psychic vampires, or
psy-vamps as they are more often called, are indeed
real and in some cases fairly
dangerous. most
vamps do it unintentionally, completely unaware they have the
ability. but there are some who
actively vamp. these are the
dangerous ones.
if you're in the presence of a psy-vamp, and they are draining you, you will start to feel tired or sleepy or run down. you know how sometimes you can walk into a room with good company, friends, wonderful conversation, and you just feel BETTER, alive somehow and energized just from the energy there? psy-vamps get these feelings and this "recharge" from preying on people. and if they target you you'll experience the opposite.
some people, when feeling weary or run down will automatically and unconsciously go out 'seeking' a good charge, and upon finding one put out psychic feeders to tap. others intentinally tap because they need the energy and don't know how to recharge otherwise.
and some do it because they relish the feeling of that kind of power over others. (karma will usually kick you in the ass for the latter two.)
there are various ways to protect yourself from vamps. the first and easiest is actually out of folklore, but as a large amount of lore does, actually works. fold your hands together, like in a double fist. but extend your first fingers and thumbs. touch the points of each together, first to first, thumb to thumb, kinda like you're making a "finger gun". but then open up the space between your thumbs, so your fingers form a triangle, kinda like this:
/ \ first fingers
- - thumbs.
casually rest this in your lap or on a knee, pointing the first fingers out towards the room. (legend also has it this defends against the "Evil eye". the second way is more complicated, and is only recommended for those who already work with energy. basically, just increase your personal shielding, and put an additional level in just for vamps.
mostly, just be careful, pay attention. and if you find you always feel drained after being around a certain person, it's highly likely they're vamping on you. either set up defenses against them or avoid their presence.