Spectrophilia, also known as Phasmophilia, is sexual attraction to either ghosts or sexual arousal from images in mirrors, as well as the alleged phenomenon of sexual encounters between ghosts and humans.
Spectrophilia, also known as Phasmophilia, is sexual attraction to either ghosts or sexual arousal from images in mirrors, as well as the alleged phenomenon of sexual encounters between ghosts and humans.
Spectrophilia is a fetish that is classified as the paraphilia in which one is attracted to ghosts or spirits. Spectrophiliacs fantasize about ghosts and often imagine scenarios involving sexual events between themselves or others and spirits. It is also used to refer to purported incidents of sexual interactions between humans and ghosts or spirits. [1]
Accounts of paranormal encounters with ghosts and spirits frequently include sexual encounters, which are often described as being nonconsensual or unpleasant. [2] Many traditional ghost stories and legends include some element of seduction or temptation. Stories featuring female ghosts who lure men to their deaths are especially common, such as the Latin American legend of La Llorona. [3] In western folklore, the succubus and incubus parallel the modern phenomenon of spectrophilia. A succubus is a demon or evil spirit who takes on a female human form to seduce men and drain them of semen or energy. The counterpart of the succubus is the incubus. The incubus is a demon that is said to take on a male human form. The incubus, much like the succubus, is said to seduce women into sex with the objective of impregnating them. [4] The Mare is another example from European folklore. [5]
These accounts have been linked to the documented phenomenon of sleep paralysis, in which individuals experience hallucinations which often involve spectral figures. The prevalence of sexual elements in these hallucinations is theorized to be due to repressed sexual frustration or anxiety. [6] Folklorist David Hufford estimated that approximately 15% of the population had experienced the phenomenon at least once in their lives. [7]
Despite the lack of scientific evidence for the phenomenon of spectrophilia, it has become a frequently talked-about subject among ghost hunters, including Ghost Adventures and the Travel Channel show Ghostly Lovers. [8] Online forums also contributed to the belief in sexual encounters with ghosts, as well as the idea that they were not necessarily harmful. [1]
Many stories about romance between humans and ghosts, especially men and female ghosts, appear in the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling.
Several films have dealt with the concept, among them The Entity (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7), Ghost (1990), Scary Movie 2 (2001), and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (2008).
The Phantom of the Opera is a story with spectrophilic elements.
Many Romantic ballet plots involve ghostly women and dancers dressed in ghostly white costumes, such as the Wilis of Giselle or Sylphides in La Sylphide.
Madonna's song "Supernatural" involves the singer's intimacy with a ghost.
In a Regular Show episode “The Postcard”, Hi Five Ghost has a mortal human soulmate named Celia. Which is clearly spectrophilic
In folklore, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes to realistic, lifelike forms. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism as a séance. Other terms associated with it are apparition, haunt, haint, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter, spirit, spook, wraith, demon, and ghoul.
In German folklore and ghostlore, a poltergeist is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descriptions of poltergeists show them as being capable of pinching, biting, hitting, and tripping people. They are also depicted as capable of the movement or levitation of objects such as furniture and cutlery, or noises such as knocking on doors. Foul smells are also associated with poltergeist occurrences, as well as spontaneous fires and different electrical issues such as flickering lights.
A succubus is a female demon or supernatural entity in folklores who appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. According to some folklore, a succubus needs semen to survive; repeated sexual activity with a succubus will result in a bond being formed between the succubus and the person; and a succubus will drain or harm the man with whom she is having intercourse.
Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which a person is conscious but in a complete state of full-body paralysis. During an episode, the person may hallucinate, which often results in fear. Episodes generally last no more than a few minutes. It can recur multiple times or occur as a single episode.
A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the property. Parapsychologists often attribute haunting to the spirits of the dead who have suffered from violent or tragic events in the building's past such as murder, accidental death, or suicide.
An incubus is a male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many cultures.
A shadow person is the perception of shadow as a living species, humanoid figure, sometimes interpreted as the presence of a spirit or other entity by believers in the paranormal or supernatural.
