Get Sleepy at Hearst Castle | Guided Sleep Hypnosis For Insomnia
01:02:55 Share

Hi, I'm Jessica Porter and welcome back to Sleep Magic, a podcast where I help you find the magic of your own mind, helping you to sleep better and live better. Thank you everyone for being here. As always, thank you for listening, for giving us feedback, for subscribing, and just for spreading the word. I'm going to go straight to the material tonight because it's kind of a long involved episode.

Before we get started, let's hear a quick word from our sponsors who make this free content possible.

This episode is brought to you by United Airlines. When you want to make the most of your vacation, book with United. They're an airline that cares about your travels as much as you do. United is transforming the flying experience with Bluetooth connectivity, screens, power at every seat, and bigger overhead bins to help fit everyone's bag. And with their app, you can skip the bag check line, get live updates, and more. Change the way you fly. Book your next trip today at United.com.

Hey Sleep Magic listeners! If you have little ones at home, or you just love a good bedtime story, this announcement is for you. I'm Abbey, and I'd like to tell you all about Koala Moon, my podcast of relaxing tales that turns restless nights and bedtime battles into a magical treat at the end of the day. Each Monday and Thursday, I'll bring you original children's bedtime stories and calming sleep meditations, with special Wednesday bonus episodes for our Cocoa Club supporters.

Whether you're helping your children drift off or enjoying a peaceful wind down yourself, our stories and meditations are designed to help you relax and unwind with episodes full of cozy nostalgia. Our episodes start off really rather magical, then gradually slow into a gentle, calming pace to help you relax. And if you drift off before the story ends, don't worry, you can always catch up tomorrow.

So snuggle down, get comfy, and let Koala Moon whisk you or your little ones away into a night of restful sleep. You can find Koala Moon, Kids' Bedtime Stories and Meditations wherever you get your podcasts. That's Koala Moon, and I'll see you there. Ryan Reynolds here from Intmobile. With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices up.

So tonight, get sleepy at Hearst Castle.

So by now, if you are a regular listener, you know I have a fascination with homes and houses, great and small. And one of my favorite places in the whole world is a huge, ambitious, grandiose, and unfinished home up in the hills of Central California.

Hearst Castle, a product of the imagination and wallet of William Randolph Hearst, media mogul of the early 20th century. In fact, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, considered by many to be the greatest film of all time, was a takedown of William Randolph Hearst and his castle, known as Xanadu in the movie.

Hearst did everything in his power to kill that movie, but little did he know it would outlive him. Hearst Castle was his home for several months of the year, where, with his mistress, the actress Marion Davies, he entertained the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Amelia Earhart, and Winston Churchill.

Surrounded by 250,000 acres and designed by the first female architect in California, Julia Morgan, Hearst Castle took decades to build. Has three guest houses, two swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, and a mere 58 bedrooms. Oh, and a zoo. It may sound nutty, but it's actually weirdly magical.

After Hearst started running out of money, he sold off a significant portion of his belongings, and still, Hearst Castle is so chock full of stuff that when it was donated to the state of California in 1957, it was turned into a museum, and looky-loos like me have been traipsing through it ever since. If you ever get the chance to take a tour of Hearst Castle, I highly recommend it. And if not,

Well, we're going there tonight. So get yourself into a safe and comfortable position and let's begin. Allow your eyes to close easily and gently. Now please bring your awareness to your breath. You don't have to do anything fancy with your breath. This is all about your mind and giving your mind a place to focus. And we're keeping it simple by focusing on the breath.

Because the breath is always here. And it's sort of boring. And it's nice to pull the mind back to a simple boring thing. And then it sort of slows down. Just a bit. Now understand that no one has perfect control of their minds. This isn't about becoming some master of your mind. The mind will always move. That's what it does. But this is just inviting it.

home to your breath, just for a moment, inviting it to your body. Coming home after your long day. And as your mind begins to settle down, your body begins to settle down. Your body may already be going deep into relaxation, just hearing the sound of my voice, which is great. But if you're new here, know that this relaxation response

inside of you is something that you can practice gently and easily. And it's really just an allowing of the relaxation to take place. Just a sort of going with it, letting it happen. Because your body wants to relax. It likes to let go. So now I'd like you to bring your awareness up into your eyelids. And imagine that your eyelids are getting heavy now.

