Posted by Loren (4.65.242.72) on September 14, 2002 at 17:25:37:
In Reply to: Bahai teaching on vampirism? posted by Liquid Love on September 14, 2002 at 09:54:06:
What a truly unique question! If you want an authoritative answer to this question, it will probably need to be posed to the Universal House of Justice, and I am quite sure the mention of vampirism does not exist in the Baha'i Writings directly, at least not that I could find among the Writings available to me.
There is an oblique reference to "eating blood" in "Some Answered Questions" which doesn't speak to your question, but it might cause you to ask other questions, and if you investigate the answers those, it may serve to answer your original question, if you keep an open mind.
"Consider how often murder occurs among the barbarians of Africa; they even kill one another in order to eat each other's flesh and blood! Why do not such savageries occur in Switzerland? The reason is evident: it is because education and virtues prevent them." (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 272 )
The context of this quotation is discussing how civilized societies (in the sense of true or "Divine" Civilization) have less crime than uncivilized ones, due to the synthesis of spiritual and material perfections. Clearly, killing and eating flesh and blood is "savagery", although I am certain this is not what you are talking about.
However in the sense that, "·education and virtues prevent them (savageries)." It is perhaps useful to ask yourself some questions.
1. What virtues are you pursuing, or employing in "vampirism"?
2. What are the spiritual advantages to practicing it?
3. What are the material advantages to it?
4. What are the healthful advantages to it?
Once you have answered these questions for yourself, now take these answers and find out what do Baha'u'llah, The Bab, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi, teach us about h acquiring these virtues, and the material and spiritual benefits you trying to pursue thru practicing vampirism. If in answering these questions you find elements of what you are doing in conflict with the greater teachings for living a "chaste and holy life" then you should trust in Baha'u'llah as God's messenger for today, and abandon the practice, even if it is against whatever favorable notions you may have held for it previously.
The modern phenomenon of vampirism like that seen in the American "cult" club scene, is basically the romanticizing of vampire myth and lore, and is a relatively recent phenomenon, even though certain die hard practitioners will try and argue that it is an "ancient" practice not based on myth at all. There is little scientific evidence for this however. There is some evidence suggesting that certain cases of vampirism may have been a case of mistaken identity for legitimate health problems, while the romantic version of vampires come from the myths surrounding Vlad the Impaler, and the classical fiction book Dracula.
To find out more about Vampires: http://www.howstuffworks.com/vampire5.htm is a good begining.
It is my belief that such things as vampires (especially modern ones) are based on myths and human imagination. If in your search for the truth you also arrive at this conclusion the following quotes should answer your question about practicing this as a Baha'i:
"God grant you may be graciously aided under all conditions to shatter the idols of superstition and to tear away the veils of the imaginations of men." (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 58 ) "Such practices as are sprung from the loins of idle fancy or are begotten of the womb of superstition ill beseem men of knowledge." (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 71 )
I wish you luck in your search for truth,
Loren
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