can also have benefits today in medicine, like history has shown. Under federal law in the United States today marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance, that carries a high rate of abuse, with no medical value. The use of marijuana is illegal, even for medical use, caring heavy fines and jail sentences, for very small amounts, to prison sentences for larger amounts. From 1996 to the present, various states have legalized some form of the use of medical and recreational marijuana, including Alaska (medical and recreational), Arkansas (medical), California (medical and recreational), Colorado (medical and recreational), Connecticut (medical), Delaware (medical), Florida (medical), Illinois (medical), Hawaii (medical), Louisiana (medical) Maine (medical and recreational), Maryland (medical), Massachusetts (medical and recreational), Michigan (medical), Minnesota (medical), Montana (medical), Nevada (medical and recreational), New Hampshire (medical), New Jersey (medical), New Mexico (medical), New York (medical), Ohio (medical), Oregon (medical and recreational), Pennsylvania (medical) Rhode Island (medical), Vermont (medical and recreational), and Washington (medical and recreational), plus Washington DC (medical and recreational). These states are still under federal control, so state laws may be ignored, and those that are protected under state law can be indicted under federal law. The states that back the use of medical marijuana find this very unfair, believing the states should be able to decide, with little or no interference from the federal government. The federal government strongly disagrees with this, viewing a little leeway in any illicit drug use, opens up legalizing all illegal substance down the road. Backers of medical marijuana say that it has proven its self as an effective drug in many conditions, and that any legal prescribed drug could also be misused and abuse, putting a patient endanger. Whether your belief is, for or against, the use of medical marijuana, it has been proven to help many health disorders, whether by psychological or physical effects.

Nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss are three of the major conditions that medical marijuana is used for, whether from gastrointestinal disorders like gastroenteritis and ulcers, to the effects of medical treatments like chemotherapy and medications, and the side effects and wasting of diseases like cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and full blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). As an anti-nausea and vomiting treatment, smoking marijuana, which is easier for the patient to regulate the dosage, seems to work better for some patients, than Marinol, a legal prescribed medication. Marinol, a pill form of concentrated delta-9-tetrahydroocannabinal (THC), has its own benefits and drawbacks. Marinol is legal and some patients do get a positive outcome in its use, but the drawbacks can make it almost useless to some patients, swallowing a pill with extreme nausea can almost be in possible. Marinol also takes longer in relieving nausea and vomiting, because of going through the digestive system and the liver, then to the brain. Patients may self-medicate, thinking they need more of the drug for it to work, and accidentally overdose. Some patients also complained that Marinol gave them other unwanted side effects like, dysphora (a strong unwanted high) and intense anxiety. Another factor was the cost and the ability to get the medication from their physician, which may refuse them a proscription. Marijuana smoked also comes with a few potential side effects; there is a risk to the lungs (like using tobacco), the immune system (lowering some patients’ resistance to contagions), and the development of pneumonia. But effects of not receiving treatment or malnutrition can also be harmful to the patient, causing the risk of an early needless death. “Many chemotherapy patients vomit walking into clinics in anticipation of treatment. The symptoms can deter some patients from continuing with recommended treatment. Known anti-emetic drugs aren’t effective in treating learned nausea. People report that if they smoke marijuana before they go for chemotherapy treatment, they don’t experience the anticipatory nausea or vomiting” (Can marijuana help reduce nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy?) (August 24, 2006, The Windsor Star) Linda Parker, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair, in Behavioral Neuroscience, at Wilfrid Laurier University).

This effect could be physical, because marijuana is relaxing them chemically, or it could also be a placebo effect, where the smoker truly believes that it is causing a positive change. But the patient is getting relief somehow, allowing them to go on with treatment. Marijuana (smoked or consumed) can be used as an appetite stimulant, causing a patient to regain the ability to eat and to enjoy food, also called back in the sixties “the munches.” This can help those who are suffering from the condition called “wasting”, which affects many with terminal diseases like acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and cancer. Wasting is the body’s way of trying to shut down because of the mental and physical trauma of having a long and ongoing debilitating condition, usually a disease that is terminal. Marijuana may also hold the key to saving the lives of those that are suffering from severe anorexia nervosa, giving them the ability to enjoy and consume food again. 

