Monthly Archives: September 2014

Incubus & Succubus: Erotic Dream or a Deviant Reality?

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There are still a lot of people out there who haven’t heard of these lascivious creatures, while there are others who shun away from the sheer notion of them. And yet, there are those of us who are lured into their provocative legends.

An incubus is a demon who allegedly climbs on top of women who are sleeping in attempt to have sex with them. The female counterpart of an incubus is referred to as a succubus. She acts seductively in the same manner as her counterpart, however her victims are sleeping men.

Incubi and succubi (plural for incubus and succubus) are supposedly extremely attractive, charming and know exactly how to persuade their victims into their lustful trap. Legend states that these erotic demons lie on top of their helpless victims while they sleep and enter their dreams causing nocturnal emissions to occur. Many believe that the purpose of the incubus is to impregnate women, while the succubus’s purpose is to drain the souls of men. Superstitions claim that if a relationship with either of these demonic entities is formed, then it can lead to severe health issues and possibly even death.

Reports of incubi date way back to 2400 BC during Mesopotamia times. It was rumored that the hero, Gilgamesh’s father was Lilu, an incubus that supposedly aroused women in their sleep with his erogenous ways. The men from that era had their version as well, the succubus referred to as Lililu. Another tale comes from the Malleus Maleficarum in 1486 written by Heinrich Kramer. Kramer wrote that a succubus’s purpose was to seduce her victim and collect his semen. Then, the incubus would take the semen and use it to impregnate his female victim. With this theory, it gives explanation as to how demons sire children. These alleged children were called cambions who were often born cursed with birth defects and a sensitivity to the supernatural.

Versions of the incubus are known worldwide. In South Africa, their version is referred to as Tokolosh. In Germany, their version is an Alp and in Chile, they call theirs The Trauco. And succubus versions known worldwide include the Huldra in Scandinavia, the Siren in Greece and even the widely known mermaid.

Many scientists theorize that victims of succubi and incubi could quite possibly be the unfortunate victims of actual sexual assaults. And that the elaborate stories of such creatures were created to help conceal the truths behind the heinous realities.

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter @sheilarparker.

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“A Nightmarish Origin”

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We’ve all had nightmares at some point in our lives. Several people are plagued with them as if they were in a film caught in some sort of terrifying loop destined to repeat itself while others are fortunate enough to hardly ever have one. Yet, we really don’t put much emphasis into the origin of the word “nightmare”. Many of us shudder at the mere thought of even considering it. So quick are we in wanting to forget such frightening visions, but the truth of the matter is that the word “nightmare” dates back from Old English times when the word “mare” referred to folkloric demons that terrorized people by sitting on their chests while the individuals slept, causing them to have haunting dreams. These so-called demons were often thought to be incubi and/or succubi. The prefix “night” was later added to articulate the dream condition.

Nightmares, as we all know, can cause us to awake abruptly in cold sweats with palpitating heartbeats. Sometimes they can be so disturbing and vivid that the horrifying dreams can linger in our minds all throughout the waking day. Studies report that they happen mostly during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and that we are more apt to remember nightmares than we are the more pleasant dreams.

It’s interesting how the mind works, how each and every one of us reacts to something that can leave such an impact like a nightmare. They can be so daunting that nightmares can even lead to insomnia. What causes such startling hallucinations in our sleep? Several things actually from living a stressful life that one’s subconsciousness can weigh heavily on the slumbering mind, drugs like antidepressants can also contribute to nightmares and many people even claim having scary dreams after eating late night snacks.

A lot of times, nightmares (or any other kind of dreams for that matter) can reflect feelings that a person subconsciously may not even be aware that exists. For example, let’s just say that an individual has a nightmare that involves a threatening storm with a huge house crashing down upon them. Does it literally mean that this will happen to them in real life? Let’s hope not! But it could possibly symbolize that there may need to be a change in the structure of their waking life. However with this subject, it taps into the discussion of dream analysis and that’s a whole other topic.

The way our subconsciousness works can certainly be full of loaded questions with “one of a kind” answers for everyone is different in their own unique way. How we all handle things can be compared to fingerprints, there are no two that are just alike. I’ve had my share of frightening dreams, but the way I’ve dealt with them was by bringing them to life with paper and pen, giving birth to the poems and stories that I’ve so happily created.

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter @sheilarparker.

 

Phantom Travelers ~ a.k.a. ~ Ghostly Hitchhikers

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There have been countless reports of these preternatural creatures throughout the centuries. Phantom travelers are supposedly the spirits of humans and/or animals that haunt certain locations like roads or well traveled areas. They’re thought to originate from the catastrophic events that happened at these locations, therefore intensifying tenacious emotional attachments that heighten the supernatural energy of these places. Such horrific events include car crashes, train wrecks and motorcycle accidents just to name a few that have proven fatal.