Just imagine that they're sleepy and heavy. Your eyelids have been heavy and sleepy thousands of times. So we just imagine it now. And as your eyelids are getting heavier and heavier, now I'd like you to accept the suggestion that your eyelids are so heavy and relaxed that they won't open. That you can't open them. And I know that's a weird suggestion, but I'm just saying let's play a game. Let's pretend.

I know you can open your eyes, but we're going to pretend that you can't. So now I'd like you to test your eyes to make sure you can't open them by wiggling your eyebrows. Just give them a little tug, good, while your eyes remain closed. Perfect. And now this heaviness around your eyes is the same quality of relaxation, heaviness, that you will soon have throughout your entire body.

So let's imagine this relaxation around your eyes moving back into your head. Let's imagine a warm mist of relaxation taking over every single cell of your brain. Your brain is soaking in relaxation. Your head is becoming very heavy, heavy, heavy on the bed. And now I'd like you to allow the muscles of your face

to soften and relax. It feels good to let your face let go. As that mist of relaxation moves down into your throat and your shoulders, and your shoulders are feeling nice and heavy. They've carried a lot of things today. Pressure and responsibility. You can let it all go. This is when every single person in the world

is allowed to let go. Billions and billions of people all letting go right now, just releasing into this beautiful phenomena of relaxation and sleep. As the relaxation moves down your arms, imagine that your arms are feeling nice and heavy. And as you imagine that, they are feeling heavy, heavy, like they're made of marble.

as the relaxation moves down into your hands and your fingers, feeling nice and heavy. Now while you're listening to this recording tonight, you may be aware of the sounds going on in your environment, and that's okay. In fact, from this moment on, I'd like you to allow the sounds from within your environment to take you deeper into relaxation. So do that right now. Bring your awareness to the sounds going on around you.

and just let them take you deeper. Letting go, letting go, letting go. Beautiful. And the sound of my voice is also causing you to go deeper and deeper as you listen to the episode tonight. And there may be a point, and perhaps it's already happened, where you let go of even my voice and it just feels like it's way in the background. And you get to go on your own

So I'd like you to imagine that warm bit of relaxation moving down now inside your torso, moving down into your chest cavity. We carry so much energy inside ourselves, and yet we don't always pay attention to it during the day. Often we're feeling pressure and sort of contracting, shutting down. But as this warm mist

of relaxation is circulating in your chest, inside of you. Imagine that it's surrounding and supporting your heart, sort of holding. Just let the relaxation hold your heart as all emotional tension dissolves as the mist of relaxation moves down deeper to your torso.

softening your internal organs, moving deep, deep down now into your belly. Imagine that mist of relaxation circulating in your belly as your pelvis becomes nice and heavy on the bed. And now imagine that mist of relaxation sort of holding from deep inside your lower belly, your gut,

This may be a part of you that you clench during the day, and yet now it's relaxing. The muscles of your lower back letting go. Any muscles you may hold unconsciously during the day in your abdomen softening. Your breath sinking down deeper into your belly as any tension you may carry in your gut has dissolved.

And the relaxation is moving down now into your legs. Imagine that mist pouring down your legs. All the way down to your feet. Your legs are feeling heavy, heavy, heavy. Like they're made of marble. As you let go. Well done. Imagine you are riding in a car along a winding road full of switchbacks.

As you go up the hills of central California, the sun is shining, the hills are gold, the dry grass shifting lazily in the breeze. You are on your way to Hearst Castle, and the higher you climb, the more relaxed you're becoming. As you make your way up the hill, you notice all roaming. You see a family of deer grazing in the distance.

And to your left is that, could it be? There's a zebra. William Randolph Hearst had the biggest private zoo in America here. And there are still some zebras roaming the land. You are driving up to La Cuesta Encantada, the Enchanted Hill. In the late 1860s, George Hearst

who'd made a fortune in mining, purchased 40,000 acres of this land, and he and his family camped on this land. It was their favorite spot in the world. As you make your ascent, switching back and forth up the hill, you get better and better views of the Pacific Ocean glistening in the sunlight.