Marijuana is also believed to help relieve pain, or at least ease it, in some patients, with fewer side effects than opiates and other pain killers. Studies of migraine headaches and arthritis (both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid types), have seen successful relief through the use of marijuana. Migraines can cause symptoms that marijuana eases in other conditions, especially nausea, vomiting and pain. Smoking a joint may work better for some because they get faster results and if vomiting, the patient may not be able to keep medicines down long enough to get any benefits. Others may not be able to tolerate the medicines themselves. With arthritis the many chemicals in the cannabis plant, may work together, not only for pain relieve but as an anti-inflammatory drug, without causing the risk of bleeding that other anti-inflammatory medications can cause. There are many other psychological and physiological conditions that may in the future be treated with one form or another of the cannabis plant and its chemical mix.

Hemp

Cannabis sativa, also called hemp, has many other uses today than just what we know as the drug marijuana. Its fiber, being extremely strong and able to hold its shape no matter what it is expose to, is used to make rope, clothing and building material. High in nutrition, containing needed vitamins, minerals, protein and essential fatty acids, it is used worldwide as a food source. Its seeds can be made into flour, butter and oil form, and the seeds can be eaten like sunflower seeds. The oil can also be used in other products like soaps, cosmetics and manufacturing products. Cannabis sativa is also used around the world as a soil conditioner because of the rich nutrients its root system releases, making the soil richer in these nutrients.

Conclusion

Cannabis has played an ancient role in human history; it has been used for materials, food, medicine, and as a psychoactive drug. It has been hailed as a cure and a curse, a legal herb and an illegal drug. But it has proven that it does work for some that are sick and dying, giving them some kind of relief, whether it is a placebo effect or a true physical effect. Yes, all drugs can be misused and abused, even prescription medications, nothing is truly totally safe. Humans have a history of misusing almost anything they come in contact with but we also can do amazing things if given a chance. No, drug use should never be taken lightly, whether you are dealing with legal drugs like prescription medicine and alcohol, or illegal drugs like marijuana and cocaine. But if a drug can benefit a patient, I believe the patient should always come first.

NON-CRIMINAL AND CRIMINAL VAMPIRISM

Writer’s note: This was a term paper I did in a criminal justice class. I picked this subject because subcultures have always interested me and this was no different. Though, I will not be giving up being human the vampire life is not for me but I do love the Gothic fashions.

Introduction

Mythologies, legends, narratives, and factual accounts of vampirism and the consumption of human and animal blood have been around for thousands of years. Those with diseases, conditions and disorders that had vampire like side effects and those with different lifestyles have all helped to keep the vampire legend alive. The thought of blood drinking and its symbolism has both fascinated and repulsed humankind throughout antiquity. Certain religious and cultural systems have created secular and spiritual laws that have declared it legally wrong and morally reprehensible; these cultures have classified blood drinking as a depravity and a sin towards humanity. In other religious and cultural systems the consumption of animal blood is a societally recognized and excepted tradition that symbolizes strength, existence, and a source of nutrition. In some indigenous traditions human blood consumption is perceived as appropriate in both sacrifice and ceremony.

The vampire’s narrative continues through literature and Hollywood’s movies and television shows. Sometimes the vampire is the malevolent blood sucking monster and sometimes they are the benevolent mysterious hero that liberates the innocent from danger. Today, vampire subcultures can be found in every country and in almost every major city around the world. Most of the individuals that participate in blood drinking and or are active in the subcultural of vampirism are harmless, only feeding off willing participants or pretending too. But there are those that suffer from mental illnesses or other behavioral disorders that become the stereotypical malevolent vampire, stalking their prey because of bloodlust and the need to kill. So what are the differences between non-criminal vampirism and criminal vampirism? And which has humanity throughout time focused more on, the malevolent vampire or benevolent vampire?

