Welcome to the first episode of Astonishing Legends! This episode is about what The City of Angels gives back when you come here seeking fame and fortune and includes a death tour among the Hollywood Hills with a visit to a particularly macabre destination at the end.
Welcome to episode 2 of Astonishing Legends! This episode is about the floating hotel that the RMS Queen Mary has become and how she treats a couple of guests who've selected her for a romantic Valentine's Day getaway.
Welcome to episode 3 of Astonishing Legends! This episode is about the most well documented ongoing physical haunting in the world at the legendary Greyfriars Kirkyard
Amelia Earhart is one of the most famous aviators in the world and she flew into the history books in July of 1937 when she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea for Howland Island. They never made it. Come with us on part 1 of this 2 part special while we take you back to what her life was really like in the years leading up to her vanishing. There are dozens of theories about Amelia's disappearance, most of which don't hold water, but there are three or four that any one of which proven true would make for one of the most fantastic tales ever told. This episode is about aviation's most famous disappearance of all time, Amelia Earhart.
Did Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan live short lives as castaways, or were they lost at sea after running out of fuel and ditching their Lockheed Electra 10E? Maybe they were taken prisoner, interrogated and eventually executed by the Japanese in Saipan? If none of those are right, maybe Amelia changed her identity and lived her days out as a woman named Irene Bolam who settled down in New Jersey? This episode is part 2 of a special about aviation's most famous disappearance of all time, that of Amelia Earhart.
Background: Marc D'Andre our Correspondent at Large, is back with one of his special tours of the final resting place of not only Marilyn Monroe, but countless Hollywood icons of film and television. Put your headphones on and be transported to the park with Marc as he tells you a little bit about its residents who are probably all going to be glad to know you still care about them. Legend: A large collection of some of the most famous people in the world have been put to rest in this small, unassuming cemetery that is nearly impossible to find if you don't know exactly where it is.
Background: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Krampus? Every part of the world has different traditions at the end of the year. Have you ever stopped to think about the origins of those traditions? Ever stop to think they might be Pagan in nature? Well we not only stopped to think about it, we dove into it and came back with some amazing information, bolstered with an iPhone movie taken only days ago in Germany at one of the strangest, but most interesting traditions of them all, The Krampus! Legend: Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring except for The Krampus on the front porch waiting for the bad kids so he could kidnap them in the basket on his back and take them away.
Background: Have you ever encountered someone other-worldly? Someone who seemed to exude a dark charisma that frightened you with their ability to be so magnetic? Legend: Talented comedy writer, Paula Pell, joins us in this episode for a glimpse over her shoulder at an event from her past that while fleeting, was so poignant it stuck with her for the rest of her life. A chance crossing of paths with what on the surface seemed to be a man, but upon closer inspection felt like much, much more than that.
Legend: Bird flies at the window, death knocks at the door. According to legend, if a bird crashes into a window in your house and dies from the collision, it is a portent that someone close to you is going to die. Background: Can someone who's passed away send the living messages by manipulating our world and even other living things in it? That's what Eric Robinson says happened to him and his entire family and when you hear the details, you'll have a hard time drawing a different conclusion.
Legend: A spirit visits two siblings multiple times a week for several months during their highschool years. Neither one of them knew it was happening to the other. Background: Comedy and Improv performers, writers and producers, Liz and Craig Cackowski were both visited by something almost nightly for over a year when they were in highschool. It visited them in nearly the identical way several nights a week. They never spoke of it to anyone until 10 years later when they were both out with friends telling ghost stories and Liz found out that her brother had been visited by the same spectral being that haunted her 8 years after him.
Legend: In the 1890's an illicit affair centered around a hotel in Norway ends badly. Are the departed lovers still hanging around the original section of the hotel's top floor? Background: Marc Brugnoni and Marisol McIlvain work for a large travel and entertainment company in their marketing department. This means they frequently are sent to exotic locations around the world to produce high-end filmed content to inspire people to come and visit. On this 2013 trip to the Geiranger Fjord in Norway, they both experience something unexplained in their rooms and their denial of the events drop away when it comes up just prior to the beginning of the next shooting day at breakfast, and that wasn't the end of it.
Legend: Time traveler stories have abounded throughout history, but one of the most enduring ones of the past hundred years is the legend of John Titor, a man from the year 2038 who's story of how time travel works proves to be plausible. Background: There are more than few recent stories of folks appearing out of town in old photos or even a Chaplin film and we will visit the most famous of them. Even the guy who found a wormhole while fixing his kitchen sink.
Legend: There are many different levels of torment that some ghosts seem to offer, but what could be worse than mocking? Background: When our guest was 12 years old and home alone in upstate New York he experienced an encounter with something heard but not seen. Was it real? What would you have done? Listen to his tale and try to decide if you could have handled it differently.
Legend: Technically an invasive species has to kill off a pre-existing species to meet the definition of being invasive. After you hear this episode, we'll be you'll agree there are some things though that should be classified as invasive no matter what. Background: Tonight we talk with two guests. One who may never spend the night in New York City with a window open again, and another who although his Texas doctor was ultimately shot to death by a jealous husband, has a story about a visit to his practice a few years earlier that eclipses that event. Tonight's Quote: "Two-legged creatures we are supposed to love as we love ourselves. The four-legged, also, can come to seem pretty important. But six legs are too many from the human standpoint. ~ Joseph W. Krutch (Author, Critic, Naturalist)
Legend: In 1837, someone or something leapt into history in nine foot bounds, assaulting women and men, breathing fire and tearing at their clothes. What exactly was Spring-Heeled Jack? Background: Tonight we're diving into the history of Spring-Heeled Jack. We're going to take a look at one of the most detailed research papers ever done on him and try to figure out just who or what he might have been. Join us as we unravel the various sightings and take a look at all the plausible explanations that have been put forth over the years and then you can decide for yourself if Spring-Heeled Jack was super natural or a cunning hoax followed by copycat hoaxing for over 150 years. Tonight's Quote: "He also has spring-heeled or india-rubber soled boots, for no man living could leap so lightly, and, I might say, fly across the ground in the manner he did last night.’ ~ GHR Davidson (Greater London Citizen, 1872)
Have you ever taken a camping trip by yourself? A trip to get away? Were you alone? Are you sure? Background: Tonight we interview retired Emergency Room Physician and now published author Dr. Richard J. Goldstein who took a simple little camping trip by himself a while back and found that he was not welcome at the campsite he chose. Tonight's Quote: “Ghosts could walk freely tonight, without fear of the disbelief of men; for this night was haunted, and it would be an insensitive man who did not know it.” ~ John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat
Have you ever collected anything? Have you ever been a fan of anything or anyone? If so, how serious were you about it, how far would you go to obtain a collectible and what would be your most treasured "gets?" Background: After our cold open on Charly Charlie, Scott sits down for a discussion with Astonishing Legends' own intrepid reporter in the field, "Master" Marc D'Andre (you'll find out who called him "Master" later in the episode) to find out about two of his passions: movies and the occasional autograph, letter or interaction from some of his favorite actors and personalities. Some of Marc's memorable encounters include: the great Robert DeNiro; a phone call from 80s & 90s heartthrob Kelly LeBrock (The Woman in Red, Weird Science); from Star Wars - Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing & Anthony Daniels, and a heartfelt and inspiring correspondence with character actor, Steve James (To Live and Die in L.A., the American Ninja series).
Legend: Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes forming a sinkhole, plain and simple? These are just some of the theories of what could be down in the infamous and mysterious "Money Pit" on Oak Island, Nova Scotia -- thought by many to be one of the greatest archeological mysteries of North America, and possibly the world.
Background: Part 2 of our series on the elusive Money Pit on Oak Island continues from where we left off in Part 1, which covered the initial discovery of the pit in 1795 up to 1867. Part 2 covers the dissolution of The Oak Island Eldorado Company (later known as the Halifax Company) in 1867 up until a fateful day in 1965, when the island would claim its next four victims in just a matter of minutes. Tragic as this was, this did not deter the line of treasure seekers from that moment until the present day, even though local legend claims the island will take one more life before it will give up its secrets.
Background: Part 3 of our series picks up from where we left off in Part 2, which covered the years between 1867 and 1965. Part 3 starts after the tragic accident that befell the Restall crew on August 17, 1965 and continues with the history of the Money Pit up until the present day. Now that you'll know the entire timeline of the events of the Money Pit's mysterious history, Part 4 will cover all of the major theories of what is or was, down there. Tonight's Quote: "This project, when we get through with it, may or may not make us rich. But at least we will have solved one of the world's greatest mysteries." ~ David Tobias, one of the founders of the Triton Alliance, Ltd. in 1969 along with Dan Blankenship.
Background: Now that you've heard Parts 1 through 3 (hopefully!) covering the entire history and timeline of the Oak Island Money Pit, Part 4 covers most all of the theories out there of who could've built it, what they put down there and why. Tonight's Quote: "...I’ll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book." ~ Prospero, from William Shakespeare's (or Sir Francis Bacon's?) The Tempest; Act 5, Scene 1, Page 3
Background: While having lunch near the Los Alamos National Laboratory one day with the likes of Edward Teller, "father of the nuclear bomb" Nobel Prize winning physicist Enrico Fermi wondered out loud (after the topic of recent UFO sightings came up) "Where is everybody?" Basically what he meant was, if the universe is so seemingly infinite and old, and it's mathematically probable that other star systems have developed intelligent life like ours has, and it's also theoretically possible that an alien civilization with tens or even hundreds of thousands of years of technological advancement could have made it to our galaxy by now, even with sub-lightspeed travel, why haven't we seen any aliens yet? Tonight, in one of our more conversational shows, we take a broad look at the paradox that bears his name. By the way, supposed UFO sightings are commonly reported around atomic activities.
Background: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as 'tourists' in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia.
Background: Part 2 of our Special on Dyatlov Pass: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as "tourists" in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia.
Some tales are tall tales, and some tales involve an ape-like creature that stands over 7 feet tall and weighs around 700 pounds. Such was the tale of Albert Ostman, who claimed that in 1924, while on a leisurely prospecting trip in British Columbia, Canada, he was kidnapped in the middle of the night by a Sasquatch, or what is more commonly known as "Bigfoot." While some folks might be quick to dismiss Mr. Ostman's story as a stretch of the truth by no small means, it's hard to deny the folksy charm and curious wonder his tale invokes, whether tall tale or sober testimony. Tonight's Quote: “ I have learned from experience that a modicum of snuff can be most efficacious.” Fictional Character Hieronymus Carl Friedrich von Münchhausen on escaping from a monster.
They watch us. They wait. Lurking in the shadows or in bright daylight, from afar, in the corners of our eyes or in our very own bedrooms, staring directly at us, sometimes with eyes of red fire. They observe us and learn our behavior or they try to choke the breath and souls from our bodies. But why are they here and what do they really want with us?
America in the mid-nineteenth century was still a very young nation in the process of finding its own identity, its states not yet fully or harmoniously united. Differing ideas on what methods of production and government its inhabitants should employ were fomenting into a house divided and would lead to one of the bloodiest and devastating civil wars any country could experience. Leading up to America's Civil War, various factions were coalescing into numerous political parties and regional movements, with ideological lines drawn largely on the issue of slavery. The struggle for America's southern states' self-determination gave rise to a secret society known as the Knights of the Golden Circle, whose members were determined to gain power, wealth and influence for their cause either within the Union, or if necessary as their own autonomous territory.
The Confederate Army’s losses at the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg in July 1863 marked a turning point in America’s Civil War, one that was not favorable for furthering the cause of “Southern Independence.” With the hopes of an overall military victory for the Confederacy now beginning to fade, the clandestine leaders of the KGC took the movement fully underground, secreting not only their commands and communications, but also their amassed wealth and weapons. There is sufficient circumstantial evidence to suggest that significant amounts of gold and silver as well as armaments had been collected by the KGC from agents, members and sympathizers, but that then begs the question, where did it all go? If a vast, non-centralized network of money and guns needed to be kept from the hands of a dominant and soon to be victorious Union government, what methodology could a secret organization use to hide it all, and who and what system could be trusted to find it again when it was needed?
They had lawyers, guns and money, as well as cartographers and engineers, tradesmen, politicians and professionals of all station, all embedded in American society and the money in the earth itself. One day these would all be needed by the Knights of the Golden Circle and if the people, their skills and their ideals would not survive the generations then their amassed fortune would. And here is where one legend intersects with another: The Lost Dutchman Mine and the Knights of the Golden Circle. Was the Lost Mine a massive KGC treasure cache? It's treasure may never be found, but those that have gone looking may have found its sentinels, and along with it, an often mysterious demise. Tonight's Quote: "...The secessionists of (El) Monte are only awaiting the withdrawal of troops from Los Angeles before they commence operations..." Edwin A. Sherman, San Bernardino County Newspaper Editor in a letter to Union Army General E. V. Sumner, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Division
On March 12, 1909, The Arizona Gazette published an article titled, "G. E. Kincaid Reaches Yuma." It was a short, mildly interesting announcement that Mr. "Kincaid" was only the second person to make the perilous boat trip down the entire course of the Colorado River, starting from Green River, Wyoming and eventually reaching Yuma, Arizona. A feat worthy of mention in the papers of course, but aside from stating that he took over 700 photographs and "Some interesting archaeological discoveries were unearthed," there was not much indication of the news which was to come next.
Our ancient ancestors spoke of a legendary place -- where the young and young at heart could test their skills against a magical, electronic device, using strategy, and their reflexes at 25¢ a pop. These wondrous havens were called "Video Arcades" and these hulking machines were called "Video Games." Believe it or not kids, it was the only place you could play a decent-looking, somewhat sophisticated video game, housed in a heavy, laminated wooden cabinet, because at the time the only thing you could play on your "push-button" phone was the tune, "Mary Had a Little Lamb." There is another legend however, that at least in one or more of these Video Arcades in Portland, Oregon in 1981 A.D., there lurked a mysterious Arcade Game called "Polybius" and it had a much more nefarious purpose than to provide amusement and rook a kid out of a short stack of quarters -- it may have been there to try its hand at brainwashing you, and then report its findings to a sinister government agency.
What's down there? Lost treasure? Legend has it. 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater sitting on 4.3 miles of sediment? Science confirms it. What about humanoid creatures almost 10 feet tall, wearing silvery suits with helmets out for a deepwater swim, who don't care to be messed with? Well... yes — if you believe a report from the Soviet military. Unbelievable as this sounds, this story is only one of many frequently occurring reports of supernatural events at this magnificent body of water. Lake Baikal has a long history of being known as Russia's hotspot for all manner of unexplainable anomalies, like UFO & USO sightings (Unidentified Submerged Object), glowing orbs, spirits, Bermuda Triangle-like phenomena, melted rings in the ice three miles wide which are seen from space, and of course, a lost race of amphibian giants. But what else would you expect from the oldest, deepest, and most voluminous lake on earth, known as "The Pearl of Siberia?"
This is Part 1 of our our 3 Part in-depth series on The Somerton Man. Of the six questions — who, what, when, where, how and why — we only know three when it comes to the mystery of "The Somerton Man." What and where: a middle-aged man found dead on Somerton Beach, which borders the Adelaide, Australia, suburb of Glenelg. When: he was found by passersby at 6:30 a.m. on December 1, 1948. As for the remaining questions, authorities, academics, authors, Australians and curious citizens the world over have been seeking answers ever since.
As with any great mystery, it can turn some individuals into steadfast researchers and citizen detectives, dedicating years to a quest for answers. We were lucky enough to interview one such person, Professor Derek Abbott of the University of Adelaide in Australia. In addition to teaching Electrical Engineering at the University, Professor Abbott also has a background in Physics, biomedical engineering, complex systems, and probability theory, which can involve the fields of cryptography and forensics. He first became interested in the Somerton Man case around 1995, and then fully immersed himself in an effort to crack the cryptography aspect in 2007, even enlisting the aid of some of his students as a school project. In Part Two of our series, Professor Abbott gives us an overview of the story, then shares some of his findings and conclusions. Tonight's Quote: “Yes, this man has someone to love him. He is known only to God.” — Captain E.J. Webb of the Salvation Army
We wrap up most of our interview with Professor Derek Abbott in Part 2B of The Somerton Man series, where we learn that when you engage a mystery, the mystery can engage you. Tonight's Quote: "Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,Before we too into the Dust descend;Dust into Dust, and under Dust, to lie,Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and—sans End!" Quattrain 23 from Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
In death, The Somerton Man remains a mystery. But what was he in life? A Russian spy? Was he a black market racketeer, a professional dancer on holiday, an estranged lover saying goodbye one last time, or perhaps a combination of all of the above? Tonight in our final episode on the mystery of The Somerton Man, we look at most of the major theories put forth, and until that day a breakthrough in the case comes to light, we say, Tamám Shud… It is finished. Tonight’s Quote: “Please be advised that a search of these prints through the Identification Division of the FBI has failed to disclose any record. Sincerely Yours, John Edgar Hoover.” — Excerpt from a January 1949 Letter to the Adelaide Police Commissioner obtained by Professor Abbott through the Freedom of Information Act regarding the Somerton Man’s Fingerprints.
