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"An incubus (nominal form constructed from the Latin verb, incubo, incubare, or "to lie upon") is a demon in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have intercourse with them. Its female counterpart is the succubus. An incubus may pursue sexual relations with a woman in order to father a child, as in the legend of Merlin.[1] Religious tradition holds that repeated intercourse with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death.[2]
Medieval legend claims that demons, both male and female, sexually prey on human beings - generally during the night when the victim is sleeping."

That's disturbing. Do any of you speculate the existence of this demon?

Well I think if they're real, how do I get one to come to me?

Rising Dead Man wrote:Well I think if they're real, how do I get one to come to me?

That wouldn't be too healthy for you, Dead Man.

Rising Dead Man wrote:Well I think if they're real, how do I get one to come to me?

I think the whole incubus/succubus thing was probably a way of trying to explain erotic dreams, particularly in a culture where there may have been a lot of guilt associated with s-e-x.

I also think it is possible that some of this perceived experience may have been due to a psychological phenomenon known as "sleep paralysis." I learned about this particular form of anxiety attack in my childhood, because it runs in my family. My mother and one of my uncles had these dreams, where they thought they were awake, but something threatening was happening to them and they could not move or respond. They almost couldn't breathe. In my mother's case, she used to dream she was tied to a railroad track and the train was coming. I have had these dreams once or twice as well, in my adulthood, but because of my mother's experience with them, I knew what they were (after I was awake, of course). In my case, I dreamed (hallucinated might be a better term for it, as you believe you are awake) that I was undergoing a medical examination against my will. Once a few years later I dreamed that a (female) ghost was lying on top of me and sucking the life out of me (it wasn't a sexual sensation, though).

I firmly believe that many of the so-called "alien abduction/encounter" stories are of this nature as well. These dreams seem very real, and you would swear you are awake when they are happening, but you aren't.

Murfreesboro wrote:

Rising Dead Man wrote:Well I think if they're real, how do I get one to come to me?

I think the whole incubus/succubus thing was probably a way of trying to explain erotic dreams, particularly in a culture where there may have been a lot of guilt associated with s-e-x.

I also think it is possible that some of this perceived experience may have been due to a psychological phenomenon known as "sleep paralysis." I learned about this particular form of anxiety attack in my childhood, because it runs in my family. My mother and one of my uncles had these dreams, where they thought they were awake, but something threatening was happening to them and they could not move or respond. They almost couldn't breathe. In my mother's case, she used to dream she was tied to a railroad track and the train was coming. I have had these dreams once or twice as well, in my adulthood, but because of my mother's experience with them, I knew what they were (after I was awake, of course). In my case, I dreamed (hallucinated might be a better term for it, as you believe you are awake) that I was undergoing a medical examination against my will. Once a few years later I dreamed that a (female) ghost was lying on top of me and sucking the life out of me (it wasn't a sexual sensation, though).

I firmly believe that many of the so-called "alien abduction/encounter" stories are of this nature as well. These dreams seem very real, and you would swear you are awake when they are happening, but you aren't.

I see. Those dreams must be frightening.

Midnight Witch wrote:

Murfreesboro wrote:

Rising Dead Man wrote:Well I think if they're real, how do I get one to come to me?

I think the whole incubus/succubus thing was probably a way of trying to explain erotic dreams, particularly in a culture where there may have been a lot of guilt associated with s-e-x.

I also think it is possible that some of this perceived experience may have been due to a psychological phenomenon known as "sleep paralysis." I learned about this particular form of anxiety attack in my childhood, because it runs in my family. My mother and one of my uncles had these dreams, where they thought they were awake, but something threatening was happening to them and they could not move or respond. They almost couldn't breathe. In my mother's case, she used to dream she was tied to a railroad track and the train was coming. I have had these dreams once or twice as well, in my adulthood, but because of my mother's experience with them, I knew what they were (after I was awake, of course). In my case, I dreamed (hallucinated might be a better term for it, as you believe you are awake) that I was undergoing a medical examination against my will. Once a few years later I dreamed that a (female) ghost was lying on top of me and sucking the life out of me (it wasn't a sexual sensation, though).

I firmly believe that many of the so-called "alien abduction/encounter" stories are of this nature as well. These dreams seem very real, and you would swear you are awake when they are happening, but you aren't.

I see. Those dreams must be frightening.