These spirits appear as if they are among the living, like you and me. They seem tangible without any transparency at all. Yet, they are not to be confused with doppelgangers for they are not harbingers of doom. The opaque apparitions seem deeply saddened, traumatized and severely lonely.

They are commonly seen alongside roads, railroad tracks and even cemeteries. Often, a passerby traveling will see these life-like phantoms as they suddenly appear in the car’s headlights. Looking as if they are distressed, the driver will ask the ghost if they are in need of any help or possibly wanting a ride somewhere. Several reports claim that when the living person’s kind offer was accepted, there was little interaction with their ghostly passenger. And once destination was reached, the phantom traveler exited the vehicle only to vanish into thin air, leaving the driver completely terrified and confused.

When I was growing up, an urban legend floated around town that mystified all those who listened. The details, for me, were never clear, but I somehow remember the tale of a headless woman that haunted a small bridge on a county road. It was said that anyone stopping on this old bridge around the hour of midnight, turning off their car and then repeatedly flashing the headlights, would see the vision of the headless woman carrying her head in front of the vehicle. Did I ever try this alleged paranormal experiment? Of course I did with many of my friends, but was unable to witness anything conclusive.

Perhaps the ghostly hitchhikers aren’t aware of their passing or are simply too distraught to move on, causing them to be trapped in our physical realm. Who knows….

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter @sheilarparker.

Interview with Robb Demarest of Ghost Hunters International

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Today I’m welcoming paranormal investigator, Robb Demarest of Ghost Hunters International. He’s also investigated on Haunting: Australia and on Seekers. Thank you, Robb for stopping by!

 

Sheila ~ Why the paranormal? Is it something that you’ve always been interested in or was there a particular instance that started it all for you?

Robb ~ It mainly started because my mom would take my sister and I to empty buildings in the area where we lived. Many of these buildings, of course, had received the reputation of being haunted. While I did not see any ghosts lingering about, it became a life-long passion.

 

Sheila ~ What was it like working with Jason, Grant and the rest of the crew of Ghost Hunters?

Robb ~ The funny thing is that, while it was great meeting them, I have never actually investigated alongside any of them. We have been in the same location, but I was with my good friend Dustin Pari the entire night.

 

Sheila ~ Did things change (in the paranormal sense) when you became the lead investigator for Ghost Hunters International?

Robb ~ I wouldn’t say anything changed for me in the paranormal sense. Perhaps the biggest change was being able to work alongside some great investigators with different mindsets that helped bring new ideas to the table.

 

Sheila ~ Of all the locations you visited worldwide, what was your favorite one and why?

Robb ~ I would say that there are a number that stick out. Clark Air Force Base Hospital in the Philippines was an incredible place in terms of activity and history. The monastery in Italy, an island prison in Costa Rica, an insane asylum in Australia… there have been a lot of dream locations that I’ve had the unique luck/honor of being able to investigate.

 

Sheila ~ Do you have any special gifts, like being psychic or a sensitive, that helped you with your investigations?

Robb ~ I am not a psychic or a sensitive. I would say my unique gift is to have an open mind. Most investigators go in to prove something. They may want to prove there are ghosts present or prove there aren’t. I try my best to just let the evidence speak for itself.

 

Sheila ~ What was the scariest encounter that you’ve experienced?

Robb ~ I don’t know if there has been anything too incredibly scary, but I was investigating a war museum in Malaysia, using a devise called an Echovox when I had hair-raising replies from the device. First, it said my name. I asked what I could do. A woman’s voice replied “Help”. I asked what I could do to help, and a young girl’s voice replied “die”.

 

Sheila ~ Have spirits ever followed you home from a location? And if so, what did you do to make them go away?

Robb ~ I think no ghosts have followed me home because US immigration is so tough. No, I’ve never had anything follow me home.

 

Sheila ~ Have you ever been physically attacked by a paranormal entity?

Robb ~ I have never been attacked. I have asked the spirit of a little girl to take my hand, and subsequently had the air around my hand drop instantly. Keep in mind this was on a VERY warm summer’s night in Argentina.

 

Sheila ~ What is your favorite piece of equipment when doing an investigation and why?

Robb ~ My go-to piece of equipment is a digital voice recorder. I probably have 20 or so of them. I believe EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) is the best evidence that we have been able to collect in our search for ghosts.

 

Sheila ~ Do you have any advice for anyone that wants to become a paranormal investigator?

Robb ~ My advice, as always, is be you. Don’t model how you investigate on what you saw on tv or glimpsed in a book. For the field to move forward, investigators need to keep trying new ideas, techniques, and equipment. This is the only chance to move forward. Thank you for inviting me for this interview. I will be doing a very rare public appearance on October 10th at The Italian Club in Tampa Florida for an evening of real paranormal investigation. More details and tickets available at www.FLghosttours.com.

 

Find Robb Demarest online @

www.twitter.com/RobbDemarest

www.facebook.com/RobbDemarest

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