Chilling stories told by Cassandra Harold. Topics include strange and anomalous phenomena, mind benders, head scratchers and mysterious true crime cases.
Cassandra Harold with Jim Harold Media
The Unpleasant Dreams podcast is an absolute gem for anyone who enjoys listening to well-narrated stories in the paranormal genre. Hosted by Cassandra, this show offers a collection of intriguing and eerie tales that will leave you captivated from start to finish. Cassandra's storytelling abilities are truly exceptional, and her voice is both soothing and lyrical, perfectly suited for drawing listeners into the dark and mysterious world she creates. Whether you're a fan of true paranormal stories or simply appreciate a wonderfully told narrative, this podcast is a must-listen.
One of the best aspects of The Unpleasant Dreams podcast is Cassandra's remarkable talent for narration. Her smooth and captivating delivery keeps listeners engaged throughout each episode, making it difficult to pause or stop listening once you've started. She has a knack for building suspense and creating an atmosphere of intrigue that adds an extra layer of enjoyment to every story she tells. Additionally, the production quality of the podcast is top-notch, with excellent sound design and atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience.
On the downside, one could argue that some episodes may cover topics that are already familiar to avid fans of the paranormal genre. While Cassandra does an excellent job at presenting these well-known stories in a fresh and engaging way, it would be beneficial for the podcast to explore lesser-known tales as well. This would provide more variety and cater to listeners who are seeking new and undiscovered narratives within the realm of paranormal phenomena.
In conclusion, The Unpleasant Dreams podcast is an outstanding addition to the world of paranormal storytelling podcasts. Cassandra's talent as a narrator shines through in every episode, making it easy to get lost in her enthralling tales. Despite occasionally covering familiar material, the show remains captivating due to her exceptional storytelling abilities. With its professional production quality and unique blend of eerie narratives, this podcast is definitely worth adding to your playlist if you enjoy spine-tingling stories with a hint of sinister allure.
Believe it or not, Mark Twain actually wrote a classic ghost story. Appropriately enough, it was called, "A Ghost Story" and it is our Season 4 premiere. Much more to come this fall! It is great to be back and thanks for your patience! We'll be back next week with more chilling Unpleasant Dreams. "A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain, was originally published in 1870 and is in the Public Domain. Our narrator is Cassandra Harold. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Unpleasant Dreams we dive into an eerie tale that tests the boundaries of darkness and the sway it holds over the mind. Our story is Edith Nesbit's "The Power of Darkness." Our narrator is Cassandra Harold. Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33028
Tune in for this classic Victorian ghost story written in 1852 by Elizabeth Gaskell. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. ----- Note: The image used in the artwork accompanying this episode was generated by Midjourney AI. Everything else you hear was created by a human.
Cassandra shares the troubling tale of "The Vale of Corbies" written by Arthur J. Burks. You can find the original at The Internet Archive here: https://archive.org/details/WeirdTalesV06N05192511/page/n31/mode/1up Please tell your classic horror loving friends about Unpleasant Dreams!
A hard boiled journalist encounters something that shakes him to his core. That is the premise of H.F. Arnold's classic short story, The Night Wire. You can find it here: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Night_Wire Cassandra Harold is our narrator. Thank you for listening and please share with your friends who enjoy classic horror!
Happy Valentine's Day! Here's the perfect story for a day dedicated to our hearts. It's The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy!
Join Cassandra on a journey to the mysterious Goblin Market on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams! This classic was written by Christina Rossetti and released in 1862. Thank you for listening and please share the show your friends!
The Yellow Wallpaper is a horror tale from 1892 which details a woman's decent into madness. Yet, it is much more and is considered a classic of feminist literature. The author is Charlotte Perkins Gilman and you can find the full text at Project Gutenberg. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. Thank you for listening and share the show with your friends right from your favorite podcast app.
A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most loved classic holiday story of all time. Cassandra shares her narration of the full version of Ebenezer Scrooge's tale by Charles Dickens. This episode includes the complete story. Enjoy this super sized Christmas edition of Unpleasant Dreams. Merry Christmas and God Bless Us Every One!
