Already familiar enough with the science of sleep paralysis?

Scroll down for 5 podcast episodes where we interview regular folks who have seen a demon during sleep paralysis, or had other sleep paralysis experiences that felt unexplained by current scientific theories.

What Is Sleep Paralysis?

People describe sleep paralysis as waking up, unable to move or speak, and feeling like they’ve been cast in a twisted game of “freeze tag” with their worst nightmares. This temporary paralysis can last from a few seconds to several minutes, long enough for you to rethink all your life choices and reconsider if that late-night horror movie marathon was such a good idea as you lay there unable to move. It’s often accompanied by vivid hallucinations, just in case the paralysis alone wasn’t terrifying enough.

Imagine waking up to find yourself immobile, with an invisible force pressing down on your chest. You want to scream, but no sound comes out. Your eyes dart around the room, and then you see it—a shadowy figure lurking in the corner. This is the quintessential sleep paralysis experience, a real-life horror story that leaves many wondering if they’ve just had a brush with the supernatural.

Sleep Research

Ongoing studies continue to shed light on sleep paralysis. For instance, research has found that sleep paralysis may be linked to disrupted REM sleep cycles, which can be caused by stress, irregular sleep schedules, and sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and sleep apnea. Stay updated on new findings with publications like Sleep Medicine Reviews.

Brain Activity During an Episode of Sleep Paralysis

Brain activity during sleep paralysis involves a curious mix of wakefulness and REM sleep, creating a strange blend of consciousness and dreaming. During REM sleep, the brain remains highly active, which can lead to the vivid and lifelike experiences that characterize sleep paralysis. Research into this interplay between REM sleep and wakefulness provides valuable insights into how they might be prevented.

The REM Sleep Connection

To understand sleep paralysis, you need to know about the sleep cycle. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is the part of the cycle where you do most of your dreaming. During REM sleep, the part of the brain responsible for muscle tone decides it’s a good idea to paralyze your muscles to prevent you from acting out your dreams. Because who would want to wake up smashing their nightstand in horror, thinking there’s a monster there? You may experience sleep paralysis when this muscle immobility persists as you wake up or fall asleep, making you a temporary prisoner in your own body.

The brain is responsible for sleep paralysis. During REM, the brain sends signals to inhibit muscle movement, preventing you from acting out your dreams. Sleep paralysis occurs when these signals continue after waking or before sleep onset. So, if you want to blame someone, blame your brain for this late-night horror show. Understanding the sleep cycle and how REM fits into it is crucial for demystifying these frightening experiences.

Experience Sleep Paralysis

Lifetime prevalence rates for sleep paralysis vary, but studies suggest that a significant portion of the population will experience it at least once. Knowing that you’re not alone in this can provide some comfort and reduce the isolation that often accompanies these experiences.

People experience sleep paralysis differently, but common elements include an inability to move, a sense of pressure on the chest, and frightening hallucinations. These sleep related hallucinations can be as benign as the feeling that someone is standing by your bed, or as terrifying as seeing a supernatural entity coming to get you.

Characteristics of Sleep Paralysis Hallucinations: Know Your Enemy

Understanding the characteristics of sleep paralysis, such as muscle paralysis, hallucinations, and the transition between sleep and wakefulness, can help demystify the experience. Knowledge is your best defense against the fear and anxiety that often accompany these episodes.

Meet the Sleep Paralysis Demon

Many victims of sleep paralysis report encountering sleep paralysis demons, sinister figures that seem all too real in the moment.

A sleep paralysis demon is a common hallucination during these episodes. It’s the brain’s equivalent of a haunted house attraction, complete with an malevolent entity, often shadowy and menacing, lurking in your room. The sensation of being watched or suffocated by this entity adds to the terror, because nothing says “sweet dreams” like a demonic creature staring into your soul.

Intruder hallucinations, where people perceive an malevolent force or alien abduction scenario, are common during sleep paralysis. These vivid experiences can be linked to our brain’s attempt to make sense of the paralysis and the fear it induces. Because when you can’t move, why not spice things up with a little alien probing or ghostly intrusion?

Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Hallucinations

Hypnagogic hallucinations occur as you are falling asleep, while hypnopompic hallucinations happen upon waking. Both types can occur during sleep paralysis, because why should nightmares have a monopoly on scaring the pants off you? Between sleep and wakefulness, these hallucinations can blur the line between dreams and reality, creating terrifying experiences.

A common hypnopompic hallucination involves seeing shadowy figures or intruders in your room as you wake up. It can make you wonder if you’ve stepped into a real-life ghost story, and fuel beliefs in sleep demons or supernatural entities. During the transition of falling asleep, these vivid images of sleep demons can feel overwhelmingly real.

Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry

Waking nightmare hallucinations are basically nightmares one experiences during sleep paralysis episodes. The night mare can add frightening hallucinations, or sensing impending doom, on top of the already frightening situation of feeling paralyzed.

Sleep Disorders and Sleep Paralysis Episodes

Sleep paralysis may occur as part of other nocturnal disorders, such as narcolepsy, or due to sleep deprivation. Certain neuropsychiatric disease, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can cause one to experience sleep paralysis as a symptom. Sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, can also be associated with sleep paralysis.