Vampirism and Blood Drinking: Legend, Folklore, Myth

Legends of vampirism and blood consumption can be found in practically every civilization on earth, past and present. Melton (1999) explains: “Belief in vampire-like creatures probably goes back in human experience long before written record. Both a respectful fear of the dead and a belief in the magical qualities of blood may be found in cultures around the world” (Forward ix.) Overtime the legendary vampire myth changed from blood drinking gods, goddesses, demons, and revenge seeking spirits to the walking undead that were cursed for eternity. The legend and folklore of the vampire both symbolize trepidation and fascination with a creature that is both mysterious and terrifying. The mortal human being, that is just flesh and bone, transformed into a soulless monster through the brutality of exsanguination. The monstrosity that is produced slumbers in its own grave awaiting the time to prey on its innocent neighbors. Or a supernatural creature that has circumvented the authority of death itself, arising again, becoming an immortal. Both these variations of the vampire mythology caption the believer’s imagination and morbid curiosities.

Those that believed in vampires were terrified of their physical and paranormal powers. Tales of vampires utilizing supernatural physical strength, telepathic manipulation, extrasensory intuition, and animalistic hunting skills to deceive and apprehend their victims can be found throughout legend, folklore, and myths. Vampires were also thought to have the ability to shape-shift and turn into wolves and bats to pursue their victims. In some myths the vampire could astral project and materialize into an individual’s home through the walls like smoke; in this scenario there was nowhere to hide. The legend of the vampire was also fascinating because they were mysterious beings that were immortal with the ability to turn others into immortals if they chose too. A vampire was a symbol of surviving what humanity has always feared and seen as an unanswerable mystery, death and the afterlife that may or may exist.

In these legends, folklore, and myths victims had a few weapons they could employ to either weaken or annihilate the vampire. In some tales the vampire could only proceed into an individual’s residency if they were invited inside. In some myths wolfsbane, garlic, and religious symbols, including the crucifix and holy water, would repel and weaken a vampire so the victim could make their escape. Fire, sometimes sunlight, decapitation, cutting out the heart, or a stake through the heart would kill a vampire. Steiger (2010) states: “If a village was under attack by a creature of the undead that was driven to leave his or her grave by a craving for human blood, the village priest and a few stalwart men would dig through the rot of the grave, drive a wooden stake through the predator’s heart, and decapitate the vampire” (Pg. 173.) It was the responsibility of the religious leader and the men of a village to keep the women, children, and elderly from both the spiritual damnation and the physical harm that the mythical vampire represented. The appearance of a corpse’s natural decaying processes and the graves of deceased villagers, being mysteriously opened and some of their bodies disappearing because of grave robbers, wild animals, and premature burials (which were quite common before modern medicine), could all symbolize a vampire afoot. These strange events that could not be explained could all send a peaceful but superstitious village into a vampire hunting frenzy. These hunts could endanger any one that was perceived to be a vampire in the countryside.

Vampirism and Blood Drinking: Religious and Cultural Views

Ramsland (1998) states: “People have always had an attraction for blood. The blood is the life, and for some it has a magical, spiritual element. In some cultures, warriors used to drink the blood of their enemies to gain their vitality” (Pg. 219.) The symbolism of vampirism and blood consumption can be found in the religious systems of the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India. Egyptians worshiped the blood drinking goddess Sekhmet. Steiger (2010) states: “The great Hindu goddess Kali is herself a vampire, and it is said that her image manifests over battlefields, her long tongue lapping up the blood of the fallen” (Pg. 6.) Vampires in Mesopotamia were identified as the Ekimmu and were believed to be individuals that had not been buried appropriately or had perished with unfinished responsibilities in the physical world. Numerous religions and cultures, both ancient and contemporary, have either adjudicated the consumption of human or animal blood as a sin and a depravity or an important component of their spiritual and tribal ceremonies and traditions. Judaism recognizes both the sacredness and unsanitariness of blood. Ancient Jews believed that an individual’s soul energy flowed in their bloodstream. Consumption of animal or human blood was considered a sin and not Kosher. Livestock was to be slaughtered so there was the maximum quantity of blood flow out of the body and then the carcass was hung up to bleed for a period of time. Christianity symbolizes the consumption of Christ’s blood and flesh during communion. But the ingestion of actual animal blood is considered unacceptable and human blood consumption is deemed a sin. Historically, Christianity has categorized vampirism in with witchcraft, demon worship, and cannibalism. Certain cannibal tribes, past and present, around the world participate in drinking the blood of their victims for different ceremonial and religious purposes. There are other indigenous people that use animal blood for religious, ceremonial, and dietary practices. On the continent of Africa the Maasai tribe of Kenya drinks cow’s blood for various reasons. The Maasai Association states: “Traditionally, the Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle for protein and caloric needs. People drink blood on special occasions. It is given to a circumcised person (o/esipolioi), a woman who has given birth (entomononi) and the sick (oltamueyiai). Also, on a regular basis drunk elders, ilamerak, use the blood to alleviate intoxication and hangovers.” In the past the Plains Indians of North America would use every part or the buffalo, including drinking its blood for nutrients and hydration.