When it comes to the paranormal, people always say they want proof. Well, on Friday, November 2nd, 1971, evidence of what many believe to be "proof" of an Unidentified Flying Object touching down on the Johnson family farm in Delphos, Kansas appeared on the ground and would remain for a very long time. A crusty "ring" in the dirt and damage to the adjacent flora was left behind after the Johnsons described seeing a strange, brightly lit and noisy hovering craft of some kind leaving their property and disappearing into the night sky. This ring and the broken branches apparently in the path of this object would exhibit forensic properties that were not entirely explainable. The incident is still considered one of the best instances of a Close Encounter of the 2nd Kind: "A UFO event in which a physical effect is alleged." Whatever it was that left whatever it left, we can be certain of this — Ron Johnson will always remember this 2nd of November.
What happens when a single event turns out to dominate your life, and for everyone else who isn't a close friend, it's all they want to know about you? Only the Johnson family knows what happened or didn't happen to them, and regardless of what people believe or don't believe, all you can do is to go on living your life as best you can. Except you'll never look at the world the same way again. Tonight's Quote: “Mrs. Johnson noted an immediate numbing at her fingertips. She rubbed her hand against her leg in an attempt to remove the dirt, and that portion of her leg also became numb.” Ted Phillips in his Case Histories report of the Flying Saucer Review, February 1972.
When your loved one is seriously ill, you take them to the doctor. But what do you do when you've taken them to every doctor, specialist and holistic healer you could see, ran every recommended test and all the professionals can tell you is something is definitely quite wrong, but no one can tell you why or what to do about it? This was the case with our guests John and Deborah, whose son Jack was so sick and getting worse that they sought answers where most wouldn't consider looking. Tonight's Quote: “In this generation, like so many others, people have been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figure, an idea, the idea of evil. But the devil exists and we must fight against him.” — Pope Francis
There's no greater fear for a parent than their child being harmed and when that child faces a threat, they'll do whatever they have to to protect them, from this world into the next. Whatever that threat is, it had better beware. Tonight's Quote: “We had been through this step before. We know what it’s like to get into that fight or flight mechanism and when it comes to your children, you fight. — "John" the father of "Jack" from The Sludge Entity, Part 1
Is it just a quirky rock sculpture garden, or a megalithic mystery that baffles engineers and scientists to this day? It seems to be both. How was a diminutive man in ill health able to accomplish such a monumental feat all by himself? Ed Leedskalnin, builder of the Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida would never say and he took the answer with him. We know of a few reasons why he made The Coral Castle his life's work, but as for how he made it, we may never know. Tonight's Quote: “I know how the Pyramids were built.” — Ed Leedskalnin, Builder of the Coral Castle
The Mary Celeste is perhaps the most famous case of a "ghost ship." However, when it was discovered adrift on December 5, 1872, no ghosts were found nor any human form for that matter, not Captain Briggs, his wife, his two-year-old daughter, nor the seven crew members. They remain forever missing. But what caused them to vanish? Theories range from seaquakes to hazardous cargo, to a giant squid attack, and even aliens... yes, aliens. We're not saying it was aliens because we'd rather believe it was a giant squid. No matter what it was, the ship may have been doomed from the start, when seafaring superstitions were broken. Tonight's Quote: “The craft seemed possessed of the Devil to begin with, but where she got it I don’t know. I am sure it couldn’t have been from any of our good people.” — Dr. John W. Dewis, son of Joshua Dewis, the builder of the Mary Celeste, from The Story of the Mary Celeste by Charles Edey Fay
The mysterious disappearance of ten souls would not be the last of the misfortune to befall the ill-fated Mary Celeste. Insurance fraud, lost revenue, madness, and suicide would all become dreadful notches in the gunwale of her sad history, along with the premature deaths of three of her captains. Whether you believe in curses or not, often the best insurance is to leave fate untempted. Tonight’s Quote: “The sea has never been friendly to man. At most, it has been the accomplice of human restlessness.” — Joseph Conrad, novelist
Whatever the confluence of unfortunate events that caused those on board the Mary Celeste to abandon her, one can surmise two possible final fates for them: either they perished in a maelstrom of sudden violence, or they died a languishing death of attrition. These two perils every sailor must acknowledge for the sea is a merciless mistress, but too cruel to imagine for the likes of a mother and child. If you wish to contemplate the mystery of the Mary Celeste, you would do well to remember the saying, the sea does not give up her secrets and as we've seen, she will often not part with her dead. Tonight's Quote: “Duty is the great business of a sea officer; all private considerations must give way to it, however painful it may be.” — Lord Horatio Nelson
Where do you go for your One-stop Shopping for the supernatural? Why the "Skinwalker Ranch" in northeastern Utah of course! It's got it all, including, but not limited to: Skinwalkers (naturally), UFOs, powerful poltergeists, deadly orbs, cryptids, cattle mutilation, interdimensional portals, disembodied voices, shadow beings and other assorted aliens, reptilian creatures, and hybrid wolf beasts, to name just a few. And all this for the low, low price of your grip on reality. It was a cost that would nearly be paid in full by the Sherman family, who owned the ranch for what must have seemed like an interminable two years, from 1994 to 1996. It was during this time that the Shermans not only lost 14 head of cattle and all of their pets but also their sleep and their understanding of the impossible. Join us for a trip to one of the most paranormal places on earth, won't you? Tonight's Quote: “We have to leave this place. We have to leave this place.” — Gwen Sherman, co-owner with husba
If there are truly supernatural forces at work on the “Skinwalker Ranch,” they do not seem to have your best interests at heart. At the least, they seem to be indifferent to human concerns and endeavors, content to go on about their mysterious business and not above the occasional, seemingly magical prank, no matter the consternation or cost. At the worst, some entities may just want your animals or they may want the spark that gives you life. What the purpose is for their deeds and interactions we may never know nor ever fully understand, for it’s clear that their reasons are their own. Tonight's Quote: “In the end, I suspect that this intense concentration of 'paranormal' activity could point us all toward a new understanding of physical reality, something that is already being debated at the highest levels of modern science." — Colm A. Kelleher, co-author along with George Knapp of The Hunt for the Skinwalker
Could it be that impossible creatures and craft from unimaginable worlds are able to intrude upon ours at will? Real Estate magnate Robert T. Bigelow thought so and assembled a team of scientists and researchers to find out if "Skinwalker Ranch" could be a portal to all manner of weirdness. In order to obtain verifiable data, accepted scientific methods were applied to observation and analyzation at the Sherman family property, by Bigelow's newly formed National Institute for Discovery Science. Although they encountered a significant number of anomalies, ultimately they could provide no conclusive explanation for these bizarre events - as far as we know. It leaves us to wonder if the Scientific Method can be applied to paranormal events, however, a possible explanation regarding the origin of these incursions into our world might be found in the models currently being worked out in the field of Theoretical Physics and "The Theory of Everything."
Tonight we are joined by an old friend of Scott's, David Sullivan, or Sully to his friends. Sully has had some interesting things happen in his life, especially when heard through the filter of Astonishing Legends. He relays a few stories that start out pretty light and get progressively darker and darker as the show continues, and by darker we mean real dark. So if you're in the mood for an episode that evokes images of rabies, fate, the forgotten dead and sociopathic behavior, tonight's episode is just for you. Tonight's Quote: “A scarecrow is just a hoodlum who marked the cards that he dealed, and pulled a gypsy switch out on the edge of Potter’s field. —Tom Waits, Potter’s Field 1977
In tonight's episode, Scott interviews journalist, author, and Paranormal Investigator Linda S. Godfrey. We discuss her latest book, Monsters Among Us: An exploration of otherworldly Bigfoots, Wolfmen, Portals, Phantoms, and Odd Phenomena. Linda has appeared on numerous TV shows such The History Channel's Monster Quest, Inside Edition, Sean Hannity and of course as a guest on the Coast to Coast AM radio program. She is the author of over a dozen books, such as Real Wolfmen: True Encounters in Modern America, American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends and Sightings in America, and Weird Michigan. If after considering all of the encounters Linda has researched and all of the witnesses she's interviewed, you conclude that monsters are indeed among us, you must also come to terms with the idea that they're everywhere, and it might just be a matter of time until you see one yourself.
All legends are local in a way, and when one local person tells a tale of a strange encounter, it can be a cause for skeptical snickers from the townsfolk. When more than a hundred people from the same region all see the same thing, it can lead to books, a major Motion Picture and even an annual festival. Such is the case with Point Pleasant, West Virginia and the Ohio River Valley's own "Mothman" — whose local sightings turned into national legend. There are several elements that contribute to the intense curiosity that still surrounds the stories of the Mothman, himself described as a winged, humanoid creature with glowing red eyes and a sympathetic, if mysterious nature. One of them is the sudden appearance of a friendly, inter-dimensional road tripper named Indrid Cold who just wants to get to know you better and may be searching for a cryptid on the loose .
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Mothman! Well, we're pretty sure "Mothman" isn't any of those things, neither a moth nor a man, or some unholy combination of the two. If the descriptions by over 100 witnesses are accurate and the symptoms of seeing such a sight are related, then whatever this creature is, it's abilities may go beyond even what is considered possible for an earthly cryptid. Magical flight, a burning, mesmerizing gaze, and haunting dreams are some of his reported traits, but is clairvoyance also one of them? What if Mothman knew your fate, but wasn't capable or allowed to tell you? And for an even bigger stretch of the imagination, what if Scott goes "off the chain" in this episode? Now, this may all seem like silly balderdash to your sophisticated and skeptical nature, but what kind of hosts would we be if we couldn't deliver a tale of a real monster in time for Samhain? After all, it is Halloween.
At 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge which connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed. Being rush hour in mid-December, the bridge was full of commuters on their way home from work and holiday shopping trips. The collapse sent 32 vehicles into the frigid waters of the Ohio river and 46 people lost their lives, with 2 bodies never to be found. The cause was as prosaic and understandable as it was tragic - a minute defect causing stress corrosion in a suspension eye-bar. However, what we may never understand is a connection some claim between the collapse and the first sightings of the Mothman, widely thought to be 13 months previously, to the day. Was there a warning that no one could comprehend? Even if a warning could be interpreted by someone who was starting to put all these strange puzzle pieces together, would their findings even be believed? Could this tragedy have been prevented, or was it inevitable?
Do we only see what we can understand? And if we refuse or are unable to understand, are we then not seeing all of the elements of our reality? If beings and creatures from alternate realities truly exist, then what is their origin story? What is their purpose and what are we to them, or more to the point, what do they want with us? In Part 4A of our series on the Mothman of Point Pleasant, WV, we examine some of these questions and try to find conclusions of our own, outrageous though they may seem to be. Tonight's Quote: “I have adopted the concept of 'Ultraterrestrials' — beings and forces which coexist with us but are on another time frame; that is, they operate outside the limits of our space-time continuum yet have the ability to cross over into our reality. This other world is not a place, however, as Mars or Andromeda are places, but it is a state of energy.” — John A. Keel, The Mothman Prophecies
As we approach our Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, Astonishing Legends would like to thank our fantastic fans from all over the world with our final Part 4B of The Mothman series - the rest of the conclusions. Not only did we think this would make a good bonus for our listeners, but an undivided Part 4 would've been, shall we say, monstrous. Of all the things to be thankful for this holiday season, just remember that as weird as things are, they could always get weirder. Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Tonight's Quote: “I have adopted the concept of 'Ultraterrestrials' — beings and forces which coexist with us but are on another time frame; that is, they operate outside the limits of our space-time continuum yet have the ability to cross over into our reality. This other world is not a place, however, as Mars or Andromeda are places, but it is a state of energy.” — John A. Keel, The Mothman Prophecies
Astonishing Legends makes digital media and internet history with our first ever "live" YouTube streaming event! Frankly, we weren't sure any of it would work, so we really didn't announce we'd be doing it, but we thought it might be a fun way to interact with our listeners and answer some of their questions in a text chat stream, all while doing our usual rambling, digressing, and nervous stammering. We really appreciate our audience, so we hope you enjoy it. Depending on how much "flame mail we get, we might even try it again sometime! Tonight's Quote: "The internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had." — Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google.
Life is fragile and an end comes for us all. But whether that end is labeled as mysterious, ironic, tragic, coincidental or altogether unremarkable, is something for those that survive us to decide. The path of life through the wilderness of our choices can be both rocky and smooth, so look where you're going because others will remember where you've been. Tonight's Quote: “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” — Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
Sometimes we get a second chance and sometimes it seems we had no chance at all. What we can count on getting is a cycle of the heartwarming followed by heartbreak, the mundane punctuated with despair and assuaged by moments of joy. But greater than our earthly concerns, the cycle of life continues. Birth follows death as spring follows winter. And within this cycle, every once in a while just to keep it interesting, the wondrous happens. Whether you view the seemingly impossible as merely a coincidence, as a mistaken observation, or as proof that miracles do happen and that love never dies the choice is up to you. Which one sounds like more fun? Tonight's Quote: “It is not known precisely where angels dwell whether in the air, the void, or the planets. It has not been God's pleasure that we should be informed of their abode.” — Voltaire
Who's the most interesting person you've ever met? Can they play a musical instrument? Do they speak a foreign language? Are they a fine art painter? Have they traveled the world? Are they descended from royalty? Sure, maybe only a couple of those. But what if they were a concert level violinist who could also compose music? What if they could speak ten languages or more? What if it seemed they could produce precious gemstones and on top of that, were a military tactician who brokered diplomacy between nations? Impossible you say, for all of these talents and accomplishments to be contained within one individual? And yet all of these are the qualities and accomplishments claimed to be witnessed by the contemporaries of the man known mostly as the Count of Saint Germain.
If you wished you could do all the things the Count of Saint Germain could do, meet all the people he had met, and learn all the secrets of life he seemed to possess, and on top of it all, have several lifetimes to employ your skills, what then? The question is, what would you do with these gifts? Would you be content to merely be the life of the party, or would you try and make a difference in the affairs of nations and enlighten humanity, even if it cost you your freedom or your once immortal life? Depending on your answer, the bigger question might be, does it take the right person to seek the mysteries, or do the mysteries seek the right person? Tonight's Quote: “I thought, with all due respect to Madame la Comtesse, that the devil had long since made a mantle out of the skin of this personage.” — Madame d’Adhemar’s maid, as she explained that the Count of Saint Germain was waiting to see her. From d’Adhemar’s book, “Souvenirs de la Marie Antoinette” published in 1836.
There seems to be no doubt that the Count of Saint Germain existed, but how did he exist and for how long? There are levels to the incredulity of his story. It seems unlikely that one individual could possess so many varied talents, but the Count's most unlikely talent was living into his 80s while still looking to be in his 50s. If you're willing to go even further and believe the accounts of some of his contemporaries, then the Count was over 100 years old and lived well into the 19th century. Impossible you say? Then you might have even more trouble believing what many of those who had studied under him and some that continue to study his life believe, that the Count may have been hundreds or even thousands of years old, knew the ancient wisdom and secrets of life, and practiced the lost arts known only to the most enlightened beings.
So often the event of a mysterious object falling to earth has too few witnesses or leaves no evidence, but this is not the case with the "Kecksburg UFO Incident" — unless you ask the US Army. On December 9, 1965, a fiery object streaked across the afternoon skies over at least six US states and Ontario, Canada and was seen by thousands, with many claiming it even seemed to be under "intelligent control." The object crash-landed in the woods near Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, where first-responders and local eye-witnesses said it looked like a giant acorn with some reporting strange lettering around a band near the bottom that resembled Egyptian hieroglyphs. If it was only a meteor as was first reported, then the Army and unknown government agents sure took an immediate interest in a commonplace astronomical event, cordoning off the crash site and hauling away the object and other possible items on flatbed trucks under tight security. So what was it?
In August of 1997, Polish journalist, military historian, researcher and author, Igor Witkowski claims to have been shown classified prisoner interrogation transcripts of German SS General Jakob Sporrenberg by a Polish Intelligence agent. What Witkowski discovered seemed to be official evacuation protocols for a secret Nazi research project concerning a device named “Die Glocke” which he referred to as, “The Nazi Bell.” Given the highest top secret classification by the German WWII military of “Krieg Entscheidend” or “War Decisive” the Nazi Bell appears to have been a machine designed to produce nuclear energy or weaponry or become an engine for anti-gravity Field Propulsion, but with some startling, uncontrollable and lethal side-effects such as the disruption of the space-time continuum. Witkowski’s findings led him to write a seminal book on the subject, Prawda o Wunderwaffe or “The Truth About the Wonder Weapon” published in 2000.
