The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Sleep No More

by Rachel Kowert (Editor), Betsy Sullivan (Editor)

Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More is an immersive reimagining of Macbeth through Hitchcock’s lens set inside the 1930s-era McKittrick Hotel. Guests are invited to discover their own paths as they wear masks and roam freely through intricately designed rooms across multiple floors, piecing together the story through wordless choreography, cinematic set and sound design, and voyeuristic encounters. This volume explores various psychological underpinnings of the aesthetics, fandoms, and experience of Sleep No More.

173 pages, ebook

First published January 23, 2026

About the author

Rachel Kowert is an author and researcher of psychology. She holds a Ph.D. at the University of York in York, England. Her research is primarily focused on the social impact of online games. This includes addressing the anecdotal claim that online game players are socially different/deficient as compared to offline or non-players, examining the impact of online video gameplay on offline friendship networks, and evaluating the tangible social benefits of online gameplay.

Rachel is currently the Research Director for Take This, a non-profit organization that provides mental health information and resources to the gaming community and industry. She is also the Chief Scientific Officer of Kitsune Analytics.

Reviews

[Pepijn Borgwat]

Reading this took me back to the McKittrick hotel and had me remember scenes I thought I’d forgotten.