As it crashes against the beautiful California coast, just to the north, hundreds of elephant seals come every year and are resting on the sand, molting their outer layers as they warm themselves in the sun. As that same warmth comes through the window of the car, it feels as you too are releasing

a layer. William Randolph Hearst was the only son of George and Phoebe Hearst, born in 1863 in San Francisco. After making his fortune in gold, George went on to become a senator from California. Phoebe was a philanthropist who helped to develop the University of California at Berkeley, and in 1901, she founded its Museum of Anthropology.

As the car reaches the top of the hill, you begin driving under a canopy of trees. Coastal live oaks, Italian cypress, even palm trees. It smells so good here. And winding along the road, just up to your left, you see a pergola.

Running alongside the road, it is a very, very, very long pergola. William Randolph Hearst made everything. Upon the death of his mother, Hearst inherited the family fortune. And in 1919, at the age of 56, just weeks after Phoebe's passing,

He strode into the office of Julia Morgan, the first female architect to be certified in California. Julia knew him well. She had designed several homes for his mother, so when he came to call, she knew he meant business. "Julia," he said, "I want to build a little something, or maybe not so little."

As you drive along the road to the castle, the pergola continues to snake alongside you. Imagine the pergola in the 1930s, laden with ripe grapevines twisting along its length. Clark Gable on a horse, riding lazily beneath it, the moonlight streaming through the grape leaves.

as he chats with Jean Harlow, his co-star in several movies sitting atop her own steed. They're joking and teasing one another. It's a warm night, and they have lots of time to ride, because this pergola near the entrance to Hearst Castle is one and a half miles long, joked Julia Morgan. It's the longest pergola in captivity.

In 1887, when William Randolph was 23, his father gave him his first newspaper, the San Francisco Examiner, which George, his father, had won as a repayment for a gambling debt. By the time he inherited, the younger Hearst had parlayed that gift into a publishing empire.

that, at the time, included 28 newspapers, 13 magazines, 8 radio stations, 4 film studios, extensive real estate holdings, and 31,000 employees. He was the Rupert Murdoch of his time. As your car comes to the end of the winding drive, you approach the house itself. You look out the window and see it.

Perhaps Cecil Beaton said it best when he arrived at Hearst Castle for New Year's Eve in 1931. Quote, We caught sight of a vast, sparkling white castle in Spain. It was out of a fairy story. The sun poured down with theatrical brilliance on tons of white marble and white stone. And now you are looking at it.

It has two enormous domed spires decorated with gorgeous Spanish tiles reaching up into the perfect blue sky. You get out of the car and climb a set of elegant stone steps. With every step you take, you go deeper and deeper into relaxation. And before you arrive at the castle itself, you come to the pool.

It is the biggest private swimming pool you've ever encountered. Perched on this enormous hilltop, the Santa Lucia mountains wrapping all around it, their green peaks undulating in the distance. The focal point of the pool is a large portico from a Roman temple. Four Corinthian columns hold up a triangular facade featuring a statue of Neptune.

surrounded by sea nymphs. It would be tacky, except that the scale is entirely too grand, too breathtaking, and the columns are actually from ancient Rome. On either side of the pool are curved double colonnades, elegant covered marble walkways that create shade for swimmers after a dip. Imagine Howard Hughes

drying off in a chaise lounge on the marble after a nice swim. He flew in himself this morning, landing on Hearst's airstrip at the bottom of the mountain. He looks out over the pool as the sun sparkles on its surface. This Neptune pool contains 350,000 gallons of water and is over 100 feet long. Neptune would be proud

You take off your shoes and sit down at the edge of the pool, dangling your legs in the water. It feels cool and relaxing. You look down into the light blue water and see the black stripes in a grid pattern done in marble at the bottom of the pool. Through the water, the stripes bend and look wavy.