Background The mystery of “The Nazi Bell” or “Die Glocke” is only surpassed by its reported potential. The Germans had the knowledge to build an atomic weapon in Otto Hahn, the chemist who first split the uranium nucleus in 1938. The next year the Nazis had control of Europe’s only source of uranium ore when they acquired the mine at Joachimsthal while invading the rest of Czechoslovakia. But was The Bell a device to aid them in enriching uranium-238? Many researchers of The Bell believe it was it’s own research project and given an even higher Top Secret classification than their atomic weapons program. When Germany surrendered in 1945, it was evident they were not able to bring their atomic weapon development to a successful conclusion, but was this because they were much more focused on creating a machine that would be a far greater solution to their goal of world domination, and did they fully know what they were dealing with?
We know that Distance = Rate x Time but when one of the variables of that equation is altered beyond reason by some unimaginable force of nature, the result can challenge what we think we know about the natural world. This was the experience of pilot Bruce Gernon, who believes he encountered a rare, yet natural phenomenon during a routine flight from Andros Island in the Bahamas to Palm Beach, Florida. Minutes after taking off from Andros (which also happens to be located within the legendary “Bermuda Triangle”). Gernon, along with his father who was acting as co-pilot and navigator and another passenger who was their business partner, found themselves rapidly being enveloped in a strange and powerful storm. A bizarre tunnel of clouds chased and formed around them, and by all objective and rational observations, appears to have warped spacetime itself. Gernon would later write about his theory of the experience calling the phenomenon, “Electronic Fog.”
The fate of a US Naval training flight, designated as “Flight 19” remains one of the American military’s most enduring mysteries, but also one of the signature stories from the legendary region known as “The Bermuda Triangle.” On December 5, 1945, a squadron of five Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers departed Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 2:10 p.m. on what should have been a routine overwater navigation training exercise. After successfully completing their practice bombing runs and some course change maneuvers, the formation radioed that they were not sure of their location or heading. Several hours later it was clear that the squadron was lost and their situation was dire. Flight instructor Lt. Charles Taylor, USN would make his last transmission around this time and it would be the last he and his 13 airmen would ever be heard from again. A rescue operation was launched, but it too would suffer a terrible tragedy.
At approximately 6:00 p.m. on 5 December 1945, an HF/DF signal fix was obtained for Flight 19, placing its location somewhere within a 100-mile radius off the east coast of Florida, but that would be the last trace of the squadron's existence. It wouldn't be the last tragedy of this story. Around 7:27 p.m., two Martin Mariner rescue planes were launched from NAS Banana River, FL to conduct a search. Three minutes later, one of the planes, PBM-5 "Squadron Training No. 49" would send its "out report" over the radio, but it too would never be heard from again. About 20 minutes later, a tanker cruising in the area, the SS Gaines Mills would report seeing an apparent explosion, with flames leaping 100 feet high and lasting for 10 minutes in the vicinity of where PBM-5 should have been. The ship would search for survivors or floating wreckage but would find only a pool of oil and it is believed all 13 crew members aboard PBM-5 perished in that explosion.
The timeline of events leading up to the disappearance of Flight 19 suggest, as with so many tragedies, that it was not just one mistake responsible for the ultimate loss of 27 airmen, but a series of minor miscommunications and faltering. This is perhaps due to the ordinary and routine nature of the training mission, one that was not far from home base and one that wasn't supposed to go so wrong. But how could a seasoned flight instructor with combat experience and around 2500 hours of flying time to his credit become so disoriented, especially one who was familiar with the region? Why couldn't a simple navigational error be corrected amongst the 5 pilots and crewmen? Was there a general feeling of overconfidence in eventually correcting their course, or was there some unknown environmental force acting upon them, one that is suspected of the area?
Despite what you may see in today's eye-catching, "Clickbait" internet headlines, so few mysteries are ever really "Solved!" But what if we could get an image, an impression, a hint of a location even, some kind of clue as to what happened with some of the great mysteries of our world? There might be a way. We were fortunate enough to interview Remote Viewing instructor Lori Williams and one of her most gifted Viewers, Jed Bendix, who had some interesting insights into the last moments and possible final destination of Flight 19. Of course, there are those who may scoff at Remote Viewing, relegating it to the outbox of the impossible along with anything associated with ESP, but the CIA and US Military didn't, spending 20 million dollars over 20 years to research and develop the technique. No one may fully know why Remote Viewing works, but it's hard not to be astounded with some of the methodology's results.
Henry Plummer was like so many young men who ventured into the frontier of mid-nineteenth century America; full of a spirit of adventure and eager to make their fortunes in the gold fields of the Old West. Handsome, charismatic and ambitious, Plummer soon went from trying his hand at prospecting to a career in law enforcement and was even encouraged to enter California politics by his supporters. Plummer's successes, however, were tainted by his foibles as it was noted that his evening activities sometimes put the wild in "Wild West." A move to Bannack, Montana, and election as sheriff of the area promised to restore his career and reputation. This fresh start at the bottom of Plummer's pan would prove to be just a flash, as the townsfolk would soon suspect his connection to the robberies and murders allegedly committed by a gang of Road Agents who came to be known as "The Innocents" and many speculated he might even have been the mastermind behind the purported crime wave.
The dual nature of Henry Plummer's character would leave us questioning his legacy and the legitimacy of his ending. Was he simply an honest lawman reluctantly entangled in the rougher aspects of frontier justice or a downright robber and murderer with a badge? There are authors who believe he was solely one or the other but there also seems to be ample circumstantial evidence that he was likely some combination of both. The problem of determining his guilt or innocence, set against the backdrop of a nascent legal structure for the American West, would stir a debate that we continue to struggle with today. When it comes to the protection of our families and communities, what measures are we willing to accept to ensure our safety? When does crime prevention and the ad hoc adjudication of those in authority become a miscarriage of justice?
The case of Henry Plummer represents the gray area between due process and necessary action, depending on whether you view a rise in criminal activity as a matter for the justice system no matter how lacking, or local imperium no matter how brutal. In an interview with Frederick Allen, author of A Decent, Orderly Lynching: The Montana Vigilantes, we discuss his initial interest in the story, the motivations of the people involved, and the debate their actions spurred, then and now.
The logging town of Pere Cheney, Michigan once showed a lot of promise as a place where hardworking men and women of the late 19th century could raise a family — that is until two epidemics of diphtheria and devastating fires reduced it to a ghost town. And if you believe the accounts of some visitors to the nearby cemetery, Pere Cheney's tragic fate doomed it to be an actual town of ghosts; the playful ghosts of the children who fell victim to the disease. But who's to blame for the sad ending of this once thriving village? Surely something, or someone, must be the cause of the town's bad luck, and if you believe the local legends, that someone was a witch who cursed it right before she was hanged and buried in that very cemetery. Or maybe she was burned? Or maybe it wasn't a witch at all, but a banished unwed mother who cursed the lot of it just the same?
Tonight we have a conversation with screenwriter and producer Richard Hatem, known for such Motion Picture and Television projects as The Mothman Prophecies, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Grimm, Damien, Supernatural, Witches of East End, The Gates and many, many others. We discuss with Rich his approach to adapting John Keel's book, The Mothman Prophecies for the Big Screen, the larger concepts surrounding the events, his life-long interest in the paranormal and supernatural, as well as a lot of other cool stuff.
Most of us go on about our lives, enjoying the predictable routine of family, work, and if we're lucky, a little bit of leisure. Usually, nothing too out of the ordinary happens from day to day, and although it may seem dull, we forget it's also comforting. But if you're Orfeo Angelucci – aerospace worker, family man, thoughtful but average citizen, one day you get contacted by a race of advanced, extraterrestrial beings that reveal to you the secret of the universe, your purpose here, and the task ahead that would change his life forever. This was the incredible claim in Angelucci's book, The Secret of the Saucers, which tells the story of his contact with a pair of kind, ethereal entities, who want him to share their message of peace and love for the human race. But these warm greetings came with a warning: that we must change our harmful ways or else suffer the fate of the world that came before us.
They say if you meet someone from New Jersey, Pennsylvania or New York, you don't ask them if they've heard of the "Jersey Devil," you ask them if they've had some kind of encounter with it. The legend of the curious cryptid is so prolific, they've no doubt heard of it, and if they've spent any time near the Pine Barrens of "The Garden State," more often than not you'll find they've experienced some evidence of the beast, or know someone who has. Folklorists say that there are more than 30 variations of the legend, but the main origin story of New Jersey's own "Official Demon" goes all the way back to 1735, and a Mrs. Leeds of Galloway, NJ, who upon a difficult delivery of her 13th child, exclaimed it might as well be a devil – which, if the tale is to be believed, you should never do.
Southern New Jersey is steeped in the legend of The Jersey Devil, with the eponymous rascal inspiring everything from the names of businesses to stickers and T-shirts for tourists. But as one "South Jersey" native has informed us, The Pine Barrens themselves may be nothing like what outsiders envision, with most of it being "lush, green and beautiful" and a joy to explore. Also, maybe almost no one from the area believes the myth themselves. However, it seems in the case of the legend of Jersey Devil – there are two distinct yet connected phenomenal elements at play: the ye olde myth, and the otherworldly thing that more than a few people swear they've encountered. So what do you say to them? Are you sure all they saw or heard was an owl, a stray African bat, a mutant goat havin' a laugh, or that good ol' well-worn chestnut the Sandhill Crane?
The legal systems of Western societies have no place for, nor consideration of, the offenses of the spiritual world. Neither does the spirit world have regard for the laws of men. These factors make the case of the death of Anneliese Michel so fascinating, so compelling, so confounding and ultimately so tragic, that it remains one of the benchmark legal cases for determining negligent culpability in purported cases demonic possession. Anneliese was a German girl who was known in life for being very intelligent, shy, kind, generous and pious, but will always be known in death as an unfortunate soul who experienced a deteriorating malady so mysterious and devastating she ultimately succumbed to starvation. But who, or what, is to blame? Was it the severe affliction of an extreme case of epilepsy or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder having gone untreated, or was it the detestable work of the Devil himself?
When considering the answer to the question, "Who or what was responsible for the death of Anneliese Michel?" as with all mysteries it is best to consider every opinion, especially an informed one. Tonight we interview Father John Duffey, author of the book, Lessons Learned: The Anneliese Michel Exorcism: The Implementation of a Safe and Thorough Examination, Determination, and Exorcism of Demonic Possession. Father Duffey is a former priest for the New American Catholic Church and Chaplain for the American Legion and has been researching and investigating incidents of suspected demonic and other spiritual activity since 1999, and researching matters of human behavior and anthropology since 2002. Father Duffey has formal training and experience in military law enforcement and anti-terrorism intelligence operations, general psychology, cultural anthropology, parapsychology, theology, and counseling.
Was Anneliese Michel truly possessed by demonic forces, or was she suffering from a more earthly psychological affliction such as an extreme case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Scrupulosity, epilepsy, PTSD or Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis? Tonight we examine this case from the solely scientific, clinical angle with our interview of Dr. Jennifer Sy, Ph.D. of the Houston OCD Program. Dr. Sy is a licensed clinical psychologist with training in cognitive-behavioral treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. She received a BA in Cognitive Science from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and her MS and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wyoming. She has published on cognitive/behavioral mechanisms and exposure-based treatment of social anxiety, specific phobias, and panic.
The 1950s was awash with incredible UFO sightings and purported alien encounters, but the Kelly-Hopkinsville Incident remains a highlight for the field of Ufology. The report was significant not only because of the long duration of the event and a large number of witnesses but also because the frightening contact sparked a one-sided gun battle. On the evening of Sunday, August 21, 1955, one of the occupants of the Sutton farmhouse, in the unincorporated area of Kelly north of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reported seeing a saucer-like craft land a short distance away in a gully to the rear of the property. Moments later, the two families staying there claimed that a number of "strange little men" approached the house and peered through the windows, and one even tugged the hair of Billy Ray Taylor, the man who had first seen the craft land.
In Part Two of our series on the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter, we analyze the elements of the Sutton and Taylor families' story. Is the tale that ended up in the media what actually happened or were certain descriptions exaggerated to make the story more sensational in order to sell newspapers? Perhaps some details were misreported due to anxiety, faulty memories and the phenomenon of the "Telephone Game?" Or was it all a hoax and for what gain? What we find is that the story in its original and accurate telling is so bizarre, any further embellishment would be pointless and believe it or not, that's the story the families stuck to, which only serves to add more mystery to an already mysterious world.
It's easy to dismiss the entire Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter as the booze-fueled fantasy of a bunch of backward hicks who can't tell the difference between a goblin and an owl, or maybe you think it was an outrageous hoax perpetrated for cash. But before you begin telling people what they saw, or make assumptions based on character or class, just remember: unless you were there, you weren't there. These people didn't ask for this incident to happen to them, and they especially didn't ask for the notoriety or ridicule that followed. What the authorities at the time believed, and what many skeptics agree on in hindsight, is that the Sutton and Taylor families were genuinely terrified of something real, and yet even the most seasoned paranormal researcher can't definitively say by what or by whom. So maybe your educated reasoning doesn't allow for the possibility of otherworldly creatures?
Tonight's show is... well... we don't know what it is, frankly. What we can tell you is that friend and screenwriter Richard Hatem stopped by the Astonishing Legends studio, we ordered pizzas, made more than a few "Dirty Martinis" (at Rich's resolute insistence, which he then sent back several times to the bar until they met with his exacting and cruel satisfaction) and talked with great ardor and exuberance about everything paranormal and supernatural from the sublime to the silly, and apparently, this is the result. Oh, and we eventually talk about the recent spate of Moth-Owl-Bat-Man sightings in the Chicago, IL metropolitan area, which was the primary reason for inviting him over in the first place. For those of you who can embrace a rollicking discourse as a fresh change of pace, please enjoy. For those of you expecting more conventional and disciplined fare, please accept our apologies. ; )
The descriptor "Hell Hole" can currently describe anything from your first apartment to the workplace you dread, but where do we get that term? Ages ago, could there have been a hole that people believed led straight to the depths of hell itself? There are several sites in our world that could lay claim to that title, where the "veil" to the underworld seems a little "thin," but a historically solid contender would no doubt be Houska Castle, about 40 miles north of Prague in the Czech Republic. Tales of demonic beasts issuing forth from the chasm and visiting violence upon villagers and ghastly specters scaring those who roam the castle grounds have been known since the Middle Ages to the present, but what of the edifice itself? No matter what you believe about the folklore, what can't be denied is that the castle was not built for the usual reasons – instead of a fortification to keep people out, it was built to keep things in.
There are two connected, yet distinct traditions of weirdness concerning Houska Castle: its mysterious, violent and spotty history of purpose and ownership, and the reported sightings of horrific creatures and terrifying specters since its founding. Regarding the castle's originally intended design; whether it was really built to keep something from escaping rather than defense from outside forces, the lack of any definitive or comprehensive historical records will only lead to debate and speculation. However, those that have been inside the walls of this fortress and others in the region will tell you that Houska's architecture clearly doesn't seem to fit with the standard intentions. Regarding the encounters with frightening phantoms, if you believe places can be haunted, Houska Castle seems to be just that.
Every family has their stories passed down from generation to generation, but most aren't as fantastical or have made as much of an impact on regional history as the legend of the Bell Witch. From about 1817 to 1821 in the Red River Community, now known as Adams, Tennessee, some sort of supernatural entity known as the "Bell Witch" was claimed to have terrorized the family of John Bell. The activity was not just confined to the Bells, but many in the area at the time reported instances of poltergeist annoyances like slapping and pinching that then progressed to pranks and premonition, then to beatings and even murder.
Folklore can simply be described as beliefs, customs or legends handed down and preserved among a people. Some believe they are merely made up tales designed to entertain, while others believe folklore may be based on truths that have been gilded over the years by the oral tradition, yet their truth survives as valuable instruction or even a warning. Whether the legend of the Bell Witch was based on a real poltergeist event with the details being accurately preserved, or somewhat true but padded for effect, or wholly a lie spun to cover more humanly misdeeds, we'll likely never know. But before you dismiss the Bell Witch story outright, first think about your own family's stories or even how your own true tales you've told will be perceived through the lenses of bias and time. Will you be remembered as a faithful narrator or a liar?