Cassandra shares the conclusion of the terrifying tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! You can find the classic original, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43/43-h/43-h.htm#chap02 Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror! Stay tuned for the full version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in our next episode to be released in the week before Christmas!
For this special Halloween edition, Cassandra shares the terrifying tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! This is part one. You can find the classic original, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43/43-h/43-h.htm#chap02 Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror! Happy Halloween!
We delve into the conclusion of Robert W. Chambers' “The Mask,” a tale that intertwines love, art, and the audacity of human ambition. What happens when an artist's quest for eternal beauty crosses the unforgiving lines of mortality? Join us as we explore a story that ventures beyond the surface, examining the emotional and psychological toll of capturing perfection—at a price. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. You can find the original text of this classic 1895 story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8492/pg8492-images.html#THE_MASK Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror!
We delve into Robert W. Chambers' "The Mask," a tale that intertwines love, art, and the audacity of human ambition. What happens when an artist's quest for eternal beauty crosses the unforgiving lines of mortality? Join us as we explore a story that ventures beyond the surface, examining the emotional and psychological toll of capturing perfection—at a price. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. You can find the original text of this classic 1895 story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8492/pg8492-images.html#THE_MASK Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror!
A terrifying tale of a lost soul on the sea crying for any help he can find for himself and his doomed wife. Cassandra Harold narrates the classic short story, "A Voice In The Night" by William Hope Hodgson. Please share this episode with your friends who love classic horror!
Classmates exchange mysterious tales about their "ordinary" Latin teacher. Their banter spirals into a gripping saga of ghostly encounters, where reality blurs with the realm of the unknown. Cassandra Harold reads this classic tale, A School Story by M.R. James on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. You can find the short story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9629 Here's wishing you pleasant dreams!!!
Ever get an offer too good too be true? That's the terrifying predicament of our subject on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. Cassandra Harold narrates this classic short horror story. Source of A Suspicious Gift by Algernon Blackwood: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14471 Follow Cassandra's Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant!
A man finds himself haunted by an unseen, malevolent force. Will he overcome it, will it drive him mad, or worse? Cassandra Harold narrates this classic Ambrose Bierce short horror story. Source of The Damned Thing: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23172/23172-h/23172-h.htm Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant!
A man gets a most unwelcome visitor late at night! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find A Midnight Visitor by John Kendrick Bangs at The Gutenberg Project: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8377/pg8377.html Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant!
https://jimharold.com/count-magnus-part-two-unpleasant-dreams-38/A writer becomes fascinated by a mysterious Count and his manor. This episode is the thrilling conclusion. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find COUNT MAGNUS at The Gutenberg Project: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8486/pg8486-images.html#chap06 Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant!
A writer becomes fascinated by a mysterious Count and his manor. This episode is part one. Tune in next week for part two! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find COUNT MAGNUS at The Gutenberg Project: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8486/pg8486-images.html#chap06 Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant!
Cassandra narrates the Edgar Allan Poe classic, The Fall of the House of Usher. This episode is part two! You can find part one HERE. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find The Fall of the House of Usher at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/932 Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! Artwork image generated by Dall E 2 with text and Jim Harold logo added by Jim Harold Media.
Cassandra narrates the Edgar Allan Poe classic, The Fall of the House of Usher. This episode is part one. Tune in next week for part two! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find The Fall of the House of Usher at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/932 Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! Artwork image generated by Dall E 2 with text and Jim Harold logo added by Jim Harold Media.
A man experiences the “strangest day of his life” and we are witnesses to this tale worthy of The Twilight Zone. The heat can do strange things… August Heat was written by W. F. Harvey in 1910. You can find the text at Project Gutenberg Australia here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0605761.txt Cassandra Harold is your narrator. Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! Artwork image generated by Dall E 2 with text and Jim Harold logo added by Jim Harold Media.
