A sexual, sympathetic or tantric vampire is a person who feeds on sexual energy. He usually practices Tantra, an ancient Hindu practice which mixes meditation and non-orgasmic sex to attain a state of perfect bliss.

The ritual is based on activating the human energy centres, chakras, which hold the potential to reach 'cosmic awareness'. The human body is thought to have 6 main chakras (base of spine, near navel, near heart, near throat, between brows and most importantly genitals) each of which represents a gateway to higher energy. Tantric rituals emphasise the need to open up these energy points in order to harmonise the flow of energy throughout the body to help achieve an elevated state of sexual awareness.

A common term for female vampires who feed exclusively through sex is "Succubus", a word which originally denoted a mediaeval demon who was believed to visit men in dream and tempt them into sexual misconduct to rob their sperm; the male version of the word, although not as widespread, is "Incubus”.