Media
Research-based expertise on sleep paralysis, rare and unusual psychological disorders, narcissism, and the real psychology behind horror and conspiracy theories. Featured on network television, national print, and podcasts.
Available for Interviews, Commentary & Segments
Media Kit
Download Media Kit and Press Photo Here
Unusual and Rare Psychological Disorders
Dr. Sharpless is an expert on many strange, frightening, and misunderstood conditions. His many professional publications include Unusual and Rare Psychological Disorders: A Handbook for Clinical Practice and Research (2017, Oxford University Press, edited).
Sleep Paralysis
- Often associated with alien abductions, demons, ghosts, witches, and the “Hat Man”, Dr. Sharpless is one of the world’s leading researchers on sleep paralysis. In addition to many articles, he authored Sleep Paralysis: Historical, Psychological, and Medical Perspectives with Karl Doghramji, M.D. (2015, Oxford University Press).
Exploding Head Syndrome
- Associated with conspiracy theories, this parasomnia causes people to hear loud noises as they fall asleep. Dr. Sharpless’s research established it as far more prevalent than once believed.
The Real Conditions Associated with “Monsters”
- In his book, Monsters on the Couch (2024, Chicago Review Press) and published articles, Dr. Sharpless explored the real conditions behind horror’s most iconic archetypes. For instance, the mythical beings known as vampires, werewolves, and zombies correspond to actual conditions (e.g., Renfield’s syndrome, clinical lycanthropy, and Cotard’s syndrome). He also discusses the disorders behind classic films like The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Conspiracy Theories
Why do people believe in conspiracies? Are they different from people who don’t? Dr. Sharpless studies and lectures on the psychology behind conspiratorial thinking and how we are all vulnerable to conspiracy theories.
Narcissism & Narcissistic Personality Disorder
One of pop psychology’s most misused terms — Dr. Sharpless separates myth from clinical reality on what narcissism actually is, how it develops, and whether it can be treated.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Are aspects of Freudian theory relevant today? Dr. Sharpless argues yes, as author of Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques (2019, Oxford University Press) and co-editor with Jacques Barber, Ph.D. of the forthcoming Clinical Handbook of Psychodynamic Therapies (Guilford Press).
Media Appearances
Television
- Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix) — Episode taped, forthcoming, air date TBA
- History’s Greatest Mysteries (The History Channel) — Season 07, Episode 03, The Legend of the Werewolf, February 9th, 2026
- Mysteries Decoded (The CW) — Season 02, Episode 05, Sleep Demons, August 3rd, 2022
- The Shocking Truth (Reelz TV / Bell Network) — Season 2, Episode 6, A Nightmare on Elm Street, July 13th, 2018
- WCBS Channel 2 News (New York) — ‘Exploding Head Syndrome’ Could Keep You Awake At Night, April 17th, 2015
- KFYR-TV (ABC, Bismarck, ND) — Study Shows Exploding Head Syndrome Affects More College Students, April 8th, 2015
- KREM (CBS, Spokane, WA) / KVUE (ABC, Austin, TX) — WSU Doctor Gaining Notoriety over Exploding Head Syndrome, May 15th, 2014
- KLEW (CBS, Lewiston, ID) — Exploding Head Syndrome, May 12th, 2014
- National Geographic — The Secret History of UFOs, August 8th, 2012
Podcasts and Online Documentaries
- Monster Talk (5 appearances, 2015–2025)
- Autocannibalism Is Not the Answer, Season 5, Episode 2, October 13th, 2025
- The Pathologies of Vampirism, October 13th, 2024
- The Imitation Gang (Capgras Syndrome), October 29th, 2023
- Necrophilia, July 31st, 2023
- Let’s Get Something off our Chest (Sleep Paralysis), Episode 99, June 3rd, 2015
- Last Podcast on the Left — Patreon Special Episode, Monsters on the Couch, March 29th, 2024
- Sleep4Performance Podcast — Season 09, Episode 02, Sleep Paralysis, Nightmares, and Psychological Disorders, February 20th, 2024
- Ratio Organization for Popular Science — Coping with Covid-19 (video), April 21st, 2020
- Look Out! Media — Sleep Paralysis: Waking Up Asleep (video), October 3rd, 2019
- Brut Media (America) — What is Sleep Paralysis? (video), May 22nd, 2019
- House of Asher — Episode 54, Sleep Paralysis, Exploding Head Syndrome, and the Old Hag Syndrome, September 22nd, 2018
- BBC Science Focus — Exploding Head Syndrome, March 14th, 2018
- Mysterious Planet (Turbulent Media) — Sleep Paralysis and Exploding Head Syndrome, November 2017
- Who Cares? What’s the Point — Episode 5, Sleep Paralysis (New Zealand), December 26th, 2016
Radio
- Mornings with Simi (980 CKNW)— Segment on sleep paralysis, December 23rd, 2024
- The I-95 Morning Show (95.1FM, NY/CT) — Segment on Monsters on the Couch, October 26th, 2023
- Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) (2 appearances)
- Hristo Botev Program, interview on narcissism as a personality disorder, July 17th, 2021
- Before All (Преди всички), interview about psychopathology and psychotherapy, August 23rd, 2018
- Midnight Society Radio — The Science of Sleep Paralysis (3-hour segment), February 11th, 2021
- BBC Radio (Scotland, Lancashire, Jersey, Shropshire, Cornwall, Hereford, Worcester, Somerset) — Segment on exploding head syndrome, July 13th, 2020
- Radio Free Asia — Dialogue with a psychologist: The psychology behind conspiracy theories, March 18th, 2020
- WERS (Boston) — Ghosts in the bedroom: The Psychology of sleep paralysis, October 27th, 2019
- BTV Radio (Bulgaria) (2 appearances)
- Interview about psychopathology and psychotherapy, September 25th, 2019
- Interview about psychopathology and psychotherapy, September 13th, 2019
- Z-Rock (Bulgaria) — Interview about psychopathology, September 16th, 2019
- TalkRADIO — The Unexplained with Howard Hughes (National UK Radio) (2 appearances)
- Hour-long segment on various topics, July 22nd, 2018
- Sleep Paralysis and Ghosts segment, July 1st, 2018
- Dark Matter Digital Network — Midnight in the Desert: Late Night Talk with Dave Schrader, The Science behind Sleep Paralysis, July 17th, 2018
- Sirius XM Radio Station 143 — Top of the Brain with Julie Rose, Exploding Head Syndrome and Sleep Paralysis, May 11th, 2015
- Newstalk (Ireland) — Moncrieff Radio Show, Exploding Head Syndrome, April 15th, 2015
- BBC-5 Radio (England) — Up all Night with Rhod Sharp, Exploding Head Syndrome, April 7th, 2015
- KABC (Los Angeles) — Dr. Drew Midday Show, Sleep Paralysis and Exploding Head Syndrome, March 31st, 2015
- KCRW (Santa Monica, CA) — Unfictional: Witch Hunt, interview on sleep paralysis and the Salem Village witchcraft trials, October 31st, 2014
- Radio PA — Sleep Paralysis, October 20th, 2011
Full radio archive available upon request.