Isolated sleep paralysis isn’t really a great concern, but when it becomes chronic, there’s definitely something wrong. Identifying underlying health and sleep issues can help one prevent sleep paralysis from recurring. Nothing says “get your life together” like waking up to a demon on your chest.

Mental Health and Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis has pathologic associations with conditions that are common in the general population, such as anxiety, depression. Sexual abuse has also been linked to episodes of sleep paralysis, as does post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These traumas can lead to heightened anxiety and stress, both of which are triggers for the condition. Victims may experience specific fears during sleep paralysis, like hostile incubus hallucinations. Seeking support and treatment from a mental health professional can be beneficial for those experiencing recurrent/isolated sleep paralysis.

Sleep Hygiene and Prevention

Maintaining healthy snoozing habits is key to preventing sleep paralysis. Regular sleeping schedules, a comfortable sleeping environment, and avoiding stimulants before bed can improve sleep quality and reduce the likelihood of episodes.

Sleep Paralysis Demons

Transcultural psychiatry examines how cultural beliefs and practices influence the experience and interpretation of mental health conditions. Exploring these perspectives through transcultural psychiatry can provide a broader understanding of sleep paralysis and how it manifests differently around the world.

The interpretation of sleep paralysis varies widely across different cultures. Some see it as a purely medical condition, while others view it as a supernatural event, influenced by cultural beliefs and folklore.

The “Old Hag Phenomenon” is a term from folklore describing a demonic entity that sits on the chest of sleepers, causing paralysis and fear. Various cultures have their own versions, reflecting how sleep paralysis is always interpreted through a particular cultural filter.

One modern take on sleep paralysis involves space alien abduction scenarios. These vivid hallucinations reflect contemporary cultural fears and anxieties, showing how sleep paralysis can manifest differently across time and cultures. Whether it’s sleep demons or space aliens, even the sleeping brain knows how to keep things interesting.

Feeling an evil presence during sleep paralysis is a common experience among the general population. This sensation is likely a result of the brain’s attempt to make sense of the paralysis and associated hallucinations. Recognizing this can help you keep calm the next time a nocturnal intruder shows up.

Preventing Sleep Paralysis

Preventing episodes of sleep paralysis starts with good sleep habits. Ensure you have a consistent sleeping schedule, avoid caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime, and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Most of all, get enough sleep.

Poor sleep quality, whether due to stress, an uncomfortable sleeping environment, or other factors, can lead to an episode of sleep paralysis. Creating a sleep-friendly environment and addressing any underlying issues can help improve your sleep quality and reduce occurrences.

Sleeping position can influence the likelihood of experiencing sleep paralysis. Studies suggest that sleeping on your back increases the risk, so finding a comfortable side or stomach body position might help prevent episodes.

Relaxation

Relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises, can help reduce stress and anxiety, which are often associated with sleep paralysis. These techniques involve tensing and relaxing muscle groups to promote overall relaxation and reduce stress.

Guided meditation for goths

If you’re not the kind of person who can relax to typical guided meditations, we get you. Sometimes it feels like every guided relaxation session out there is basically the same. Well, not this one. Check out our Meditations for Goths on YouTube.

Central nervous system (CNS) drugs can help regulate sleep patterns and may reduce the frequency of episodes. Consulting with a healthcare professional can help determine if this might be a treatment option.

Supernatural Beliefs and Sleep Paralysis

Supernatural beliefs about sleep paralysis are common due to the vivid and often terrifying nature of the episodes. While science provides explanations, the cultural and historical contexts add layers of meaning to these experiences. Whether you chalk it up to ghosts, demons, or biology, sleep paralysis just feels paranormal.

There are also a few phenomena associated with sleep paralysis that lend some clout to its supernatural reputation.

Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreams, or dreams where you realize that you’re dreaming within the dream itself, can sometimes overlap with sleep paralysis. These states involve heightened awareness and control within the dream world, which can be fun under normal circumstances. Becky has mastered the art of lucid dreaming by developing the habit of poking her left palm with her right index finger at regular intervals throughout the day. Her goal is always to punch right through her palm, like a receipt on a spike at a 24-hour diner. Because this is such a habit in daily life, she’ll continue to poke away in her dreams, but when the finger penetrates the palm, that means this must be a dream. In theory, you can develop this skill by starting an impossible habit of your own like Becky’s, although Diana hasn’t been able to quite get it to work for her yet.

Out of Body Experiences

Out of body experiences (OBEs) can also occur during sleep paralysis, adding another layer of surrealism to the condition. OBEs are like unintentional astral projection. These experiences involve a sensation of floating outside your body, which can be both exhilarating and terrifying. Embracing the adventure can help reduce fear through curiosity.

When Sleep Paralysis Demons Can’t Be Explained

So, does sleep paralysis stem from demonic forces? While the episodes can certainly feel like encounters with otherworldly beings, science offers more grounded explanations. Sleep paralysis, with its associated hallucinations and physical sensations, is a fascinating intersection of sleep, neurology, and culture. Understanding the mechanics of REM sleep, muscle paralysis, and the brain’s role in these experiences demystifies the phenomenon somewhat.

Podcast Episodes with True Paranormal Stories About Sleep Paralysis and Demons

Then again, there are sleep paralysis stories that cannot be easily explained.

What if the demon is always there, but we can only see it during sleep paralysis?

