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How to fight “real” vampires
through Positive Psychology?
Soraia Garcês(UMa-CIERL; CinTurs), Margarida Pocinho (UMa-CIERL; CinTurs) & Saúl
Neves de Jesus (UAlg; CinTurs)
Children of the Night: Interdisciplinary Dracula Congress
17 -19 of October 2018, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania
Defining “vampire”
•“Stoker portrays Dracula as an evil but cunning monster,as a
predator toying with its prey by scaring it before going in for
akill.”
(Guòmundsdóttir, 2015, p.7)
Defining “vampire”
•“A person who preys ruthlessly upon others;extortionist.”
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/vampire
•“A vampire is abeing from folklore that subsists by feeding on the
vital force (generally in the form of blood) of the living.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire
•“One of the undead that wanders at night to suck the blood of its
human victims.”
http://www.yourdictionary.com/vampire
Defining “vampire”
•“An unscrupulous person who preys ruthlessly on others, as a
blackmailer or usurer”
http://www.yourdictionary.com/vampire
•“In popular folklore, an undead being in human form that survives by
sucking the blood of living people,especially at night.”
http://www.yourdictionary.com/vampire
•“Aperson,such as an extortionist, who takes advantage of others,
especially for personal gain.”
http://www.yourdictionary.com/vampire
Characteristics of a “vampire”
•Pale young man or woman,
•Cold skin
•Sharp fangs hidden behind the lips
•Drinking of blood
•Beautiful
•Charming
•Inhuman strenght
•Vicious creatures
(Johansson, 2010,p.1)
“…the vampire is one of the mythical characters who from the moment
in which he became aliterary hero up to the present day has exactly
been the one who, standing in between the two worlds –the living
and the dead, between light and darkness –helps us by means of his
timeless outlook to better understand what is evil in and around us.”
(Dijana Vučković and Ljiljana Pajović Dujović, 2016, p.2)
Can you think about a situation or
person that led you to believe
that “vampires” are “real”?
•When someone/situation betrays you?
•When someone decides that you are beneath him/her?
•When someone insults you with no reason?
•When someones feels pleasure in humiliating you?
“Real live vampires” examples…
•Social problems such as bullying or mobbing (and many
others)can be “vampire expressions”.
“Real live vampires” examples…
•Personal bullying (e.g., insulting,criticizing,rumor spreading,
isolating).
•Work-related bullying (e.g..,work overload,irrational deadlines).
•Physical intimidation (e.g., threatening).
(Podsiadly & Gamian-Wilk, 2017, p.44)
“Real live vampires” symptons…
•The “bite” victims:
•Experience anxiety,
•Negative emotionality,
•Depressive symptoms;
•Lack of asense of power and control over their situation;
•Stress;
•Chronic fatigue;
•Problems with concentration,sleeping,and general health.
(Podsiadly & Gamian-Wilk, 2017, p.44)
So “how to fight these modern days
vampires”?
A Positive Psychology approach…
•“Positive psychology is apsychological approach targeted to
emphasize people skills and to promote their cognitive functioning,
physical and emotional health.”
(Santos, Paes, Pereira, Arias-Carrión, Silva, Carta, Nardi, & Machado, 2013, p.221)
A Positive Psychology approach…
•“(…) strategies of positive psychology have impact on signs and
symptoms of depression, as well as seeming to increase wellbeing,
producing protective elements, such as resilience and coping
capabilities that reduce relapses in the treatment of depression.”
(Santos, Paes, Pereira, Arias-Carrión, Silva, Carta, Nardi, & Machado, 2013, p.234)
A Positive Psychology approach…
•“…fundamental aspect of positive psychology is to develop personal
forces like:talents, strengths and abilities in patients with much
vulnerability, because these personal forces are protective elements
and produce wellbeing.”
(Santos, Paes, Pereira, Arias-Carrión, Silva, Carta, Nardi, & Machado, 2013, p.234)
How to protect from a “vampire”
•Crosses
•Holy wafers,or sacramental bread
•Garlic
•Crucifix
•The stake
•Aversion to sunlight
(Guòmundsdóttir, 2015, p.21)
Modern “stakes”, garlic and crosses
•“Reframe your challenges as opportunities for growth.