An American couple comes to England hoping to find a haunted manor. Did they find it? Listen to the conclusion of this spine tingling tale to find out! Written by Edith Wharton in 1910. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/306/306-h/306-h.htm Cassandra Harold is your narrator. Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And, may all your dreams be pleasant! Artwork image generated by Dall E 2 with text and Jim Harold logo added by Jim Harold Media.
An American couple comes to England hoping to find a haunted manor. Did they find it? Listen to this episode of Unpleasant Dreams to find out! Written by Edith Wharton in 1910. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And...may all your dreams be pleasant!
A terrifying tale of the sea is the subject of one of HPL's early tales, Dagon. Cassandra Harold narrates. You can find the text here: https://www.steve-calvert.co.uk/public-domain-texts/h-p-lovecraft-dagon.html Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends!
For Season 3, Unpleasant Dreams is back with a new format! Cassandra is now turning her attention to classic spooky stories! This week she shares the cautionary and terrifying tale of The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Be careful what you wish for! You can find The Monkey's Paw at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12122 Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends!
A real-life series of deaths of young Hmong men inspired Wes Craven to create Nightmare On Elm Street. We tell this tragic story on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. Find the original article by EM Hilker HERE. SOURCES “Brugada Syndrome.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 5 May 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022. “Hmong.” International Institute of Minnesota, 17 January 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2022. Kruse, Colton. “Dying in Your Dreams: Freddy Krueger Syndrome Is Real.” Ripley's Believe It or Not!, 21 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2022. Madrigal, Alexis C. “The Dark Side of the Placebo Effect: When Intense Belief Kills.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 14 September 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2022. McCann, Erin. “Freddy Krueger Is Loosely Based on the Disturbing True Tale of 18 People Inexplicably Dying in Their Sleep.” Ranker, 14 June, 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2022. Morgan, Thaddeus. “How a Terrifying Wave of Unexplained Deaths Led to ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street'.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 30 October 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2022. Stromberg, Joseph. “What Is the Nocebo Effect?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 23 July 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2022. Sugg, Richard. The Real Vampires: Death, Terror, and the Supernatural. Amberley Publishing, 2019. Tofield, Andros. “Pedro Brugada MD: The Spanish Cardiologist Who Together with His Brother Josep Brugada, First Described the Brugada Syndrome.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 7 March 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2022. Vatta, Matteo, et al. “Genetic and Biophysical Basis of Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS), a Disease Allelic to Brugada Syndrome.” OUP Academic, Oxford Academic, 1 February 2002. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe as read by your host, Cassandra Harold. Our little Halloween gift to you from Unpleasant Dreams. Boo!
The mysterious disappearance of a group of nine Soviet hikers in 1959 has puzzled the world for decades. What happened? Was it simply horrible weather? A secret weapons test? Or, something otherworldly? That is the subject of this very Unpleasant Dream. EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. CLICK HERE for EM Hilker's original article. SOURCES Borzenkov, Vladimir. “Trek Categories and Sports Ranks.” Dyatlov Pass. Retrieved 17 August 2022. Eichar, Donnie. Dead Mountain: the Untold Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Chronicle Books, 2013. Hadjiyska, Teodora, and Igor Pavlov. “Dyatlov Group.” Dyatlov Pass. Retrieved 17 August 2022. Gaume, Johan, and Alexander M. Puzrin. “Mechanisms of Slab Avalanche Release and Impact in the Dyatlov Pass Incident in 1959.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 28 January 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2022. “Nikita Khrushchev.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 November 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2022. Niziol, Tom. “Whirls, Curls, and Little Swirls: The Science Behind Von Karman Vortices.” Weather Underground. Retrieved 18 August 2022. Osadchuk, Svetlana. “Mysterious Deaths of 9 Skiers Still Unresolved.” The St. Petersburg Times, 19 February 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2022. Solly, Meilan. “Have Scientists Finally Unraveled the 60-Year Mystery Surrounding Nine Russian Hikers' Deaths?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 29 January 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2022. Speltz, Lorin. “Salo.” Russiapedia. Retrieved 17 August 2022. Wedin, B, et al. “‘Paradoxical Undressing' in Fatal Hypothermia.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 1979. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
A seemingly idyllic Ohio town becomes the setting for one of the most mysterious cases of the 20th Century. Sinister letters are sent for years, a life is lost, while others are ruined and the whole matter remains a puzzle to this very day. EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. CLICK HERE for EM Hilker's original article. TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript and sources
Did shooting a 1956 movie in the irradiated Utah desert eventually kill John Wayne and a host of his co-stars and crew? It seems very possible and that is the just the start of tragedy on this week's edition of Unpleasant Dreams. -BetterHelp- The Paranormal Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is professional therapy done securely online, available to people worldwide. They have a special offer for my listeners: get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/dreams EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. CLICK HERE for EM Hilker's original article. -TRANSCRIPT- CLICK HERE for a full transcript.