I experience sleep paralysis often. It's scary as hell, but I never thought it was supernatural. From what I've read, it's actually not a dream. When you're asleep you're muscles usually freeze up to keep you from moving in your sleep. Sometimes some people wake up before their muscles do, and sometimes they're still sort of dreaming when this happens. So okay, the frozen muscles themselves are not a dream, but the rest is.

Rising Dead Man wrote:
I experience sleep paralysis often. It's scary as hell, but I never thought it was supernatural. From what I've read, it's actually not a dream. When you're asleep you're muscles usually freeze up to keep you from moving in your sleep. Sometimes some people wake up before their muscles do, and sometimes they're still sort of dreaming when this happens. So okay, the frozen muscles themselves are not a dream, but the rest is.

Right, that's how it works.

I'm relieved to say that I don't experience this stuff "often." I've had only two such dreams so far in my life. My mother went through a phase where she seemed to have them fairly frequently. When she was going through menopause, and my father had died, and her mother had died, she had it rough for a while. One of her brothers, who was manic-depressive, was also subject to them. He was a business owner, and I think the pressures of his business combined with his mental health issues were rough on him. These dreams are a form of anxiety attack, so if you have them frequently, it probably means there is some issue (or issues) in your life that are bugging you, deep down.

During the period when my mother was having sleep paralysis she was also hospitalized for nervous exhaustion. This (nervous exhaustion) is a very physical form of anxiety attack. It mimics a heart attack, and most people who have it think they are having a heart attack. But there is nothing wrong with their hearts.

I've seen this movie many years ago and it's about an Incubus attack on a woman. If you haven't seen it, it's good.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082334/

As for, sleep paralysis. I've experienced them too many times. I personally think, it's similar to when we die. I remember on one occassion, sleeping on my mom's bed and her bedroom door was facing the kitchen. My mom could see me asleep in the bedroom from
her kitchen and I could see her. I remember trying to get up and realizing that I couldn't.
At the moment, my aunt had just came in to visit my mom and had a conversation with my mom and left. In the meantime, I was trying to call my mom and I couldn't figure out why she couldn't hear me. I clearly remember drooling on myself as I tried to speak and couldn't. After struggling to move, (which seemed like eternity), I finally woke and in a frustrated tone, asking my mom, why didn't she hear me calling her?! She responded, that I was asleep the whole time! I know I wasn't. I reiterated everthing I saw and we were both perplexed. It's an awful feeling because you are immobile.

ramaries69 wrote:I've seen this movie many years ago and it's about an Incubus attack on a woman. If you haven't seen it, it's good.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082334/

As for, sleep paralysis. I've experienced them too many times. I personally think, it's similar to when we die. I remember on one occassion, sleeping on my mom's bed and her bedroom door was facing the kitchen. My mom could see me asleep in the bedroom from
her kitchen and I could see her. I remember trying to get up and realizing that I couldn't.
At the moment, my aunt had just came in to visit my mom and had a conversation with my mom and left. In the meantime, I was trying to call my mom and I couldn't figure out why she couldn't hear me. I clearly remember drooling on myself as I tried to speak and couldn't. After struggling to move, (which seemed like eternity), I finally woke and in a frustrated tone, asking my mom, why didn't she hear me calling her?! She responded, that I was asleep the whole time! I know I wasn't. I reiterated everthing I saw and we were both perplexed. It's an awful feeling because you are immobile.

To be immobilized seems to be very frightening. If I've ever experienced Sleep Paralysis, I don't remember doing so. I want to, though, as strange as this seems...I want to know the feeling.

Since the tendency to have these dreams seems to run in my mother's family, I'm guessing that it has some biological basis. Probably has to do with brain chemistry. Some people must be more susceptible than others.

It may have also been a way to explain away night terrors, in conjunction with dreaming of copulation and/or paralysis. Sleep Paralysis is linked to sleep deprivation...

I wonder, though, about the connection between Incubus/Succubus and the German Alps... and I'm not talking about the mountains. Alps are mythical denizens of the night as well.

These are good demons and some good horror fodder.

Rising Dead Man wrote:Well I think if they're real, how do I get one to come to me?

I bet you could find some online RDM

jadewik wrote:
I wonder, though, about the connection between Incubus/Succubus and the German Alps... and I'm not talking about the mountains. Alps are mythical denizens of the night as well.

Well, you have taught me something. I never knew that an alp was anything other than a mountain.