The devil molested me: A case series of incubus syndrome from North India.
Robin Victor, Priyaranjan Avinash, Rupali Rohatagi, Arvinder Singh Aulakh
Industrial Psychiatry Journal July 1, 2022 DOI: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_207_21 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case series Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Females with psychotic disorder who developed incubus syndrome |
| Interventions | Antipsychotic medication modified electroconvulsive therapy |
| Keywords | Schizophrenia Psychosis Devil Incubus |
| Key findings | The authors report a case series of women with psychotic disorders who over time developed incubus syndrome, and argue that cultural factors and superstition contribute to the formation of the disorder. They describe treatment with antipsychotic medication and modified electroconvulsive therapy. Authors disagree on whether incubus syndrome is linked to psychotic disorders or sleep disorders. |
Abstract
Incubus syndrome is a disorder typically seen in females where she reports that a male demon lies upon her and engages in sexual activity with her. While the concept of incubus is typically based on Western folklore a limited number of case reports are present on this topic more from India. There is a diverse opinion among the authors related to this disorder where some link this to psychotic disorders while some to sleep disorders. Here we report a case series of females who were suffering from psychotic disorder and over time developed incubus syndrome. We also the role of cultural factors and superstition in the formation of these disorders and the role of antipsychotic medication and modified electroconvulsive therapy in its treatment.