<P> There is no discontinuity between the human and vampire during this process - the vampire retains the human's memory, and often the human's views and habits, while adding others related to their new vampiric state . They usually have no knowledge of their new condition and may have many questions for which they cannot find answers . Their reactions to discovering the change wrought on them vary from anger, to despair, to acceptance and even exultation . Over time much of their human perspective and personality may persist - the series describes many vampires as continuing to experience depression or existential concerns they had as a human, or to care for the family they had as a human - or they may diminish and be overtaken by new perspectives gained from their life as a vampire . </P> <P> As all vampires are linked to the spirit that led to the first vampire, any harm that comes to the vampire whose body contains that spirit, affects all other vampires . Thus when the caretaker of Akasha - the first vampire, then immobile for millennia - put her in the sun out of despair, to see if she would defend herself, younger vampires worldwide spontaneously burnt to death or were severely injured in their sleep as if they too had been exposed to the sun . A similar outcome happened when Maharet experimentally cut Akasha, leading to vampires worldwide feeling dizzy before Akasha's body healed itself . </P> <P> Rice's vampires are not of religious or demonic origin, and are not creatures of good or evil, so they are indifferent to religious symbols and garlic, as in some vampire fictions, and objects such as wooden stakes and bullets will only injure them temporarily, as they heal quickly and completely and are exempt from disease . Tremendous physical trauma, such as extensive exposure to fire or the sun, can take years or decades to heal if it is not immediately fatal . The series identifies vampires as being able to be destroyed by exposure to fire or (for young vampires) sunlight or bright light, and by a complete loss of blood . </P> <P> Rice's vampires are immortal, possess superhuman strength, eyesight and agility, and require blood for sustenance . Sunlight will destroy a younger vampire, but as they age their resistance to the sun's effects grows to the point that after thousands of years, eventually it will barely harm them at all . They can be temporarily incapacitated by poisons - Claudia gives poisoned victims to Lestat to drink from as a way to render him unable to defend himself . </P>

Connection between interview with a vampire and queen of the damned