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It's another BoA:Audio dual-guest interview, as we welcome Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt, creators of the film Your Worst Nightmare which details the sleep paralysis and supernatural assault phenomena. The duo will explain just what these incidents are, how one seems to lead to the other, what "experiencers" of the phenomenon say happens when they are attacked, has anyone tried to communicate with the attacking entities, what proof do we have that these things are real, what the clergy says about it, how the phenomenon has been erased from the Western world, shadow entitites, OBEs, the Cambodian connection, the "God Helmet," and a bizarre moment of technical difficulties that will either make you laugh or spook you out.
It's a highly entertaining edition of BoA:Audio that covers a ton of ground in an otherwise fringe genre of esoterica: sleep paralysis & supernatural assault.
Full Preview: We kick things off with the bio/background on Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt, finding out how they got interested in Sleep Paralysis and also how their production company "Soulsmack" was formed. We then move on to the main subject of the interview: sleep paralysis and supernatural assault. Andrew explains what sleep paralysis and supernatural assault are and how they are not the same thing, but merely one phenomenon "opening the door" for another. Paul reveals some remarkable statistics on how many people experience sleep paralysis and then, from those people, what percentage experience the supernatural assault. Andrew then shares an anecdote that illustrates how many people have these experiences, but are afraid of talking about them.
We then move into the supernatural assault part of the equation, first with Andrew detailing some of what has been reported by victims of the phenomenon. Paul then recounts his own personal, frightening, experience with supernatural assault during sleep paralysis. This segues into Paul telling us about some of the accounts of shadow creatures that appear during the supernatural assault. Paul discusses how painful it was for some of the witnesses to describe their experiences for the film and then Andrew tells us about how they found the experiencers to feature in the documentary, since many people have a reluctance to speak out about what happened to them. Andrew also laments about how modern psychiatrists are often "misdiagnosing" people who have supernatural assault experiences.
Next we discuss how there has been an upsurge, it seems, in reports of "shadow entities" and Paul talks about some of the various shadow creatures that have been reported in recent years. He also theorizes on why these entities all seem to take on the form of a shadow and how it may be based more in science than some people would expect. This leads to some discussion on how sleep paralysis has been lumped in with debunking of abductions, causing it to have gotten a "bad rap" with the esoteric community and Andrew talks about the scientific world's problems dealing with sleep paralysis in general. Paul then contributes his take on science having a problem dealing with sleep paralysis and supernatural assault. We find out if there have been many studies into sleep paralysis, with the intent of conjuring up some of these supernatural assault type events. Andrew tells us about the Shamanic traditions of using sleep paralysis experiences for rituals. Paul then talks about how lengthier sleep paralysis episodes can lead to out of body experiences (OBEs). We then find out, from Andrew, what sort of official scientific studies have been done on sleep paralysis and how much science really knows about what is going on in the brain when it happens. Paul then shares an amazing story about a sleep study that involved infrared filming, an orb, and a truly bizarre turn of events.
Jumping on an observation made in the film by a sleep paralysis expert, we talk about how the phenomenon (and the related supernatural assaults) have been virtually erased from the history books and in contemporary scientific discussion, despite once being a fairly mainstream phenomenon. Andrew details how sleep paralysis and supernatural assault have similarities in cultures throughout the world, except for the Western world. He then talks about how they had been trying to get members of the clergy interviewed for the film, what the clergy had to say about the phenomenon, and why they don't appear in Your Worst Nightmare. Andrew then details one continual trend with these sleep paralysis events and how it relates the faith.
We discuss if anyone has ever communicated with these perceived entities attacking them during sleep paralysis and Andrew shares a frightening story of one person who "challenged" the entities which were attacking him. This leads to some more discussion on whether this is a spiritual phenomenon or merely a supernatural one and Paul talks about some of the warnings they received from the Church about studying the topic of sleep paralysis and supernatural assaults. He also talks about some of the strange events that have befallen people associated with the film.
