The Hunger
byKris Davis
What is the Hunger? What causes it? Why is it so strong? Why does it follow you everywhere you go? Well, many of the answers are here. I am going to expose as many facets of the Hunger as I am capable. Aspects of the Hunger will discussed as follows: definition of the Hunger; the source of the Hunger; hunger in psy-vampires versus blood-vampires; genetic reasons for the hunger; the psychological side of the Hunger and its effects on the body; the physical side of the Hunger and its effects on the body; treatment methods for the Hunger; exercises to control the Hunger.
The Hunger is an overwhelming drive towards forcing the body and the mind to pursue the attainment of blood. It is a force more powerful than, say, the feeling of hunger associated with starvation. It is THE thing most feared and loathed by vampires due to its all-consuming abilities. It is very similar to addictions to hardcore drugs such as heroine, cocaine, and crystal meth. It, however, is much more potent and harder to control. It is the single most influencial thing to a vampire whether they be a psychic-vampire whose drive is to consume emotional energy, or if it the bloodlust associated with the blood-vampires.
Be it blood or energy, it is one common key between the two that ties them together as the same Hunger. The Hunger for pranic energy. Pranic energy is the energy released from once-living or living organisms. Plants, animals, and psychic "footprints" are all filled with pranic energy. Adenosine triphosphate is the element that makes pranic energy. It is the source of life. That one element is what keeps all things sustained. Energy, in the form or emotion, also contains amounts of pranic energy. That is one of the reasons for a psychic-vampire to subconsciously instigate situations causing intense emotions. Situations including, but not limited to, that produce intense emotions are: confrontational situations; situations of extreme bliss; sexual situations due to the free energy exchange between two consenting partners. In dealing with the blood-type vampires, the most common situation arising that would allow for the bloodletting that the vampire would need, a sexual situation is the most practical outlet for the "hungry" vampire. This is to due to the prior explanation for the psychic vampire. The common bond between the situations is the element of seduction, the one key necessity a vampire needs in order to hunt and sustain himself or herself.
A common misconception by the layperson, or the non-vampire, is that the Hunger is solely a psychological impairment that misleads the "sick person" into believing that he or she needs blood. A common assessment made by psychologists would be possibly paranoia, suicidal tendandcies, obsession, and/or a sadomasochistic "problem." To be blatantly honest, this is not the case. Granted, there is a psychological side to the Hunger. It is not an obsession, nor is it a "derangement." It is due to the genetic makeup of the vampire. Somehow, the body can not produce a large enough supply of pranic energy (ATP) to sustain the body. Food seems to just not contain enough energy to suit the needs of the vampire. Due to the enormous content of pranic energy (ATP) in blood, that would be the most logical choice for a food source. This is due to ATP being the source, in the eyes of modern scientific theory, of life. Unfortunately, it is too dangerous in modern day to feed in a way that would provide a consistent intake of sufficient amounts of pranic energy (ATP) due to legalities, persecution if discovered, etc. However, it is genetic in origin, as when a person that has been "crossed" into becoming a vampire inherits the Hunger from the "parent," be they natural born or "crossed."
In today's world, the psychic vampire has a distinct advantage that some blood-vampires do not have. Their primary source of pranic energy is emotional/aural energy. Since it is much more discreet to feed off of someone's emotions or the aura, concealment of their identity is easier. In order for a blood-vampire to get blood, much of discreetness is lost. Due to this fact, a blood-vampire need to be more proficient in the skill of seduction in order to more easily disguise his or her identity. This is due to the fact that bloodletting during sex is commonly labeled sadomasochistic, or in other words, kinky sex. For obvious reasons, psychic vampires have a somewhat easier time in blending in with society and obtaining their "foodsource."
The psychological side of the Hunger is very potent indeed. The emotion coming forth during the time that the Hunger is growing is overwhelming at times to say the least. Irritability, anger, frustration, and depression are common emotions that surface during times that the vampire experiences the Hunger until they are quenched either through feeding or controlling the Hunger. These extremely powerful emotions can and usually do induce severe mood swings. These intense emotions and and severe mood swings are common between psychic vampires and blood vampires. These emotions and mood swings can cause a state of confusion and loss of control. This disorientation can cause a vampire to do things that he or she would not normally do. One example is the vampire, this being more common with blood-vampires, attacking someone around them in order to subside the Hunger by feeding, be it by draining emotional/aural energy, or through the draining of the blood. Though these effects are strong, they can be controlled. That aspect will be covered later.