First, there's a knock. A very persistent knock, at your door, at your car window. Or maybe they stop you on a walk, on your way somewhere, when you're alone. They're just kids, right? And who doesn't want to help out kids in need? Except that these aren't like any kids you've met before. They're not like any humans you've ever met before, because what humans have you seen that have completely all-black eyes and fill you with an inexplicable dread? These kids don't want money (that's what humans want) and they really don't need to use your phone, even though that's what they mostly ask for. No. What they want is to get in. Into your house, into your car, into your space, to be near you. But, they need your permission first. Why? What are the rules? And what do they want when they get in? What they want is the only thing you possess of any real value – your soul.
The accounts of encounters with Black Eyed Kids vary with their observable details, except for two main factors: their dead, black eyes which you see and can never forget and the feeling of utter horror and doom which you will continue to feel every time you think about them. If the eyes truly are "windows to the soul" then these entities have no soul, or that soul resides in hell. Remember that the next time you hear a knock and think it's just a harmless kid or two, and all they want is some Halloween candy, or to use your phone, or a ride, or to come in and warm up, because what they will take is something you literally can't live without.
Whether you choose to think of Black Eyed Kids as demonic entities or just unaccompanied children out by themselves late at night with full-sclera Contacts trying to scare people, one thing our research and the research of those who have written extensively on the subject has concluded, this is not just an internet hoax, no matter what you keep telling yourself. Perhaps the only proof of their authenticity is also something that is unquantifiable: a deep down, primal fear upon meeting them that is so profound it is unrelatable and incomprehensible to those who have not experienced it. In other words, when the real thing comes for you, you'll know. Maybe, in the end, you don't believe any of the accounts of these encounters, or you choose to believe it's simply a misidentification leading to an exaggeration of unease. That's fine. Whatever you need to tell yourself to get to sleep.
Join us tonight as we sit down with Chris Williamson, the project creator of Chasing Earhart. Chris, along with his wife Vanessa and their dedicated team of researchers and producers, has created a podcast and are working on a documentary all about legendary aviatrix Amelia Earhart: her life, her persona, her fateful last flight and the controversy that surrounds her legacy. The result is that Chasing Earhart has rapidly become one of the definitive repositories of information and interviews of the authorities who continue to devote their lives to solving her disappearance. In our interview with Chris, we discuss the major researchers, their theories, and current investigations which aim to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th Century.
On November 8, 1951, noted mountaineer and adventurer Eric Shipton and Dr. Michael Ward were on an expedition to find an alternate route to ascend Mount Everest. At approximately 17,500 feet and exploring a glacier near an Everest basecamp they came across a set of massive footprints that shouldn't have been there. The only possible known creatures that they thought could have left such crisp footprints in the snow at that altitude were humans, bears or yaks, and they didn't look exactly like any of those to them, but more like a strange unknown barefooted hominoid. Their Sherpa guides, however, knew exactly what had left those footprints, the legendary Yeti, known to the indigenous peoples of the region for at least hundreds of years, and was both feared and revered. Shipton set the head of his ice ax next to the track, which measured about a foot long and 5" wide, and took a picture.
You've heard the eye-witness accounts of encounters with the Yeti, but can you believe them? The DNA of supposed Yeti "evidence" has been tested, and it's hard to argue those results, but how do we know those bits were really from a Yeti as locals know it? And speaking of what the locals know, the western world likes to take one answer and apply it to many questions, while the eastern world knows that there can be several answers to a question. The locals also know what they saw when it comes to the question of the Yeti, and if they are right, and we combine that with the results from the scientific analysis, could there then be several correct answers as to what a "Yeti" really is?
Like so many cryptid mysteries, what one realizes is that the deeper you search for the answer of what the creature might be, you find what it represents is so much more than just a singular beast. Such was the discovery of tonight's guest, Professor Daniel C. Taylor, PhD., author of Yeti: The Ecology of a Mystery. Dr. Taylor has spent 60 years of his life on a quest to solve the mystery of the Yeti, and that process has ultimately led to the foundation of a worldwide network and university dedicated to preserving not only the culture and ecology of the Himalayan region and beyond but it has also become a force for social change and preservation in other sensitive areas of the planet. But, if you just want to know if the Yeti is real or a legend, then consider the words of Dr. Taylor: "a legend doesn't leave footprints." The Yeti's prominence in the daily life of the peoples who inhabit the Himalayas makes it very real, and not just in a spiritual and cultural context.
The term "Disclosure" in the UFO community generally refers to the long-awaited event when the government, specifically the U.S. Government, finally tells the world that UFOs exist, along with everything they know about extraterrestrials, or so enthusiasts of the topic would hope. While we wouldn't suggest holding your breath until "Full Disclosure" happens, there has been an interesting, recent development worth noting. On December 17, 2017, the New York Times published a curious article titled, "Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program." Apart from the mild surprise that such a serious publication as the New York Times would bother running with any story that would give consideration to such a "preposterous" idea as UFOs being real, is the bigger surprise that from 2007 until 2012, $22 million dollars of U.S. taxpayer money was spent annually on something called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program.
How "credible" does an eye-witness have to be before their account of an Unidentified Flying Object is taken seriously? Whom would you think is the most credible sort of witness for this type of impossible craft, aside from the beings or forces that made them? How about an elite jet fighter pilot from the US Navy, highly trained to identify every known aerial threat – known to a conventional military, of course. Tonight, we sit down again for Part Two with our friend Rob Kristofferson, from the Our Strange Skies podcast to discuss in detail the eye-witness report and related consequences of David Fravor, USN Ret., former Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron VFA-41, who along with his Weapons Systems Officer Lt. Cmdr. Jim Slaight engaged a target that behaved like nothing they could imagine. After hearing about Fravor's account, you just might start to believe that "Secret Machines" do indeed exist... and your next thought will be, "...well then, who, or what is controlling them?"
It's easy to imagine a version of ourselves that's gargantuan, magical, a hero that often plays the villain, a giant among the ordinary. Legends of giants doing as they please have been with us since the beginning and continue to fascinate us in cinema and sport. The idea of a giant is easy to entertain because either through genetics or rare disorders, extra-large humans have naturally lived throughout our existence. The idea that's not easy for the modern person to imagine, aside from a singular Goliath-like demigod here n' there, is the possibility of a race of giants having once existed, tribes of superhumans whose feats and physicality filled us with fear and wonder in antiquity. Yet with these tall tales being so pervasive worldwide, could it be that communities of giants were real or was it merely that the occasional taller than average human became the inspiration for myth? Join us tonight as we explore the mystery of legendary giants.
Please join us for a special, commercial-free BONUS episode featuring an interview with senior Astonishing Legends Research Corps member, Chemical Engineer and newly appointed Director of Research for MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, Dr. Chris Cogswell, Ph.D. We originally interviewed Chris for our of Imminent Disclosure? Part 2 episode, but felt this congratulatory announcement and interesting discussion deserved its own segment. Chris explains how MUFON operates, what its aims are, and how through solid, scientific methodology they may continue and deepen this quest to find the truth behind the strangeness many of us are seeing in our skies.
What constitutes a "giant" in your mind? Certainly, people who are 6 to 7 feet tall are commonplace nowadays, unlike the Middle Ages, or even a hundred years ago. But what about someone who's seven feet tall or more? We may call them "giants" in jest, but it's not the same as when we think of the giants in our legends. A measurement of more than seven feet is rare, but there are plenty of healthy people living today in that range that prove it's not so legendary by our contemporary imagination. Rarer still is a human that's eight feet tall, but there has been one in recent history: Robert Pershing Wadlow stood 8' 11.1" tall (2.72 m) and weighed 490 pounds (220 kg) and showed no signs of stopping his growth at his untimely death in 1940 at age 22. So it's possible that a height for a human can approach nine feet, but could any height beyond that be sustainable?
So, what have we learned about giants? Our current understanding of human biology finds limits as to how tall a person can grow and can still be relatively healthy while enjoying an advanced age. This knowledge then places limits as to what the majority are willing to believe about the tallest humans throughout all history, that no one could have existed beyond 8 to 10 feet tall at the most. In the still-nascent field of archeology in the 19th century, excavations do seem to provide accounts of unusually large individuals in Europe and significant numbers of taller than average Native American tribal members here in the U.S., so perhaps whole communities could have been seen as giants by contemporary standards.
This podcast wouldn't be as complete or as much fun to work on if it wasn't for the help of a special group of volunteer contributors, collectively known as the Astonishing Research Corps, or ARC for short, who have now become good friends as well as valued collaborators. So we figured it would be fitting to salute their efforts on our celebratory 100th episode by having some of the ARC's founding members tell their own strange and mysterious tales. We hope you find their stories entertaining and engaging, which we believe also serve to reinforce an Astonishing Legends adage, that if you personally haven't had an encounter with the paranormal, you probably know someone who has.
Since it's no mystery that we can blather and prattle on for hours upon hours, it should come as no surprise that we ran long on Part One of our ARCapalooza 100th Episode Celebration! The result is this commercial-free, Bonus Episode, where lead A.R.C. researcher Tess Pfeifle poses questions to us submitted by listeners. We hope you enjoy this candid discussion where we talk about everything from our thoughts on show topics to producing the podcast.
As we wrap up our 100th episode celebration with "ARCapalooza! Part 2" we'd like to thank the terrific people who have come together to form the Astonishing Research Corps for their efforts, friendship, and sharing their personal stories, demonstrating their generosity and a fair amount of bravery. We'd also like to thank another crucial member of this project, and that is you, our listeners. We're astounded, humbled, and most importantly grateful for the support you've shown with your continued listenership. It's why we keep going. We've always meant for this podcast to feel less like a lecture and more like a conversation between friends who share an interest in fascinating topics. With that spirit in mind, we hope you continue to feel like a part of this group of friends and a cherished member of the team. And now on to the next 100 episodes!
Show Delay Explanation
Legend has it, that sometime in the late 1920s or early '30s, a young couple was enjoying an evening of dancing at the Oh Henry Ballroom, later renamed the Willowbrook Ballroom & Banquets, located southwest of Chicago, IL. After an argument, the woman stormed out, deciding she'd rather walk home than spend another minute with her boyfriend. As she walked along Archer Avenue on a wintery night, she was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. Her bereaved parents buried her at nearby Resurrection Cemetery in the white ballgown and shoes in which she died. Ever since, people have reported either dancing with or giving a ride to a hauntingly beautiful young woman, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white gown, who at some point vanishes from their midst. Accounts of these spectral encounters have been so numerous over the years that the legend of "Resurrection Mary" is perhaps Chicago's most famous and beloved ghost story.
As you delve into the legend of "Resurrection Mary," you'll soon notice that the stretch of Archer Avenue from Resurrection Cemetery to the Willowbrook Ballroom is not the only piece of land that seems haunted, nor is it haunted just by "Mary." It seems the entire locality has a supernatural quality to it, enough that Chicago's "Southwest Siders" have dubbed it "The Archer Triangle," in reference to the more famous one near Bermuda. But what is it about this region that spurs so many reports of paranormal activity? Is it the legacy of ancient Native American activity, the numerous cemeteries located here, or Ley lines and waterways? Is it all an imagined coincidence or is there a more sinister force at play? Tonight, we take a more thorough look at Mary's favorite haunts and examine why the spirits of the area appear to be so restless.
How many reported sightings of a particular ghost would it take before you started to believe that perhaps people were indeed interacting with something supernatural? Hundreds? Over a thousand? But you're looking for proof, you say. Well, what would be convincing proof for you? What about mysterious, spectral handprints melted and scorched into bronze bars that have resisted repair and coverup? Tonight in Part Three of our series, we examine the possibility that Mary may have left her indelible mark not only on the front gates of Resurrection Cemetery but also in the imaginations of Chicagoans ever since.
If Resurrection Mary is just an Urban Legend, merely another variation of the "Vanishing Hitchhiker" then her story is a common one, with similar descriptions found in folklore all over the world. If she is a spirit, then she's also not alone, because it seems people of every country have come forward with testimony of meeting a real "Lady in White." If these ladies are a myth, or if they're real, or some combination of both, why are they so universally elemental? Why is she so primal? Do we see her because of the folklore, or is there folklore because we've seen her? But whether spirits or an archetypal legend, what these women are eternally searching for is something lost, like a child or a future taken away too soon. What they want is to return to a happier time when all was right with their world, to return home, wherever and whatever that home may be, so they may finally rest in peace.
Of all the hypotheses of what happened to Amelia Earhart and her Electra 10-E, William "Bill" Snavely, Jr.'s may be the only one that starts with a found plane and traces her route backward towards her last known contact point. Operating on a hunch that due to low fuel, Earhart may have decided to turn back to a viable landing strip, which would have taken her directly over the path of Buka Island, east of Papua New Guinea. While in Buka searching for clues, Snavely received a tip that an airplane had crashed in 1937 and still lays submerged off the coast in 100' of water. According to Snavely, only roughly 30% of Earhart's route has been searched and has yielded nothing, so why not search the remaining 70%? Taking that approach has found a plane that so far, matches the description of Earhart's Electra. If an expedition could be mounted to identify this plane more thoroughly, could it be that one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th Century will be solved once and for all?
One of the highlights of our appearance at the Kent Paranormal Weekend was participating in our very first Ghost Hunt! The event took place at the Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio which was first built in 1927 and since then has continued to host concerts, films, and various performances. The theater is also host to a cast of characters who were once somehow connected to this historic theater and whose spirits remain there. We explored the most haunted areas of the theater and tried our hand at documenting spirit activity, guided by experienced paranormal investigators Theresa Argie & Cathi Weber, known as The Haunted Housewives, Ray "Gooz" Goosby, Jeff and Susie from the North Canton Paranormal Detectives team, and theater owner Richelle Charlton. One of the techniques we tried is trying to capture an "EVP" or an instance of Electronic Voice Phenomena, which some claim could be evidence of communication with the spirit world.
In 1963, archaeologists from the University of Chicago and Istanbul University examined a site known by locals as Göbekli Tepe, or "Potbelly Hill." They dismissed the site at the time as merely a medieval cemetery due to the numerous slabs of stone thought to be grave markers. However, in 1993, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, who was doing work at another Neolithic site in nearby Nevalı Çori, heard about the report and decided to investigate it for himself. What Schmidt and his team would eventually discover would turn out to be one of the most astounding, mysterious and important archaeological discoveries in history. Laying just below the surface was the earliest known sanctuary structure ever built by humans. Somehow, a group of prehistoric hunter-gathers had managed to quarry massive slabs of stone from nearby outcroppings, some weighing as much as 7 to 10 tons with lengths of up to 18 feet. They then moved them hundreds of feet into numerous circular configurations.
What we've learned so far about Göbekli Tepe, is what it appears to be, which is that it is possibly the world's oldest sacred temple. We think we know who built it: a collective of hunter-gatherers, who had not yet learned the skills of farming. We also think we know approximately when. But the answers to the questions of how and why and what did it all mean to these Neolithic peoples may not be so easily obtained. In fact, since the 1960s at least in American archaeology, a debate still rages as to how far and by what methods archaeologists should proceed to interpret what they have dug up. How closely should archaeology be tied to anthropology, how much informed speculation about their beliefs should be allowed and by whom? Processual and Post-processual archaeology are two schools of thought within the field that currently define this debate.
Something or someone of great importance and influence had convinced and motivated these neolithic hunter-gatherers to put their way of life on hold and come together as a group to undertake such a tremendous project as Göbekli Tepe. This is likely the first time hundreds of prehistoric peoples had formed an organized collective in order to build a religious sanctuary. The work would've taken years to accomplish and the temple would be built upon for many centuries more. The result of this work is believed to have spurred civilization as we know it today. But what beliefs or legends could have generated such a monumental task? In Part Three of our series, we examine the hypotheses put forth in Andrew Collins' book, Göbekli Tepe, Genesis of the Gods: The Temple of the Watchers and the Discovery of Eden. With his comprehensive and detailed research, Collins goes beyond the boundaries of interpretation where Processual archaeologists would not stray.
In 1899, construction on the Flannan Isles lighthouse was completed, perched atop Eilean Mòr, one of the highest points in the Outer Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It would soon experience its first tragedy and an enduring mystery. For several days, it's light could not be seen and on December 15, 1900, the ship Archtor documented this concern in its log while heading to port in Leith. However, 11 days would pass before the lighthouse tending ship Hesperus would be able to dock at Eilean Mòr due to foul weather, for which the area is well-known. What they discovered, or rather, didn't discover, would lead to one of the biggest mysteries of this enchanted region. Serious storm damage was evident on the island, but nothing seemed amiss inside the lighthouse itself except for the fact that the three lighthouse keepers had vanished and would never be seen again.
Flannan Isles Part 2 is delayed. This is why.