Houdini was the greatest magician in history…few realize that one of his best friends was the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! They quickly bonded over their interest in Spiritualism but that was only the beginning of the story… -BetterHelp- The Paranormal Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is professional therapy done securely online, available to people worldwide. They have a special offer for my listeners: get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/dreams EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. TRANSCRIPT & SOURCES CLICK HERE for a full transcript and source list.
Numbers stations are real and very weird. What are these and what are the successors to these bizarre transmissions? We delve into the mystery in this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. CLICK HERE for E.M. Hilker's original article. TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript.
Two granite columns in the middle of rural Georgia were placed in 1980 containing strange guidance for future generations. Who put them there and why? That is the subject of this week's Unpleasant Dreams. CLICK HERE for E.M. Hilker's original article. Show Art Photo Credit: Quentin Melson via Wikipedia -TRANSCRIPT- CLICK HERE for a full transcript
This UK poltergeist case is possibly the most famous in history, inspiring many books and the motion picture, The Conjuring 2. It is the subject of tonight's edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Primary writing is by EM Hilker with supplementary writing by Cassandra Harold. Cassandra Harold hosts and Jim Harold is the Executive Producer. -TRANSCRIPT- CLICK HERE for a full transcript. CLICK HERE for the original article by EM Hilker -SOURCES- Brennan, Zoe. “Enfield Poltergeist: The Amazing Story of the 11-Year-Old North London Girl Who ‘Levitated' above Her Bed.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022. “Brimsdown.” Hidden London. Retrieved 3 June 2022. “The Enfield Poltergeist: Living The Horror.” YouTube, New Line Cinema, 2016. Accessed 4 June 2022. Guglielmi, Jodi. “Inside the Real Story That Inspired The Conjuring 2.” People.com, updated 13 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May, 2022. Hyde, Deborah. “The Enfield ‘Poltergeist': A Sceptic Speaks.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022. “Interview With a Poltergeist.” YouTube, Channel 4, 2007. Posted April 2015. Accessed 4 June 2022. Playfair, Guy Lyon. This House is Haunted: The Amazing Inside Story of the Enfield Poltergeist. White Crow Books, 2011. “Poltergeist.” New World Encyclopedia, 10 May 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2022. Smith, Duncan. “Enfield Poltergeist Case Offers New Proof of Paranormal Existence.” Enfield Independent, 31 August 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2022, Ward, Diarmaid. “Ten Myths about Council Housing.” City Monitor, 26 April 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
The death car of James Dean, Little Bastard, is said to have brought doom to many who crossed its path. Today, we explore the legend of The Curse of Little Bastard on Unpleasant Dreams! TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for the transcript and original article -SOURCES- Beath, Warren Newton. The Death of James Dean. Grove Press, 1986. Berg, Nik. “The Curse of James Dean's ‘Little Bastard' Porsche 550 Spyder.” Hagerty UK, 14 December 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Coombs, Cathy. “The Unexpected and Early Death of Promising Actor James Dean.” Medium, Medium, 10 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022. “Famous Cursed & Haunted Cars: Most Famous Spooky Cars.” Famous Cursed & Haunted Cars | Most Famous Spooky Cars. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Fitzgerald, Craig. “Cursed Cars: James Dean's Haunted ‘Little Bastard' Porsche 550.” BestRide, 29 October 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Hintz, Charlie. “Little Bastard: The Disappearance of James Dean's Cursed Car.” Cult of Weird, 26 September 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022. “James Dean Unpublished Crash Site Photograph's Up for Auction.” Old Cars Weekly, Old Cars Weekly, 8 August 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2022. JP. “‘Little Bastard': the Silver Spyder Porsche/Dean Mystery Revisited.” The Selvedge Yard, 5 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Lerner, Preston. “What Really Happened to James Dean's ‘Cursed' Porsche.” CMG Worldwide. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Parker, Ryan. “Alec Guinness Warned James Dean About His Car One Week Before Deadly Crash.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
The sad tale of the Donner Party is one of the most grisly in American history. So much tragedy on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. ARTICLE Find the original article by EM Hilker HERE TRANSCRIPT & SOURCES CLICK HERE for a full transcript and sources.
