Welcome to the Teem: Ryan Hurd

We’re extremely pleased to announce the addition of Ryan Hurd to our writing teem. He will contribute a recurring column titled “Visions, Dreams, and Visitations.”

As indicated by such a title, Ryan is an expert on dreams and consciousness. He is founder of DreamStudies.org, a website dedicated to sleep, dreams, and consciousness research. He is also a frequent contributor to Business Insider and Reality Sandwich. His books include Lucid Immersion Guidebook: A Holistic Blueprint for Lucid Dreaming (2012) and Sleep Paralysis: A Guide to Hypnagogic Visions and Visitors of the Night (2011). As an educator, Ryan has presented to a wide range of audiences, including invited lectures at Stanford University, the Institute of Buddhist Studies, and the Rhine Institute. As a qualitative researcher, he has presented and published papers on sleep paralysis, lucid nightmares, and the application of dreaming for uncovering researcher bias and novelty. He has a MA in Consciousness Studies from John F. Kennedy University, as well as a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in archaeology, and is a board member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Other professional memberships include the American Anthropological Association and the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness.

The first installment of Ryan’s column is now available, and in keeping with its December 24 publication date, it’s a seasonally appropriate offering: “Horror for the Holidays: Santa, Krampus, and the Dark Divine.” Whether you’re already familiar with the Krampus or have never heard of this dark companion of Santa Claus who haunts European Christmas lore but, in Ryan’s words, “was curiously scrubbed out from our cultural repertoire when St. Nick came overseas to the New World,” you’re sure to find this piece a darkly illuminating addition to your holiday reading.