•Get good at being rejected—it happens to everyone!
•Replace have with get (e.g., I have to go to work →Iget to go to work).
•Don’t let yourself get dragged down into other people’s complaints.
•Notice the righteous and good in times of tragedy and violence.
•Have solutions ready when you point out problems.
•Make someone else smile.”
(Ackerman, 2018)
Modern “stakes”, garlic and crosses
•“Use positive words more often.
•Strengthen your brain’s ability to pay attention to the positive by routinely
redirecting your focus away from the negative to the positive.
•Condition yourself to experience random moments of positivity .
•Think positive—but not too much—and think negative when you need to;
sometimes we need to grieve, think about the negative consequences, and use
negative emotions to motivate and engage us.”
(Ackerman, 2018)
Modern “stakes”, garlic and crosses
•“Practice gratitude (ex:gratitude journal).
•Savor the good moments (stop to “smell the roses” and celebrate the positive).
•Generate positive emotions by watching fun videos.
•Stop minimizing your successes and acknowledge the efforts you put in.
•Stop all-or-nothing thinking;this cognitive distortion is not in line with reality
since things are very rarely ‘all good’ or ‘all bad.’”
(Ackerman, 2018)
Modern “stakes”, garlic and crosses
•“Listen to your favorite music;
•Remember to breathe.Breathe deeply, slowly, and mindfully to transport
your mind to apositive, calm place;
•Don’t live according to alabel—labels come from others, not from
yourself, and you are so much more than asimple label could ever
represent;
•Be authentic,and it will be much easier to be positive.
•Check your internal dialogue, and challenge that critical inner voice to
make room for happiness.”
(Ackerman, 2018)
Modern “stakes”, garlic and crosses
•“Engage in positive activities like meditation, yoga, hiking, playing a sport, or whatever
other activity you enjoy;
•Take back control of the things you can change—and put in the effort required to
actually change—but learn to accept the things you cannot change;
•Go easy on yourself.Don’t kick yourself when you’re down;everyone fails, and it doesn’t
mean you’re not good enough;
•Pay attention to your diet,and ensure that you eat healthy food that will contribute to a
healthy and positive mind;
•Embrace change—it’s happening whether we want it to or not, so it’s best to embrace it;
•Make an effort to step outside of your comfort zone.”
(Ackerman, 2018)
Concluding
“There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and
you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.”
Bram Stoker
Acknowledgments
•Agradecimentos àARDITI -Agência Regional para oDesenvolvimento da
Investigação Tecnologia eInovação através do apoio concedido no âmbito
do Projeto M1420 -09-5369-FSE-000001-Bolsa de Pós-Doutoramento
•Special thanks to ARDITI –Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da
Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação through the support provided under
the Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000001 –Post Doctoral Research Grant.
References
•Vučković, Dijana; and Pajović Dujović, Ljiljana. "The Evolution of the Vampire from Stoker's Dracula to Meyer's Twilight
Saga."CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 18.3 (2016): https://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.2836
•Guòmundsdóttir, B. (2015). The Vampire’s Evolution in Literature: The Influence Bram Stoker’s Dracula has had on the Works of
Writters of Modern Young Adult Vampire Fiction. University of Iceland, …
•Johansson, E. (2010). A domesticated vampire –how the vampire myth has changed since Bram Stoker ’s to Stephenie Meyer’s
Twilight. Lulea University of Technology….
•Podsiadly, A. & Gamian-Wilk, M. (2017). Personality traits as predictors or outcomes of being exposed to bullying in the workplace.
Personality and Individual Differences, 115, 43-49. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.001
•Santos, V., Paes, F., Pereira, V., Arias-Carrión, O., Silva, A., Carta, M., Nardi, A., & Machado, S. (2013). The role of Positive Emotin
and Contributions of Positive Psychology in Depression Treatment: Systematic Review, Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental
Health, 9, 221-237.
•Ackerman, C. (2018). What is Positive Mindset and 89 Ways to Achieve a Positive Mental Attitude.
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/positive-mindset/#tips-positive-mindset