By Suzanne Carré
Last time I reflected on the possibility of thinking vampire and this time I propose to think about vampires. And there is no better place to contemplate those sexy beasts of the preternatural domain than in our dreams. When we close our eyes, to prepare for the allure of the night, we invite the mind to play with all the fantasies our imagination conjures, so if the fantasy has fangs— oh, so much the better.
I have been told there is nothing better than our own fantasies, and I agree. For all of us who love vampires, this is especially so because the vampires we create in our minds are the vampires the way we want them to be. Once molded in a tangible form within our minds, the vampire remains to tempt us whether we are awake or asleep.
This property makes the vampire unique among all other dream entities. They are not just creations of our mind, vampires can infiltrate our conscious and affect us while we are fully aware. The vampire is not only active but, as a fantasy, gives the impression of possessing volition. But we want the vampire to have substance, because we when extend our hand to the vampire, we expect them to lead us to their world of dreams.
Sweet Dreams with a Bite
In writing this, and other articles on this site, I have tried to determine what it is that makes the vampire so attractive to us that we can’t refuse the vampire. The allure of the vampire is no doubt in their seduction when they represent supernatural power, immortality, liberal sexuality, and freedom from all societal constraints. Imagery we conjure from folklore, literature, or more visually from the films about vampires, all work to construct an entity we find both fascinating and irresistible. When the vampire beckons us, we fall into a trance and follow their directive without question.
What then do we seek with the vampire? I believe we want intimacy with the supernatural. We desire the embrace of the vampire, to take us into their confidence, and then to impart their vampire wisdom. So once in the vampire’s arms, do we struggle? Our attraction to vampires suggests we do not resist. Are we afraid? Perhaps in guarded anticipation, but not terror, when the vampire is the only creature of the night we revere so intensely. And how close do we need to be to our beloved vampire? Near enough to warrant their whispers in our ear, of all the things we want to dream, and tell us all the secrets only the eternal ones know.
So we call the vampire of our minds. We offer up our dreams and our aspirations. We stare into the eyes of our vampire and see ourselves reflected in them. But we want more than their presence and long to be with the vampire forever. The nights are too short, the dawn arrives too early, and our dreams fade too quickly once we open our eyes. We want the vampire to return. We know our vampire will, but the hours of the day drag on, and this only serves to make our separation agonizing. We yearn for the nighttime to never end.
All this is possible since the vampire offers a tantalizing way to enter their world, by accepting their bite. We want the vampire to control us, to create in us a new and vibrant existence, and yet at the same time we instinctively fear the consequences of indulging the vampire’s whim. We only want to go so far with the vampire. We have a love affair with the vampire, which is still awakening our senses, and we are shy to advance our relationship with them. But we trust the vampire, and I think the reason for our continued adoration appears to stem from the fact they respect us too.
Eternal Love of Vampires
There is something about vampires that not even words can describe. They are everything we want, desire, and need. And our relationship with them appears mutual in some way because vampires need us to feed them, not in blood, but figuratively with our obsession. Every time we form the vampire in our mind, we develop our creation, improve the vampire characteristics, and refine our designed being. In this process of improvement we not only address our fantasy, we formulate the vampire as never before.
Once the vampire lurked in the shadows, not for fear of the sun, but for a lack of identity. We have now shaped the vampire to visually encapsulate all the attributes we require for our fantasy. The vampire is no longer obscure but recognizable. Regardless of the variations of myth in vampire lore, the vampire is powerful as an image, and a symbol of all things forbidden and desired. With every manifestation of the vampire we create, the tangibility of the vampire improves.
So relax, and invite the vampire to recline with you. Welcome the vampire into your mind because when they leave, with the dawn heralding their time to depart, the vampire will gain power from your imagination. And you will also benefit from those precious moments in the presence of the immortals.
Close your eyes and imagine fangs tonight. May all your dreams be more special with a gentle bite.