Vampirism: Physical and Mental Illnesses

Historically, a corpse that appeared bloated and dark purple was seen as a potential vampire. A living vampire was described as appearing anemic and incredibly undernourished, which described countless individuals suffering from illnesses, diseases, and dietary problems including iron deficiency and other vitamin deficiencies. These conditions were fairly common throughout Europe and the rest of the world because of food shortages, poverty, and various viruses and bacterial outbreaks throughout history. Viral and bacterial outbreaks would cause mass hysteria and those that had superstitious beliefs would try to explain why people were sick or dying. Those that had rabies or another disease that could not be explained were sometimes listed as a victim of a vampire or vampirism. The side effects and behaviors of certain physical conditions and mental illnesses have been historically accredited to the legend of the vampire. This included sun sensitivity caused by an allergy to sunlight or illnesses like Porphyria, which is also called “The Vampire Disease”. Dr. Peter W. Kujtan explains porphyria: “There exists a fairly rare group of genetic disorders that have unfairly branded many sufferers with the term “vampire”. These poor souls are extremely sensitive to sunlight that can easily result in burns and abrasions, and so they prefer darkness. They suffer from acute attacks of abdominal pains, vomiting and loose stools. Their urine may have a purplish-red color leading some to wrongly believe that it results from drinking blood. Those afflicted may have increased hair growth, and with repeated damage, their skin tightens and shrinks. When this occurs around the mouth, the canine teeth appear to be more prominent, and suggestive of fangs. At other times, it causes depression and affects the brain to produce peculiar behavior. It is probably no surprise that garlic makes all the symptoms worse.” People with other conditions that appeared to be vampire-like or seemed to have the same sensitivities of a vampire were also looked at with superstition. Albinism a genetic condition that effects the body’s pigmentation, giving the sufferer extremely pale skin, light blonde or white hair, and pale blue or red eyes. And the condition Hemeralopia (daylight blinds), which is caused by various reasons including a genetic disorder of the eye, a side effect of an illness or side effect of a deficiency of vitamin A. Both of these physical conditions could be mistaken for vampirism. Those that suffered with mental illnesses that made them believe they were a vampire or needed blood for nourishment and energy, including what is called Rienfeld’s syndrome today. Were both a danger to themselves and others and kept the legend of the vampire alive. The sufferers of these disorder and conditions were at times ostracized or worse throughout human history. They were seen as being cursed and a spiritual and physical danger to others. People on the fringes of society like prostitutes, adulators, and homosexuals were all deemed part of the vampire legend.

