Spectrophilia

The Greek Stoic Philosopher Athenodorus Rents a Haunted House

Spectrophilia is sexual attraction to ghosts or sexual arousal from images in mirrors, as well as the alleged phenomenon of sexual encounters between ghosts and humans.

Spectrophilia as a fetish

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.

Succubus and Incubus

In western folklore, the succubus is a demon or evil spirit who takes on a female human form to seduce men. The succubus most commonly seduces men through intercourse. The succubus is said to take semen from the male for use in impregnating a woman.

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 the woman with its semen. The belief that succubi and incubi are spirits or ghosts that have sexual intercourse with men and women classifies the phenomenon as spectrophilia.

Spectrophilia in folklore

Many cultures have folklore involving spirits having sexual relations with humans, including Arabic, Greek, Hindu, and Celtic culture.

Evidence

No scientific evidence has been documented on the phenomenon of spectrophilia, though it has become a frequently talked-about subject among ghost hunters, including Ghost Adventures and the Travel Channel's show titled ‘Ghostly Lovers’.

In modern fiction

Several films have dealt with the concept, among them Ghostbusters (1984), The Entity (1982), Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7), Ghost (1990), “Scary Movie 2” (2001), and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (2008)