Dreams are often thought of as windows into the unconscious mind. Charles Mcphee made a career of interpreting people’s dreams on the radio as “The Dream Doctor”. When Rachel discovered the show as a kid, it became a different kind of window – offering strange and surprising insight into the world of adults. Dream Doctor Credits Nocturne is produced by…
Monte Rio is a tiny peaceful Northern California town, nestled in a hilly forest of redwoods, beside a river. Who’s starting all the fires?
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it would feel like to take a long walk through a dark, dark night, without fear. So, I decided to take myself on a walk like that, with you. This night feels strange and different. The darkness and the glittering bits of light are not as they usually appear, how they usually feel.
You won’t find the word “Tenebrisology” in the dictionary – yet. It means, “the study of natural darkness”, and it was created by Jane Slade. Working in the lighting industry woke her up to the darkness we’re all missing, and her mission to bring it back.
I rarely talk about the fact that I pretty much always feel hyperaware, if not nervous, when I’m out alone at night. I’m embarrassed to admit that. But I’m not alone. Hannah Drake asked the question, “What would you do out at night if you weren’t afraid?”, and the answers were illuminating.
Amanda and her husband went out on a guided nighttime kayaking tour for their anniversary. What they’d hoped would be a relaxing, romantic excursion into nature turned into something else entirely.
Some things can only really be experienced in a dark theater full of people. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with its midnight shows spanning more than 45 years, is the longest running theatrically released film in history, but it’s more than just a movie.
When you’re at the Oakland Zoo at night you can see the glow of the city in the sky overhead. But down on the ground, in amongst the animals, it’s an entirely different world.
Pedram’s dog, KitKat, is the most important thing in his life – their close emotional bond is a source of comfort and delight. But this bond also comes with constant fear, because they live in Iran where dogs are considered “untouchable”, and the only truly safe place is in the dark shadows of the night.
Astronomer James Lowenthal gave a TEDx talk in 2016 warning that with the availability of cheap LED lights, light pollution around the world was about to get much worse very quickly. Little did he know that there was a much bigger threat to the night sky right around the corner.
Dvora has interacted with elemental spirits since she was a child. She’s learned to set boundaries, so as not to be attacked or taken advantage of. Sometimes the elementals just want to talk, sometimes they need help, and sometimes they’re the ones offering help.
Danny’s first skydiving experience set him on course to do something that most people would never dream of doing, something that for most people would actually be seriously terrifying, and for good reason.
This story is about something that is dangerous, illegal, and I don’t recommend it, AT ALL.
Nocturne is having a 30 day special offer on https://www.Patreon.com/nocturnepodcast ! Sign up to become a supporter at the $5 level or above and get all the existing benefits (including Night Light bonus episodes), AND I will send you a treat bag with Nocturne stickers and some other cool stuff.
Clustering around the warmth and power of a campfire, it feels like the edges of people get softened – we speak and listen to each other differently – there’s a deepening that doesn’t happen in many other settings. What use to be the norm, is now a special treat – gazing into the embers, listening to the mesmerizing crackle, and telling our own secrets and stories in the night.
There are only 6000 tule elk left in the world, all of them found in California. Some of them roam along the coastal hills of Point Reyes National Seashore, an area that is also occupied by cattle and dairy ranches. To protect grazing land for cows, some of the elk are confined by high fences. But as drought worsens, and…
Kim felt an irresistible pull toward life on the road – the traveler’s lifestyle, without schedules or responsibilities. Hopping freight trains and searching for places to sleep are now a thing of the past, but she still tries to hold on to the spirit of adventure and surprise she loved from that time.
Grace felt everything deeply from an early age. She was having panic attacks at 9 years old, and separation anxiety in middle school. The anxiety came to a head when she was 12, and nothing she tried helped in any meaningful way. Until one night she looked out her window.
Tonight, as you’re lying in bed, take a moment to think about the fact that in the night sky right above you, a massive river of birds is on an epic, death-defying journey of survival.
Most parents would never consider leaving their kids in the dark woods at night, and letting them find their way back. The Dutch do just that, and they call it Dropping, and the kids mostly have fun.
When Lia Ditton set out from San Francisco to row alone across the Pacific Ocean she was confident that she would make it to Hawaii. But when you leave land, all you really know is that you’re going on an adventure.
I’ve been thinking about fear, and movement, and exploration, and safety. I’ve been thinking about barriers, and perimeters – those we create and those that are imposed. Pushing yourself into fear on purpose gives some comfort that maybe you’ll be able to navigate life when you really have no control, when your thrown into a darkness bigger and deeper than you would ever choose.
