Emblem of the Temple of the Vampire.
The Temple of the Vampire is a new religious movement founded in 1989 to explore the positive aspects of the Vampire mythos. The Temple states that it "embraces only those aspects of the Vampire mythos that include a love and respect for all life, physical immortality, individual elegance, proven wisdom, civilized behavior, worldly success, and personal happiness."[1]
The organization's goal is "empowering individuals to achieve independent control over their lives through wealth, health, personal power, and unlimited life extension." It was registered as a religion within the United States in order to offer "legal protection of religion under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”[2]
Membership[]
The Temple of the Vampire does not require membership in order to purchase and work with its written and audio material. However, for those who wish to explore its subjects in-depth the Temple has two membership subscription options:
Basic membership[]
Basic Temple membership is "open to anyone of any age who wishes to become a member of the Temple but does not want or need to communicate with other members at this time. This is especially well suited for those who wish to study the Temple Teachings at their own pace." Requirements for basic subscription are "to refrain from criminal activity, physical blood drinking, and discussing the Temple with the public."[3]
Basic membership is required for active membership. As of 2018, basic membership costs $20 a month or $200 annually.
Active membership[]
Those who wish to upgrade their basic membership to an active membership must be at least 18 years of age and provide proof of age with a photo copy of a valid ID issued by a government agency.
Active membership is a loose affiliation that includes "access to the Lifeforce Message Board as a Dayside Member, access to the CABAL information service to enable in-person meetings with other active members worldwide, access to the Mentor Program for personal advice on mastering the Six Dayside Secrets from advanced members, access to the most current pdf copy of the Tome of Dayside Mastery to guide you step by step through the Six Dayside Secrets, the option to apply for advanced Nightside Titles and the deeper information found in the Lifeforce Message Board Graded Circles."[4]
Membership requirements[]
The Temple states that it "rejects those aspects of the Vampire mythos that are negative including any that are anti-life, anti-social, deathist, crude, gory, self-defeating, or criminal."[5] Members have two restrictions on their behavior called Temple Law: (1) abiding by the law and (2) no physical blood drinking.
(1) Abide by the law[]
The Temple states that it "will not tolerate any member who commits or advocates crime. Minor legal infractions that cannot result in imprisonment are not considered to be criminal acts and are not violations of this rule."[6]
(2) No physical blood drinking[]
The Temple states that it wishes to "avoid exposing our Temple to criminal liability and what many consider cannibalism. Drinking physical blood is a socially unacceptable behavior and reveals a deep misunderstanding of our religion."[7]
A member who fails to abide by Temple Law will have their membership terminated.[8]
Worldview[]
The Temple considers itself pragmatic in that it does not prescribe a belief system to its members. It instead offers resources and guidance in a number of life areas. The Temple divides its work into two categories: the Dayside and the Nightside. The Dayside utilizes evidence-based, conventional methods toward self-improvement. The Nightside utilizes a creative, exploratory approach to unconventional methods often lying in the field of parapsychology. Members pursue research, projects, and training in either the Dayside alone or both the Dayside and Nightside.
Structure[]
New active members are given access to a PDF copy of the Temple's Dayside training manual and the Dayside section of the Temple's message boards.
The Dayside[]
The Dayside is the foundational and most active area of a member's personal projects. It consists of six categories for self-development: intrapersonal, interpersonal, health, financial, survival, and life extension.[9]
A few examples of topics in the Dayside include:
Intrapersonal[]
Developing critical thinking strategies, goal setting, stress mitigation, improving memory, and mental focus.
Interpersonal[]
Exploring personality type indicators, active listening, social group dynamics, mediation/conflict resolution, and building rapport.
Health[]
Exploring awareness, posture, and movement of the body, optimal diets, exercises, and sleep patterns.
Finance[]
Debt elimination, investment strategies, and protection of weath.
Survival[]
Self-defense and disaster preparations.
Life extension[]
Scientific advancements in anti-aging.
The Nightside[]
The Nightside is an optional area of exploration "with a base in psychodrama, ceremonial ritual, the so-called 'paranormal', and the conscious control of dream states."[10] Active members who wish to explore Nightside topics in-depth have the option of applying to the progressive Graded system after demonstrating success in his or her personal Dayside. Training and progression within the Graded system is matched to the individual's ability to apply and find practical uses for Nightside subjects that enhance Dayside life projects.
Cabal[]
For active members, Cabals are optional in-person small group or large group meet-ups where members can share projects, lead workshops, or meet only for socializing. International Cabals have taken place in Australia, North America, and Europe.[11]
Priesthood[]
The Priesthood are active members who have achieved measurable results in both their Dayside and Nightside projects typically through a number of years. Priesthood members are approved through an application process within the Graded system in which the applicant details practical accomplishments in their everyday Dayside life and an ability to creatively integrate Nightside projects into real-world Dayside applications.
Priesthood members are given basic resources and guidance in teaching methodologies for the option of becoming mentors for newer members or to guide local and international workshops.
In contrast to traditional religious movements, the Priesthood do not hold any spiritual or worldy authority. Instead, they are dedicated active members that the Temple acknowledges have made real world progress in applying the Temple's resources.[12]
References[]
- ↑ “Our Mission.” http://templeofthevampire.com/mission
- ↑ “History of the Temple.” http://templeofthevampire.com/history
- ↑ “Membership Requires Subscription.” http://templeofthevampire.com/join-us/membership
- ↑ “Application to Activate Your Membership.” http://templeofthevampire.com/join-us/active-membership
- ↑ “Our Mission.” http://templeofthevampire.com/mission
- ↑ “Temple Law." http://www.vampiretemple.com/law.html
- ↑ "Temple Law." http://www.vampiretemple.com/law.html
- ↑ "Legal Statement." http://www.templeofthevampire.com/legal
- ↑ "Lifeforce Message Board." http://www.vampiretemple.com/lifeforce
- ↑ "The Vampire by Night." http://templeofthevampire.com/nightside
- ↑ "The Vampire by Day." http://templeofthevampire.com/dayside
- ↑ “Q&A: ‘What does your Priesthood do?’” http://www.vampiretemple.com/lifeforce/ubbthreads.php/posts/278206.html