Psychic Vampirism
     Psychic Vampirism is the practice of feeding on the energy of others to survive.  This can be done intentionally or unintentionally.  When done intentionally it is usually done, or learned at least, in groups or on the astral plane.  This sort of vampire makes up two of the four classic groups of vampirism.  There are both intentional and unintentional psychic vampires.  Because of the nature of this kind of vampirism these vampires are often the hardest to detect. 
      Psychic vampires do not drink blood.  They feed off the psychic energy all living beings generate.  This energy is called by many different names like Odic Force, Bioplasma, Chi, and Prana for a few.  Even plants give off this energy.  The psychic vampire feeds off of this instead of the traditional blood.  They can feed off the energy in both physical and phantom form.  Why they do this will vary with the type of vampire youa re dealing with.  However the sort of attack a psychic vampire will feed off of will most likely remain the same for both intentional and unintentional vampires.  The only difference is in the intention; for the intentional psychic vampire they know what they are doing and do it willingly while unintentional vampires do not realise nor mean to do it. 
     The reasons for the need of this energy will vary.  In cases of intentional psychic vampires is could just be done for fun or revenge reasons.  Or perhaps the person has realise that they do for one reason or another honestly need this energy and have decided to take it.  One reason could be that while all LIVING things generate energy, dead things generate no energy.  That means that dead things that chose to bind themselves to the earth are void of this energy and would have to find some way to obtain it.  Also, sometimes people who are every ill or old need extra energy to survive. These are usually the unintentional psychic vampires.  Sometines intentional psychic vampires take the energy of others either alone or in groups while in their physcial bodies. 
      In the cases of intentional pyschic vampries attacks may be orgainised and planned.  However for the most part the actual attack is realtaively the same.  Throughout many cultures there are a few accepted ideas of what an attack by a vampire is like.  The most commonly accepted psychic vampire attack are nighttime attacks.  Most commonly these terrifying experinces happen in the middle of the night but on occassion happen just as a person is starting to fall asleep.  The first symptom that usually appears is the victim may find it difficult to move or "feels" something in the room or approaching.  Shortly after waking the victim may see a dark object or is sensed by the vitim.  This is the establishment of physical closeness and once it has been established there may be a weight pressing down upon him or her.  From this point on many different things could happen.  Perhaps the force will take on a symbolic shape, or a coloured light will emit from the entity; most commonly the light is dark-purple.  Occassonally the victims experince sounds like and echo-like windy sound very much like that of being in a tunnle or voices.  After the attack is over, the vampire will vanish.  In cases of nighttime attacks, the victim will probably fall back asleep and if it is remembered in the morning can quickly be written off as a bad dream.
     Vampires can attack during the day or night.  The previously described attack was a description of a typical nighttime attack; daytime attacks are somewhat different.  These attacks do not really occur (or it's unlikely) in the astral form.  Daytime attacks appear to be a phenomnial in the physical.  We have all at one point or another probably been around someone we found it physically draining.  This draining of our personal energy is probably unintentional but could be intentional.  There are a few ways to to do this.  One way to take energy from a waking person is through touch.  This means that the vampire must bring itself into physical contact with the victim.  Most vampires use an inhalation to draw energy out of their intended victim.  Most concious vampires would probably use their right hand for feeding; if they are left handed however they may prefer their left hand.  Another way to feed is to simply be very close to the viticm.  This is done feeding through astral threads which can easily be attached to another's aura.  Finally, eye contact is very important in most forms of pyschic vampirism.  Energy can be transfered by gaze, and in this case this is how the energy is moved.  The method of draining through vision however is not usually used by the unintentional vampire because it seems to require concious actvity. 

      Those vampires who are unintentional are those who do not mean to drain others of their energy.  Usually they have a definat need for the energy of others to survive; for some reason their body does not produce enough energy to survive on their own.  In order to survice, they unconsciously develop the ability to take energy from others to make up for their lack thereof.  One cause of unintentional vampirism is continual illness.  Chronic illness cause energy blockages and the afflicted cells in the person's body may not be able to produce the amount of energy needed to sustain life.  This condition is common to the elderly.  Plus, our bodies do act automatically about some things.  We are not usually concious of our breath, heart beat, or other bodily functions; for some people feeding off other people's energy is one of these functions.  Everyday our aura and astral body preforms it's own automatic functions, such as defending us. 

     Intentional psychic vampires are those who are aware of their actions.  There are some reports of intentional psychic vampires becoming phantomes and living on after their death through vampirism.  These vampires can gain eternal "life" but it is not a materialistic immorality.  Unlike the undead of fiction, these creatures chose this path of their own free will usually.  The practice of psychic vampirism can generatate a great personal power.  This is probably the biggest reason why there are organised groups of people dedicated to this practice. 
     These people are motivated by many things.  For some, the possiblity of an eternal life is reason enough.  Others however want to be able to weaken others and build themselves up.  Just because their intention is not one of enteral life however does not mean they will not turn into the phantome form the others wish to achieve. 
     It is widely believed there are at least two subbodies within what makes up ourselves.  There is the physical body and the astral body.  When a person dies, it is believed the astral body is then released.  At this time the two bodies are now seperate.  Without a physical body to generate life however, the astral body may be weakened and it is unsure how long it can survive without this one our current realm.  In the process of dying, if the astral body discovers, or knows of, a way to get that psychic energy that is required for life it may reach out and take it.  Withouth this energy the soul and astral body will seperate leaving the astral body to disentigrate.  This is the second stage of death; the first being physical death.  It is this astral form which will go on living and continuing on the vampiric acts until it can no longer survive.