Many people enjoy a good mystery. However, mysteries often leave us slightly disturbed and unsettled, because we're also always searching for answers and when we look for answers, we're sometimes comforted the most by the simplest explanations. With the case of the Flannan Isle Lighthouse Keepers, most are willing to accept that a massive "Rogue Wave" swept the three men into oblivion. But what if meteorological science matched against clues left from the scene could show that this theory may not be the most plausible? What if several simple, yet extreme events combined to plunge this mystery into the depths of the unexplained? Join us tonight as we interview Keith McCloskey, author of the book, The Lighthouse: The Mystery of the Eilean Mòr Lighthouse Keepers. We'll discuss his in-depth research into the case and the possibility that the simplest explanations, while the easiest to accept, are often not where the real truth lies submerged.
On January 23, 1974, villagers in the community of Llandrillo in the Edeirnion area of Denbighshire, northern Wales, experienced a tremendous jolt and noise a little after 8:30 p.m., akin to a magnitude 3.5 earthquake. Highly strange, colored lights were seen over the surrounding hills at the same time. Another unusual occurrence was that the British Military was immediately on the scene as if they were tracking the "geological event" in real time. The official Ministry of Defence conclusion was that the event was caused by a simultaneous earthquake and meteor impact, with the meteor being the cause of the freakish light show. However, a meteor impact that would cause a shock of that magnitude would have left a visible crater, which was not found. And of course, there were reports by witnesses on the scene of the military carting off bodies and wreckage. Does this sound familiar to you? It did enough to some tabloid papers at the time who dubbed it, "The Roswelsh Incident."
So many popular culture misconceptions abound with stories of UFO sightings; that it's always some farmer, alone in his fields when an unidentified flying object appears. The "hayseed farmer" is an easy target to dismiss with ridicule and hubris. Sure, sometimes it is a farm, as it was in 1977 at the Coombs family farm in southern Wales, but it is far from the norm. And it wasn't a singular farmer who witnessed a UFO then, prominent townsfolk and a group of schoolchildren also saw bizarre craft and phenomena during a series of events that would become known as the Broad Haven incident. The Coombs family would also go on to experience High Strangeness that would rival the happenings at Skinwalker Ranch.
Anyone who has experienced what is considered a paranormal event will tell you that it's not easy to tell others about what you had witnessed, especially if that experience was dramatic and significant. Testimony about such things is often met with ridicule, scorn and sometimes violence by those who feel threatened by such challenges to their reality. Therefore it takes no small amount of courage and resolution to tell your truth and stick to it. Such are the qualities that we believe make up the mettle of tonight's guest, David "Dave" Davies. Davies has had to endure bullying and beatings since he first described what he witnessed for himself and what his classmates had seen landing on the playground of the Broad Haven Primary School in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1977. For the 40 years since that close encounter, Davies has stood by his story with conviction and without embellishment or wavering, still ever willing to talk about his experience.
We met filmmaker Seth Breedlove at the Kent Stage for the 2018 Kent Paranormal Weekend symposium, where our first event was a screening of his film, The Mothman of Point Pleasant. Needless to say, we were very impressed by his documentary on the subject and then later by Seth himself. After a very pleasant chat in the lobby, we knew we had met a kindred spirit and had to get him on the show to discuss other works by his film production company, Small Town Monsters. Tonight we discuss Seth's oeuvre of well-researched, fascinating and enjoyable documentaries, covering such topics as the Minerva Monster, the Beast of Whitehall, the Boggy Creek Monster, Mothman of Point Pleasant, Invasion on Chestnut Ridge, the Flatwoods Monster, and his latest, The Bray Road Beast, as well as several upcoming projects.
The quote, "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days" is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. We assume the esteemed Mr. Franklin was speaking only of human guests, but it could also apply to the subject of tonight's show. Because the uninvited guest of 30 East Drive in Pontefract, England would prove to be more than an annoying visitor oblivious to hints or uncaring that they'd overstayed their welcome, it would show itself as a threat to the family's safety and sanity. In the mid-1960s and 70s, the Pritchard family who lived at that address experienced a visitor who was not only unwelcome but unseen, a capricious prankster whose sense of humor was offset by its sometimes vicious and violent power. Human beings have an astounding ability to endure hardships they are powerless against and eventually, this poltergeist presence came to be somewhat accepted, with the mother of the family, Jean, giving it the nickname "Fred." But what was this force in supernatural terms?
Poltergeists are all fun & games, that is until they try to strangle you. The actions of whatever force was interacting with the Pritchard family at 30 East Drive in Pontefract, England had seemed playful in a way, albeit disturbing and churlish at times. It seemed there was a primary personality that was the source of the mischief they were experiencing and so consistent were its stunts that the family became familiar with this presence they called "Fred." However, no one really knows what someone or something is capable of until it gets angry. The family saw another side to Fred, or The Black Monk, when it violently attacked the daughter Diane Pritchard on the stairs, leaving red marks on her throat. But was this the doings of their ol' gadfly pal Fred, or something much more sinister? Join us tonight as we examine this escalation of poltergeist activity at the house and try to analyze this darker, malevolent nature of the Black Monk.
You might not believe in ghosts, but it would be difficult to ignore all the furtive and orchestrated actions that were going on throughout the years at 30 East Drive, which continue to this day. Certainly, in some famous poltergeist cases, incidents could have been manipulated to gain attention for the prankster. However, unless you're contending that pre-teens have somehow gained Hollywood Special Effects level skills in every case, then some of the more bizarre and baffling examples of poltergeist activity would be worthy of investigation. Then what exactly, are the defining factors between a run-of-the-mill poltergeist and other types of spirit activity? Is a poltergeist more paranormal than supernatural? What are the rules? There are theories that poltergeist activity may be a physical manifestation of intensely directed energy emanating from people, mostly youth.
When you hear the name, "The Grim Reaper," a very familiar image probably pops into your head. With the black robe and cowl, skeletal face and hands or the visage of a dour corpse, a threatening scythe, and hourglass at its last sands, this is the image the modern, western person thinks of when we personify death. But where did this visual come from? How do we know what death looks like? And since death has always been with us, isn't this image as old as that finality itself? One might think so, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Surely since there have been humans, we have wondered what becomes of us once we die, where do we go when we shuffle off this mortal coil, and how do we get there? What we have found is that yes, we have always created myths and put a face on death in order to help comprehend such an abstract and mysterious concept, but that face has morphed through the ages and varies by culture.
The folkloric traditions of Japan are as rich and vibrant as the country itself, and this is especially true with their pantheon of supernatural characters collectively known as Yokai. The word Yokai in Japanese comprises two concepts: "Yo," meaning: bewitching; attractive; calamity; and "kai," meaning "a mystery, wonder or specter; apparitions; something mysterious or suspicious." There are so many types of Yokai, each with their own unique personalities, functions, and behaviors that it's assured both of those concepts are well-represented. Some Yokai are merely mischievous pranksters and can bring good fortune to those that encounter them. Others will surely bring a most gruesome death. Join us tonight as we speak with illustrator and author Matthew Meyer, creator of Yokai.com, as we explore the endlessly fascinating world of some of Japan's most popular and terrifying mythical creatures.
Most of the encounters with Bigfoot that you hear about seem benign, frightening to be sure, but more awkward and penumbral than violent. However, as we'll soon learn, that's not always the case. Our guest tonight is UFO and Paranormal Field Investigator Chuck Zukowski. For the past 30 years, Chuck has been researching and investigating a wide range of phenomena within the realm of the paranormal, everything from UFO evidence & abductions, to animal mutilations, ghosts, and of course, Bigfoot. Utilizing his background as a former Reserve Deputy Sheriff with the El Paso County, Colorado Sheriff’s Department, "Chuck approaches every investigation from a skeptical point of view looking for any known possibility before claiming otherwise. He also implements new and innovative field experiments from time to time to enhance his investigations looking for new evidence."
Houses are supposed to be warm and inviting, friendly, a place where we can feel safe in their presence, just like people are supposed to be. But as much as we would like to hope all people are shining examples of those qualities, we know all too well some people are not, and it is the same with houses. Houses can have personalities, just like people, and sometimes those personalities are a spirit of joy and sometimes those personalities house a spirit of darkness and mystery. And then there are unique houses, like the one in Atchison, Kansas which has had so much reported supernatural activity within it, that it has become notorious for being the most haunted house in the most haunted town in Kansas. But is it the house itself or what passes through it and keeps returning that gives it its character? The house in question is known as the Sallie House, getting its name from the spirit of an eponymous little girl that is said to dwell there.
Belief is a very personal thing. Challenging beliefs can lead to war amongst nations or a war within one's self. Having to reconsider what we believe about our spirituality or lack thereof, can be a very disquieting exercise but often a fruitful one as it leads to growth. But what obligation does the believer have to convince the non-believer of their story? Does it matter if the believer doesn't care what you think? In a way, our egos and skepticism protect us from feeling the discomfort when considering the impossible, because if the impossible is possible and we're not in control of our world, then who, or what is? If an experience like what you might find at the Sallie House can change your beliefs and thus change who you are as a person, how would you handle it? If one day you're challenged to stand up for your beliefs, what will you do then?
When it comes to the Paranormal and Supernatural, everyone wants proof. And yet, not everyone can seem to agree on what would constitute this proof. So what about evidence that might lead to proving the existence of a spirit world? Well, not everyone can seem to agree on what is considered actual evidence either. Since the invention of technologies like photography, and audio & video recording, there have been many purported instances of these recording capabilities capturing occurrences of a spectral world interacting with our own. For many, this is still not enough. We certainly didn't expect to get any evidence ourselves when we visited the Sallie House on July 20, 2018. But now that we've captured something that at least could be considered anomalous with our audio recorder, we want to know exactly what it is and how it got there. While we may never get a definitive answer as to what that sound is we captured, what we know is how hearing it made us feel.
What we'd heard is that witnessing a single paranormal event can change one's life. What we know now is that this is true and often it happens when you're least expecting it. It also doesn't matter if the experiencer receives validation from others of their encounter because they don't need anyone to tell them what they experienced. On the other hand, we'd all like to share our stories with like-minded individuals, partly to gain some comfort in thinking that we've not gone insane and also to learn more about what happened to us. In that regard, tonight, in the final installment of our series on the Sallie House, we'll hear from our last two interviewees. First, Dr. Sean Daley, a professor of anthropology who has done extensive paranormal investigations at the Sallie House will discuss the overwhelming evidence he and his team have collected there.
The Horror Movie genre, like any other genre of cinema, has its classics and its forgotten, its masterpieces, and its failures. But while the highbrow, serious films enjoy praise or at least critical analysis from the intellectual set, lowbrow horror offerings are often ignored by the academic-minded critics and in many cases even despised. Not so from our guest tonight, pop-culture icon, author, performer, and movie reviewer, Joe Bob Briggs. Joe Bob (John Irving Bloom) has made a name and a storied career for himself, starting first as a newspaper journalist and then finding himself adopting the persona of "Joe Bob Briggs." Joe Bob is a Texas "good ol' boy" who watches B-grade (and much lower) horror movies with you and as your "Horror Host," has a lot of funny and thought-provoking things to say about them, as well as commenting on what they reveal about our culture.
The question that every one of us has at least wondered about at some point in our lives, is not if UFOs and aliens exist, or where's Bigfoot, or even if ghosts are real (although that question is connected) but a question about the biggest mystery of all: "What happens to us after we die?" You may not care about the other unknowns, but death comes for us all, and whether or not there's an afterlife, we'll all know in due time. It's the grandest question there is, because it may lead to all other answers. Any evidence of an afterlife may seem beyond our view to most of us; however, there seems to be a great abundance of credible accounts from people who may have seen a glimpse of what awaits us on the Other Side. These people have either been in a state of "Clinical Death" or some unusual physical circumstance and upon recovering, claim to have experienced something known as a Near-Death Experience, or, an "NDE."
Researchers have now documented thousands of personal accounts from Near-Death Experiencers. Logic would suggest that it's unlikely that all NDE stories are fabrications and that at least some of these experiences are real and accurately described. And if so, then examining the commonly experienced features of the NDE seem to indicate that these defining perceptions are universal, while remaining a uniquely relevant and personal occurrence to the individual. Most NDE experiencers have described sensations like being in a tunnel leading to a brilliant light, floating away from our bodies, reuniting with deceased friends and loved ones, of a peaceful and loving communion with a higher power, while some have described a hellish event. On the other hand, skeptics would argue that these features are standard because the human brain is the same for everyone.
Sometimes people come into our lives that change everything. Sometimes that change can come from an object. In March of 1974, the Betz family of Fort George Island, Florida found such an object, while investigating their property for wildfire damage. It appeared to be a shiny steel ball, measuring 7.96 inches in diameter and weighing 21.34 pounds. Being a simple, yet so out-of-place item in the middle of nowhere, it caught the attention of the eldest Betz son Terry, who took it home as a souvenir. The family, and eventually the rest of the world, would soon learn that this was no ordinary metal ball. The sphere would demonstrate highly unusual properties, like rolling that would indicate self-guidance, vibrating and emitting high-pitched frequencies, and a strange magnetic quality. These actions would be witnessed not only by the family but by the military, scientists and news media, all eager to determine who made this thing and why.
With every paranormal event or object, there are the questions of how did this happen or what was this thing? But the equally important issue is, how would this affect me? Because when something seemingly impossible happens, we have no context unless it had interaction with somebody. It becomes meaningful when we ponder the implications to our own human experience. As much as the Betz Sphere created a scientific mystery it also created a family story. Tonight, we're fortunate to present an exclusive interview with a member of the Betz family who was there to witness the entire ordeal and who has generously agreed to share their family story and set the record straight. Someone or something secretive created this sphere and while its operation and purpose remain unknown to the public, how it became known to the world and how that affected their lives is their story alone.
For something that many would claim was just a misplaced piece of industrial equipment, the Betz Sphere attracted a lot of serious attention, some official, some dubious and some a bit of both. Despite the initial vague or dismissive statements from the US Navy and noted scientists such as Dr. J. Allen Hynek that were reported by the news media, they were determined to continue seeking answers from it. The interest didn't stop with our government either, as mysterious foreign agents had shown up and expressed a keen interest in obtaining the orb. Subterfuge, manipulation both social and scientific, a disproportionate offer of a large sum of money, and even a possibly related assault all seem like a lot of effort to obtain an old discarded valve ball. Never before seen photos of the sphere posted with this episode on all of our social media.
82 years ago Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan vanished. Since then millions of dollars have been spent at the behest of countless researchers in an attempt to find her. In all of that time, only one of those researchers has found an aircraft. Our audience knows that researcher as Bill Snavely. He was a guest on our show back in May of 2018 and now he's back to report on what the team he assembled found on their first in-depth expedition to Buka.
As we close this final chapter on the story of the Betz Sphere, we've all been given a rare and exclusive glimpse into what happens when an impossible object becomes known to the world. We've seen what can happen to a regular family that only sought to find answers about its purpose. We've seen how authorities and officials behave when they too are mystified about an item that most are satisfied to dismiss as discarded industrial junk; their public stance hiding personal and professional curiosity. We've seen how the news media tries to answer the questions we all have but falls short, leaving the real story untold and yet retold again and again with incorrect or incomplete information because that's all the public is allowed. Most importantly, we've all now seen inside this mystery but are once again reminded that when it comes to High Strangeness, the answers we receive we may not understand.
Our legends and folklore must begin somewhere, and if not from the creative imagination of a single individual then perhaps they are born from the collective experiences of a particular group. While it is difficult to trace the exact nascency of certain legends, we may be able to get a clearer idea of where a specific mystical being came to be known, the gremlin. The British pilots and aircrew of the Royal Air Force during the WWI and WWII eras began to experience baffling and inexplicable problems with their aircraft and missions. Wires that appeared to have been chewed through, sand particles found in machinery where none should be, punctures and damage that was incomprehensible were just some of the numerous mysterious problems they encountered. But with no known cause, blame fell to the gremlin a mischievous goblin-like entity said to inhabit the skies and aerodromes of the RAF and who delighted in causing trouble for airmen.
When people see horrific apparitions of a supernatural nature, what are they really seeing and what could be causing these images to appear? Could it be that the demons and terrors some people have witnessed sometimes come from a strange symptom of a rare medical condition? This seems to have been the case with tonight's guest, Sarah, who was seeing beings and elements more associated with demonic possession, a haunting or even a psychological disorder, rather than with a physiological illness. It might seem easy to say all supernatural occurrences are nothing but a byproduct of a medical ailment, but many people have also reported seeing and interacting with horrific specters similar to what Sarah was seeing, who have no medical issues. We are left to wonder then, on a case by case basis if seeing something supernatural is from a medical cause, a spiritual cause, or perhaps a combination of both.
