184. Necrophilia

While thankfully rare, Necrophilia, the act of sexual abuse of the deceased, has a long and storied history. Through myth, legend, history, psychological and criminal classifications, this Paraphilia inhabits one of the most disturbing and dark corners of the human psyche. This week, the docs go deep into history, research and case studies of Carl Tanzler and Karen Greenlee to explore a rare and disquieting practice that is a far outlier on the constellation of sexuality.

Resources

• Aggrawal, Anil. “A New Classification of Necrophilia.” Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, vol. 16, no. 6, Aug. 2009, pp. 316–320, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2008.12.023.

• Burg, R. W. (1982). "Rape and the Law: The History of the "Marital Exemption" for Rape." *Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences*, 18(1), 51-62.

• Calef, V., & Weinshel, E. M. (1972). The Sleeping Beauty Syndrome: Some Considerations of Sleeping and Its Psychopathology. *International Journal of Psychoanalysis*, 53, 419-425.

• Eugene, C. (2006). *Potent Sleep: The Cultural Politics of Sleep*. [Master’s thesis, Bowling Green State University].

• Fay, C. (2002). *Stories of the Sleeping Body: Literary, Scientific and Philosophical Narratives of Sleep in Nineteenth Century France*. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Virginia].

• Griffiths, Mark . “Sleeping Duty: A Beginner’s Guide to Somnophilia.” Drmarkgriffiths, 16 Apr. 2024, drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/?s=somnophilia. Accessed 30 May 2024.

• Knowles, M. (2006). James Joyce's Letters: Paraphilic Sexual Fantasies in the Relationship with Nora Barnacle. *New School for Social Research*.

• Mark, Joshua J. “Herodotus on Burial in Egypt.” World History Encyclopedia, www.worldhistory.org/article/89/herodotus-on-burial-in-egypt/#:~:text=89%20has%20been%20proven%20accurate. Accessed 14 May 2024.

• “Paraphilias Causes and Treatments.” Mental Help, www.mentalhelp.net/sexual-disorders/paraphilias-causes-and-treatments/. Accessed 14 May 2024.

• Postmedia Netwwork. “Lawyer in Bill Cosby Case Draws Attention to Unusual Sex Disorder Called Somnophilia.” Toronto Sun, 10 July 2015, torontosun.com/2015/07/10/lawyer-in-bill-cosby-case-draws-attention-to-unusual-sex-disorder-called-somnophilia. Accessed 29 May 2024.

• Psychology Today. “Paraphilias | Psychology Today.” Psychology Today, 2016, www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/paraphilias. Accessed 14 May 2024.