If Vampires cast no shadows, and are not visible in reflections, it means their bodies do not interact with physical light. So, how are they visible at all?

That “no reflection” thing is sugarcoated Western bullshit.

Original vampires from Slavic mythology were ghosts of people that weren’t burried properly or were too evil/wicked/ cruel during their lifetime.
According to the legends, they weren’t invisible at all, and no one mentions they didn’t have reflections.

They also weren’t killed with silver, but by stabbing their vessel body with a wooden spear.

The answer may be that their invisibility comes from interfering with our minds rather than the physical world so that though the image of the vampire strikes our retina the image is not processed by our brains unless the vampire wishes it to be. The lack of shadow is an affectation that has no real purpose though the phenomenon has been known to create terror.

Have you never wondered why there is such a dearth of recent vampire sightings?

It’s fiction. It’s dramatic license. And it’s not worth laying awake nights pondering. ;-)

Magic, obvs.

Us vampires exist in an alt-dimension beyond any logic and Earth science’s understanding. Just like the White House right now existing in this alt-dimension.

@Pachy What do you mean, “fiction”? Aw, geez… Thanks for ruining this. I guess zombies aren’t real, either?

Mental.
Mental light.

Remember, they do interact with light. They are burned by it, and can even e destoyes by it. Just a conundrum I guess.

I think they are invisible. I have not met anyone who claims to have seen a vampire.

I think the problem here is you’re overthinking this.

They aren’t visible. Only psychics can see them.

You make a very excellent logical point, so it depends on the context:

* In the real physical world, there are no actual vampires who are visible but not in mirrors. There are of course people who identify (and corpses identified) as vampires who are just normal in mirrors.

* In fiction, typically it’s not clear entirely what’s going on, and it varies by fictional universe.

* If I encountered such a thing, I’d think it were either an illusion or a hallucination or something that appears to the mind’s eye without being a physical thing, like a hallucination but perhaps caused by something that’s an actual thing. For example, I have seen what briefly appeared to be someone in a nearby room but on investigation, there seemed to be no one there. Similarly, some people experience seeing auras and other presences that aren’t there in a physical body.

Agreed— the brain is attuned that something is wrong and perceives no reflection—even if the viewer is not yet aware that this is a vampire.

Vampires are more than just physical, reanimated bodies. They have metaphysical and occult properties alongside with their physicality.

Whereas the Vampire is indeed a living dead entity—there are hyperdimensional aspects even to its physical presence.

All writers must put their own spin on things, but when I was into role-playing games, I stuck to the following rules:

A Vampire’s first, Second, and Third bite are not the same TYPE of bite but one must be done before moving to the next, The first bite influences and weakens the victim and repeated first-level bites makes a person a pawn. The first bite antibodies are infused which makes the person a pawn and slave—doing the vampire’s bidding and needing the Vampire’s blood. The second bite makes a person a “half vampire” and may run with the clan and abhor daylight and not die from injuries oe violence lest they rise again as a full vampire. After the third bite, the individual dies and becomes a full vampire—but still under control of the original.

Before the third bite, if the master is destroyed then the half-Vampire is free and goes back to the world of the living

The supernatural, metaphysical, or hyperdimensional qualities are evident in the fact that the (full) Vampire has great hypnotic control and limited shapeshifting abilities into bats, wolves, other totem-like predetors, mist, and even moonbeams. Therefore, the idea that a Vampire, even in physical form, casts no shadow, is harmed by sunlight (which can be overcome to a limited degree) and even fly—are not so far-fetched. Holy Water is intoned with rituals and spiritual acts which work rapidly against the nature of Vampirism.

The use of a crucifix against a vampire may attest to its demonic nature or maybe just the “force” or symbolic/sacred geometry of the symbols and how it correlates to the occult nature of Vampirism.

Silver and iron have properties that may or may not effect the Vampire’s being.

The feeding on blood is because the Vampire needs a physical body in the world and its metaphysical nature requires the “life force” correlated or assigned to the blood of the living.

Driving a stake through the heart not only stops the physical body of the entity but has symbolic and geometrical significance. It is essentially an “exorcism” which consigns the entity to death— but that is not dead which can continue to exist “dead” eternally. And Vampires can usually be “unpegged” unless certain rituals or acts destroy them forever.

Yes, the Vampire is a physical and predetory “creature” but that physicality is also very metaphysical and occult in its properties.