Popobawa, also Popo Bawa, is the name of an evil spirit or shetani, which is believed by residents of Zanzibar to have first appeared on the Tanzanian island of Pemba. In 1995, it was the focus of a major outbreak of mass hysteria or panic which spread from Pemba to Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, and across to Dar es Salaam and other urban centres on the East African coast.
Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. The practice has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method. No scientific study has ever been able to confirm the existence of ghosts. Ghost hunting is considered a pseudoscience by the vast majority of educators, academics, science writers and skeptics. Science historian Brian Regal described ghost hunting as "an unorganized exercise in futility".
Ghosts are an important and integral part of the folklore of the socio-cultural fabric of the geographical and ethno-linguistic region of Bengal which presently consists of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. Bengali folktales and Bengali cultural identity are intertwined in such a way that ghosts depicted reflect the culture it sets in. Fairy tales, both old and new, often use the concept of ghosts. References to ghosts are often found in modern-day Bengali literature, cinema, radio and television media. There are also alleged haunted sites in the region. The common word for ghosts in Bengali is bhoot or bhut. This word has an alternative meaning: 'past' in Bengali. Also, the word Pret is used in Bengali to mean ghost. In Bengal, ghosts are believed to be the unsatisfied spirits of human beings who cannot find peace after death or the souls of people who died in unnatural or abnormal circumstances like murders, suicides or accidents. Non-human animals can also turn into ghosts after their death. But they are often associated with good luck and wealth in Bangladesh.
Nandor Fodor was a British and American parapsychologist, psychoanalyst, author and journalist of Hungarian origin.
Anthony Donald Cornell was a British parapsychologist and prominent figure in the investigations of ghosts and other paranormal activity across the United Kingdom during the later part of the twentieth century. He appeared in numerous TV documentaries and television debates, and was often the subject of magazine and news articles concerning ghosts and paranormal investigations.
In psychology, anomalistic psychology is the study of human behaviour and experience connected with what is often called the paranormal, with few assumptions made about the validity of the reported phenomena.
The Ghost and the Guest is a 1943 American black-and-white comedy-mystery film directed by William Nigh and starring James Dunn, Florence Rice, Robert Dudley, and Sam McDaniel. The plot finds a newlywed couple honeymooning in a house they think is haunted but which is really overrun by a gang of criminals trying to recover stolen loot. Based on an original story by American animator Milt Gross, the screenplay was the first film script by comedian Morey Amsterdam.
The Miser's Doom is an 1899 British short film directed by Walter R. Booth. The film seems to be a lost film.
The night hag or old hag is the name given to a supernatural creature, commonly associated with the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. It is a phenomenon in which the sleeper feels the presence of a supernatural, malevolent being which immobilizes the person as if sitting on their chest or the foot of their bed. The word "night-mare" or "nightmare" was used to describe this phenomenon before the word received its modern, more general meaning. Various cultures have various names for this phenomenon and supernatural character.
The Doris Bither case, also known as the Entity haunting, was a 1974 investigation into alleged paranormal phenomena in Culver City, California, experienced by a woman named Doris Bither. The case inspired Frank De Felitta's 1978 book The Entity which was made into a 1982 film of the same name starring Barbara Hershey.
Ghostlore is an intricate web of traditional beliefs and folklore surrounding ghosts and hauntings. Ghostlore has ingrained itself in the cultural fabric of societies worldwide. Defined by narratives often featuring apparitions of the deceased, ghostlore stands as a universal phenomenon, with roots extending deeply into human history.
The Haunting of M is an American 1979 independent horror film directed by Anna Thomas and starring Sheelagh Gilbey, Nini Pitt, Evie Garratt, Alan Hay, and Jo Scott Matthews. This is the only film directed by Thomas, with her husband Gregory Nava acting as a cinematographer. Thomas shot the film in a castle in Scotland inviting a little known cast. The film premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival.
David J. Hufford is an American folklorist and ethnographer known for his research on paranormal phenomena and sleep paralysis. He is professor emeritus of Humanities and Psychiatry at Penn State University College of Medicine, and the former chair of Medical Humanities.
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