The physical side of the Hunger is somewhat difficult to explain just as in some aspects it is very easy to explain. Physical effects of the Hunger would be a very strong thirst regardless of the amount of liquids consumed. A feeling of "addiction" is also common. Physical discomfort such as abdominal cramps, headaches from mild to migraine level, and feelings of lethargy are common when the Hunger has not been quenched through either the draining of energy through psychic channels or through the actual physical consumption of blood. The previous mentioned effects as the simple aspect to explain of the physical side of the Hunger. The more difficult aspect to discuss would be the actual chemicals that coincide with the cause of the Hunger. I'm sure that there is a hormonal and endorphinal relationship with the effects of the Hunger, but until such time as I can isolate these chemicals I will leave those particular aspects out.
Treatments for the Hunger are extremely varied and the efficientcy of these methods also vary greatly by the individual. One treatment for the psychological side of the Hunger would be hypnosis, due to its ability to shape habitual activities. It helps to subside the extreme emotions that arise during peaks of the Hunger. It also helps with subduing some of the physical aspects by diminishing them using the untapped abilities of the mind. Another treatment method is to take in foods high in ATP such as carbohydrates and starches for helping blood vampires. For the psychic vampires, attending events high in emotional energy such as concerts, bars, ball games, and clubs would be an easy way to take in large amounts of energy without hurting the individuals involved due to the sheer number of people there.
One drawback to this method is an overload of emotional stimulation. To avoid this drawback, it is advised that you have an intake of some kind of emotional depressent such as alcohol (in moderation of course). Only small amounts are needed. This helps curb the emotional overload and the need for excess amounts of energy. These simple methods are the common ways that I have observed that help to treat the severity of the Hunger. There are more methods available, but I will not delve into those at this point due to the fact that this would turn into more of a dissertation or a book. I will, however, write more dealing with this if asked or if these methods do not seem to help.
Exercises to help the curb the Hunger are many. As with the treatment methods above mentioned, the effect varies vastly with the individual. Included exercises to assist in sedating the hold of the Hunger upon the individual are: meditation; merging (more of a metaphysical approach); a "stop feeding" program similar to a "stop smoking" program.
The meditation exercise is simple. Just sit in a comfortable position and focus your mind on a single objective or image such as something that brings relaxation. DO NOT USE BLOOD AS A FOCUS. That is what you are trying to avoid, so refrain from concentrating on that. Things such as calm waters, landscapes, flowers, and artwork are very good foci to use to divert your attention from the Hunger, thus calming it if even for a short time. This is one method that takes some time to really begin to help, but it is a good starting point especially used in conjunction with other exercises or treatment methods.
Merging, or becoming one with all things, also helps in dealing with the power of the Hunger. This is more of a spiritual approach to helping decrease the power and hold of the Hunger, but it is no less useful than other exercises or treatments. To "merge," first you need to be comfortable. In the early stages, use one object as focus. Once proficient, use ALL things around you as focus simultaneously. Focus on the one object and visualize yourself becoming that object and that object becoming you. Feel what it is like to be that object, to gain its strength. Continue this until you can actually know what it is like to be that object. As you progress, use more objects as focus simulataneously. This helps you to draw strength from things around you and allows you to use their abilities to assist you in controlling yourself. This allows also for you to disperse your Hunger (i.e. transfer to another object or diffuse) into your surroundings, thus alleviating the Hunger by it no longer being in your body.
The "stop feeding" program I mentioned earlier is simple. Drink less and less each time you feed. Also, cut down the frequency that you feed. If it is twice a week, go to once a week at that amount. In a month or so, cut back to once every two weeks at half the amount you drank before. Continue this until feeding is very infrequent and is very little taken in during feeding times. Follow this out until feeding is nonexistant.
By putting a little of my research out there and by explaining my theories and ideas, I hope that I have been helpful in assisting people out there. I hope that I have brought to light some of the key misconceptions and some of the unknowns, and enabled you to deal with your Hunger. Peace to all, blessings, and I sincerely hope that I have helped. If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at arctusoctavion@geocities.com. I will answer all email, but it may take some time for a response due to my college curriculum. Merry part.