Vampire mesmerism

Vampire mesmerism refers to the ability of a vampire to manipulate the mental, physical and/or emotional faculties of a human being, or in some cases, another supernatural creature. Ever since Bela Lugosi first wagged his magic fingers in 1931's Dracula, vampires have ever since been depicted as possessing some version of this ability. The degree with which a vampire can control the thoughts or actions of another is often in direct proportion to the vampire's overall power level, which is usually based upon age. An older, more experienced vampire can mind control someone with greater reliability than one who had only recently been made into a vampire.

Vampiric mesmerism is used a plot device to not only enhance the tension of a scene, but also to provide a means by which a vampire can continue to function indiscriminately without arousing the suspicions of others. Most often, this power is used when a vampire is seeking to drink blood from a victim and doesn't want to deal with all of the hollering and shrieking. Pesky mortals.