Incubus and succubus

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

I am a big fan of paranormal studies. Over the past 40 years the interest in paranormal studies has taken on new meaning the academic community. In some universitites it is considered a science. Does anyone know of hard scientific that the Incubus and succubus exsist?

[flowperson]

Hi 11:

While I am also a sometime fan of the paranormal, you would be hard pressed to find academic programs that seriously and actively pursue this area of study these days. You can find activities here and there, usually centered around a single researcher whose specialty, usually in psychology or a related field, involves unique brain responses to unique triggering events.

Duke had a fairly active and extensive program in studying pre-cognition and blinded identification phenomena, but I don't believe that it's as active now as it was in the 70's and 80's. A Prof. at Harvard by the name of John Mack published some interesting work on UFO and paranormal activities about 10-15 years ago, but he has since passed on and I don't believe that anyone else has picked-up his work.

Today, because of the proliferation of non-invasive imaging technologies at medical schools all over the world, there is so much real time brain imaging work going on that you could say that this entire area of study now is more about physiology and genetic research. When one has the tools to instantly image and study what makes people think and respond to events in their lives on a real time basis, speculation about other-worldly events that affect our lives are rendered moot for the most point.

That's not to say paranormal stuff is not out there. I've had some experiences myself that led me to question reality. But rather, scientists are highly responsible people, and unless they capture real-time evidence of such stuff going on, they are not very likely to pursue it. Most of those who claim to be researchers in the field are really trying to sell books on syndicated radio and television shows and probably are not considered to be viable information sources by traditional scientists at universities and institutes. That's just how things seem to be IMHO.

flow....

[sara[h]ng]

I briefly read about what these things are (admittedly because 'Incubus' is one of my favorite bands and I wanted to know what the name meant) and - recognizing that I could have gotten a bad definition - I think it sounds pretty shady.

I remember that one of the two is some kind of sexual spirit - they are female and male versions of the same thing, right? - and that they would visit people when they were asleep and engage in intercourse with them, which was terrrrrrible back in the religious day. The spirits would supposedly take the form of people, maybe people that the victim knew and maybe not.

So I think it's shady because any man could go and rape any girl he chose and say, 'oh, that wasn't me, I would never do that... obviously it was a succubus (or incubus, I don't remember which is which)' and he could get away with it, which, is a pretty dang good reason for shady and influential people to maintain the rumor.

But maybe I'm way off. Is that somewhat the right definition?

Sarah

[moseslmpg]

That's a more medieval definition IMO. Right now, I assume that incubi and succubi are thought forms or some other denizen of the astral realm that induce orgasm to extract energy from a host. Like a vampire, but with sex...

But that has nothing to do with science, so I'll be on my way.

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

Originally Posted by sara[h]ng

But maybe I'm way off. Is that somewhat the right definition?
Sarah

yes, below is a good definition of what they are.

INCUBUS - A spirit or demon thought in medieval times to lie on sleeping persons, especially women, with whom it sought sexual intercourse.

SUCCUBUS - In folklore, a female demon thought to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men.

Just to add to the topic, I thought I felt one once, but someone told me that I was just dreaming. I know I was awake though. Needless to say, It was a spooky experience.

[sara[h]ng]

That's a funny thing to admit in public.



Sarah

[flowperson]

The following article appeared in the Science Times section of the NY Times today. It further explains some of the essentials of post #2 above.

So 11, the next time that you wake up in bed and think someone's there with you, it might just be all in your mind...but on the other hand....

Oh...I forgot to mention that the ancient Egyptians recognized this phenomenon and even gave names to the perceived life companions.

They were called the "Ba" or the shadow, and the "Ka" or the double. They believed that the Ba left them when they died since it was the twin in the darkness of the being that dwelled in the light in life; and, the Ka went along on the soul's journeys after death. There were beverages and foods buried with people of rank in the olden times to sustain the Ka, and small doors were even put into the tombs so the Ka could go out and in at its leisure after the burial of the body.


flow....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/he...pagewanted=all

[moseslmpg]

Originally Posted by YO-ELEVEN-11

Just to add to the topic, I thought I felt one once, but someone told me that I was just dreaming. I know I was awake though. Needless to say, It was a spooky experience.

How do you know it was a succubus? Did it try anything...naughty? (I don't want to know the details if the answer is yes)

Flow, if there was a physical sensation, I would be more liable to say it was something like hypagogic sleep paralysis or Dab Tsog. I forget the English name of the creature, but it's in the wikipedia article.

Edit: Old hag, that's what it was.

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

In my defensive, I have read up the subject matter presented by Flow and Moses and have resloved that I know what I felt and know when I'm asleep and when i'm awake.


Most science labels events that can not be explained as some sort of "brain activity". The brain is a powerful thing, but "some things" you just know happened.


Anyway, what happened on that faithful day was not as "pleasurable" as you may think. To make a long story short, lets just say that I walked away with a few un-explained scratches on me, because I "fought" whatever it was.

[moseslmpg]

By the way, there is a good book that approaches these kind of creatures from a practical point of view. I'm not going to say scientific because there is no scientific evidence for them, but it is approached in a way that is like practical science. It's called Monsters and it's written by Michael Allen Greer, and it's very informative about stuff like this.

[Eudaimonist]

Since this is the secular/science section... how about a skeptic's account?

http://www.csicop.org/sb/9512/i-files.html


eudaimonia,

Mark

[sara[h]ng]

Anyway, what happened on that faithful day was not as "pleasurable" as you may think. To make a long story short, lets just say that I walked away with a few un-explained scratches on me, because I "fought" whatever it was.

Whoa. Have you seen the movie 'Entity'? I myself have not, because I know what it's about and I know it's a true story and I don't want that in my head when I'm trying to go to sleep at night or at other times. Hmum. Has anyone seen that movie? I wonder if that's an incubus... it certainly was SOMETHING.

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

Originally Posted by sara[h]ng

Whoa. Have you seen the movie 'Entity'? I myself have not, because I know what it's about and I know it's a true story and I don't want that in my head when I'm trying to go to sleep at night or at other times. Hmum. Has anyone seen that movie? I wonder if that's an incubus... it certainly was SOMETHING.

I saw that movie a long time ago. Yes, that movie was creepy. I liked the part when the "paranormal people" trapped it. I will not tell you the ending, because it may spoil anyone who wants to see it. I think the woman the movie was about lives in Texas now.

Yes, that could have been an Incubus. Has the same M.O.
Guess mine was a succubus.