Necrophilia

Necrophilia (also called thanatophilia or getting too close to grandma) is a sexual attraction or sexual act involving corpses (dead bodies). The attraction is classified as a paraphiliaPreviously called "sexual perversion". by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM; not to be confused with BDSM). 
Necrophilia-based tropes have also manifested themselves in literary works, film, comic books, television, et cetera."Literary Necrophilia", TV Tropes."I Love the Dead", TV Tropes.
==Classification==
A ten-tier classification of necrophilia as a mental disorder exists: (subscription required)
# Role players: People aroused from pretending their live partner is dead during sexual activity.
# Romantic necrophiliacs: Bereaved people who remain attached to their dead lover's body.This could be considered "weird but understandable"; people process grief at different rates and in different ways.
# Necrophilic fantasizers: People who fantasize about necrophilia but never actually have sex with a corpse.
# Tactile necrophiliacs: People aroused by touching or stroking a corpse without engaging in intercourse.
# Fetishistic necrophiliacs: People who remove objects or body parts from a corpse for sexual purposes without engaging in intercourse.
# Necromutilomaniacs: People who derive pleasure from mutilating a corpse while masturbating without engaging in intercourse.
# Opportunistic necrophiliacs: People who usually have no interest in necrophilia but take the opportunity when it arises.
# Regular necrophiliacs: People who preferentially have intercourse with the dead.
# Homicidal necrophiliacs: People who commit murder to have sex with the dead.
# Exclusive necrophiliacs: People who have an exclusive interest in sex with the dead and for living partners.
In the DSM-5, intense sexual interest in corpses can be diagnosed under "Other Specified Paraphilic Disorder" if it causes marked distress or impairment in important areas of functioning properly as a human being.
== History ==
The term was coined by the who first used the term nécrophiles in a lecture about mental illnesses in 1850 (in reference to the necrophile who claimed was a necrophile due to feeble-mindedness and masturbation).Which would make anyone on Wikipedia – or RationalWiki, for that matter – a rampant necrophile. It derives from the Greek words νεκρός (nekros; "dead") and φιλία (philia; "love"), although there are more respectful and conventional ways to show love for the dead, such as mourning.
Singular accounts of necrophilia in history are sporadic, though written records suggest the practice was present within ancient Egypt, which would explain the obsession with mummification. Herodotus writes in The Histories that, to discourage intercourse with a corpse, ancient Egyptians left deceased beautiful women to decay for "three or four days" before giving them to the embalmers. Herodotus also alluded to suggestions that Greek tyrant Periander had defiled his wife's corpse, employing a metaphor: "Periander baked his bread in a cold oven." The primary source is Histories, Book V, 92. Acts of necrophilia are also depicted on ceramics from the – a common theme in these artifacts is the masturbation of a male skeleton by a living woman (wait, how would that work?). law from the 16th century BCE to the 13th century BCE explicitly permitted sex with the dead.
=== Contemporary ===
A modern example, was a necrophiliac serial killer. To be aroused, he had to murder his victims before performing sexual intercourse with them. British serial killer is also considered to have been a necrophiliac.
==Prevalence==
Necrophilia has been observed in nature among many species of animals, including the brainy crows.Gardner, J. (July 19, 2018). Why Are Some Crows Committing Necrophilia? New York Times. Retrieved April 2, 2019. This makes necrophilia perfectly fine and recommended a great argument against the appeal to nature fallacy. Biologists refer to it as Davian behavior, a name coined by biologist Robert W. Dickerman based on a limerick:There was on old miser named Davewho kept a dead whore in a cave.He said “I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a shitbut look at the money I save.”Farewell, Robert W. Dickerman, the biologist who coined ‘Davian Behavior’, Annals of Improbable Research, 29 April 2015Another prominent animal expert is Kees Moeliker, author of the epochal paper "The first case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard Anas platyrhynchos" and instigator of Dead Duck Day on June 5th at Natural History Museum Rotterdam.Moeliker, C.W., 2001 – The first case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard Anas platyrhynchos (Aves: Anatidae) – DEINSEA 8: 243-247 [ISSN 0932-9308]. Published 9 November 2001The Duck, Kees Moeliker, accessed 12 Feb 2020
No official statistics for necrophilia amongst the general human population exists because, as one commenter on Google Answers said: "Sadly the victims are usually very tight-lipped on reporting these crimes.""Necrophilia Statistics", asked by hyrum-ga on Google Answers, 07 Mar 2005 18:03 PST.Though it could also be because it's something that most people prefer not to think about. See also our article on bestiality. Reports are skewed because cases involving murder are more likely to come to the attention of police than those involving spouses or partners who have recently passed away.
There have been notorious necrophiles throughout history,Top 10 Notorious Necrophiliacs in History , TopYaps. and necrophiliac fantasies are often described as more prevalent than expected. However, some necrophiles only fantasize about the act without carrying it out, as with pedophiles (although the reasons can be quite different).
=== Why? ===
Rosman and Resnick (1989) reviewed information from 34 cases of necrophilia describing the individuals' motivations for their behaviors: these individuals reported the desire to possess a non-resisting and non-rejecting partner (68%), reunions with a romantic partner (21%), sexual attraction to corpses (15%), comfort or overcoming feelings of isolation (15%), or seeking self-esteem by expressing power over a homicide victim (12%).
==Wingnuttery==
Some public figures of the wingnut tendency say that same-sex marriage or LGBT rights in general will lead the world down the slippery slope to accepting bestiality and/or pedophilia,Cull, Bob. Idaho Woman To Lawmakers: Gay Marriage Will Lead To Legalized Necrophilia. Crooks and Liars. January 29, 2015.Brinker, Luke. WND Columnist: Marriage Equality Rulings Will Lead To Pedophilia, Bestiality, Necrophilia. Media Matters for America. July 2, 2013 1:03 PM EDT.Colombian senator: Same-sex marriage would lead to bestiality or necrophilia. Pink News. 6th December 2012, 4:04 PM and sometimes promoted by the evil Jews as part of their grand scheme to destroy Aryan sexual norms with Sexual Bolshevism and/or Cultural Marxism, after realizing that state Communism failed.Duffy, Nick (quoting YouTube commenter). Watch: Little boy twerks at Pride parade and upsets homophobes, Pink News. Accessed 15 June 2015. "It slowly started off by homosexuality becoming acceptable, now it's starting to justify pedophilia, and eventually will lead to accepting bestiality and necrophilia in the future. America, Europe, Australia and the whole world is doomed. Cultural Marxism is the best weapon the Jew has ever used so far, after realizing Communism will not win." According to Louie Gohmert, legislation to prevent hate crimes will lead to necrophilia.Lee Fang. "Rep. Louie Gohmert: Hate crimes bill will lead to Nazism, legalization of necrophilia, pedophilia, and bestiality." ThinkProgress. 2009 October 7.
This is especially ironic in the United States, as same-sex marriage has been formally banned in many states where necrophilia isn't technically illegalDr. Justin Lehmiller. Same-Sex Marriage Is Formally Banned In More Parts Of The U.S. Than Necrophilia. March 17, 2014. but will probably lead to an arrest for "desecrating a corpse" or something like that.
==Notes==
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