We explore the terrifying and fascinating phenomena of Spontaneous Human Combustion on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. JIM'S SPRING BOOK GIVEAWAY& NEWSLETTER Never miss anything going on at the Spooky Studio and qualify for Jim's Spring Book Giveaway (some restrictions apply), sign up for Jim's FREE newsletter HERE ARTICLE Find the original article by EM Hilker HERE TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript
Betty and Barney Hill UFO abduction case is the perhaps the most famous in the history of the phenomena. We share their story on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. JIM HAROLD'S SPRING BOOK GIVEAWAY & NEWSLETTER Never miss anything going on at the Spooky Studio and qualify for Jim's Spring Book Giveaway (some restrictions apply), sign up for Jim's FREE newsletter HERE ORIGINAL ARTICLE CLICK HERE for the original article by EM Hilker TRANSCRIPT Please note, a transcript will be posted shortly. SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Dickinson, Terence, et al. “The Zeta Reticuli (or Ridiculi) Incident.” Astronomy.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022. Fox, Margalit. “Betty Hill, 85, Figure in Alien Abduction Case, Dies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2022. Lacina, Linda. “How Betty and Barney Hill's Alien Abduction Story Defined the Genre.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 4 September 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2022. Marden, Kathleen and Stanton T. Friedman. Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience. Weiser, 2007. Pflock, Karl and Peter Brookesmith, eds. Encounters at Indian Head: The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction Revisited. Anomalist Books, 2007. Robinson, J. Dennis. “Historic Portsmouth: Simon Says ‘It Was a Dream'.” Seacoastonline.com, Portsmouth Herald, 28 May 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022. Skomorowsky, Anne. “Alien Abduction or ‘Accidental Awareness'?” Scientific American, Scientific American, 11 November 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2022. Todd, Iain. “Zeta Reticuli: Facts About the Binary Star System.” BBC Sky at Night Magazine, 18 May 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2022. “UNH Innovation Spotlight – Betty and Barney Hill Collection.” UNHInnovation, 20 October 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022
Did a murdered woman serve justice to her murderer from beyond the grave? It appears so and that is the subject of the Season Two premiere of Unpleasant Dreams! TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript
Season Two of Unpleasant Dreams is coming soon in April. Thank you for your kind words and support. Please keep following, subscribing and telling your friends about the show...have them listen to the archive! Wishing you pleasant dreams!
