Sexual hallucinations can include images, sensations of touch, erotic dialogue, and even orgasms. However, these experiences are not as pleasant as one might think. Most of them are frightening and embarrassing, and discussing them with a doctor can be quite psychologically challenging, and such experiences are more commonly reported by women than by men.
Under the guidance of Jan Dirk Blom, doctors from the Netherlands studied 390 patients. The authors analyzed various causes of sexual hallucinations, including substance abuse, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and other psychological disorders. Their list also included the “incubus phenomenon,” which is when a person sees a demon or another creature during a bout of sleep paralysis. Often, the actions of the incubus are aggressive or overtly sexual.
According to the researchers, approximately one person in 250 has experienced an attack by an incubus. This is significant, as sleep paralysis is the most common cause of sexual hallucinations. However, since most people experience only one incubus attack in a lifetime, it is usually sufficient to reassure the patient of this and explain what happened.
The authors drew a parallel with another phase state—false awakenings—noting that both are intermediate states between wakefulness and the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. The appearance of the incubus is explained by the intrusion of a hallucination into (apparent) wakefulness.
Have you ever experienced sexual hallucinations during a phase state?
The article was published in January 2024 in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
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