Sexually Perverse Ghosts
Exploring hypnagogia and hypnopompic effects and the possible relationship with reports of succubus and incubus ghosts...
Our study concerning sexually perverse ghosts begins with a look at hypnagogia and "sleep paralysis." All of us, at times, have awaken from sleep to find our bodies strangely paralyzed, unable to move, though our minds are alert. Sleep paralysis can be experienced as we transition between being asleep and fully awake. Although it might be frightening, the effect usually wears off after a few minutes.
Sleep & Ghosts: Hypnagogia & Hypnopompic Experiences
It is during these transitional dream-awake states that people often report seeing ghosts or people at the end of their bed. It is also a time when one might be more in-tune with the spirit world, as many spirit visitations are reported to occur after we quiet our minds from the daily, earthly "busy-ness." During rest, there is something lucid, yet, something different in our connection to the physical world. Perhaps, sleep transition forces our domineering, left brain to let go of its firm grasp of the external world, allowing our sensitive, submissive right brain to tune-in and interpret things unseen.
Hypnagogia Effect
Occasionally, during the period of falling asleep (the hypnagogic or hypnogogic state), strange occurences have been reported. A hypnagogic sensation can be a dream-like experience, seeming quite real. The percipient is still conscious, rational, and aware while transitioning into the dream state. This causes a mixing of the conscious (awake) and sleep states. Science, today, considers such encounters to only be hallucinations manufactured by the human brain.
Hypnopompic State
Akin to hypnogogia, hypnopompia is similar but can occur while waking up from sleep. With hypnopompia, frightening experiences may happen while coming out of the dreaming phase while trending toward consciousness. The question remains if they are hallucinations of the temporal lobe or, in some cases, truly other-worldly encounters.
Hypnagogic / Hypnopompic Visitations: Real or Created?
Sometimes during these strange sensations, people have interacted with one or more spirit visitors which are, sometimes, perceived as being a malevolent presence. This pending sense of doom and evil, while overcome with sleep paralysis, leaves the person essentially trapped and extremely frightened.
Reports describe witnesses feeling a pressure or weight on their chest or back, with a sensation of not being able to breathe, as if someone were sitting on them. Scientists would tell us that the intense fear may be caused from the experience itself with the spirit visitors being panic-induced phantoms the mind creates while still in a dream-like phase. Strangely, though, people have also heard footsteps, voices and other noises and may see lights, shadows and people moving about the room. A floating sensation and/or vibration, similar to what happens during an out-of-body experience, may also occur. Some hypnagogia / hypnopompic sufferers have have also claimed alien abduction, extra-sensory perception, telepathy, prophetic visions and apparitions during what they claim to be a lucid dreaming state.
What are Incubus & Succubus Ghosts?
During the hypnagogic and hypnopompic states, but not limited to them, some have reported being harassed or even sexually abused. Possibly connected to hypnagogia or hypnopompia (in some cases), ghosts of people, who have sexual addictions and remain earthbound, have been reported to make continued attempts to feed their sexual appetite even without body. In lore, a male ghost that is sexually perverse is known as an incubus, and a sexually perverse female ghost is called a succubus.
Ancient, Arabian mythology has long reported the existence of both succubus and incubus ghosts (succubi and incubi) but has typically called them “demons” due to their dark and evil intentions. Likely due to the influence of religion, succubi and incubi were not labeled "disembodied humans" but as demons pretending to be human - a big difference. Medieval, Christian lore promoted a similar legend, especially the idea of female, succubus demons tempting monks to have sexual relations, or that succubi attempt to lie on women at night in an effort to spawn more demons, etc.
Most of these latter mythological interpretations seemed to have been created during medieval times and have evolved since to other modern day interpretations of the incubus and succubus. Still today, the creation of the modern-day "demonologist" that works with paranormal investigators has further promoted ideas of demonic and devilish succubus and incubus attacks. In our opinion, this is a religiously-tainted idea stemming from misinterpretation of the Bible, Hollywood movies (think, The Exorcist), and of course, fear.
Incubus, Succubus: Hungry Ghosts
Another idea worthy of consideration, assuming that ghosts are the culprit behind some sleep paralysis attacks, ties nicely into Buddhism's teaching about "hungry ghosts." Buddhists teach that after death of the earthly body, some people are still driven by greed, lust and various desires that haunt them. Such appetites never leave the ghost feeling satisfied as they remain ever hungry until they are able to find freedom from the addictive behavior. Could human beings who need time to shed earthly pulls be responsible for some of the incubus/succubus encounters?
It has long been reported that various addictions will cause a person to become a ghost,due to the person preferring to remain earthbound upon death of the physical body so that he or she may continue the preferred lust. Psychics have reported alcoholic ghosts hanging around bars and other places to experience the high through another person drinking in the establishment. The ghost may try and “attach” to the person or possess the body if possible to experience the "high" with the host. If true, "ghost possession" (or, spirit possession) can be quite real, according to Dr. Edith Fiore (a psychiatrist who penned, The Unquiet Dead), and is not caused by demons. During the possession, the co-inhabiting ghost will seek to become dominant over the host’s body. Witnesses to ghost possession have seen a striking personality change, along with changes in behavior unfamiliar to the victim’s friends and relatives.
Sexual gratification is only one type of addiction a ghost may attempt to seek out through use of another person (drug and alcohol abuse come to mind). The ghost of a sexually-addicted or sexually perverse person may seek to observe people when unclothed or during sex; or go a step further to “touch” or have a sexual encounter with those in physical bodies. Attempts for gratification do not have to occur during sleep, before sleep, or even through possession (attachment). Some people have reported being touched inappropriately by someone invisible at all times of the day. Ghosts with ill intent should not be left to chase their lusts - if possible, succubi and incubi should be stopped so as to protect others from their assaults. This may require an experienced psychic-medium who can help ghosts move beyond this world, toward the light and healing.
More Reading About Ghosts...
How to Tell if You Have a Ghost
Communication from the Dead
How to Get Rid of Ghosts
Ghost Possession
Spirit Rescue