For example, one person we interviewed told us sleep paralysis didn’t cause her demons, but only revealed them. Danielle’s theory, based on her own teenage first-hand paranormal experiences, is that sleep paralysis may have a less common cause: ghosts. Because her entire family heard strange noises throughout the house and other strange events, she believes that the shadow people were there in her childhood bedroom all the time, but she could only view them when she was experiencing sleep paralysis. When the haunting stopped, and her family stopped noticing strange noises in the house, Danielle’s sleep paralysis suddenly resolved.

Listen to these first hand paranormal experiences of demonic shadow figures that were only visible during sleep paralysis.

What if many unrelated people in the same place experience a sleep paralysis demon at the same time?

Not all sleep paralysis demons can be explained as hallucinations, either. If feeling like you’re being physically attacked by a demon during sleep paralysis is a personal experience, then how do you explain the exact same thing happening to over a dozen young women in a dorm, at the same time of night, over the course of several weeks? And if you had been one of these women, would you be able to brush it off as a completely natural occurrence? Or would you accept that maybe, you too, had come face to face with an actual demon?

Listen to this story about the sleep paralysis demon that terrified an entire floor within a dormitory.

What if sleep paralysis demons only bother you when you sleep in one particular room in a house with other signs of a haunting?

One guest told us that her childhood friend’s house was haunted. For one, a full-body apparition disappeared from her friend’s porch in a streak of white light. Other paranormal things happened in the house, like intense loud window shaking for no discernable reason. Sleeping over at that same house, she experienced terrible sleep paralysis, featuring demons chanting, as though preparing her for a ritual of some sort. But she only ever experienced isolated sleep paralysis when sleeping in her friend’s mom’s bedroom. Interestingly, the paranormal activity significantly receded after her friend’s mom moved out. From then on, she was able to rest soundly in that room. Could it be that her friend’s mom was haunted, and not the house?

Listen to her story, plus other weird paranormal stories from East Tennessee.

What if other people can see the same demon?

Every night, a shadow figure emerged from Bill’s closet to stare at him. He knew he wasn’t having sleep paralysis, because he could move, but he was absolutely certain moving was a very bad idea. The entity in the closet began to make him groggy. It seemed to induce brain fog and even manifest physical illness. As a self-proclaimed horror-freak and the offspring of generations of Roma people with inherited psychic gifts, Bill is open-minded yet rational about the paranormal. Eventually, he wondered if he might be seeing a demon. By the light of day, Bill was able to convince himself there’s nothing too bad happening. That is, until his roommate and friend saw the figure, too.

Listen to his story about the corroboration that made him question his logical skepticism about the sleep paralysis demon.

What if the sleep paralysis entity interacts with physical objects?

One guest told us a story about a figure in a cowl-hooded robe that scurried around his bed at night. He’s seen this same strange entity throughout his life, usually during sleep paralysis, so it seemed like a typical case. Except that his encounters with the sleep paralysis demon only occurred after other strange things began happening in his house. Oh, and it stole things from him!

Listen to his story; it will make you wonder, can a sleep paralysis demon steal physical belongings from you?

Do You Have Something Visiting You During Sleep Paralysis?

Have you had sleep paralysis encounters that don’t seem to fit within the logical scientific explanation of sleep-induced hallucinations? Why not apply to tell your story on the next episode of Homespun Haints, so you can share your experiences with people who have had similar ones?

Whether you chalk it up to supernatural forces or mere biology, sleep paralysis and the demons who live there are fascinating things to experience. Until the next time we see you in your nightmares, have a spooky day!

The post Our Top 5 Podcast Episodes About Sleep Paralysis With Demons appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Listen to the full episode:

Summary of today’s stories of first-hand paranormal experiences

When you were a child, did you ever get in trouble for something that a ghost did? Can you imagine not only being tormented by a nasty entity, but then getting blamed for the havoc that it wreaked?

Our guest today grew up with something sinister in her attic. Something that liked to creep, to crawl, to make loud noises in the middle of the night…and to create endless nights of horror. Let’s hear her terrifying personal ghost stories, today, on Homespun Haints.

What is dowsing?

We’ve always heard the word dowsing used to refer to the very specific and uncommon practice of using a pair of rods or sticks held laterally in the hands in front of the body. Asking a yes or no question may result in the dowsing rods moving. A different meaning can be assigned to various rod movement patterns. Rods moving towards each other could be a “yes;” crossing an emphatic “YES!” And away from each other a “no.”

Rods specifically manufactured for the explicit purpose of dowsing have their handles encased in a low-friction tube, so they rotate freely. They’re designed to allow spirits to communicate without expending too much energy.

When Danielle talks about dowsing in this episode, she’s referring to the pendulum technique. You know, like the time Becky used a pendulum to speak with the spirits of soldiers in a haunted Civil War Battlefield in Nashville. In the great tradition of thrifty witchcraft, Danielle’s college friends used whatever they had on hand to ask yes or no questions of unseen entities. We guess anything dangly that moves back and forth without influence from a significant force can be a dowsing tool. A pendant necklace, a spider on a silk thread, a tube sock half-full of frozen corn…hell, get creative.

Can a haunting cause sleep paralysis?

