Is fear of vampires more likely based upon your ethnicity?

[xajapa]

I have always wanted to ask this question of others, but thought they would consider me insane. I have Slavic ancestry, with some possible Balkan ancestry. I have always had this fear of vampires. If I am not mistaken, the vampire myth is eastern European (Slavic) and Balkan. Do you believe this myth is ingrained in the psyche of those with this ancestry, that is based on the genes of our parents?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire

[Damião de Góis]

I wonder if you would have fear of vampires if it wasn't for Bram Stoker and his book, despite you having slavic ancestry or not

[arcticwolf]

I have always wanted to ask this question of others, but thought they would consider me insane. I have Slavic ancestry, with some possible Balkan ancestry. I have always had this fear of vampires. If I am not mistaken, the vampire myth is eastern European (Slavic) and Balkan. Do you believe this myth is ingrained in the psyche of those with this ancestry, that is based on the genes of our parents?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire

Yes it is, so is the werewolf, but fear of the fictional? You mean there are actually people afraid of fictional characters? You are kidding right?

[xajapa]

Yes it is, so is the werewolf, but fear of the fictional? You mean there are actually people afraid of fictional characters? You are kidding right?

I agree the character is fictional, but, yes, people fear many things which aren't real. The human imagination is quite powerful. If not, why does science fiction and horror movies so stir people?

[arcticwolf]

I agree the character is fictional, but, yes, people fear many things which aren't real. The human imagination is quite powerful. If not, why does science fiction and horror movies so stir people?

You've got a point there.

[xajapa]

Actually, what prompted me to post this thread is another thread that is active right now about dreams. I often dream about vampires. In one of my psychology classes I remember learning about Jung and his theory of the archetype. If I recall correctly, he felt that many cultures had their own archetype.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes