Unholy hungers : encountering the psychic vampire in ourselves and others

Vampires are not just imaginary creatures of fiction or legend—they really exist. They are the people who, having never received love, settle for power instead, and become experts at robbing others of their vital energy. We've all known them. In her fascinating study of this dark psychological archetype, Barbara Hort looks to traditional myths as well as to their modern equivalents in literature, theater, and film, following a blood-soaked trail to such unexpected destinations as The Silence of the Lambs, "Snow White," and the Broadway musical Gypsy. She offers insight into how psychic vampires originate, how we allow ourselves to be caught in their clutches, and how we can protect ourselves from their seductive influence. MEETING THE PSYCHIC VAMPIRE......Page 3 The Vamipire as Archetype and Human Experience......Page 4 The Profile of a Psychic Vampire......Page 6 The Essence of the Psychic Vampire......Page 9 Recognizing the Psychic Vampire......Page 11 Becoming a Psychic Vampire......Page 12 Why We Allow the Vampire to Feed On Us......Page 14 MASCULINE VAMPIRES AND FEMININE VICTIMS......Page 21 Dracula......Page 22 The Silence of the Lambs......Page 28 The Charismatic Masculine Vampire......Page 30 The Mediocre Masculine Vampire......Page 34 The Oppressed Masculine Vampire......Page 35 The Noble Masculine Vampire......Page 37 Vampirism and the Father-Daughter Relationship......Page 38 Deactivating the Masculine Vampire......Page 40 Snow White......Page 45 The Vampiric Veil of Feminine Disempowerment......Page 49 A Modern Story of Feminine Vampirism......Page 51 Gypsy......Page 56 Deactivating the Feminine Vampire......Page 62 Oedipus Rex......Page 70 Recognizing the Feminine Vampire......Page 75 Vampirism and the Mother-Son Relationship......Page 79 The Essence of the Feminine Vampire......Page 82 Perseus, the Gorgon-Killer......Page 85 Deactivating the Feminine Vampire......Page 89 MASCULINE VAMPIRES AND MASCULINE VICTIMS......Page 95 Psychic Vampirism and Our Search for Perfection......Page 105 The Grooming of a Vampire......Page 109 Children as Psychic Vampires......Page 111 Audience/Performer Vampirism......Page 113 Vampiric Perfectionism......Page 115 Giving Up Dracula for Sir Gawain......Page 122 Killing the Vampire......Page 128 Seeking the Inner Beloved......Page 131 Redeeming Projective Love......Page 134 Protecting Relationships Against Vampirism......Page 137 Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell......Page 138