Most everyone familiar with the tragedy of Dyatlov Pass believes that whatever mysterious and strange event occurred, not all of the details have been shared by the Russian government. Tonight, we speak with Keith McCloskey, author of two books about the subject, "Mountain of the Dead: The Dyatlov Pass Incident" and "Journey to Dyatlov Pass: An Explanation of the Mystery" who has also traveled to the site for his research. We'll hear about his hypotheses and the current state of his efforts to petition the Russian courts to reexamine the case and declassify any previously unreleased information. We first spoke with Keith for our coverage on the Flannan Isles Lighthouse mystery and trust that he will bring the same diligent investigation and keen observations into solving this unfortunate riddle once and for all.
Loftus Hall is considered one of the most haunted residences in Ireland. But what made it that way? If you believe the local legend, it started when a mysterious stranger visited the Hall one dark and stormy night. During a game of cards, he would enchant the young mistress of the house. But with his true nature discovered, he would flee most violently and mystically, leaving the woman scarred for life. They would both routinely haunt the house since. If you believe the legend, then what drew the dark visitor to the Hall? Was it the fate of this noble family or could it have been the history of bloodshed on this land for a thousand years or more? Tonight, we examine the charmed, Irish history of Loftus Hall and the tale of a handsome devil who comes to call.
As it is said with legends, when you separate the wheat from the chaff, there is often a kernel of truth in them. So what is the truth about Loftus Hall? Whether the Devil himself came to visit this prominent family who can say with certainty, but it seems accurate that the real Anne Tottenham suffered so great an instance of emotional trauma that it left her to wither in a catatonic state for the rest of her short life. There may even be proof that she remained seated for years, staring out the window of her favorite room, waiting for her bewitching love to return. What is also known is that some occult force had disturbed the family and staff of the house so greatly and frequently thereafter, that Protestant nobility had broken with fierce tradition to seek help from a local Catholic priest. The much-beloved Father Thomas Broaders was called upon to exorcize the demonic presence and was successful, mostly.
Skeptics and believers alike will always demand proof of paranormal claims. But what happens when extraordinary and therefore controversial evidence is offered? When it comes to one of the most popular and enduring legends of a cryptid, that of North America's Bigfoot or Sasquatch, we have an answer. On October 20, 1967, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin were about ten days into a horseback trip near Bluff Creek, northwest of Orleans, CA. Patterson had heard of Bigfoot activity in the area and hoped to film some evidence with a 16mm motion picture camera. Around 1:30 p.m. that day, Patterson got his wish, and much more than he bargained for in the long run. As the pair rode around an upturned tree stump, they suddenly spotted what appeared to be a massive, ape-like beast quickly walking away from them.
What if you had spent years searching for something elusive, something you believe existed that most didn't, and then one day you finally happened to capture it on film? What would be your immediate next steps if you wanted to present it to the world? In the days before instant media uploads to the internet, where would you take the film and who would you show it to first if you wanted to be taken seriously? Roger Patterson had thought he and Bob Gimlin had captured irrefutable proof of Bigfoot, next to bringing the beast itself out of the woods. Little could he realize that every action and claim going forward from that moment of filming would be analyzed and criticized for the rest of his life, in addition to his integrity. Whether out to prove authenticity or a perpetrate a hoax, in either case, the reaction to the film was predictable. From the few scientists who bothered to look, to the curious public, some believed, some scoffed, some didn't know what to think.
When indirect evidence of an extraordinary event defies conclusive debunking, then the easier route for some critics is to attack the presenter of the evidence. Naturally and unfortunately, Roger Patterson's integrity and thus his credibility came under scrutiny and assault as a means of discrediting the film itself. Another common tendency in dealing with an incredible incident is to accept outright the allegations of a purported hoaxer or associate as a way of comfortably coping with a disturbing possibility which can then be safely set aside. In the case of the Patterson-Gimlin Film, there are two central claims that suit this purpose for those who doubt the film's authenticity. Bob Heironimus claimed he was the one who wore an ape suit for the film, given to him and made by Patterson. Philip Morris of Morris Costumes claimed he sold his standard gorilla costume to Patterson, who may have modified it for the filming.
Tonight, we have a special bonus episode for you, a commercial-free interview with a very talented writer, director, and performer who has actually worn a sophisticated ape-like costume for a Hollywood feature film and lived to tell about it. You may know Jorma Taccone from the wildly popular comedy trio, “The Lonely Island.” Along with Andy Samberg and Akiva Shaffer, the three have gone on to produce some of the most memorable and hilarious “Digital Shorts” for Saturday Night Live and their feature films, comedy albums and live performances have garnered them millions of fans. But what you may not know about Jorma is that he portrayed the loveably goofy primate-like character “Chaka” for the 2009 film “Land of the Lost,” inspired by the original 1974 children’s television series.
It's easy for the uninformed, casual observer to make a declaration on a website's Comments Section, but what do the experts think about the Patterson-Gimlin Film? If we look to science to provide answers about the subject in the PGF, then we should consider the evaluations of physical anthropologists who specialize in primate morphology and authorities in biomechanics and bipedal locomotion. Fortunately, the academics and costume professionals who did weigh in ignored the gossip about character and focused only on the film. Unfortunately, most of the scientific community wouldn't bother giving the film any consideration and those that were asked to, dismissed it outright after limited viewing with no careful examination.
There are a few researchers for whom the Patterson-Gimlin Film has sparked a life-long quest to analyze its mystery and the possibility of Sasquatch. Concerning the preservation of the actual film itself, no one has done more to secure its integrity than William “Bill” Munns. While the original 16mm Kodachrome Color-Reversal film shot by Roger Patterson has since gone missing, Munns built a mobile High Definition digital film scanner and with exclusive permission from Patterson’s widow Patricia, has painstakingly scanned every frame of her first generation copy at 5K resolution, even discovering an additional two frames at the beginning, making the total count 954 frames in total. Bill Munns has spent most of his long career in filmmaking and creating special makeup effects, starting as a makeup artist with Universal Studios in 1969.
Whether you believe in Bigfoot or not, the story of the Patterson-Gimlin film remains a superb example of the scientific investigation of an anomalous event that falls within the realm of the paranormal. Other documentation of things like UFOs, ghosts, and other cryptids have come under close examination throughout the years, but little has been of such relative quality and few examples if any have been able to provide such relatable data to examine. This relatability is due to the corporeality of the subject in the film. Whether an unknown primate or a man in a suit, it seems it is something from the world of which we know. Perhaps it’s not any data which is so troubling and debatable amongst the authorities, but the implications that data leads to if the film is authentic. In any case, it is a film and an event which deserves full reconsideration.
Does some element of us exist after we die? Is it possible that a message in a dire time of need could reach a loved one across vast distances without the aid of electronic or mechanical means, with a form of psychic energy either just before or after death? Could our emotional spirit be so intense in a moment of crisis that it leaves an imprint or echo that can reverberate in the ether and be heard, seen or sensed again and again? There have been many reported cases where this seems to have happened, and you may have seen such stories in the news or even have one from your own family. Don't you wish scientists would study these examples in a search for answers to some of the most significant questions of all? Well, some scientists are because this type of occurrence falls under the field of parapsychology and we're fortunate enough this evening to speak with Brandon Massullo.
To really study the paranormal, any good researcher will tell you one must get out in the field to investigate the sightings, and that is especially true when it comes to cryptozoology. This is precisely what our interview guest has done. Lyle Blackburn is a full-time author, musician, and cryptid researcher from Texas, whose life-long fascination with legendary creatures has led him to write several acclaimed books, including Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster, The Beast of Boggy Creek, and Lizard Man. Lyle is a frequent guest on radio programs such as Coast to Coast AM and has been featured on numerous television shows like Monsters and Mysteries in America, Finding Bigfoot, and Strange Evidence, as well as other programs airing on the Animal Planet, Destination America, Discovery Science, and A&E channels. In addition, Lyle is a regular contributor for the monthly horror magazine, Rue Morgue.
Countess Elizabeth Báthory was a Hungarian noblewoman and one of the most wealthy and powerful aristocrats in eastern Europe during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Together with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy, a military hero known as the Black Knight of Hungary, Báthory held numerous estates, lands, and villages. She also currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the most prolific female serial killer and most prolific murderer of the western world. Báthory had been accused in the testimonies of over 300 witnesses and survivors of some of the most horrific tortures and murders imaginable before she was arrested, even by medieval standards. Her victims were her maidservants and lesser noble protégés, all girls, with some as young as ten years old. Years after her death, a legend had formed that Báthory had even routinely bathed in and possibly drank the blood of her virginal victims, believing that the pureblood had retained her beauty.
We love to hate our villains as much as we love to love our heroes. And many of us have a morbid fascination with some of history's most sinister characters, perhaps as a means of understanding the darkest aspects of human behavior. But as is regularly the case, the truth behind the real nature and actions of historical figures we can only glean from the reporting of others in that age and often many years after. Even official accounts are just a widely agreed upon set of assessments by a group of people, each with their own biases and personal opinions. In other words, one person's villain can be another's hero, or at least grossly misunderstood. In the case of Elizabeth Báthory, the authorities finally took action against one of their own, leveling upon her a judgment that could appear both lenient and harsh, but in either case, revealing an investigation that would forever brand her as one of the evilest people in antiquity with her name living on in infamy.
As we often say on the show, if you haven't had a strange, paranormal experience, it's likely someone you know has. This happens to be the case with two college friends of Forrest, Dan Povenmire and Susan Lambert. In the mid-1980s, Susan was working as a reporter for the student newspaper of The University of Southern California, The Daily Trojan. She had asked Dan if he wanted to accompany her to an interview with a movie director. They set out on a drive that should only have taken no more than 40 minutes to complete. But upon arriving at the hotel where the director was giving interviews, learned that they were somehow almost two hours late. This seeming impossibility has baffled Dan ever since and fueled a search for answers. But to add to the mystery, this wouldn't be the only unexplainable experience of missing time, as the pair would encounter another episode during a subsequent car ride together.
Podcasters share a special bond, and this is especially true of those engaged with the pursuit of covering stories about the paranormal and unimaginable events. It is perhaps because we know our pursuit of the truth behind these ineffable events will take us beyond the fringes of belief and acceptance. It leaves us and our subjects vulnerable. But those that manage to tell these stories well have also managed to capture and relay the vulnerability and humanity and behind them. Because without it, there is little context to our own lives and therefore little empathy or meaning, and they may well remain as nothing but improbable tales. One such storyteller is tonight’s guest, Jim Perry. Jim and his critically acclaimed audio documentary podcast Euphomet, have explored the strange and our relationship to it. The result is an intimate and fascinating look at how these encounters affect us on a personal level.
At the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, there is a book with the catalog call number, MS 408. It is one of the most examined and researched manuscripts to date because it is one of the most enigmatic documents ever discovered. It was purchased in 1912 at Villa Mondragone in Italy by an antiquities dealer named Wilfrid Voynich, and since there is no discernible title for the book, it is more commonly known as the Voynich Manuscript. The text is written on around 240 pages of vellum and is comprised of over 170,000 characters in the form of a code that no cryptographer has yet been able to decipher from a known language. Equally puzzling are the illustrations which accompany the writing. Most seem to be botanical in content but mostly show no identifiable plants. Along with the drawings of strange flora are diagrams of astrological charts and primitive caricatures of nude women in ceremonial displays.
Since its modern discovery, no other medieval manuscript has seen as much media attention or scholarly scrutiny as the Voynich Manuscript. No doubt this is due to the fantastical strangeness of its mystery, which is also the same reason it continually captures the imagination of the public. Because it would seem, the bigger the mystery, the bigger the reward for its solving. Like with any enduring enigma, the manuscript has attracted its share of sleuths who have claimed they've been the ones to at least gain an insight into a solution. Their confidence may be due to another mystical property of the manuscript. If one looks hard enough for evidence to make their preconceived hypothesis work, they will find some within its pages. However, why such interest and debate over this old book? Other than as a specimen of 600-year-old "folk art," what is the worth of a book no one can read?
The ideal qualities of a paranormal investigator should include objectivity, a grasp of the relevant history and science, and a skeptical and inquisitive nature that’s balanced with a fair and open mind. Tonight’s guest has all of those traits and more. Author and paranormal researcher James A. Willis originally hails from the Hudson Highlands of upstate New York, the stomping grounds of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. After spending 15 of his formative years being intrigued by macabre media and all things ghostly, strange and spooky, Willis moved to Ohio to found the nationally recognized research organization, The Ghosts of Ohio. He has since grown the organization to over 35 members, representing the regions anchored by the cities of Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. In 2004, the founders of the popular line of Weird US books invited Willis to contribute and he has since collaborated on 6 volumes in the series.
Many of us have seen all the ghost hunting shows on cable television and elsewhere, but are those accurate representations of what goes on during a paranormal investigation? After all, TV shows, have to deliver as many instances of spooky "evidence" as possible, because we, the viewing audience, demand it. In reality, like any hunting or fishing expedition, the experience is usually long stretches of waiting patiently and hopefully for brief moments of high excitement. Well, tonight we're going to find out in detail what it's like to actually go on a ghost hunt as we welcome back the previous episode's guest, author and paranormal investigator James A. Willis. We'll also be joined by our good friends Jill and Roger Pingleton, who are seasoned paranormal investigators themselves.
The Astonishing Legends podcast is proud to invite you to The Midnight Library, -Not just a show, but a place you can go-. For your listening pleasure, tonight’s reading will be about The Paris Catacombs. Once you’re inside, your Hosts, Miranda Merrick & Mr. Darling will do everything in their power to make you believe that you’re safe, so you can relax and hear the fascinating story of how 6 million skeletons made their way beneath the streets of Paris. (The Midnight Library cannot be held responsible for those who choose to visit of their own free will)
The interview you’re about to hear is one of the most compelling, fascinating, and terrifying personal accounts we’ve ever come across. We realize it may also be one of the most controversial subjects we’ve ever discussed. Our guest tonight knows these sensations all too well. The wonder, terror, decades of trauma, and the consequences from coming forward after a lifetime of these experiences are all part of his story. In June of 1977, Terry Lovelace was in the U.S. Air Force working as a medic and EMT while stationed at Whiteman AFB. He and his EMT partner and close friend felt compelled to take a weekend camping to Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas. What started out as a carefree trip to the great outdoors would end in a night of horror and pain as they encountered a massive unknown craft about five stories tall.
Where's the one place in the world you'd like to feel the safest? Your bed, right? And in a secure home that surrounds that bed. We also become nostalgic for what we think was a simpler and more wholesome time. The atrocities we've become accustomed to hearing about on our current nightly news, we imagine inconceivable in bygone eras. But the truth is, we've always been vulnerable to the brutality of the waking world, no matter the times or the place. The darkest evil can come to find us wherever we lay our heads. One average family in America's Heartland at the turn of the century would experience this as their peaceful dreams turned into a nightmare. On the evening of June 9, or early morning hours of June 10, 1912, a depraved murderer had entered the home of the Moore family in Villisca, Iowa. He savagely crushed the skulls of Josiah Moore, his wife Sarah, and their four children with an ax as they slept.
What is at the heart of our fears? We may be afraid to encounter a supernatural specter or a creature from beyond our reality and understanding, or an agent of evil from a more earthly realm, but in either case, what we actually fear is the potential for harm to come to us or our loved ones. The deadly violence that visits randomly and one we are powerless to stop. Ironically, our tendency as humans is also to become fascinated by what scares us. We seek to glimpse into the darkness not only as a vicarious thrill but also as a means of coping. It is why we find fun in traditions like Halloween and for some, indulging our curiosity in the exploits of serial killers. As we put to bed the story of the Villisca ax murders, we find that it is a story that contains all the elements of our primal dread. Acts so horrible they left scars and echoes in the worlds of the living and the dead.
In 1931 a man and a machine were both created. James Byron Dean was born to a modest farming family in rural Indiana, and Ferdinand Porsche founded a company in Stuttgart, Germany, to build automobiles. These two men would never meet, but their egos would clash in a way that would redefine charisma, performance, and power that will never be forgotten. In 1955 both man and machine would die in a horrific crash. But is the legend of a curse in a story like this unavoidable? That’s easy for us to analyze in hindsight, but what’s not so easy is to understand are the machinations that caused it to happen. However, we can work towards that understanding tonight in part one of our two-part series on James Dean and Little Bastard.
The accident that killed James Dean was the end of his life, but it was the beginning of a legendary story about the curse of his Porsche, ‘Little Bastard.’ Parts from the car salvaged by amateur racing enthusiasts caused numerous injuries and the death of at least one man on the track. The broken shell of the car traveled around the country as part of a safety exhibition curated by legendary car customizer George Barris. Along the way, several trucks that hauled it crashed, in once case, killing the driver. The car fell apart several times while on display as well and injured bystanders. In this final episode of this series, we’ll take a look at the Curse of James Dean’s Porsche, and when the show is over, you can decide whether or not you believe in it. Of course, the thing to remember about curses is that they don’t particularly care if you believe in them or not.
