Darkness Syndicate members get the commercial-free version with all artwork created for the YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8588hp IN THIS EPISODE: In 1959, a radio DJ in New York decided to conduct a publicity stunt – and it literally drove him insane. (Sleepless In New York) *** In December 1963 two boys hit upon an idea for a school science project – stay awake for as long as possible. And it shed new light on what happens inside our tired brains. (The Boy Who Wouldn’t Sleep) *** We can fight off the sandman for a while, but after a certain point, sleeplessness leads to temporary madness and possibly even death. (Don’t Try To Stay Awake) *** The infamous cursed paintings called “The Crying Boy”. Are all of the terrifying stories associated with the painting true, or have we simply created a fascinating legend we choose to believe? (The Crying Boy Painting) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Title Story Preview and Show Open 00:03:07.091 = Don’t Try To Stay Awake 00:23:09.030 = The Crying Boy Paintings 00:34:47.876 = Show Close SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… “The Crying Boy Painting” posted at Scarely.com: (link no longer valid, site shut down); video of attempt to burn “Crying Boy” painting: http://bit.ly/2Hremp1 “Sleepless In New York: The Radio DJ’s Publicity Stunt That Ended In Madness” by Esther Inglis-Arkell: (link no longer valid – site shut down) “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Sleep” by Sarah Keating: https://bbc.in/2Hlt3Lx “Don’t Try To Stay Awake” by Adam Hadhazy: https://bbc.in/2E6p17F Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = = Originally aired: May 15, 2019 CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/donttrytostayawake/