You're listening to a Tenderfoot TV podcast.

Hi, I'm Adam Gidwitz, host of Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmist.

On every episode, we tell a grim fairy tale.

Not the cute, sweet versions of the fairy tales that your children have heard so many times.

No. We tell the real grim fairy tales. They're funny. They're weird. Sometimes they're a little bit

scary. But don't worry. We rate every episode grim, grimmer, or grimist. So you, your child,

your family can choose the episode that's the right level of scary for you.

Tune in to Grim, Grimmer, Grimmist, and our new season, available now.

Have you ever been home alone listening to a podcast and really freaked yourself out?

Maybe a horror podcast or a true crime podcast.

Well, what if it felt like the podcast summoned something?

I have a story for you.

Yeah. I've had my fair share of sleep paralysis episodes, but nothing.

Nothing like the one I had that night.

It was a typical night in.

I was in college, tired from a long day, and I thought a sleep meditation might help me fall asleep faster.

I'd heard people swear by them, so why not?

I started the podcast, set my laptop to the side, and settled into bed. The soothing voice of the narrator filled the room, guiding me to relax.

But as I drifted off, something shifted.

At first I thought I was just in that half-a-sleep state. My eyes were heavy and I could feel myself slipping, like I was falling into a deep hole.

But when I tried to move, nothing happened. It was like my body was glued to the bed, my muscles frozen in place. I couldn't even open my eyes at first, but the dread, that intense, oppressive feeling

that I wasn't alone started to creep in. I was in sleep paralysis. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe,

...