Most people caught in the throes of sleep paralysis report seeing shadowy humanoid figures and experiencing fear. Some say that this stage between wakefulness and sleep causes hallucinations, and that the fear is a side effect of not being able to move. One of the most common causes of sleep paralysis is stress, coupled with sleep deprivation.

But this is the 21st century; we’re pretty much all stressed and sleep-deprived a lot of the time, no? So how come only some people experience sleep paralysis? And only in some situations, not every time they’re sleep-deprived and stressed?

Danielle’s theory, based on her own teenage first-hand paranormal experiences, is that sleep paralysis may have a third cause: ghosts. She believes that the shadow people were there in her childhood bedroom all the time. But she believes she could only see them when she was experiencing sleep paralysis. When the haunting subsided, and her entire family stopped noticing strange noises in the house, Danielle’s sleep paralysis demons resolved.

Are child ghosts or elderly ghosts more likely to be demons?

It’s a theory we’ve heard before; when you see an unidentified supernatural entity who is presenting as the spirit of a deceased child, it’s probably a trick. We’ve heard that this might be because children are so innocent that their souls immediately cross to a better place when they pass away. Therefore, they never become earthbound spirits.

This would imply that there are no real child ghosts. Every representation of a child ghost is something else disguised as a child ghost. Whether this is the case exclusively for nefarious reasons, or just because the entity enjoys identifying as their childish self, we have no way of determining.

Why do demons disguise themselves as child ghosts?

Because the living see children as innocent, they might be a good costume for a sneaky evildoer to get into one’s good graces. Danielle might be the first to tell us that the same is likely to be true about entities who present as the spirit of a very elderly person.

This seems counterintuitive at first. Children may be arguably innocent, but by that logic (e. g. if time lived begets corruption), why would we see an elderly spirit as innocent? Danielle’s theory is that, in addition to displaying innocence, a nefarious presence would also want to present as something or someone physically harmless.

If you think about it, maybe some of these entities really do see themselves as physically harmless. Since they’re non-corporeal, perhaps the harm they cause is only psychic harm. Indeed, psychic influence could manifest into physical injury, but perhaps these entities can only use roundabout ways to influence the physical realm. Maybe that’s why Danielle’s college friend group spent nearly 6 months interacting with a demon without experiencing serious harm?

Have you had any first-hand paranormal experiences like these?

Have you ever owned a haunted antique? Do you have haunting-induced sleep paralysis? What’s the weirdest thing you use to dowse with? If you were a ghost, would you prefer to communicate through dowsing rods, a pendulum, or a Ouija board? What percentage of child ghosts and/or elderly ghosts do you think are actually demons in disguise? Join the discussion in our Facebook Group, or on Patreon.

Speaking of sharing personal paranormal stories, let’s all cross our fingers that Danielle sees some spooky things at the haunted Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, and comes home with more haunted Arkansas stories to share. But most importantly, make sure to say goodbye when you finish dowsing, or you’re gonna have a spooky day.

The post Rocking Chair Man Can’t See You appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Listen to this funny sleep paralysis episode here:

Or watch on YouTube:

Funny Sleep Paralysis Stories

You wake up in a pool of your own sweat. You can’t move—something is sitting on your chest. And it’s a naked man. Or is it a demon? Which is worse?! You try to scream, but all that comes out is a whimper. You’ve just entered the Haint Zone.

Something to this extent happens in this episode, where we speak with two very funny podcasters who have had some seriously sinister experiences in their past, including sleep paralysis and growing up in a haunted house.

AI-generated transcript of this episode available upon request.

What is Sleep Paralysis?

From a psychological perspective, sleep paralysis is when, after sleeping, your conscious mind wakes up before your body. People who experience this realize they are unable to move or speak because their body is technically still asleep; otherwise they feel like they are completely awake.

For centuries, however, people have reported seeing or feeling a “demon” (often a succubus or incubus) while they are in the sleep paralysis state. The actual phenomenon is poorly studied by scientific communities. However, plenty of psychology articles will assure you it is nothing supernatural. When you see something in that strange state between waking and sleeping, it is nothing more than a hallucination. A hallucination that a whole lot of people from a whole lot of different cultures and worldviews all mysteriously see as a similar creature.

Similarities between sleep paralysis demons that our guests have reported

1. Dark figure that appears that sits on sleep paralysis sufferer’s chest and pins them down
2. Figure is pure shadow
3. Figure paces back and forth along long side of the bed
4. Figure is wearing a hooded cloak, or nothing at all
5. Figure makes rustling noises, but does not speak
6. Sleep paralysis sufferer reports feelings of extreme dread and fear emanating from the figure
7. Shadow figure does not immediately disappear when sleep paralysis episode is over, but does disappear in light

About Live Laugh Larceny

Live Laugh Larceny is the brainchild of co-hosts and long-time friends Amanda and Trevin, who are based out of Kansas City. The show hilariously dissects otherwise inconsequential petty crimes and elevates them into long form stories, complete with cheesy sound effects and dramatic music.

Listen to Live Laugh Larceny on any platform at https://linktr.ee/Live.Laugh.Larceny.Podcast and follow this duo on Instagram @livelaughlarceny and on TikTok @livelaughlarceny.

Until next time, have a spooky day!