The mysterious Chupacabra is the subject of this week's Unpleasant Dreams! Find the original article by EM Hilker that this podcast is based on HERE PODCAST TRANSCRIPT It often happens as the dusk settles itself gently over the lush rainforest. You might think farm animals, confined to pens or herded by human and canine protectors, wouldn't have a sense of their own vulnerability or the existence of predators. But somewhere, deep down in their basest primal instincts that reach back to the dawn of time, they must have known it was coming. Even before the whiff of the rank animal in the cool evening air hits them, they have to have known. It was fast, though, and that was a blessing. It didn't toy with them, or drag it out. It was fast. The unlucky ones watched it happen to another animal first, smelled the creature and the blood and knew deep down it was bad, and they were next; the lucky ones never saw the chupacabra. The humans who cared for the animals would never forget what it left behind. FIND THE REST OF THE TRANSCRIPT & SOURCES HERE
Spooky (Christmas) ghost stories are the subject of this week's Unpleasant Dreams. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Find the original article by EM Hilker that this podcast is based on HERE PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Yuletide is a season of warmth and joy, at least according to Hallmark. There you sit by the fireside, sipping hot chocolate, bathed in the warm glow of the lighted tree, the flickering lights from the menorah or yule log, filled with contentment. But outside (at least in the Northern parts of the globe) the bone-bare branches claw at your window as the cold, dry wind blows snow in small spirals, lifting the ethereal sparkling flakes back into the black sky. On the nights that they're visible, the stars shine like a careless scattering of diamonds in the darkness, seemingly so close you could pluck them out of the sky. It's bitterly cold, and very still; and it is perhaps in that stillness that you begin to feel just a little bit uneasy. Let's face it... FOR A FULL TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES CLICK HERE
The real story of Krampus is the subject of today's holiday edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Oh, and be sure to be good. You wouldn't want to upset The Krampus… Find the original article by EM Hilker that this podcast is based on HERE PODCAST TRANSCRIPT A fresh blanket of snow glistens in the cold light of the moon, a contrast to the warm glow of street lamps, wrapping the city streets in the cozy blanket of early winter. Twinkling across the surrounding fields in the night, mirroring the light of the moon in a million broken rays, the landscape is nevertheless stark beyond the forests surrounding the city. The creatures come from there, beyond the city, thickly furred and sharply clawed, from dank caves and deep, dark, ancient places. Some have feet and some have cloven hooves, some one of each; the thick layer of snow softly crunching under feet and hooves both in a smudge of sound as they scatter across the landscape and toward the small, neat houses. Their faces, pallid and gnarled and very nearly demonic, turn from moon-silver to a pale bronze as they approach the warmly-lit city streets, chains and bells clinking gently as they draw near. CLICK HERE FOR A FULL TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES
A beast that terrorized the French countryside is one of history's greatest mysteries. The Beast of Gévaudan is the subject of this episode of Unpleasant Dreams. PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Apprehensive they went, clasping each other tightly, into the night. It was so, so quiet outside of the footsteps of their papa, clomping along hurriedly, unsteadily ahead. The unnatural still of the night seeped into all three children's blood, making them shiver as the moon poured silver upon them. They didn't need to go out to look for her. They knew. The Beast had butchered someone in the village not even two days ago. And now, tonight, maman hadn't come home with the flock. Papa, now far up ahead, let out a strangled cry, indecipherable. It was followed by the sound of vomiting. They ran to their father and tried not to look at whatever was up ahead of them, but they looked. They quickly buried their small, tear-streaked faces against their papa's generous, sturdy body. But they saw, and it would be years before they would be able to close their eyes without seeing it again. Their maman's body lay ahead of them, twisted and mauled. Where they expected to see maman's sweet face and her tumbling waves of reddish hair, there was only a dark smear. It took her head. The youngest, huddled behind papa, widened her eyes in wonder and whispered, “loup garou.” FOR THE REST OF THE TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES GO HERE
