Unholy Hungers: Encountering the Psychic Vampire in Ourselves & Others [Paperback]

Barbara E. Hort (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 1996

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara E. Hort, Ph.D., is a Jungian counselor in private practice in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (June 18, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570621810
• ISBN-13: 978-1570621819
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Symbolic/psychological focus, January 23, 2006

By 

S. Horspool (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unholy Hungers: Encountering the Psychic Vampire in Ourselves & Others (Paperback)

The reviewer who declared this book to be only .11% about vampyres is probably talking about it from a pagan historic point of view and not seeing it in current psychological terms. I have known many "vampires" in my life, the first one being an older friend around whom I constantly felt exhausted. She didn't know she was taking my energy, and it took me awhile to realize that it was really a problem. I ended the friendship without giving her a chance, because I didn't know how else to handle it at the time. Here are other practical ways in which you can tell you are being "sucked dry": Every time you leave a certain person you feel depressed, or they constantly make you angry, or they make you unhappy with your life when you were actually pleased with it before. The key is to compare how you felt before interacting with them, with how you feel afterward and to see if it's a pattern. Then look to see if you feel that way with just them or with a lot of different people (indicating it might be a different problem with you). This book will help you identify the different types of energy drainers/vampires using stories as symbols. I personally relate better to more practical examples, descriptions of specific relationships and different ways to deal with them, for example, rather than fables or movies. And I would have liked more focus on methods of dealing with each type within its respective chapter. But if you've suspected but never dealt with the possibility of yourself or others vampiring, then this is a good book to read.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transformative, September 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Unholy Hungers: Encountering the Psychic Vampire in Ourselves & Others (Paperback)

When I first purchased Unholy Hungers, I wanted to understand particularly the particularly virulent behavior of an acquaintance. After reading several pages, I found the book dangerous in that anyone disliked might easily be labeled "vampiric."

A few months later, I picked up the volume again, this time with a willingness to encounter the vampiric in myself. Hort's keen insight revealed itself to me immediately and brought light, compassion, and health into the darkest corners of my being. It's a brave work, her book, and I thank her.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All that and a pack of stakes, January 2, 2002

By 

SerratedAngel (FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unholy Hungers: Encountering the Psychic Vampire in Ourselves & Others (Paperback)

I'm not exactly sure what to say, but given how much this book is helping me I felt compelled to say something. I received this book as a Yule present from a concerned friend, and I was initially skeptical since I'd had run ins with "real vampyres" and therefore had a lot of misconceptions about the concept. I'm glad I used my better judgement and read it.

For anyone who's tired of being drained dry by their relationships, for anyone who's come to believe that love is nothing but pain, for anyone who's ever been guilted into a relationship, for anyone who tries to help people but only keeps getting hurt in the process, this book is required reading. It's worth its weight in gold.