The Sleeping Sickness That Turned People Into Human Statues

While the Spanish flu was tearing across the globe,

another epidemic began stealing people’s bodies from them.

Encephalitis lethargica aka “sleepy sickness” - could make victims

sleep almost continuously. It could also cause insomnia,

hallucinations, involuntary movements, dramatic personality changes,

paralysis, and death. Those who survived sometimes became living

statues, unable to initiate even the smallest movement as life

continued around them.

Chris and Ed trace this forgotten plague from World War I Europe to

the institutions where survivors remained trapped for decades.

SHOW NOTES

Originally aired on Patreon: 09/25/25