The post Not Today, Naked Bald Demon! appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Listen to the episode here:

Episode Summary: Paranormal Iowa

Sometimes ghost stories help to answer the questions we have about the paranormal. But sometimes, these stories only serve to create more questions. When you delve into the world of ghosts, demons, and other supernatural phenomena, you have to accept uncertainty, and know that some questions will never be answered.

Today, we present to you a string of incidents that occurred in the life of a young man living in Iowa. We leave it up to you to decide what to make of his experiences.

About the guest, Bailey

Bailey still identifies as a skeptic because he’s never literally “seen a ghost”. Yet he has seen the hatman; and a shadowy figure that doesn’t show up on camera harrassed him. He’s witnessed a potential alien visitation; and, of course, a mysterious invisible creature bit him while in a bedroom that backed up to a cemetery.

Sponsored by The Smell of Fear Candles

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Sponsored by Acid Queen Jewelry

Acid Queen Jewelry sponsors this episode. Alex is an artist who specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable artwork, inspired by folklore, magic, and other romantic notions crafted with sturdy metals and gorgeous large natural stones. Use the coupon code homespun for 10% off her gorgeous handmade necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelet cuffs. Sign up for her newsletter for early access to all sorts of new releases.

Show Notes

Bedrooms that back up to cemeteries

We’ve had a shocking number of guests on this show that have slept in rooms where their view out the bedroom window involved cemeteries in some way. We have to wonder…does living cemetery-adjacent have something to do with their ongoing paranormal experiences? For more view-of-the-boneyard realness, listen to The Woman Who Lived in a Cemetery, Things That Crawl Out of Cemeteries, and We’re Walking Through Blood.

Is a shared imaginary friend still imaginary?

Bailey first starts to question his reality when his older brother has a childhood dreamtime vision of his own imaginary friend, Tim. If both children in the same house have the same imaginary friend, what does that mean? Could it be that one brother picked up on the other brother’s stories, and has a good imagination? Or could it be that Tim existed outside of the imagination?

The Villisca Axe Murder House

Ghost Hunters love to portray The Villisca Axe Murder House as the most haunted paranormal place in Iowa. The locals aren’t all so keen on its sordid past being exploited for it’s touristy present. But there’s no denying that the house has seen an above average number of murders within.

Aside from its sinister history, what makes this house so scary? According to the fabulous article our friends Karly and Tera of The Haunted Housewives Podcast wrote for our blog, “Tour guides, visitors, and investigators hear whispers and footsteps. A lot. People see shadows and catch them on camera. Rumor has it that if you don’t believe in ghosts, you will after spending the night at the super haunted Villisca Axe Murder House.”

The Beast of Land Between the Lakes

It’s a tale as old as time. A group of inebriated college students with too few survival skills and too many beers make their way out into the woods to go camping. As they hike, they come across holes in the ground lined with sticks and tufts of grey fur. As the darkness grows, the students feel like they’re being watched. Then the howling begins. But it’s a howl that sounds almost like maniacal laughter. Human Laughter. A few days later, police discover their half-eaten bodies lodged in nearby trees.

This is an amalgam of the modern reports of encounters with the Beast of LBL. Yet the legend goes as far back as the 1800s, when Shawnee fur traders warned French explorers to watch out for something in the woods. Their descriptions were suspiciously werewolfy. It’s uncertain whether the original beast was a true shapeshifter, or a man with an inherited family trait that caused him to go mad after nightfall. But the fact that people are still reporting sightings and evidence of the beast to this day implies that he must have fathered little beastlings to carry on his terrifying legacy.

(And yes, we know, technically, the paranormal cryptid called the Beast of Land Between the Lakes is from Kentucky, not Iowa. But with the surprising speed at which this wolfman allegedly moves, he just might get around.)

The urge to run up the basement stairs because you feel something is following you

Is this just a childhood thing, as Bailey says, or is it more sinister? Diana also had this feeling quite frequently growing up. The feeling is less since moving back into her childhood home, but still occurs from time to time. But then again, the other things happening in Diana’s basement nowadays are still quite creepy.

What is it about superstitions that allow them to overcome logic and skepticism?

Bailey had a very superstitious grandma, who helped him feel more normal when the paranormal threatened to rock his reality. In this article, Diana breaks down some reasons why we have superstitions. The post explains why you feel the illogical urge to toss salt over your shoulder. And how that might actually be making your life better.

Paranormal Iowa

We hope you enjoyed today’s episode about some of the paranormal encounters Bailey had growing up in Iowa. If you’re from Iowa and have seen strange paranormal entities there, please leave us a comment on our Facebook Group. And if you want to do some paranormal investigation in Iowa, we can vouch that Bailey would be an astute and open-minded companion. He’s also itching to visit the Villisca Axe Murder House and other haunted places around Iowa. So if you’re ghost hunting in Iowa and could use a hand, drop us a line and we’ll hook you up so you can both have a spooky day!

The post What Bit Me? A True Paranormal Story from Iowa appeared first on Homespun Haints.

What is a succubus?

The succubus is a female sex demon. Perhaps she appears as a voluptuous young woman. Or perhaps as an old hag. Sometimes she appears as a disgusting monster. And sometimes as a terrifying monster—who is also somehow alluring. The underlying feature, of course, is that the succubus doesn’t appear as what she really is.