The Vampire in Literature and Hollywood

In literature, historical and contemporary, vampires are depicted both as being the monster and the lover, being romanticized and demonized. Melton (1998) states:“Count Dracula is unquestionably the most influential vampire of the twentieth century, perhaps of all-time. His debut came as the title character in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel…There had been a variety of vampires prior to Dracula…but none caught the public imagination like the infamous Count from Transylvania did”(Pg. 1.) Vampires have been authored as frightening beast of prey, sleeping by day in their coffin and hunting innocent victims by night. In Stephen King’s book Salem’s Lot, the malevolent vampire is visualized as a miscreation that originated from the shadowy side of both the physical world and the afterlife to hypnotize or physically force others into death or the miserable life of vampirism. Vampires have also been depicted in literature as sensuous, romantic, and even heroic beings that come to save their victims from harm or the darkness of death to cross them over to everlasting life and sometimes even immortal love. The benevolent vampire is fashioned as being extremely handsome or beautiful and instead of forcing or hypnotizing a victim, they use charm to seduce the willing individual. Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula is a combination of both the benevolent and malevolent vampire, having both a charm and a darker side that follows an evil nature. Melton (1998) states: “He effectively combined the elements of power, sexuality, and sensuality that lifted the vampire head and shoulders above other literary monsters and helped to make vampires the rich subject of modern horror fantasy that they are today” (Pg. 1.) Anne Rice’s vampire Lestat is both charming and dangerous, following in the tradition of Dracula.

Today, Hollywood movie and television producers keep the fictional benevolent and malevolent vampire alive on the screen. Vampires are featured in horror, science fiction, and fantasy films and television shows, having a large fan base. Television shows including Angel and Moonlight have the main characters as reluctant vampires that hate being vampires, saving innocence people from the bad guys or other vampires and monsters. Movies portray the vampire as good trying to live with humanity or evil wanting to feed and kill humanity. Sony Pictures’ movie 30 Days of Night (2007) defines what the true malevolent vampire is “In a small Alaskan town, thirty days of night is natural phenomena. Very few outsiders visit, until a band of bloodthirsty, deathly pale vampires mark their arrival by savagely attacking sled dogs. But soon they find there are much more satisfying thirst-quenchers about: human beings.” The question here is which factual vampire do modern society and the criminal justice system interpret as the real vampire? The legendary malevolent vampire that kills for nourishment and pleasure or the benevolent vampire that is reluctant to kill. In the real world there is both criminal and non-criminal vampirism; that either follows a lifestyle of fantasy and role-play or a behavior that endangers both the sufferer and the victim.

Non-criminal and Non-violent Vampirism and Vampyrism

Throughout history there have been individuals that pursued a lifestyle of vampirism, both desiring and consuming blood for various reasons including sexual desire. Some contemporary vampires do consume blood, which can be either animal or human. And there are also individuals that have a blood fetish and drink blood but do not call themselves vampires. There are those in the vampire and blood fetish communities that suffer from a paraphilia called a partialism. Hickey (2006) states: “A partialism is an arousal or attraction to a body part or product from the body” (Pg. 83.) This type of consensual sexual vampire and those individuals that identify themselves as blood fetishists concentrate on blood sexually; its texture, taste, smell, and color. The sexual partialism towards blood may have come from a childhood experience or an adult interaction that has somehow connected blood psychological to arousal and the act of sex. The blood fetishist may not be able to come to an orgasm without the presents and/or the consumption of blood. There are also consensual vampires that do not have a partialism towards blood but do participate in blood drinking for sexual enjoyment occasionally. These vampires do not depend on blood as their only sexual outlet and most do not connect it psychological only to sex, drinking blood for other reasons including ceremony or special occasion. Most that participate in this sexual behavior are not suffering from a mental illness and they are not dangerous.

In the vampire community a donor and vampire follow strict and specific rules that protect and benefit both. Belanger (2007) explains: “Feeding should occur between consenting adults. Allow donors to make an informed decision before they give of themselves to you. Do not take rapaciously from others, but seek to have an exchange that is pleasant and beneficial for all. Respect the life that you feed upon and do not abuse those who provide for you” (Pg. 138.) Though, modern vampires do buy animal blood from slaughterhouses and butchers shops, most consensual vampires look for consenting human donor partners that are willing to allow them to drink their blood. The donor may be paid for this service or may donate their blood to the vampire partner. The health and safety of the donor and vampire is important in both the hygienic process of the blood transaction and the health and safety of those participating. A vampire and a donor must find a mentally and physically healthy partner without blood diseases including hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Most do some kind of health screening system to connect with a healthy vampire or donor. Georges (2009) states: “A vampire would be smart to ask for a blood and lab workup for poisons, viruses, and other pollutants in the blood. We know just how much HIV from blood can kill which makes this even more important to the vampire. Then there is the questionnaire about diet, drinking habits, drug use and history. A diet high in fat can add lipid pollutants to the blood. Alcohol is also a pollutant that lowers the quality of the blood energy by adding high amounts of triglcerides. Drug use can really lower the quality of blood, whether it be from illegal drugs or prescription drug use. These substances can stay in the blood for some time and pass with the blood.”

