Host Ryan D. Hurd sits down with researcher Dr. Sheila Pryce Brooks to explore the hidden world of sleep paralysis entities, from the historic Incubus and Succubus of ancient folklore to the Hat Man, the Smoke Entity, and encounters with non-human intelligence that include positive experiences of angels and ancestors too. Drawing on her original PhD research, Brooks offers practical guidance on reclaiming personal power during these harrowing yet potentially transformative experiences.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What sleep paralysis actually feels like: the symptoms as well as the hidden opportunities
• The historical roots of sleep paralysis entities, tracing back nearly 5,000 years to Sumerian legends
• A tour of the entities people encounter, from the Hat Man and Smoke Entity to guardian spirits and benevolent guides
• How intention and inner empowerment shape whether an experience turns terrifying or transcendent
• Ancestral visitations and possible connections to non-human intelligence, UAPs, and alien abduction phenomena
• Why sleep paralysis, near-death experiences, and lucid dreaming may all be overlapping expressions of the same broader phenomenon

Guest: Sheila Pryce Brooks | Substack: Transcend | Website: SheilaPryceBrooks.com

About the host: Ryan D. Hurd is a dream researcher, author, and holistic educator. The Dream Studies Podcast explores dreams, consciousness, and the imagination, bridging 21st century science with intuitive ways of knowing. More to explore at DreamStudies.org

Original music and art by Eldest Child (c) 2026

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Host Ryan D. Hurd sits down with dream researcher and author David L. Kahn to explore the archetypal landscape of lucid dreaming. Drawing from his new book Oneironaut's Odyssey: Discovering Ancient Wisdom Through Lucid Dreams, Kahn shares vivid personal dream accounts featuring sacred geometry, the Tree of Life, underworld journeys, spiritual guides, and ancestral healing.

Trigger warning: the last part of this episode touches on themes of the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and suicide (time stamp 28 minutes+).

In this episode, we discuss:

• The hero's journey as it plays out in dreams,
• Mentors and guides in lucid dreams,
• Precognitive lucid dreams,
• Ancestral trauma uncovered through dreaming,
• and practical guidance for cultivating a more lucid life.

Guest: David L. Kahn | Instagram: Boundless_Dream | Amazon: David Kahn's books

About the host: Ryan D. Hurd is a dream researcher, author, and holistic educator. The Dream Studies Podcast explores dreams, consciousness, and the imagination, bridging 21st century science with intuitive ways of knowing. More to explore at DreamStudies.org

Original music and art by Eldest Child (c) 2026

Subscribe to get notified when the next episode drops. This a slow publishing project by design, with new episodes every two weeks or so.

Join Ryan Hurd in conversation with Beck Ravenswood, owner of the Serpent’s Key Shoppe and Sanctuary in Hanover, PA. Beck is challenging the 165 year-old state law that makes it a crime to charge money for tarot readings and fortune-telling for gain or lucre.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The 1861 Pennsylvania law: An obscure state law dating back to the Civil War era criminalizes fortune telling, divination, and tarot reading which was originally enacted to target Romani immigrants.
• The police confrontation: In October 2023, Hanover's police chief threatened Beck with arrest, fines up to $2,500 per offense, and up to a year in jail for offering tarot readings at their brick and mortar shop and community center
• The lawsuit: After failed negotiations with the police department, Beck filed a federal case in August 2024 arguing the law violates First Amendment and 14th Amendment protections.
• Why this matters for you: Beck's fight has wide-ranging implications for religious freedom in the 21 century, especially given the erosion of the separation of church and state at all levels of governance.

Guest: Beck Ravenswood | Website: Serpent's Key | Instagram: The Stitching Witch | TikTok: The Stitching Witch

About the host: Ryan D. Hurd is a dream researcher, author, and holistic educator. The Dream Studies Podcast explores dreams, consciousness, and the imagination, bridging 21st century science with intuitive ways of knowing. More to explore at DreamStudies.org

Original music and art by Eldest Child (c) 2026

Subscribe to get notified when the next episode drops. This a slow publishing project by design, with new episodes every two weeks or so.