You close your eyes and feel the gentle afternoon sun on your face. As you go deeper and deeper, you leave the pool and walk up another set of steps. As you're getting closer and closer to the castle, you notice a set of wooden doors. One says ladies and the other gentlemen. You step into the ladies room and walk along a long corridor lined with dressing rooms. Eight in all.

each with a full-length mirror, a vanity, and a private shower. You step into one and as you look into the mirror, you see Greta Garbo looking back at you with her intelligent eyes and beautiful bone structure as she puts on a silky violet bathing suit. Betty Davis is laughing and gossiping with her from the dressing room next door. As you go deeper,

and deeper. As you come back outside now, you see that the sun is setting over the ocean, and the whole sky has turned pink on the mountain. As you walk up another set of steps to the next level, you can look out over the tennis courts built on the roof of a building below. You imagine American tennis great Bill Tilden hitting balls

with his good friend Charlie Chaplin, who's a better comedian than tennis player, swinging and missing like he's in one of his own movies. He has the other guests laughing out loud. Good friends Tilton and Chaplin are regulars here at the castle. You ascend yet another set of steps to the gardens as you go deeper and deeper

This level contains a ridiculous variety of plants arranged in a beautiful, almost messy explosion. Tucked among the plants are pieces of ancient statuary in white stone and marble, busts, amphorae, and Roman sarcophagi. As you walk around the garden, you see the three luxurious guest houses.

each as big as a family home. Wandering through the garden feels wonderful. You see camellias and azaleas sniff the roses and jasmine as you go deeper and even deeper. As you turn a corner around the edge of the garden, you look up and there it is. You see the two enormous spires of the castle

and an explosion of Spanish-style statuary, intricate carvings, slim columns, gargoyles. Hearst Castle is as ornate as any church and is designed in the Spanish revivalist style. It is surrounded by a handful of tall, sprightly, springy palm trees.

and looks especially beautiful against the blue California sky. This main building, known as Casa Grande, is 68,000 square feet in size and contains 115 rooms. When Hearst first approached Julia Morgan to design a home for him on this campsite, his original vision was of a two-floor built.

but they seem to have gotten carried away. The doors open, and you enter a beautiful, cool foyer that leads into the assembly room where guests are gathering before dinner. And suddenly you are dressed perfectly for dinner too. You look up. This room is 24 feet high, and you crane your neck to see its ornate, coffered wooden ceiling

Along the walls are several exquisite Belgian tapestries, woven by hand from silk and wool in the 15th century. And at the center of the room is a fireplace, as tall as any grown man. And it has a mantle equally as tall, bearing a huge crest carved in stone.

A big welcoming fire is crackling in the hearth. A staff member approaches you with your favorite drink. You sit down in a large overstuffed armchair several feet from the fire and sip your drink slowly. The lower part of the room is lined in dark wood with choir stalls purchased from an old church in Italy.

Hurst liked to shop, especially in Europe. There are several seating areas and a few tables with games on them. You notice a young couple playing Monopoly, which had just come out in 1935. There's a telephone next to a door. Hurst liked to have telephones all around to use as intercoms within the castle. Imagine Cary Grant.

is sitting in a corner by himself until he sees Joan Crawford arriving down for dinner. They laugh, sipping cocktails, smoking cigarettes. You are all waiting for Mr. Hearst to come down and lead you into dinner. Everyone is sipping their drinks slowly as there's a strict one-drink rule before dinner. As you relax,

in your chair, taking it all in, feeling the warmth of the fire as you go deeper and deeper. An antique clock strikes nine and a small door to the side of the fireplace opens. It is Hurst. He's dressed casually compared to his business attire in a smoking jacket and a cravat. Everyone stops and stares.

"Time for dinner, my friends," he says in his deep voice. "Follow me." He leads you into the dining room, another impossibly lofty room with a beautiful ceiling. Flags hang from rods protruding from the walls. These are hand-painted silk flags, known as palios, from Siena, Italy.

where they've competed in the local horse races dating back to the 13th century. Gothic chandeliers illuminate the long, narrow dining table with its huge silver candlesticks. This room feels both regal and medieval. You look down at the table. It has a dozen chairs on either side,

and each setting boasts a blue and white plate, an exquisite pattern made in China. And then you notice, placed along the center line of the table at several different spots, bottles of store-bought ketchup and mustard, and next to them, a container of paper napkins. So strange. Seeing your confusion, another guest whispers, he likes to keep it casual.