Today, there are those that participate in the contemporary vampire subculture. Contemporary vampirism, also identified as vampyrism, is a subculture that expresses a world that is more fantasy than reality. The majority of the vampyre community does not suffer from a partialism to blood or any mental illnesses. Some in the vampyre community drink small amounts of blood but most in this subculture participate in role-playing. Living and dressing like the legendary vampire to enjoying the fantasy of this gothic lifestyle, without actually participating in blood consumption. This allows them to participate in the lifestyle without crossing any moral lines or risking their health. Hickey (2006) states: “In this alternative lifestyle, vampirism is seen as a way to express oneself sexually. Actual blood ingestion in this group is not common, and many people who participate in the vampire culture do not drink blood, many even find the notion unappealing, if not altogether unsafe” (Pg. 112.) Those that role-play as vampires do not need blood for sexual interaction; they just express their sexuality through costume, makeup, customized fang implants, and a dark Gothic atmosphere. There are individuals that do not participate in this subculture fully but still live a lifestyle as a solitary vampyre, rarely interacting with other vampyres outside their small group. Many of the heroic vampires in contemporary literature, movies, and television shows have influenced the vampyre subculture, making the vampire a romantic character to illustrate through an alternative lifestyle of fantasy and play.

Criminal and Clinical Vampirism and Blood Drinking

Throughout history there have been individuals that participated in violent behavior involving the consumption and/or interaction with blood. The individuals that committed these acts became obsessed with blood because of mental illnesses or personality disorders. In the sixteenth century Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary, was both a necrophilist and a sadist, she was also known for her obsession for blood. Copper (1993) states: “The Countess, who was born in 1560, was brought to trial in 1611 after authorities had raided her castle during an orgy. Girls were found tortured, and chained in dungeons and apparently used as living cows, being “milked” of their blood as needed. The Countess’s blood-lust was said to have been aroused when she scratched her maid with a comb in a fit of temper and found blood on her hands. She had the impression it did her skin good and actually bathed in it” (Pg. 151.) The Countess believed that bathing in blood could stop her aging process and there were rumors that she may have even consumed the blood of her victims, though there is no tangible proof of this charge. The Countess was responsible for the torture and deaths of hundreds of young woman and girls. 

The partialism towards human and animal blood can become an obsession that is far from a simple physical or sexual fetish for individuals that suffer from different behavioral disorders. Individuals that suffer from a violent sexual or personality disorder may be driven by their need for blood when committing a violent criminal activity. Those suffering from childhood and adult paraphilia involving the sexualization of blood and its consumption and those suffering from mental illnesses including schizophrenia may develop clinical vampirism, also called Renfield’s syndrome. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that causes visual and auditory hallucinations and delusional thought processes. Individuals that suffer from schizophrenia can develop vampiric behavioral symptoms; the individual may drink their own blood or the blood of others. Richard Trenton Chase, a paranoid schizophrenic nicknamed the “Vampire of Sacramento”, believed that consuming the blood of humans and animals would keep him alive. He gradually became controlled by his paranoid delusions. Bovsun (2010) states: “Everybody was after him - Nazis, the FBI, space aliens - and their weapon was an innocent-looking item in his bathroom: the soap dish. It was there that those who wanted to do him in had hidden a secret poison that was slowly turning his blood to powder. Chase knew only fresh blood could save him and he didn’t care where it came from or how he got it.” An individual suffering from a mental illness or behavioral disorder may have hallucinations, delusional thoughts, a sexual compulsion for blood, and other deviant behaviors. These conditions over time creates a belief that blood is needed to survive or exist. The individual may become obsessed with the consumption of blood and the mythologies of the magical qualities of blood. The individual may believe that it will keep them youthful or even give them immortality. Other Individuals may belief that blood consumption gives them energy and nourishment and without it, they would die. These vampiric dilutions and thought processes can create an alternative reality, where the sufferer truly believes they are a vampire. This is what is called clinical vampirism.

