11/2/2011 Listening Lounge

THE FEAR

The Thing At The Foot Of The Bed by Rachel Yoder
The boogie man, the monster in the closet, the thing that goes bump in the night—these, we tell ourselves, are mere fabrications of an overactive imagination, childish fears that easily dematerialize with the flip of a light switch. But what happens when the boogie man starts talking? What about when we try to rise to turn on the light only to find ourselves literally paralyzed? This radio essay explores what exactly happens in those moments just as we're falling asleep or waking, those half-conscious twilights in which our brains see and hear what shouldn't be there.

The Uses of Fear by Ben Adair
More and more, abstract and ever-present fear defines us as a society. Perhaps we are all indeed held captive to fear -- but fear can also be a tool. This montage is comprised of three conversations with people whose lives have been dictated by fear. We'll hear from a mafia executioner, a horror film director and a hypochondriac. Each person gives a different perspective on fear and how fear has affected their behavior and mental state.

Shy Bladder Workshop by Hammad Ahmed
It happens to everyone at some point. You're trying to relieve yourself in a public restroom, but maybe your boss is standing next to you or there's a long line behind you, and for some reason you just can't seem to go. Paruresis is the acute version of that. We'll meet Tony who hadn't been able to use a public bathroom for 45 years. So Tony went to a workshop to find out how other paruretics get better. Turns out they build friendships of trust, drink lots of water and then practice peeing together.