Incubus
The incubus is an evil being who takes on the appearance of a man and rapes women. This being is part of the most varied European folk traditions which, according to them, is the same devil that enters a man’s body to sexually abuse women.
The incubus or night terror is characterized by sudden episodes of waking up in the middle of the night , generally accompanied by panicked screams and intense anxiety, agitation, confusion and total amnesia of what happened.
Therefore, the feeling of disorientation and disconnection with the environment is total. The person does not know exactly what has happened to him , and it takes minutes or hours to recover from the shock and go back to sleep again.
This disorder occurs during the phases of deep sleep , during the NREM phases. Psychoanalysts interpret incubus dreams or night terrors as self-punishing because they provide reprehensible pleasure during sleep. This explanation runs into the big problem that, during these phases of sleep, we do not dream (NREM). However, there is no explanation that resolves all doubts about this phenomenon.
Incubi belief was very important during the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, popular culture was imbued with all sorts of superstitions. Thus, it was believed in the power of witches, the evil eye, alchemy and various rituals and magical spells. At that time, the diseases and ills that affected mankind were not explained from a scientific perspective, but were considered as a divine punishment. In this Communication” in the 1960s. The historical context, incubi appear as evil creatures. Incubus
The legends of the incubi were analyzed by the court of the Inquisition. One of the inquisitors’ concerns was to determine whether or not an incubus could father a female . This question was of great concern to the Church, for if an incubus left a woman pregnant, it would mean that the devil himself could have human-looking children.
According to various literary references, the belief in incubi caused a situation of panic among women, as they feared that some men might be possessed by the devil.
What is a succubus or nocturnal pollution
The legend of the succubus tries to offer an explanation for nocturnal emissions, typical of men. The succubus syndrome occurs in those men who state that an attractive woman seduces them during their sleep and has sexual relations with them. As a result of this supposed relationship, the man ejaculates during his sleep, staining his underwear and sheets.
Occasionally, tactile hallucinations can occur, although it is not clear if they are nothing more than delusional manifestations. During the episode, the experience seems very real , but upon awakening the patient recalls the episode in a haze, like a dream, with doubts about what happened.
The mystery about the incubi and succubi
These sensations and syndromes can be part of other pathologies that absorb them, such as delusions, dementia, psychosis .
For example, they can be hallucinations of a persecution psychosis, such as the feeling of being abused by a man or a woman, by analogy to the behaviors attributed to demons or dream spirits male (incubi) or female (succubi) of the Middle Ages.
Conclusions about the spirits of the dream
The incubi and succubi are very present figures in the mythology of different cultures, and have been represented in various ways throughout history. Although their actual existence is uncertain, they have been used as metaphors to talk about human relationships, sexuality, and religion.
Ultimately, dream spirits represent an important part of folklore and mythology, and their influence is still present in today’s popular culture. Knowing its history and legends is a way of delving into the collective imagination and discovering a fascinating world of symbols and metaphors.