Can a succubus be male or female?

Let’s bridge back to the theory Ren introduced in the previous succubus blog article: that the succubus and incubus (male sex demon) are, in actuality, the same gender-fluid creature, taking the form that most suits their victim. But that begs the question…what really suits their victim?

Another succubus blog article for pride month!

In honor of pride month, let’s re-examine each of the proposed motives for—uh, succubism—and how they might work when a succubus attacks an unsuspecting lesbian.

Motive #1: Sex drive

The least popularly cited motive of the succubus was to please herself. Remember, succubi harken back to a time when women were expected to lack a strong sex drive, so this type of self-gratifying attack was seen as monstrous. “A female with desires?! Terrifying!” Obviously not an issue for lesbians, then or now. So, if this is consensual gland-to-gland combat, done and done.

If however, self-gratification is the goal of the succubus at the expense of her unwilling victim, paddling the pink canoe is going to be a little trickier to pull off with a lesbian victim. Hands and teeth make handy defensive weapons, which implies that the succubus would have to rely more on seduction than brute force to get into melee range effectively.

Motive #2: Corrupting the pious

What about corrupting the pious as motive? This is the most “yeah, suuuuure” scenario among the four. If a truly pious person is violated against their will, surely they know that’s not their own fault, and they’d be absolved of the aspect of sin involved, right? It sounds more like a closet case’s excuse to get to know a girl in the biblical sense. ”I swear, I didn’t have a choice! She must’ve been a succubus!” 

Motive #3: Stealing life force

One of the most common motivations cited is to steal a person’s life force by draining sexual energy. This seems to pretty much rule out succubus-on-lesbian hot yoga action right here. While it may be on-point to say that human males could be drained of energy through getting the kettle mended, females are physiologically different. Specifically, blood flow remains—or even increases—in and around the female chamber of secrets after a successful confringo spell. If auditioning the finger puppets isn’t too exhausting, hitting the upvote button often imbues more energy. This is why females more often have multiples, until exhausted from the workout.

But the workout aspect could theoretically be pretty minimal. Let’s be honest, having a sexy demon lady make a surprise attack on your pink fortress would be one of those “I’m just going to lie here and not ask questions” situations, no? I’d propose that, if a succubus in female form hits up a femme lesbian for a box lunch exclusively for the purpose of draining her of energy, that succubus will go to sleep still hungry that night. 

Motive #4: Procreation

If however, as cited in the first article, the succubus’ main goal is to procreate, then one would think the victim’s preference would have no bearing on the succubus’ appearance. Or would it? The original legend of succubi collecting trouser gravy stemmed from the theory that demons cannot reproduce on their own. In order to reproduce, the succubus makes a collection by playing two-ball in the middle pocket with a human male. Then, she will either shape-shift into an incubus, or pass the pearl jam off to a separate incubus (who I guess has a 2-way bacon bazooka?). Finally, the incubus will visit a human female and deposit the satchel syrup, fertilizing an egg. Somehow, this very normal human-human zygote combo doesn’t result in the classic pregnancy. The exchange method itself taints the population paste. Voilà, a bat in the cave.

Our modern concept of reproduction has grown well beyond just bringing the al-dente noodle to the spaghetti house, however. The Succubus could drop the baby batter off at a sperm bank, for example. (Psh, does she even need an incubus nowadays?) But if she truly is a shape-shifter, AND the (more modern) incarnation of her victim’s fantasies, she could simply play a game of Mr. Wobbly hides his helmet with a straight human male, and then visit a lesbian while in her same female form to deposit the ranch dressing in the hidden valley.

Also, being adept at shape-shifting, she could use literally any body part to make the deposit; no need for a bologna pony. And completely on the DL, at that. That has to be the most confounding encounter, like, ever.

Let’s picture that for a second.

How to make a demon baby unwittingly

Imagine you’re a lesbian looking for a good time (this is easier done if you are a lesbian, trust). You’re at the club with a group of friends, when an insanely hot goth girl asks you to dance. She’s got such an air of confidence and dominance, that you don’t mind her hokey ceramic fangs, blacklight-responsive red contact lenses, and horned headband. Her energy is dark, mysterious, and tempting. You feel like you almost can’t resist when she, without even asking, follows you home. She pulls you by the hand to your own bed, throws you down, and dials the rotary phone for hours. Then, she disappears into the night as you doze off. 

A few weeks later, you realize you’re several days late checking into the Red Roof Inn. You weren’t really watching out for this, and your mind doesn’t leap to being up the duff, ‘cause, you know, lesbianism. But a few months later, you can no longer deny what’s happening. Racking your brain for some explanation, you come up baffled. There was never even a time when you could’ve been roofied. 

You see your doctor for an ultrasound, and there’s the inexplicable proof…you’re harboring a fugitive. The ultrasound technician attempts to cover up her shocked gasp, as the scanner picks up 2 extra limbs, protruding from the fetus’ shoulder blades. And is that a spiked TAIL? Then, before your eyes, the form absorbs its extra appendages, and shapeshifts into a normal human fetus. 

At least your mother will be thrilled, until it grows into the Antichrist.

Keep your eyes peeled for another succubus blog, coming soon…until then, have a spooky day!

The post Musings on the Succubus Blog Series Part 2: A Queer Perspective appeared first on Homespun Haints.

