Spotlight Elena Sperner: Real Vampyrism, Identity, Diversity Awareness, & the Role of Religion by Rejected Religion published on 2021-12-04T11:29:47Z Interview Highlights: As Elena discusses, 'real vampyres' are those who feel a physical need to consume energy, whether it be blood or 'psychic' energy. As her research takes an inclusive, sexuological perspective, Elena suggests that this might be a sexual orientation for some. Her research into fetish identity explores the possible connections between this identity and vampyrism, as her data indicates that fetish identity is not a mental pathology, not a choice, and is not necessarily paired with sexual activity. She further notes that some religious and/or spiritual practices can sometimes assist in forming a framework for a person's identity - providing in some cases a safe place to explore this identity. While this is a very complex topic with no easy answers, Elena stresses that 'sexual diversity awareness' can help educate others, create realistic representations regarding the diversity of identity, and help to foster a sense of inclusiveness. RESOURCES Elena Sperner on Academia.edu: https://liu-se.academia.edu/ElenaSperner MA Thesis: https://www.academia.edu/39632983/Fetish_Identity_A_Collaborative_Auto_phenomenographic_Approach_to_Reframe_Sexual_Fetishism Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shatteringglassceiling/ Dr. John Edgar Browning on Academia.edu: https://scad.academia.edu/JohnEdgarBrowning/REAL-HUMAN-MODERN-VAMPIRISM-(essays) Selected articles: https://www.academia.edu/11643020/_The_real_vampires_of_New_Orleans_and_Buffalo_a_research_note_towards_comparative_ethnography_ https://www.academia.edu/26113810/_Looking_Inside_the_Coffin_An_Overview_of_Contemporary_Human_Vampirism_and_Its_Relevance_for_Forensics_Professionals_ https://www.academia.edu/11658851/_What_they_do_in_the_shadows_my_encounters_with_the_real_vampires_of_New_Orleans_ Merticus X is an active researcher and participant in the real vampire community since 1997. Academia. edu page: https://independent.academia.edu/Merticus Selected articles: https://www.academia.edu/10707332/Demystifying_Real_Vampirism_For_The_Rest_Of_Us https://www.academia.edu/10707092/Definition_Of_Real_Vampirism Dr. Joseph Laycock: https://www.amazon.nl/Vampires-Today-Modern-Vampirism-English-ebook/dp/B0030I1XGY https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/nr.2010.14.1.4#references_tab_contents Theme music: Stephanie Shea Genre Religion & Spirituality