Ke$ha claims she had sex with a ghost

Ke$ha claims she had sex with a ghost

True, or just a dumb publicity stunt?

While doing publicity for her new single "Supernatural," pop star sensation Ke$ha told interviewer Ryan Seacrest that the song was inspired by a sexual encounter with a ghost. The single has yet to be released, but according to this snipped uploaded to YouTube, "Supernatural" sounds similar in tone and theme to Katy Perry's hit song "E.T." But instead of alien sex, it's ghost sex.

Many people both inside and outside the paranormal research community are skeptical of Ke$ha's claims, to say the least. First, she is not presenting them as sober fact. The way she presents it makes it sound like a light-hearted bit of gossip more than a deep, heart-felt confession. Which makes it sound more like a marketing move than a confession of an encounter with the paranormal. Her attitude trivializes the event to such an extent that it's hard to believe she even means for people to believe it. It ends up coming off as a bit of pop star posturing.
 
However, there is a body of literature regarding sex with the paranormal. The obvious connection is to the legend of the incubus (male) and succubus (female), evil spirits that specialize in raping their victims. 

The most telling thing about these legends is that they flourish most strongly in misogynist cultures where it is unacceptable for women to have sex or get pregnant outside of wedlock. Women who were raped, or who engaged in secret sexual activity which led to a pregnancy, might be tempted to claim that "a demon did this to me," in order to avoid punishment.
 
Another related phenomenon is sleep paralysis, known by various names including the "Night Hag." When you fall asleep, your brain disengages control over your body. This keeps you from thrashing around all night re-enacting your dreams. Ordinarily your brain de-paralyzes you before you wake up. But in some cases, the normal sleep paralysis remains after you wake up. Thus, terrified sufferers wake up to discover that they are held in place by an invisible force. 
 
Sleep paralysis is a terrifying (yet harmless) experience. It is often accompanied by auditory hallucinations and by a feeling of pressure on the chest. It can easily be interpreted by the still-groggy mind as being raped by an invisible force.
 
And finally, we have the obvious possibility, which is that it was simply a dream.