In your final visit to The Midnight Library of the season, and since we now count so many among you as our friends… we thought we might impart to you some rare and useful, magical knowledge. We’re going to tell you all about the powerful Runic alphabet. What you do with it after that is up to you… but we’ll know, so just keep that in mind...friend.
At 9:20 p.m. on December 29, 1972, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar commercial airliner, designated as Eastern Airlines Flight 401, departed John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, bound for Miami, Florida. Onboard were 13 crew members and 163 passengers, 176 souls in all. It was a routine trip for Flight 401 until 11:32 p.m. when the plane began its approach to Miami International Airport, and an indicator light for the nose landing gear had not lit up. While the Flight Crew tried to troubleshoot the faulty indicator, the steering yoke was accidentally nudged, causing a function of the autopilot to begin a descent so gradually that no one had noticed. Ten minutes later, Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing five crew members and 96 passengers. It would be the first crash of a “Jumbo Jet” and have at the time, the highest number of fatalities from any one-plane accident in U.S. civil aviation history. But this tragic story doesn’t end there.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is not so famous for its beautiful surroundings and accommodations or its famed founder as it is for its connection to a book and a movie. The Shining was Stephen King's third published novel and a bestseller. This classic of horror fiction, in turn, inspired the iconic motion picture of the same name by Stanley Kubrick. And these two works had cemented the idea in the popular imagination that the Stanley Hotel must have some dark history of troubled spirits in residence there. But as we've all learned, works of fiction often color the actual history of a person or place. So what is the real story of the Stanley Hotel? It's best to ask someone who has personal experience, and that's what we've done.
Those skeptical of the existence of a spirit world will often cite that there is no credible evidence leading to proof, this being the basis for their disbelief. Yet what constitutes as evidence or proof seems to be a personal decision, as there is an endless supply of visual and audio recordings and environmental data which at the least appear to be genuinely anomalous and unexplainable. For the mainstream scientific community, these anomalies would need to be consistently repeatable under laboratory conditions for the implications of the data to be accepted. But for paranormal researchers attempting communication with the "Other Side," although elusive, there are enough occurrences of contextual dialogue that their practices have become meaningful. The phenomenon of contact with the unseen world via electronic devices is described generally as "Instrumental Trans-Communication" or ITC.
Some time ago, we attempted a hybrid holiday special that combined a traditional episode with a call-in show. Unfortunately, it didn't really go as planned. Still, Scott seemed to think it had some value of some kind, so he talked Forrest into releasing it here and now in 2019. So tonight, the Astonishing Legends team is pleased to present a commercial-free, family-friendly Holiday episode for you to enjoy with or without your loved ones as you see fit. While it contains some fascinating background on the evolution of St. Nicholas, be warned, this is not like anything we've ever released before, but we figured now or never. Happy Holidays listeners, and thank you for your stalwart and ongoing support. We are so grateful to you.
Edgar Cayce is often remembered nowadays as the "father of holistic medicine" and the rightful originator of many of the beliefs and practices of the "New Age" movement. Yet what is remarkable is that although you might naturally think Cayce was a pop-culture product of the 1960s and '70s, his mystical talents gained him worldwide attention beginning from just after the turn of the last century until his death in 1945. Even more astounding was that the valid diagnoses and cures for the ailing that he was first known for apparently came to him while in a sleep-like state and unbeknownst to his conscious mind. Yet Cayce was a hesitant and modest "medium." Born in 1877 in a farming community just south of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, he experienced interactions with the supernatural throughout his life. In his early childhood, Cayce claimed he played with invisible "little folk" and could communicate with his deceased grandfather.
The second half of Edgar Cayce's story would see more extraordinary experiences layered over an ordinary and humble man's life. Even more unimaginable for his tastes was the non-medical information that would later come through him. Though mostly remaining uncertain about the medical advice he'd been dispensing while in his sleep-like state, his answers to metaphysical questions distressed him, as they conflicted with his traditional Christian beliefs. While suffering personal hardship and tragedy, Cayce was now also troubled by concepts his mediumship had introduced to him and would continue seeking philosophical reconciliation into his later years, which he would finally achieve. But what remained constant throughout was Cayce's passion for helping others, and combined with the ever-increasing requests for treatment, it ironically wore down his health and shortened his life.
Most people today believe that the legendary lost continent of Atlantis is just that, an ancient legend buried by time and not the ocean. The first known mention of the fable comes from two of Plato's dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, where mighty princes ruled the massive and prosperous island. However, Atlantis' glory faded as they were conquered and eventually became undone by their evil and impious ways until earthquakes destroyed this once utopian land, submerging it under the waves. But what if the legend of Atlantis is real, and the account of an advanced civilization thriving in the expanse of the Atlantic ocean is more fantastic, bizarre, and unbelievable than one could imagine? In approximately 2500 "life readings" given by Edgar Cayce for roughly 1600 different people between 1923 and 1945, just such a narrative began to emerge.
In this episode, we revisit the Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas – by way of The Dave Glover Show, as Scott's not quite ready to return in person. ; ) Being an Astonishing Legends listener himself, Dave has graciously invited Scott and Forrest to appear on his show several times. Now it was time to repay the favor, especially since Dave and his crew had a chilling and emotional experience there themselves. The Dave Glover Show has been driving St. Louis home for 20 years. Airing regularly from 3 pm to 7 pm Monday through Friday on 97.1 Talk Radio, Dave and his co-hosts Rachel and Tony, along with their producer Ryan, get to discuss their curiosities during the "Paranormal Wednesday" segments. For their Halloween Specials, the team will investigate a regional haunt, such as the famous Lemp Mansion or the "Exorcist House."
In the year 1284 CE, a remarkable and colorfully dressed young man came to the town of Hamelin in Lower Saxony, Germany. There are two documentations of this wanderer’s visit, the originals of which have since been lost. According to the contemporary Hamelin chronicle and a depiction in a stained glass window in a local church, this handsome stranger began to play his flute through the streets. Enchanted by the notes, 130 children from the town followed him into the woods, never to be seen again. In the hundreds of years since the supposedly real event occurred, the most significant addition to the story would be the reason for the mass kidnapping. After successfully ridding the town of a plague of rats using his musical pipe, the payment the piper was promised was withheld by the mayor and the town leaders.
As with any mysterious event, it’s often said that we should look to the simplest solution as being most likely the right one. The idea that when presented with competing hypotheses that make the same predictions, the solution with the fewest assumptions should be chosen is usually attributed to the principle of “Occam’s razor.” But what happens if we try to apply this cure-all of an axiom to explain a medieval legend that has few clues associated with it? In Part Two of our series on The Pied Piper of Hamelin, we’ll explore several of the leading hypotheses on this bizarre event such as the plague and Murine Typhus, forced emigration, the “Dancing Madness” and ergotism, slavery, the Crusades and even alien abduction. And if we return to applying “Occam’s razor” to this mystery from the Middle Ages and accept the contemporary accounts?
On November 29, 1925, the tramp steamer SS Cotopaxi left port at Charleston, South Carolina, under the command of Captain William Meyer loaded with her usual cargo of coal, and headed for Havana, Cuba. The voyage was routine until the ship ran into a fierce tropical storm off the eastern coast of Florida near Jacksonville. On December 1, the Cotopaxi sent out a distress call saying it was taking on water and listing badly. A thorough search of the area found no trace of the vessel or its thirty-two crew members, and the Cotopaxi would become another entry in the long record of seafaring mysteries, with many believing it had also become a victim of the infamous Bermuda Triangle. Although a notable tragedy in its day, the story of the Cotopaxi would fade from the public's memory, that is until it made a surprising cameo in Steven Spielberg's 1977 motion picture, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Few realize or remember that the very beginnings of English colonization in North America were fraught with tremendous hardship, peril, and connected to an enduring mystery. A charter was granted to Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1584 to explore and colonize lands unclaimed by Christian kingdoms, south of Newfoundland, and north of Spanish Florida. With hopes of finding vast riches as the Spanish Empire had done in Central and South America and a possible Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, Raleigh had initiated two attempts at establishing an English settlement along the coast of present-day North Carolina. The first colony was set up by Governor Ralph Lane in 1585 on Roanoke Island, located in the Outer Banks. This enterprise would end in failure and evacuation from scare resources and hostile relations with the local Native American tribes.
Valid hypotheses about the Lost Colony of 1587 on Roanoke Island have existed since the settlers' disappearance. In 1603, Bartholomew Gilbert attempted the last contemporary expedition to locate the colonists, but his search ended with the death of himself and four crewmen at the hands of Algonquian natives. John Smith, an influential leader of the Jamestown Colony of 1607, had heard stories from Native American chiefs about villages where some of the men wore European-style clothing. His search efforts would come up empty-handed, except for producing a map showing the locations of the suspected communities with walled housing. It wasn't until 1701 with John Lawson's expedition to the then Province of Carolina that a European exploration would again check the Roanoke site along with the Croatoan area, which became Hatteras Island. Lawson's examination of Roanoke yielded few clues except for the ruins of a fort and some English items.
Any tragic trend, from accidents caused by Texting While Driving to a global pandemic, can seem abstract and unreal, that is, until it "hits close to home." Statistics can seem like just unbelievable numbers until you or someone you know becomes one. Tonight, we bring you a commercial free interview with one of Scott's closest friends who happens to be one of the fortunate who has lived through the current health crisis. Andrew Sherman is a music composer living in New York City who has recently recovered from a virus, technically known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus 2, that causes a disease known as COVID-19. We all know it simply as "Coronavirus."
Astonishing Legends presents the premiere of Season 2 of our additional show, The Midnight Library. The remaining 12 episodes can be found, dropping weekly on Sundays, on The Midnight Library's own feed. Please find and subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts! Welcome back, Dear Guests! - Goddess Tree, Witch Tree, Bearer of a Gift Tree; Tonight we gather to learn what ancient magical powers can be found in a Rowan tree. Infused with myths, imbued with luck, and sacred to this day, the Rowan tree may be just the thing to bring joy to your garden, or it may even save your life!
We’re all sequestered in our respective locations these Strange Days, with many of us using teleconferencing applications to connect with co-workers, friends, and family. It’s a tool we use in our regular production of the podcast since we’ve been separated by a continent. But now we thought it was time to put it to even better use to check in with our good friends Rich Hatem and Rob Kristoffersen. We first met Rob in 2016 when he graciously helped us research UFO subjects. He has since gone on to produce his own podcast, Our Strange Skies, a captivating and in-depth program on the phenomenon. Rich was introduced to us through a mutual friend when an uncanny discovery occurred. He was not only the screenwriter of The Mothman Prophecies, a film we often discussed, but he also had a vast knowledge of, and a shared passion for the paranormal.
Some lost treasures are legendary because of what is hidden. Some are legendary because of who did the hiding. Both types of captivating tales are found in the book Coronado’s Children. Published in 1930 and written by Texas folklorist and author J. Frank Dobie, Coronado’s Children is an enthralling collection of stories about buried treasure, Old West capers, and the often dangerous quest for a fleeting fortune by adventurous characters. Usually a blend of documented events and dubious oral history, these stories are not merely Tall Tales but testaments of a pioneering spirit that furthered the exploration of the American southwest and was foundational to the United States as a country.
After a long and successful piratical career in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States government finally, and firmly, requested the Laffite brothers leave Galveston Island forever. On May 7, 1821, Jean Laffite left without protest, but not before he had his men torch his Maison Rouge headquarters and all buildings within the settlement of his Campeche compound. It’s also likely he took with him his massive hoard of ill-gotten booty, possibly loaded onto four ships, one of which was his vessel,the Pride. But the corsair life was in their blood, and Laffite could not leave it nor the Gulf. He and his men would continue to take prizes there and in the waters off Cuba and Central America until his debated end sometime between 1823 and 1826. The mysteries of his legend would continue to live on, as the search for his millions never ceased.
Some of the most extraordinary and interactive encounters with UFOs or anomalous objects are surprisingly the least well-known. And yet elements of the tale once heard could seem to be quite familiar. Tonight’s subject appears to be just one of those cases. Although there are variations in the details of the incident, the general narrative goes as follows. In the afternoon or early evening of August 25, 1972, 13-year-old student Michio Seo was passing by a rice paddy in his neighborhood of Kera near Kochi City on Shikoku Island in southern Japan when something caught his eye. A small, strange hat-shaped device was flying erratically several feet above the field. With a dull silver metallic finish, and a wide brim sloping upward to a bell-shaped flat top, Michio would describe its flight pattern as like a bat zig-zagging to catch insects.
For nearly a month, the boys who originally discovered the "Kera Object" continued to search for and experiment with it, almost like a wild animal they hoped to tame. The tale of their exploits with the bizarre item would be more comfortable to pass off as a childish prank if not for the corroboration of its existence by at least a couple of adults. One of the boys, Yasuo, brought home the device to be examined by his father, Matsuo Fujimoto, who was then the director of the Center for Science Education in Kōchi City. The boy's father, someone with scientific training, gave the object a cursory examination. He determined that it appeared similar to an antique cast iron ashtray, but too light for the real thing. Peering through the holes in the bottom, Mr. Fujimori noticed that the internal components were similar to a radio's.
Many of us have seen all those ghost hunting shows on Cable Television and elsewhere. They usually feature an intrepid team of Paranormal Researchers trying to capture supernatural activity using electronic equipment like Night-vision cameras, audio recorders, and specially modified gear to aid in Instrumental Trans-Communication, or “ITC.” The evidence gathered is often compelling and entertaining, but usually frustratingly lacking in details. What we want to know is, who or what is this thing making its presence known, and most chillingly, what does it want? For those answers, some shows employ a psychic or a medium, and yes, there’s a difference. What these gifted individuals can tell us is what they can supposedly see that the cameras cannot, messages the recorders cannot hear, and sensations no device can detect.
Many folks simply don't believe in psychic abilities. But those that have had a total stranger tell them something about themselves that the person couldn't possibly know have often had a change of heart. But what if that impossible information came from a horse! There have been quite a few trained animals over the years that have displayed an uncanny ability to perform human-like mental feats. From counting numbers and communicating to predicting the outcomes of sporting events, these clever animals have delighted and entertained us with their tricks. But none have come close to the prodigious prognostication of a horse named "Lady Wonder." Lady Wonder was a mare raised by Claudia and Clarence Fonda on their farm in Richmond, Virginia.
It seems Lady Wonder was much more than a "One-trick Pony." But even if you consider her one trick to be an abnormal aptitude for intuitiveness and the ability to express it, that's quite a trick for an animal. Her impressive skills were at least intriguing enough to garner a scientific study of her phenomenon by a couple of leading researchers of the day. Joseph Banks Rhine or "J.B." as he was known, and his wife Louisa E. Rhine were the founders of the branch of psychology known as parapsychology, with J.B. credited with coining the term Extrasensory Perception, or E.S.P. In a week, they conducted around 500 experiments on Lady Wonder's powers. While there was no conclusive proof that the horse had an individual and infallible psychic perception, the data collected was enough to astound the Rhines since no human trickery was detected.
We are sharing 2h45m uninterrupted audio file of heavy surf at high tide from February 14th, 2020 late evening at Carolina Beach. Recorded with a Zoom H4N at a high sample rate. Use it for sleep, meditation, ambience or don't use it at all. Share with anyone you'd like, but not for profit. All rights reserved by Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC
Bonus show on the Hellfire Club of Dublin, originally posted to Patreon, now being shared on our main feed during this dark week.
Believe it or not, we've always viewed this podcast as a journey. Initially, we wanted the feel of the show to embody the spirit of why we wanted to start a podcast in the first place – because we enjoyed discussing the strange and mysterious stories of this weird and wonderful world of ours with good friends. We hope that spirit of camaraderie, curiosity, and discovery remains. We're still unsure where this adventure into the unknown will take us, perhaps to some enlightenment or just more questions, but we couldn't be more grateful and honored that you've decided to travel with us. Along the way, many listeners have had questions for us or wanted to share an anecdote about their own experiences.
In the second & final part of our Question & Answer interview with the inimitable Rich Hatem, Scott & Forrest continue to babble & blather on & on about everything from UFOs & Ghosts to vampires & Yetis, and everything in-between. Because, you know, everything is connected. And if everything is indeed connected, then is anything really, a long, drawn-out, tedious tangent? Why not dare to find out?! Let's face it, if you've stuck with us this far, you might as well see it through to the end, and we'd be so glad to have you!