Next, we ponder if this experience is always negative, as the witnesses in the film say, or if there are some folks who view the phenomenon as a positive. Andrew talks about one person, who is featured in the film, that did view it as a positive and he also talks about the overall reaction of people from the film to their experiences. Following that, we discuss any significant trends that may have been uncovered, from talking to so many experiencers, and Andrew details the one key link amongst them. Paul tells us about the amazingly high number of incidents in the Cambodian population and how it may, somehow, tie into trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Taking a skeptical look at the phenomenon, we find out if there is any tangible evidence for the supernatural assaults, such as scratches or marks left on the victims. Andrew talks about the problems with looking for "proof" of supernatural assaults and Paul discusses the striking prevalence of sleep paralysis incidents, borne out from their "man on the street" interviews found in the film. Paul also relates the story of the Hmong people, refugees from South East Asia, who had a series of mysterious deaths that some link to the sleep paralysis / supernatural assault phenomenon.
We find out if science has put forth any theories as to what is happening with sleep paralysis / paranormal assault. Paul details the story of Persinger and the "God Helmet," which seems to be able to create such events using electromagnetic stimulus of the brain. We then get the filmmakers' opinions on what should/could be done next with the topic, as far as scientific studies, if money were no object, and Paul lays out his ideal SP study. Andrew then suggests an alternative approach to looking at the phenomenon as well. This leads to some discussion on science and the paranormal, in general, and how they never seem to be able to co-exist.
Wrapping things up, we find out what folks can or should do if they are experiencing sleep paralysis / supernatural assault and they want it to stop. Paul also shares how one could, potentially, induce sleep paralysis, though we DO NOT recommend you try it. Following that, we experience bizarre technical difficulties, which we, for the first time ever, include in the show, since they were so strange/amusing. Wrapping things up, we find out what's next for Soulsmack films and where folks can pick up a copy of Your Worst Nightmare.
Andrew attended high school at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and returned to Maine to earn a B.A. at Colby College. Currently Andrew is completing a masters in language at the University of Maine at Orono and is pursuing a Ph.D.
Andrew has lived in France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Russia, and is fluent in French and German. He loves language and culture and has been greatly inspired by the story tellers he has met while traveling. Andrew's interest in film-making has been life-long and is inspired by the truth that each individual has a compelling story and a unique voice in the world. Andrew is committed to capturing and preserving that voice through the intimate and candidly intense interviews in his films. His Soul Smack production team has many films in the works, both documentary and non-documentary, in addition to their recent film Your Worst Nightmare: Supernatural Assault, which was recently released at soulsmack.com.
Paul, an accomplished and professional videographer, has since relocated to New England. Shortly after arriving in the States he had the opportunity to serve as part of a Ghost Investigation team called CMPI (Central Maine Paranormal Investigators) where he acted as an investigator and videographer. During this time he visited many haunted locations and bore witness to some very disturbing and interesting phenomena.
Paul's love of film making and the paranormal finally merged in 2007 after a chance meeting with Andrew Barnes. The Soul Smack project was created, resulting in the release of their first film Your Worst Nightmare: Supernatural Assault, which focuses on the frightening subject of sleep paralysis.
Philip Spencer
BoA:Audio takes a journey into the strange world of Kentucky's Anderson County, also known as the "Frasier Land," with researcher Philip Spencer. Philip will detail some of the many bizarre sightings and events in the Anderson County area, notably the hotbed of activity around the site known as "Panther Rock." We'll find out about reports of Bigfoot in the area (including Philip's own sighting), learn about the odd "Frasier Mud Track," ponder if there is a paranormal element at work in the area (ala Skinwalker Ranch), hear the "Frasier Howl," discuss stories of "wolfman" and big cat sightings, get Philip's take on the "kill v. no kill" debate in Bigfoot research, and tons more.
It's an episode that shines a spotlight on the paranormal hotbed that is Anderson County, Kentucky, with Philip Spencer, a man who was born and raised there.