Spectrophilia
Sexual attraction to ghosts or spirits.
Spectrophilia, also known as Phasmophilia, is a paraphilia involving sexual attraction to ghosts or spirits, as well as arousal from images in mirrors. It also refers to alleged sexual encounters between ghosts and humans. The phenomenon appears in folklore and modern paranormal investigations.
Research
Accounts of paranormal encounters frequently include sexual elements, often described as nonconsensual or unpleasant. Traditional ghost stories and legends commonly feature seduction or temptation, such as the Latin American legend of La Llorona, a female ghost who lures men to their deaths. Western folklore includes the succubus, a demon in female form that seduces men to drain their semen or energy, and the incubus, a male demon that seduces women, often with the aim of impregnation. The Mare is another European folkloric example. These accounts have been linked to sleep paralysis, a documented phenomenon where individuals hallucinate spectral figures; the sexual content of such hallucinations is theorized to stem from repressed sexual frustration or anxiety. Folklorist David Hufford estimated that about 15% of the population has experienced sleep paralysis at least once. Despite a lack of scientific evidence, spectrophilia is a frequent topic among ghost hunters, featured on shows such as Ghost Adventures and the Travel Channel program Ghostly Lovers. Online forums have also promoted belief in sexual encounters with ghosts, often portraying them as not necessarily harmful. Stories of romance between humans and ghosts, especially men and female ghosts, appear in the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling.
In fiction
Spectrophilia appears in various media. The 1982 film The Entity and the 1984 comedy Ghostbusters both feature it, as do the 1990 romance Ghost and the parody Scary Movie 2. Television episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and American Horror Story: Murder House also explore the concept, along with the anime Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. The Phantom of the Opera story includes spectrophilic themes. Romantic ballets like Giselle and La Sylphide depict ghostly women in white. Madonna's song "Supernatural" describes a ghostly lover, and in a Regular Show episode, Hi Five Ghost has a human soulmate named Celia.
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