Part two of our program on The Sheppard Murder case which spawned the American “Trial of The Century” before OJ. A physician is suspected of murdering his wife in a quiet, affluent 1950s Midwestern bedroom community. Did Sam Sheppard kill Marilyn Sheppard? That is the topic of this week's edition of Unpleasant Dreams. --- Cassandra Harold is your host. EM Hilker is our principal writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. Unpleasant Dreams is a production of Jim Harold Media. A copy of EM Hilker's original article can be found HERE -PODCAST TRANSCRIPT- Perhaps the most thorough and well-balanced of the Sheppard trials was the one held long, long after Marilyn Reese Sheppard's death. In the first installment of this saga, we discussed the first trial of her husband and accused killer, Sam, some of the questionable decisions made by the trial judge, and the media circus that surrounded it; we also explored briefly his retrial in the 1960s where the evidence intended to prove Sam's motive was kept from the jury and where the science of the time, much of which has been debunked over the roughly 40 years since the retrial, favoured Sam's innocence. This was the opportunity, in many ways, to finally reach the truth; a sequestered jury untainted by a riotous media, the benefits of the 50 years of advancement in both biological and behavioral sciences , and all the evidence on the table, At last, the chance to accurately assess whether or not Sam H. Sheppard murdered his wife. FOR THE REST OF THE TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE – FURTHER READING AND SOURCES – Affleck, John. “Bailey Testifies in Sheppard Case.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 16 Feb. 2000. Retrieved 9 October 2021. “AMSEC 04 — Richard Eberling Background Investigation.” EngagedScholarship@CSU, 9 Mar. 1995. Retrieved 9 October 2021. “Blood 5: Transfer Bloodstains – Crime Scene.” Google Sites. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Butterfield, Fox. “New Clues in an Old Murder Case.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Feb. 1997. Retrieved 9 October 2021. DeSario, Jack and William D. Mason. Dr. Sam Sheppard on Trial. Kent State University Press, 2003. “Did Ancient Teeth Decay?” ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 28 May 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Drenkhan, Patrolman Fred. “Statement given to BVPD by Esther Houk.” EngagedScholarship@CSU. Retrieved 9 October 2021. “Fetus DNA Tests Inconclusive in ‘The Fugitive' Murder Case.” Deseret News, Deseret News, 18 Jan. 2000. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Finn, Peter. “Loudoun Firm Made Sam Sheppard Case Its Own.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Feb. 1997. Retrieved 9 October 2021. “Forensic Anthropology.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Gilbert, Terry H., and George H. Carr. “Motion in Limine to Limit Testimony of Dr. Roger Marsters.” EngagedScholarship@CSU, 13 Mar. 2000. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Linder, Douglas O. “Sam Sheppard.” Famous Trials, UMKC School of Law. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Neff, James. The Wrong Man: The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case. Open Road Media: 2015. “Richard Eberling Dies; Inmate Denied Killing Wife of Sam Sheppard.” The Buffalo News, 27 July 1998. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Simon, Scott. “Son of the ‘Fugitive' Defends His Father.” NPR, NPR, 12 Sept. 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2021. “Testimony Reveals That Sheppard Sought Out-of-Court Settlement.” CNN, Cable News Network, February 23, 2000. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Wendling, Mike. “Marilyn Sheppard Body to Be Exhumed.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 20 Aug. 1999. Retrieved 9 October 2021. “William D. Mason.” Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
The Sheppard Murder case spawned the American "Trial of The Century" before OJ. A physician is suspected of murdering his wife in a quiet, affluent 1950s Midwestern bedroom community. Did Sam Sheppard kill Marilyn Sheppard? That is the topic of this week's edition of Unpleasant Dreams.
