Incubi and Succubi: Protection from Dark Magics and Cures for Night Terrors – Part II

Psychological Distress

Some researchers have suggested that Incubus/Succubus attacks are related to strong sexual repression. As noted above, tales of Incubi and Succubi were originally linked more with monks and nuns – two groups of individuals who have sworn celibacy. As the nature of the attacks is sexual and has been associated with erotic dreams and/or bodily sensations, there is a belief by some that victims of the attacks feel sexual desires that they refuse to acknowledge, thus their subconscious plays out sexual feelings at night when it can run rampant. There is also a belief that the encounters are hallucinations or delusions that emerge from the repression of sexual desires.

The Incubus lies atop the dreamer, begets horrors. (CC BY 2.0)

On the other hand, others have focused on the sensation of fear associated with the attacks and believe that the person who has these types of experiences suffers from strong anxiety or stress issues. Even in the Medieval period, medical doctors suggested that it was useful for a person to reduce their stressors to help do away with the demons. For example, Bernard de Gordon wrote that the person “should live in joy and happiness and avoid all sadness,” and suggested that music or conversations with friends could help the patient feel better. He also proposed that a person being attacked by an Incubus “should have a beloved friend who, upon hearing him calling out and almost lamenting, should wake him.”