Print and Online
- Daily Mail UK (3 appearances)
- Have YOU seen the Hat Man? Experts reveal the truth behind the ghost-like entity commonly seen during sleep, September 14th, 2025
- From real blood-sucking vampires to people who believe they are zombies: Clinical psychologist reveals the shocking conditions behind your favourite movie monsters, March 23rd, 2024
- Is exploding head syndrome the reason you can’t sleep?, May 5th, 2014
- National Post — What Sleep Paralysis Feels Like: Terrifying, Like You’re Trapped with a Demon on your Chest, December 19th, 2024
- New York Magazine’s The Cut — Why is Sleep Paralysis so Terrifying?, October 18th, 2024
- Psychology Today — How the Test to License Psychologists Fails Aspirants, August 6th, 2024
- Bottom Line Inc — The Strangest Sleep Disorder, April 2nd, 2024
- National Geographic — ‘Exploding Head Syndrome’? Inside a Mysterious, Disturbing Sleep Condition, March 12th, 2024
- BBC (UK)(2 appearances)
- Why some people wake up unable to move, April 23rd, 2023
- ‘I have exploding head syndrome’, April 9th, 2015
- Der Spiegel (Germany) — Dämonen der Dunkelheit, July 19th, 2021
- Newsweek — Mysterious Exploding Head Syndrome Makes People Feel Their Head Will Pop as They Sleep, July 15th, 2020
- BBC Science Focus Magazine (UK)(2 appearances)
- Exploding Head Syndrome: largest ever study of mysterious condition, July 14th, 2020
- What is Exploding Head Syndrome?, October 30th, 2017
- Express (UK) — Are Ghosts Real? Astonishing Theory Explains why People see Spirits in the Dead of Night, February 4th, 2020
- Ozy News — Mental Divide: The Psychology Test That’s Failing Minorities, December 2019
- Live Science — Sleep Paralysis: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment, May 2019
- Global News — Why the Paralyzing ‘Sleep Demon’ Haunts Humans in the Age of Science, April 2019
- The Next Truth (2 appearances)
- Sleep Paralysis and Exploding Head Syndrome: The Psychology and Mythology of the Original Nightmare, April 2019
- Scary Dreams While Being Awake but Paralyzed!, March 2019
- Boston Globe (3 appearances)
- How Culture Shapes your Mind… and your Mental Illness, November 28th, 2018
- The Night Hag and Other Terrors of Sleep, March 23rd, 2018
- When It’s More Than Just a Bad Dream, April 21st, 2017
- Time Magazine — What It’s Like to Have Exploding Head Syndrome, July 24th, 2017
- Huffington Post (3 appearances)
- Kendall Jenner’s Sleep Paralysis Is Actually Pretty Common, November 8th, 2016
- This Upsetting Sleep Phenomenon Is Very Real – And Very Mysterious, May 12th, 2014
- Sleep Paralysis Most Common in Students, Psychiatric Patients, November 9th, 2011
- Muse Magazine — Dreams Gone Bad: The Truth Behind Midnight Hauntings, November/December 2016
- New York Magazine (2 appearances)
- What It’s Like to Have Severe Sleep Paralysis, July 23rd, 2015
- We Talked to Someone with Exploding Head Syndrome, May 16th, 2014
- CBS News — “Exploding Head Syndrome” Is Real, and Surprisingly Common, April 1st, 2015
- The Atlantic — How Many Beliefs Are Due to Sleep Deprivation?, April 3rd, 2015
- The Washington Post — That Loud Bang That Startles You Awake: It May be ‘Exploding Head Syndrome’, April 2nd, 2015
- Nature World News — Exploding Head Syndrome: A Real, but Understudied Sleep Disorder, May 6th, 2014
- Men’s Health — Wide Awake and Dreaming, October 11th, 2011
Full press archive available upon request.
Download Media Kit and Press Photo Here
To Book Dr. Sharpless for your Next Piece
From breaking news commentary to in-depth features, Dr. Sharpless is available for TV, radio, print, and podcast interviews on sleep paralysis, rare psychological disorders, and the psychology behind horror, conspiracy theories, and narcissism.