Where Can I Find a Real Vampire?

by Pratiksha Sharma
(Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Question:
Are vampires real? Are they really living somewhere? Is there any vampire living in the world? Do they exist? Are they dead living creatures in some parts of the world? Are they in India? Where in India? How can I search for more about them? Can I meet them? Why do people say that they are not real but I think they are? Are they really there?

Answer:
I get asked all the time if vampires are real and if so, where can they be located. For all of you who have asked, I hope this singular answer will suffice.

First of all - it's useless to ponder where vampires are located if they are not real, so let's get that one out of the way first. Are vampires real? The answer is: I don't know.

On this site I try to take a neutral but educated approach to these things. I find it fascinating that so many different cultures throughout history have individually had stories about soulless, human-like creatures who stalk humans at night and feed on their blood. The actual descriptions of these creatures and the circumstances surrounding their victims are slightly different depending on the time, place, and storyteller, but there is most definitely enough of a connection to believe that all of these tales describe the same creature.

I find it hard to believe that so many tales from so many different places around the world that had no communication with one another would all come up with the same myths. Not only that, but look how strong in this day we are still talking about vampires. If they did not exist, why did they make such a strong impression on our universal mythology? Why does everyone know what a vampire is to this day?

Like ghosts, demons, aliens, etc. I can't prove that they exist, but I can't prove that they don't. The truth is, I don't really care. If vampires exist I don't want to meet one. Nor do I want to meet a ghost, demon, alien, werewolf, zombie, or swamp monster. If they do exist, I doubt they want to be friendly to me, and I'm pretty sure people already think I'm a nutcase without claiming to have encountered these creatures. Sure, it would be cool to know if these things existed, but that's not why I research them. I enjoy this stuff in the sense a historian enjoys detailing the past. I also believe that these discussion tell us more about our collective psyche as humans than it does about the "reality" of these creatures. Whether these myths are true or made up is not that important to me. In a way, it helps me to be objective about the whole thing. If vampires really do exist, then I'm pretty sure I've got their description down as well as I possibly could. If they don't, then I feel the same way.

Where to find a vampire? This is the big question, the one everyone keeps asking, along with the second most popular question: where can I find a werewolf? Again, the answer is "I don't know". Readers are welcome to comment with any information they may have on locations of sightings or encounters, but (no offense to our wonderful readers), I don't know how much stock I'd put in actually going there and finding a vampire. With the relatively non-existent accountability of commenting on the internet, I wouldn't doubt that most information on where to find a real vampire is fake. Besides, I doubt a vampire is going to tell you where to find it. Especially posted on a website that also tells you exactly how to kill it.

If you want to meet a vampire, keep your bedroom window open at night with a sign that says "All Vampires Invited In". It might not work, but it can't hurt. My real advice is to not be overly concerned with proving the existence of vampires, or finding one in order to become one. Like all things in life, if it's meant to be, they will find you. If they exist that is.

-Mike