They say, "This is where he went camping as a kid." You laugh to yourself. Everyone is full of contradictions. You hear the pop of a champagne cork. A toast is made and dinner has begun. Charlie Chaplin once described meals at Hearst Castle by saying, "Dinners were elaborate, with pheasant, wild duck, partridge, and venison.

And sure enough, these and other foods are served as you and the other guests dig in, chatting and laughing. Julia Morgan, who was continually designing the property for years, sits next to her employer and host. She is small, with dark hair and round, thick-framed eyeglasses.

On his other side is Marion Davies, his mistress and film actress. She is much younger than he is, with wide eyes and blonde hair. Mr. Hurst, in the middle of the table, holds court with those around him. A bottle of rare wine is brought up from his 7,000-bottle collection in the cellar.

Julia Morgan and William Randolph Hearst worked on Hearst Castle for a total of 27 years, and it technically remains unfinished to this day. Hundreds of workers from the local area were employed on the project, with up to 90 men on site at any given time. From a rich man's desire and a talented woman's skill arose an epic,

otherworldly and over-the-top enclave where Hollywood gathered. One of the people who was invited to Hearst Castle regularly was someone named Herman Mangowitz, a producer and writer in Hollywood. He'd been invited to the castle on many occasions as a good friend of Marion's nephew. He and Hearst became quite close

But Herman Mankiewicz was a heavy drinker who couldn't be controlled, and Hearst didn't tolerate sloppy behavior. Little did he know that his rebuff of Mankiewicz would be an expensive mistake. In 1939, while he was hospitalized, Mankiewicz was visited by a young director named Orson Welles. Together, they wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane.

based on William Randolph Hearst and his castle, called Xanadu, in the movie. It was a brutal portrayal, with too many details of Hearst's lifestyle for it to be a simple coincidence. Everyone knew it was him, and he had been humiliated. It was too much for Hearst, and he used every tool he had in his media empire

to bury the film and blacklist Orson Welles. And yet sometimes, even billionaires don't get what they want. Citizen Kane eventually went on to become one of the most famous and celebrated films of all time. After dessert, you're feeling sleepy. It's been a long day. You say goodnight to the other guests and climb a spiral staircase up to the second floor.

It opens onto an external corridor running along the side of the castle, open to the air. On your right are a row of guest bedrooms, but on your left is the vast Pacific, and down below a beautiful gilded statue of a young girl on a fountain looking out toward the water. The moon is full tonight, sparkling brightly on the ocean.

You feel a warm summer breeze caressing your face. You reach the end of the outer corridor and go up another spiral staircase. You open a door into your special bedroom known as the Celestial Bedroom. You've never seen anything like it. It is octagonal in shape, with yet another high coffered ceiling brought from Europe.

It is small and situated right at the top of one of the spots you saw when you looked up at the castle today. It is so high up and solitary, like the bedroom of Rapunzel. Each of the eight walls contains a high arched window fitted with elaborate decorative latticework in a Moorish style.

There's a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling and heavy brocade curtains frame every window. The bed in the center of the room is large with four intricately carved wooden posts and a grand hand-carved headboard. There is little else in the room, for it is so small and unusually shaped.

One of the windows contains a door which opens to a tiny balcony. You step outside and look out over the hills all the way to the ocean. It's fresh and full of life. You take a nice deep breath from the top of the world. As you go deeper and deeper, you return to the room and turn out the lights. You lie down on the bed.

The moonlight is shining through the latticework in the windows, casting a beautiful pattern on the walls and the bed. The whole room seems to sparkle. When Hedda Hopper, the famous gossip columnist, slept in this room, she described it as a jewel case, and she was right. You close your eyes, and you can hear the faint sound

of the waves lapping against the shore, and in the distance, a zebra is snoring as you drift and float.