incubi

Incubi are mythological or folkloric beings traditionally believed to be male spirits or demons that, during sleep, visit and have intimate relations with women. The concept originates from medieval European stories, where such entities were thought to cause sleep paralysis or nightmares, often associated with feelings of pressure or suffocation. In modern contexts, incubi are viewed as symbolic representations of subconscious fears or sexual anxieties rather than literal entities. The female counterpart is called a "succubus." These figures are rooted in cultural narratives explaining sleep disturbances before scientific understanding of sleep and dreams developed.