For our Halloween episode, we explore the strange death of the master of the macabre himself, Edgar Allan Poe. --- Cassandra Harold is your host. EM Hilker is our principal writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. Unpleasant Dreams is a production of Jim Harold Media. You can find EM Hilker's original article HERE PODCAST TRANSCRIPT There is much that can be said about Edgar Allan Poe, but in terms of his literary habits, little that needs to be. Much more famous in death than he was in life, he was nevertheless a literary critic of some renown in his own time. His true love, however, was lurid, ghastly fiction. Poe unknowingly fathered the genre of detective fiction, through his tales of C. Auguste Dupin. The most well-known Dupin story was The Murders in the Rue Morgue, which served to set the stage for Sherlock Holmes and his ilk. He is best known now for his gothic fiction, morbid tales filled with crumbling stone castles and candle-lit catacombs, of demonic foes and bitter sweet revenge. He brought us The Raven, Hop-Frog, The Fall of the House of Usher. The creative mind of Poe was deep and dark and mysterious as a night ocean. … but little is so mysterious as Poe's own death.... FIND THE REMAINDER OF THE TRANSCRIPT HERE SOURCES – FURTHER READING Anon. “Poe's Death Theories.” Poe's Death | Edgar Allan Poe Museum | Richmond, VA, www.poemuseum.org/poes-death. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021 Birch, Doug. “The Passing of Poe: What Really Happened to the Master of the Macabre in the Days Leading up to His Death Here 145 Years Ago?” Baltimoresun.com, 24 Oct. 2018, www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-10-02-1994275208-story.html. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021 Edgar Allan Poe: A Life from Beginning to End. Hourly History, 2018. Kindle ed. Eschner, Kat. “Who Was the Poe Toaster? We Still Have No Idea.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 19 Jan. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-was-poe-toaster-we-still-have-no-idea-180961820/. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021 Geiling, Natasha. “The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Oct. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021 Kay, Liz F. “Poe Toaster Tribute Is ‘Nevermore'.” Baltimoresun.com, 9 Dec. 2018, www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-xpm-2010-01-19-bal-poe0119-story.html. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021. Lovejoy, Bess. Rest in Pieces. Simon and Schuster, 2013. Miller, John C. ‘The Exhumations and Reburials of Edgar and Virginia Poe and Mrs. Clemm,” Poe Studies, Dec. 1974, Vol. Vii, No. 27: 46-4, www.eapoe.org/pstudies/ps1970/p1974204.htm. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021 Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allen Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 2000. Pruitt, Sarah. “The Riddle of Edgar Allan Poe's Death.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 26 Oct. 2015, www.history.com/news/how-did-edgar-allan-poe-die. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021. Semtner, Christopher P. “13 Haunting Facts About Edgar Allan Poe's Death.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 13 Jan. 2021, www.biography.com/news/edgar-allan-poe-death-facts. Retrieved 5 Sept. 2021. Walsh, John Evangelist. Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe. St. Martin's Griffin, 2000.
Aural death omens that are believed to be harbingers of doom across cultures around the globe. Tune into some of the sounds of death on this episode of Unpleasant Dreams. That is, if you dare. Cassandra Harold is your host. EM Hilker is our principal writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. Unpleasant Dreams is a production of Jim Harold Media. PODCAST TRANSCRIPT There's something of the foreboding in an unexpected sound piercing an otherwise placid stillness; perhaps it's an eerie hoot borne through the evening hush, or the lull of the afternoon suddenly shaken by a grandfather clock chiming loudly off-time. It might be a mysterious whistling where there ought not be anyone to whistle, or a heavy knocking from an empty doorway. It chills the blood and brings to mind strange, dark suspicions of things to come. Aural death omens. Those sounds that herald the approach of death. Common across cultures all over the world, generations of people have heard them and known, deep down, that they signal an ending. Sometimes it's the cry of an animal; sometimes it's the full brassy ring of a bell or the chime of an old broken clock, or an inexplicable knocking or a strange, ghostly figure. Aural death omens can often take the form of an animal messenger. Perhaps one of the most interesting living aural death omens was made famous in Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Tell-Tale Heart: “He was still sitting up in the bed listening; –just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.” The “death watches” being referred to were, of course, the deathwatch beetle, a woodboring beetle that makes a peculiar tap-tap-tap sound from within the walls of the home or building they've infested. As author Laura Martisiute suggests, the beetles' tap-tap-tapping became associated with the long sleepless vigils held by the bedsides of the dying, during which the sounds of the beetle would persist throughout the otherwise quiet night. Over time, people came to believe that the tap-tap-tap was forecasting death rather than simply accompanying it, and they came to dread it… during the long, silent nights. Birds, the natural predator of beetles, are also a common source of aural death omens. Owls in particular are generally seen as magical birds for both good and ill across many countries and cultures. And as such, they are also commonly considered death-signalling birds across vast geographical expanses. The Hottentot in Southern Africa believe that the hooting of an owl predicts death, as do a number of Native American tribes, and people in Mexico and India. A relative to the owl, the tawny frogmouth, also has a cry that portends death throughout Asia and Australia. FIND THE REST OF THE TRANSCRIPT & SOURCES HERE
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