In this chilling Para(normal) feature, Nicolina and Marie dive deep into the real-world horrors that inspired one of cinema’s most infamous monsters — Freddy Krueger — and then chart a course to the mysterious waters of Japan’s own Bermuda Triangle.

First, Marie uncovers the terrifying true events that gave birth to Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. You’ll hear how reports of Southeast Asian refugees dying mysteriously in their sleep — healthy young men who screamed before never waking again — sparked the idea of a killer who strikes in dreams. These were real documented cases of Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS), sometimes tied to folklore about night demons and shadow men. Craven’s monster wasn’t just a creation of imagination — it was a reflection of a very real cultural fear.

Then, Nicolina takes us to the Dragon’s Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Sea, located south of Japan near the Miyake Island region — a place where ships, planes, and even military vessels have vanished without explanation. From ancient legends of sea dragons and ghost ships to 20th-century disappearances of Japanese research vessels, the area mirrors the Bermuda Triangle’s legacy of unexplained loss. Could it be natural magnetic anomalies, methane gas eruptions… or something far older lurking beneath the waves?

Together, the hosts connect the dots between nightmares, mythology, and the unseen forces that haunt both our minds and our world.

🕯️ What You’ll Hear:

The true origin of Freddy Krueger and the refugee nightmare deaths that inspired A Nightmare on Elm Street

Medical and supernatural theories behind SUNDS

Interviews and firsthand reports from families of victims

Legends surrounding Japan’s Dragon’s Triangle and the unexplained disappearances

Scientific vs. paranormal explanations for these phenomena

How sleep, the sea, and fear connect across cultures

“They said he screamed in his sleep… and never woke up. What kills you when you’re dreaming — and what’s waiting in the dark when you close your eyes?”

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Catch new episodes of Para(normal) every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts — and follow us on Instagram @paranormalpod for behind-the-scenes clips, photos, and eerie bonus stories.

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