Clinical vampirism is also known as Renfield’s syndrome, named after a lunatic asylum patient in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Those that have the condition believe they need to drink blood to stay alive and some truly believe they are a vampire. Renfield’s syndrome develops over time, usually in four stages. Hickey (2006) states: “The stages in this syndrome include the following. A pivotal event leads to some form of blood drinking for the first time (usually in childhood), and the experience of bleeding or tasting blood is found exciting…Then, auto-vampiric activities occur {drinking one’s own blood}…Zoophagous activity comes next (the drinking of the blood of animal)…Finally true vampirism results as sufferers begin to procure and ingest the blood of humans…”(Pg. 115.) The consumption of human blood may come from donors like in consensual vampirism, but unlike consensual vampirism, the individual suffering from Renfield’s syndrome truly believes that they are like the legendary vampire. Their delusions and hallucinations make them believe that without proper feeding they will grow weaker and could possibly die. An individual may feel that animal blood is not enough, if the sufferer cannot find a willing human participate to feed from, an unwilling victim may be needed. This is when non-criminal vampirism turns into criminal vampirism.

The clinical vampire may have sadistic and ritualistic fantasies that drive them to horrific acts. In 1996 sixteen year old Roderick Ferrell killed the parents of Heather Wendorf, a member of his “Vampire Clan” and his second girlfriend in the vampire cult. He brutally beat Richard and Naoma Ruth Wendorf, bludgeoning them to death with a crowbar. Before the murders, Ferrell’s clan of vampires had been ostracized from the local vampire subculture and had been involved in sadistic and ritualistic torture and mutilation of dogs at a shelter and ritually killing two puppies. Ferrell believed that he was a vampire that had lived for centuries. Jones (1999) states: “Roderick said he had been asleep for five centuries, that he had been tired of the great adventure called life, but, cursed with immortality, he had grown restless” (Pg. 13.) Ferrell believed that blood consumption and killing, increased his dominance over others telepathically. He also wanted to open the “Gates of Hell” which require even more victims and blood. Individuals like Roderick Ferrell that suffer from clinical vampirism gradually become so delusional that they suffer from not just a partialsm for blood but go into a full bloodlust. The act of consuming blood is not enough to satisfy the need for blood and killing is the only way to stop this craving. 

The paraphilia of vampirism alone is not considered a dangerous behavior and psychological or psychiatric treatment is only proscribed for those that feel they need help. Renfield’s syndrome is very different from basic vampirism and is so complex in most patients it may be hard to treat or even find the root cause or causes. O'Neal (2009) states: “Clinical vampirism groups some of the most shocking pathological behaviors observed. It is one of the few pathological manifestations that blends myth and reality in dramatic fashion and contains many possible elements including schizophrenia, psychopathic and perverse features.” An individual that suffers from clinical vampirism may be treated for the underlying mental illness or violent personality or sexual disorder, including any other paraphilia that have violent overtones. The treatment of these disorders may include psychological therapy, psychopharmacological treatment, hospitalization, and if the behavior becomes violent towards others prison.

Conclusion 

Throughout legend and myth the vampire has been portrayed as demons, spirits, gods and goddesses, and the undead. The act of blood drinking has been seen as repulsive or a magical exchange of immortally. Blood drinking in some subcultures have been considered a tribal or spiritual tradition. Those with illnesses, diseases, physical disorders, and psychological conditions have been ostracized or worse because they had qualities that the legendary vampire was thought to have. The buried dead could not even escape the paranoia that vampirism could inspire. Today, modern novelists and screenwriters keep the vampire legend alive, creating new forms of both the malevolent and benevolent vampire. The modern vampyre subculture captures the vampire legend and makes it their own. Vampirism and blood drinking also has a darker violent history of those that believed they had to have blood to stay young or live forever. Some did not see themselves as a vampire; others believed that they were a true vampire. Individuals that followed a vampiric lifestyle sometimes chose to injure, mutilate, torture, and even murder their victims in sadistic and ritualistic fantasies. Today the malevolent and benevolent vampire can be found in the real world and the world of legend and fiction.