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True Ghost Stories from Chicago

Running a business is tough. So much of it is about survival, testing what we’re made of, and having the wherewithal to just keep going forward and try new things until we finally get it right. Of course, running a business in a haunted location makes all of that even harder. Andrea’s story of doing just that will send chills down your spine.

About Andrea Klunder

Andrea Klunder is a podcast producer, editor, consultant, and speaker. She also is the host and producer of the podcasts The Creative Impostor and Podcast Envy. You can find links to both podcasts, as well as contact information for Andrea, on her website thecreativeimpostor.com. Also, be sure to follow Andrea on Instagram @thecreativeimpostor for podcasting tips and episode information.

We Interviewed Andrea, Then She Interviewed Us!

Here’s an update from the future! This episode of Andrea’s true ghost stories dropped in 2020. Four years later, we finally returned the favor. Go check out the episode of The Creative Imposter Podcast where she interviews Becky and Diana about what it’s like to run a spooky business, and our other entrepreneurial capers, like our sister website building and brand design company, The Concept Spot.

And just in case you’re thinking, “nah, I don’t listen to content for entrepreneurs, I only wanna hear ghost stories,” have I got a hook for you: yes, it’s true, ghosts were discussed on this very professional business podcast. Andrea shared some bonus spooky content…including EVPs. Here’s an interesting one-off recording artifact that only seemed to occur when the guest was discussing paranormal activity.

Then, we talked about paranormal stuff on her show, and she got another weird artifact!

It just goes to show, even infrequently talking about ghosts can get you haunted.

Catch the Homespun Haints speaking on The Creative Imposter here.

The Alley of Death and Mutilation

Chicago is no stranger to infrastructure tragedy. We open our episode with discussion of the fire of the Iroquois Theater in December of 1903, where over 600 people perished either in the flames that engulfed the theater, or in the adjacent alley where many of the theater-goes dove to their death. The tragedy claimed the lives of children, teachers, and parents who attended the fateful matinee performance of the musical comedy, Mr. Bluebeard. It also caused major revisions in fire codes and building standards which are still adhered to today.

Here’s the official story about the fire, and how everything went wrong in this “fireproof” theater on that fateful day. But of course we know you’d rather hear Becky speculate about the paranormal nature of the event and its outcomes, which you can do here.

The 2003 Chicago Porch Collapse

One hundred years after the fire at the Iroquois Theater, another tragedy claimed the lives of twelve twenty-somethings enjoying the first warm day of summer at an apartment party in Lincoln Park, an upscale neighborhood in Chicago. The back deck of the upper floor apartment, crowded with dozens of people, collapsed onto the porch below, which was also crowded with people.

You can read first-hand accounts of survivors and witnesses on this archived article. Ten years later, witnesses still remembered the tragedy in this CBS article. And, be sure you listen to the episode above to learn about what happened to Andrea when she moved into that same building, seven years later.

Can spirits become confused? Or get stuck?

After hearing so many real ghost horror stories, we think ghosts can get stuck, but don’t take our word for it. Check out this medium on YouTube who has some detailed explanations for why this might happen. It certainly would explain these haunted apartment stories. Also, you can read about the Tibetan Book of the Dead that Andrea references in the episode.

Now seeking: true ghost stories

Do you have a true first-hand ghost story? Tell it to us by submitting it here, and you could be featured on an episode of Homespun Haints! Until next time, have a spooky day!

The post The Confused Spirits of a Chicago Walk-Up appeared first on Homespun Haints.

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Episode Summary

Adam Macias is a podcaster, musician, and comedian. As a child, his home may have had an unseen squatter—after he experienced strange things in his room, he started to change his outlook on the world.

As an adult, this bizarre unwanted roommate—be it ghost, demon, or poltergeist—apparently followed him. How does he know this? Besides the fact that the ghost keeps stealing things? Listen to find out!

About the Guest: Adam Macias

Adam is co-host of the Finger Guns Comedy podcast, available on all podcast platforms. You can follow the podcast on Facebook at @gofingerguns or on Instagram at @gofingerguns.

Adam also performs as half of a music-comedy duo known as Smooch. If you’re in the LA area, be sure to check them out once the apocalypse is over. Head over to Facebook for a list of upcoming performances or follow them on Instagram at @smooch69.

To follow Adam directly, check him out on Instagram at @adamrmac.

What is Sleep Paralysis?

Your mind is awake, but your body is still asleep. Your eyes are open, but you cannot move. Terrified by your immobility, you start to feel as if someone else is in the room. Someone who may sit on your chest, or hold your arms against your sides. The longer you lay there, the more you are certain the weight you feel is a demon holding you down, preparing to do something awful. You try to scream, but at most you’re only able to squeak out a moan. And then, suddenly, you’re able to break free, and the demon is gone.

This common sleep disorder occurs a lot in our shows. It’s a real medical condition, and, according to sleep literature, there are steps you can take to avoid it if you often fall victim to it. According to the medical community, the “demon” people feel, see, or hear is merely hallucination.

