Editing Vampire (section)

=== Psychodynamic theories ===
In his 1931 treatise ''On the Nightmare'', Welsh [[psychoanalyst]] [[Ernest Jones]] asserted that vampires are symbolic of several unconscious drives and [[defence mechanism]]s. Emotions such as love, guilt, and hate fuel the idea of the return of the dead to the grave. Desiring a reunion with loved ones, mourners may [[psychological projection|project]] the idea that the recently dead must in return yearn the same. From this arises the belief that folkloric vampires and revenants visit relatives, particularly their spouses, first.{{sfn|Jones|1931|pp=100–102}}

In cases where there was unconscious guilt associated with the relationship, the wish for reunion may be subverted by anxiety. This may lead to [[Repression (psychoanalysis)|repression]], which [[Sigmund Freud]] had linked with the development of morbid dread.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Jones|first=Ernest|year=1911|title=The Pathology of Morbid Anxiety|journal=Journal of Abnormal Psychology|volume=6|issue=2|pages=81–106|doi=10.1037/h0074306|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1429155|access-date=5 July 2019|archive-date=3 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003143621/https://zenodo.org/record/1429155|url-status=live}}</ref> Jones surmised in this case the original wish of a (sexual) reunion may be drastically changed: desire is replaced by fear; love is replaced by sadism, and the object or loved one is replaced by an unknown entity. The sexual aspect may or may not be present.{{sfn|Jones|1931|p=106}} Some modern critics have proposed a simpler theory: People identify with immortal vampires because, by so doing, they overcome, or at least temporarily escape from, their [[fear of dying]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KXOUiGfJ8_oC&pg=PT205&lpg=PP1&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html McMahon, ''Twilight of an Idol'', p. 193] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202044326/https://books.google.com/books?id=KXOUiGfJ8_oC&pg=PT205&lpg=PP1&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html |date=2 February 2017 }}</ref>

Jones linked the innate sexuality of bloodsucking with [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]], with a folkloric connection with [[incubus]]-like behaviour. He added that when more normal aspects of sexuality are repressed, regressed forms may be expressed, in particular [[Sadistic personality disorder#Freud and psychoanalysis|sadism]]; he felt that [[Psychosexual development#Oral stage|oral sadism]] is integral in vampiric behaviour.{{sfn|Jones|1931|pp=116–120}}