References:

Belanger, M (2007). Vampires in Their Own Words: An Anthology of Vampire Voices. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide.

Bovsun, M (2010). Just crazy for blood: Richard Trenton Chase, a.k.a. the Vampire of Sacramento. Retrieved at: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-01-03/news/17944752_1_blood-fbi-space-aliens   

Copper, B (1993). The Vampire: In Legend and Fact. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group Citadel Press.

Georges, D (2009). Sanguine Vampirism and It’s Problems. Vampire Church. Retrieved at: http://www.vampire-church.com/cms/articles/37-prana-blood-vampirism/96-sanguine-vampirism-and-its-problems

Hickey, E. W. (2006). Sex crimes and paraphilia. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Jones, A (1999). The Embrace: A True Vampire Story. New York, NY: Pocket Books: A Division of Simon & Schuster Inc.

Kujtan, P (2005). Porphyria: The Vampire Disease. Retrieved at: http://www.bydewey.com/drkporphyria.html  

The Maasai Association. THE MAASAI PEOPLE. Retrieved at: http://www.maasaiassociation.org/maasai.html

Melton, J.G (1998).The Vampire Gallery: A Who’s Who of the Undead. Farmington, MI: Visible Ink Press.

Melton, J.G (1999). The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press.

O'Neal, B.J. (2009). Human Living Vampires - What Investigators Need to Know. Retrieved at: http://thevampireproject.blogspot.com/2009/01/human-living-vampires-what.html

Ramsland, K (1998). Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks: A Division of HarperCollins Publishers.

Sony Pictures (2007), Synopsis of the Movie 30 Days of Night. Retrieved at: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/30daysofnight/

Steiger, B (2010). Real Vampires, Night Stalker, and Creatures from the Darkside. Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press

Lotus Of Light, Lotus Melody, Lotus Flower and Endless Lotus

These artworks were inspired by the Lotus Flower, which was a symbol for the sun and reincarnation in ancient Egypt. It is also found in many Asian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism as a symbol of enlightenment and rebirth.

Lotus Of Light

Lotus Melody

Lotus Flower 

Endless Lotus

© Sherrie D. Larch

Pyramids Of Other Worlds 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

These artworks are inspired by the ancient pyramids of Giza, Egypt and their amazing enduring beauty that is a reminder of those ancient souls that built them to last. These artworks were also inspired by many science fiction movies about space travel and the possibilities of the universe.

© Sherrie D. Larch 

A Blanket For The Goddess Isis 1, 2, 3 and 4

These artworks are inspired by the ancient Egyptian Goddess Isis. The Goddess Isis symbolized both a mother and protector of ancient Egypt. She was the wife and sister of the God Osiris and the mother of the God Horus. Symbols of the Goddess Isis can also be found in the Greco-Roman period.

© Sherrie D. Larch 

Eye Of Horus and Eye Of Horus: Ancient Light

These artworks were inspired by the ancient Egyptian God Horus. Horus was the son of the Goddess Isis and the God Osiris and was a symbol of the sun. The “Eye of Horus” is the symbol of protection from evil forces from Seth the ancient Egyptian God of chaos and hardship.


Eye Of Horus

Eye Of Horus: Ancient Light

© Sherrie D. Larch

Electric Aura, An Ancient Soul, The Soul’s Destiny, and Lady Bug Aura

These artworks were inspired by the ancient and New Age belief in the soul’s energy force called the aura, which surrounds the body with invisible light.

Electric Aura

An Ancient Soul

The Soul’s Destiny

Lady Bug Aura

I was also inspired by a lady bug in Lady Bug Aura.

© Sherrie D. Larch