We have had several guests with sleep paralysis stories; what we find interesting is that some of these stories involve encounters with entities while the storyteller was wide awake and not even in a state of paralysis (The Hat Man and The Haunted Darkroom), when multiple people in the same building experienced the sleep paralysis demon at the same time, or when the storyteller was ejected from her own body and observed herself being possessed (The Woman Who Lived in Hollywood Cemetery). These encounters don’t seem to fit within the explanation of sleep-induced hallucinations because the observer was either not asleep, shared the experience with others, or wasn’t really paralyzed.

Like these other stories, Adam’s encounters with the sleep paralysis demon occurred after other strange things began happening in his house.

But, of course, we’ll let you decide for yourself.

Do ghosts steal things from you?

What do you think, is it possible for spirits to steal things from the living? For example, our friends who run the haunted jail have trouble with spectral inmates swiping anything with a blade off of one particular table. Do you have a personal paranormal experience like this? If so, apply here to tell it on the Homespun Haints podcast!

Until next time, have a spooky day!

The post Can Ghosts Steal Things? A True Paranormal Story appeared first on Homespun Haints.

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Haunted Hollywood Cemetery

Amy moved into an apartment in the gatekeeper’s house of Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA while she was in college. She lived on the top floor, and her kitchen was in the turret.

Nothing happened until the night she broke into the cemetery with some friends, and then lied to the groundskeeper about losing a mythical cat as a way to get out of getting in trouble. But then, almost in response to her lie, a strange, feral cat appeared out of nowhere, and she had no choice but to keep the devilish thing until she moved.

Other things began to happen in her strange abode. I won’t give too many details away, but the stories involve chocolate pudding, kitchen cabinets, and a strange force who referred to himself as “The Admiral.” And, of course, there were the strange spirits inhabiting the lower floors who terrorized her guests as they bolted up the house’s staircase.

Today, Amy has her own podcast, Starling Creative Living, and it’s incredible.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ve got to listen to hear the rest.

What is this Hollywood Cemetery?

Hollywood Cemetery is a beautiful, park-like graveyard outside of Richmond, VA, that does, yes, hold the graves of several dead presidents. You can take your family on a nice picnic there, you can arrange to have your mortal remains interred there, and, if you’re still alive, you can rent an apartment in this beautiful Victorian gatekeeper’s house on the grounds. Just don’t get upset if the neighbors get a little too close for comfort.

And, our guest this week actually lived in said house. On the top floor.

Want to see the cemetery for yourself? You can check out a virtual tour, or read about its haunted past.

What the hell is Dear David?

Oh, you haven’t heard of Dear David? Oh my, let us widen your horizons here. Dear David is a series of Twitter threads by Adam Ellis describing the ghost of a child haunting his apartment. Not too scary, right? Except this child, David, has a viciously malformed head (because it was bashed in during the horrendous accident that probably made him into a ghost). And, David wants to kill Adam.

Read the threads here.

Until next week, have a spooky day!

The post The Woman Who Lived in a Cemetery appeared first on Homespun Haints.

But, if you can accept that feeling like you’re being physically attacked by a demon is a completely natural part of interrupted sleep, then how do you explain the exact same thing happening to over a dozen young women in a dorm, at the same time of night, over the course of several weeks? And if you had been one of these women, would you be able to brush it off as a completely natural occurrence? Or would you accept that maybe, you too, had come face to face with a demon?

Listen now:

or watch our paranormal podcast on YouTube:

What are your thoughts?

Sleep Paralysis Demon Haunts Mumbai Dormitory

Since this episode, we’ve had several other accounts of creepy demonic experiences during sleep paralysis. Here are some of our top sleep paralysis paranormal podcasts:

• Foraging for Ghosts: True Ghost Stories from the Appalachian Mountains
• Why is My Bed Shaking?
• Rocking Chair Man Can’t See You
• It’s the Most Scariest Time of the Year
• Not Today, Naked Bald Demon!
• Inherited Traits, Inherited Psychic Gifts
• Can ghosts steal things?
• Astral Projection and the Darkest Darkroom
• Have you seen the hat man?

What is the witching hour?

For some reason this subject comes up repeatedly in Becky’s household. Becky insists it’s 3 in the morning, while Becky’s 8-year-old daughter insists it’s midnight. And, Becky’s husband keeps saying “what if you’re in a different time zone?” Becky maintains that she’s correct.

There’s something about that magical time a few hours before dawn. Is the veil thinnest then, when the dead are partying the hardest before closing time? Or is 3am really the antithesis of the holy time of 3pm, offering evil a chance to slink in?

You can read a little more about the debate here. Becky still thinks it’s 3am, though, dammit.

Exorcisms are on the rise in the US!

We discuss the differences between how the dorm demon was handled in India versus how it may have been handled in the US. But, perhaps we saw Americans as a bit more skeptical than was realistic.. Apparently, exorcising demons is on the rise in the US among American Catholics. Want to learn more? Of course you do!

Catholicism in India

Our guest talks at length of the religious culture in India, and how girls of different faiths were able to share their experiences and religious protective totems for the benefit of everyone. If you’re curious about Catholicism in India, and how it intertwines with Indian culture, check out this article.

The Story of God

In this podcast episode, Roshan mentions a documentary series with Morgan Freeman called The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. For more information on the show and specific episodes, check out its IMDB page here.

That’s all for this week! Until next time, have a spooky day!

The post The Dormitory Demon of Mumbai appeared first on Homespun Haints.