For children, the world is still new and full of wonder. Every day is a chance for an adventure, discovering exciting possibilities, and meeting interesting people. Sadly, today's world is a little less safe for kids to explore on their own than it was in the nostalgically idyllic year of 1973. In early May of that year, two kids would make a new friend that may have literally been out of this world. A 7-year-old girl known as "Fay" and her friend, a boy about the same age, took a walk near Lake Common, adjacent to the town of Sandown, on the Isle of Wight off the southern coast of England. Around 4:00 p.m., the pair heard a strange wailing sound coming from across the nearby golf course. They followed the noise until it ceased. The children were walking over a wooden footbridge that crossed a narrow stream when suddenly a hand wearing a blue glove appeared and out from under the bridge a most bizarre being emerged.
Tonight's show will be a special treat for those listeners who've been patiently awaiting a revamping of our coverage of the Kecksburg UFO incident. Those unfamiliar with the case but entertain a curiosity with mysterious, non-organic objects falling from our skies meeting an equally mysterious fate will also find this episode fascinating. In the late afternoon of December 9, 1965, thousands of citizens watched as a large, fiery object streaked through the skies over at least six to eight U.S. States and Ontario, Canada. Many who observed its unusually slow path claimed it seemed to be under "intelligent control." While astronomers continued to assume it was merely a meteor bolide entering Earth's atmosphere, some type of craft crash-landed in the woods near the town of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania.
In the continuation of our interview with esteemed UFO and paranormal investigator Stan Gordon, he relays case studies that indicate that the event at Kecksburg may have been merely one incident in a long and continuing saga of High Strangeness. In his 61 years of research so far, beginning in 1959 at the age of ten, Stan has interviewed thousands of UFO witnesses and hundreds of people who've claimed to confront Bigfoot. In the decades of data collection and analysis, reaching a crescendo with the Pennsylvania UFO "Flap" of 1973 and continuing to this day, a startling and incomprehensible pattern began to emerge. Many of these accounts of two traditionally thought of as disparate types of phenomena, UFOs and Bigfoot, occurred in the same places and within days, hours, or minutes of each other. In a few of the most bizarre cases, Bigfoots appeared to interact with a UFO encounter, as if one may be responsible for the other.
Indeed, there is no shortage of debatable evidence and probable hoaxes when it comes to the subject of UFOs and aliens. Yet as with any cultural phenomenon, there are those prime examples that rise to the top to become forever cemented into our collective consciousness. One such artifact is a 17-minute black-and-white film that became so iconic it is merely, and famously known only as "Alien Autopsy." The film sequence purported to show government or military Medical Examiners performing an autopsy on an alien lifeform supposedly recovered along with debris from an equally famous event, the 1947 Roswell UFO crash. One could argue that the film has become more well-known than the incident upon which it was supposedly based. The first public screening of the film occurred on May 5, 1995, in a small theater at the Museum of London.
In the continuation of our interview with the mastermind behind the infamous and legendary Alien Autopsy film, director, producer, conceptual artist, and magician, Spyros Melaris, we learn more about the process of its creation and the aftermath of its release upon the world. But if you think this is just one more case of "Mystery Solved! Nothing to see here, folks!" you may not be considering its broader scope. Because not only is this a rare case where the magician reveals how they did the trick, but its story reveals a glimpse into human nature, a peek behind the curtain of our beliefs and disbeliefs. The smaller picture is the mechanics behind what we see in the frame. The bigger picture is a contemplation of how and why we believe the things we do.
On the afternoon of Thanksgiving eve, November 24, 1971, a smartly dressed man approached the flight counter for Northwest Orient Airlines at Portland International Airport and purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle. The name he gave was "Dan Cooper" as he paid cash to board Flight 305, a short 30-minute trip that would turn into one of the longest criminal manhunts in modern history. Once aboard, Cooper's requests to Flight Attendant Florence Schaffner were simple: a bourbon and soda, and a note to be delivered to the captain demanding $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. To add emphasis to his order, Cooper briefly showed Schaffner what appeared to be a bomb in the black attaché case he carried with him. Calm and polite throughout the ordeal, Cooper was now instructing the pilots to take him to Mexico City during the refueling stop in Seattle.
What makes the legend of D. B. Cooper so enduring is not so much the crime itself, but everything that happened after. Cooper's skyjacking was just one of many during a wave in the era. His method of escape was only somewhat novel. Although he seemed to know about some commercial jet aviation aspects, a few of his choices left authorities questioning his skills, rationale, and, therefore, his background. But what continues to capture the public's imagination is the mystery of his disappearance and speculation about his identity. The two pieces of verified evidence found outside the plane to date, a placard for the Airstairs and a few ransom money packets, raised more questions than provided answers about where he landed and if he survived the jump. Could a plan so daring and defiant have worked, or did cavalier confidence doom him?
In Part Three, the commercial-free final "mega-sode" of our D. B. Cooper series, we continue with the FBI's profiling of the infamous skyjacker and learn of their Lead Agents' conclusions, Ralph P. Himmelsbach and Larry Carr. While the FBI investigation would practically come to a dead-end stalemate with their inability to "prove culpability beyond a reasonable doubt," that hasn't stopped scores of amateur and some professional sleuths from continuing the chase, with scientific evidence surfacing as recently as August 2020. One factor that has kept curiosity alive is that several likely suspects have emerged in the years since his disappearance, some having an uncanny number of bizarre coincidences to the case. As we close out our coverage with an in-depth look at these candidates for Cooper's legacy, perhaps doubts about their suitability should remain.
Just listen, start to finish. It's only 6 minutes. It's important.
Most of us are familiar with the name and iconic image of the magical Ouija board. Many have dared to test it, either seeking answers from the great beyond or for spooky entertainment or both. The Ouija board has always been advertised as a family-friendly game. However, for about the last 50 years, Ouija became associated with the forbidden, a taboo tool of the occult. But has it always had this reputation for unleashing evil, and when did this shift in perception occur? Is it a variation of an ancient scrying device or portal for speaking with the dead, or is it a more modern amusement? How could such a pop culture symbol that is so pervasive have such a mysterious background? It seems the board's manufacturers have intentionally kept the details shadowed from the start, adding to the marketing appeal and popularity.
Last week's episode on the Ouija board's history and sociological context illustrated that its use was regarded mostly as a virtuous parlor game for over half its life. But then, in the later period of the 20th century, the board's reputation changed from being an innocent way to contact the deceased to often being an oracle and instigator of supernatural dangers. Which leads us to the question of whether it's merely that our cultural norms have changed, or is it that the communication and the resulting coincidental events have become more diabolical? Have our attitudes about Ouija evolved because it got more sinister, or have we altered what comes through the board due to a change in ourselves? In other words, is this "talking board" a window to a manipulative, omniscient intelligence, or more of a mirror reflecting our darker human essence?
Visiting a spooky location can be scary because of the spirits and monsters which may await you there. However, one can avoid these horrors by merely not going to these places, right? But what if these frightening creatures came to visit YOU? What if they knew where you lived, your secrets, what terrified you the most, then used that knowledge and their supernatural powers against you? Native elders had always spoken of mighty beings who inhabited the earth before us and enjoyed their reign over it. When humans began to populate the land, they were displeased with our presence and our ways. They retreated or were banished to the realms beyond our reality, forever holding a grudge. They can visit us in our world as they please, but theirs is a dark place, and they can bring their darkness with them. This may sound like folklore or myth, but judging by the myriad of modern-day accounts, they have since been and will always be with us. So how do we know what we’re dealing with?
In tonight's continuation of our conversation with author and paranormal researcher David Weatherly, we discuss the rest of the creatures from the remainder of his book, Strange Intruders. This unholy host of insidious beings include such wide-ranging descriptions as reptoids appearing as aliens or disguised as humans, black-eyed kids and adults, the Night Hag, Psychic Vampires, Slenderman, and David tells of his own encounter with a Grinning Man. We'll hear not only of David's ideas about them but also stories from people who've suffered the consequences of their terrifying intrusions. One recurring pattern throughout these cases is that it didn't seem to matter whether the individual believed in their existence or not. Most of the victims didn't or were unaware of their definitions, that is until they encountered one for themselves. It seems all some of these witnesses merely did was to notice them, and once they noticed being noticed, it never goes over well.
Sure, maybe most of us would find it enticing to receive "inside information" from a mystical plane, our very own oracle of knowledge beyond what's possible in our earthly human existence. Who wouldn't want access to a Spirit Guide, one that could lend us valuable insight to better our lives and give a glimpse of what awaits us on the other side? Perhaps this supernatural soothsayer could also provide a longing companionship or, even better, prove to be a soulmate from a past life? It sounds like a delightful gift, right? But what if the source of this metaphysical communication ended up having as many foibles as any ordinary untrustworthy "frenemy?" What if the messages proved to be increasingly inaccurate or questionable, with the attitude of your once beatific benefactor becoming demanding, desperate, petty, contentious, and maybe even obsessive and possessive? Perhaps it wasn't looking out for your best interests, after all?
In tonight’s Part Two of our discussion of Joe Fisher’s book, The Siren Call of Hungry Ghosts, with Special Guest Rich Hatem, we continue to examine the narrative of Fisher’s interactions with Spirit Guides through Channeling and their troubling results. With the messages and guidance becoming increasingly confusing, frustrating, and seemingly misleading, Fisher and those in his Channeling group start to doubt the intentions and purpose of voices from the other side. Even as the entreaties grew insistent and hopes turn to dubiety, the Guides would provide unknowable details beyond rational explanation, which only served to fuel the desire for understanding. As Fisher followed just one more breadcrumb after breadcrumb down a blind alley, we’ll never know if he found his answers in the afterlife or if the truth was there all along amongst the living. When it comes to finding meaning through channelling in Fisher’s case, the pertinent answer is that the medium is often the message.
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In a rare dual-subject episode for us, we take a look at two somewhat Christmas-themed stories, the mysterious yet not-so-mysterious "Utah Monolith" and the Warminster "Thing." In the first part of the show, we discuss the recent discovery of a 9.5-foot-tall metal triangular prism-shaped pillar we've dubbed "The Christmas Monolith." This story made the rounds after state biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spotted the out-of-place-artifact while conducting a survey of bighorn sheep by helicopter over San Juan County in southeastern Utah on November 18, 2020. Two days later, the Utah Department of Public Safety posted a photo of the monolith on Instagram, with more pictures and videos of the puzzling pillar to follow. The internet and media outlets were soon abuzz with speculation about who, human, alien, or otherwise, would've illegally planted the iconic looking structure in such a remote red sandstone slot canyon in the middle of nowhere and why.
Tonight's episode starts with the coverage of a strange and funny case involving aliens and holiday pies. On January 4, 1979, Mrs. Jean Hingely of the town of Rowley Regis in the West Midlands region of England was visited by three fishbowl-helmeted and friendly aliens with wings. After some spiritually uplifting exchanges, her holiday visitors thrashed her Christmas tree and nicked three of her mincemeat pies. The second part of our episode features heartwarming personal stories of hope from some of our listeners. These stories may not be proof of an afterlife for some, but for others, they may bolster the belief that our existence doesn't end with our physical death and that somewhere there is a world where everything we cherish is waiting for us, and proof that love is eternal and boundless.
Please join us for a very special Astonishing Legends episode – an All-Star holiday party featuring some of your favorite podcast personalities! Along with consigliere Tess Pfeifle, we welcome our very own "Alexander Leek," sage, screenwriter and good friend Rich Hatem; podcaster, compadre, and casual archaeologist Micah Hanks; our Space Brother and To The Stars professor, Rob Kristoffersen; and our special guest, inspirational pathfinder, and podfather Jim Harold. We'll engage in all the scintillating conversation and fascinating anecdotes you'd expect to hear at a holiday gathering attended by paranormal enthusiast friends and fueled by high octane egg nog, and Micah will treat us to a guitar performance near the end! We hope you'll enjoy this virtual celebration and feel part of a fellowship as we find support and unity at the end of a trying year any way we can.
On Saturday, October 21, 1978, at 6:19 p.m., 20-year-old Frederick Valentich took off from Moorabbin Airport just south of Melbourne, Australia, for what was supposed to be a routine training and pleasure flight over Bass Strait to King Island. A serious student aviator, Valentich had been flying for two years and had accumulated over 150 hours of solo flying time in his goal to one day become a commercial airline pilot. Although rated for night flying by instrument, the sun was still up, and with clear visibility and good weather, there was no reason Valentich shouldn’t have easily completed this trip, which he’d taken several times before. However, just over halfway through the flight at 7:06 p.m., Valentich contacted Melbourne Flight Service Unit and reported seeing an unidentified craft above him, traveling at high speed and shining four bright lights.
When the facts about a paranormal event yield no more answers, investigators and the public alike tend to turn their attention to the experiencer's character to ascertain its authenticity. So what kind of person was Frederick Valentich? A once-lost aircraft accident report from Australia's Department of Transport, which resurfaced in 2012, has shed some light on Valentich's behavior and state of mind leading up to the moment of his disappearance. Through extensive interviews with his family, friends, associates, and the flight personnel he came into contact with, a picture emerges of Valentich's disposition. Although there were some puzzling actions and statements by the young pilot, overall, he appeared to be a dedicated and serious student of aviation. Yet if a paranormal cause of his disappearance is off the table of consideration, then the answer must lie in one of his shortcomings, right?
As we wrap up our coverage of the Frederick Valentich story in Part 3 of our series, we'll continue our conversation with Melbourne resident Chris Tyler about his research into the case and other possibly related UFO incidents around the same time and area. We'll also examine the Australian Department of Transport accident report's remaining findings and discuss its conclusions. As you begin to reach your own conclusions, it's essential to keep several factors in mind which make the usual mundane explanations seem inadequate. The high number of independent sightings of aerial phenomena occurring in proximity to the disappearance suggests Valentich wasn't alone in witnessing it. The distance a Cessna cowling was found from a potential crash site and the lack of definitive markings makes its discovery inconclusive.
Who among us hasn't wanted to know the future or have insight into the hidden, at least in passing? From the first instance a human had a premonition that came true, it seems likely that the adventurous who were shocked and astounded wondered how those without the "gift" could duplicate this impossible experience. Then, when someone stared too intently into a reflective pool of liquid, a glowing ember, or even the night sky, and experienced an extrasensory perception, a technique and its medium are discovered to tap into a sixth sense. Practiced now for millennia, this procedure for obtaining occult information has become known as scrying. One interesting observation is that although there are general guidelines for preparing oneself and performing a scrying session, many mediums can facilitate the phenomenon.
In the years between 1764 and 1767, a real-life monster had brutally savaged the residents of the former province of Gévaudan in the highland region of south-central France. While the creature's first attack was reportedly unsuccessful in killing its intended victim, it did provide a horrific description of it. Some sort of massive, canine-like creature was stalking the villagers out in their fields of the Margeride mountains. And it would remain as elusive as its killing spree grew nightmarishly effective. In a three-year span, contemporary and modern estimates put the death toll anywhere from around 100 to 500 people, mostly women, and children. To add to the fear and suffering, these were no ordinary large animal predator attacks.
As legend would have it, or at least how the story goes from Marie Caroline Watson Hamlin's 1884 book, Legends of Le Détroit, on the evening of the 10th of March, 1701, a lively banquet took place in the castle of St. Louis, Quebec. The celebratory dinner host was the governor of "New France," Hector Louis de Callière. The guest of honor was Monsieur Antoine La Mothe Cadillac, Sieur de Douaguet, and Mont Désert, who had just been granted a commission of Commandant along with 15 square acres to locate a colony and build a fort wherever he saw fit at "le Détroit," or "The Straits." At the height of the merriment, the dinner party received a strange and mysterious visitor. A peculiar-looking woman called "Mère Minique, La Sorcière" offered to read the guests' fortunes.
We have a very special guest joining us tonight, metaphysical "astralnaut," philosopher of the liminal, "Pope of the Paranormal," and host of the AM Radio talk show Dark Air, Terry Carnation. Terry first got his start in the paranormal radio genre when unexpectedly thrust into taking over for another show. While working as a late-night rock n' roll Disc Jockey for an FM station in Buffalo, NY, in 1992, Reginald Wilcox, the host of the paranormal call-in show that aired after Terry's slot was mysteriously murdered while Terry was in the bathroom... or so he claims. In his unflappable sense of duty, apparently stronger than his sense of legal obligation, Terry immediately took over the role of consigliere for listeners stupefied by the supernatural. And in Terry's words, "that's how a legend was created."
On a July afternoon in 1983, Colin Andrews, an electrical engineer and officer employed by the British regional government, was driving between his offices near Winchester and Hampshire when something caught his eye. Seeing something unusual in a farmer's field next to the road, he felt strongly compelled to pull over and check it out. A strange physical and mental sensation came over him as he approached and realized it was a set of five large circles forming a traditional "Celtic Cross." Unbeknownst to Andrews, within days, he would partner with meteorologist Dr. Terence Meaden, NASA scientist Pat Delgado, and the three of them, along with pilot Busty Taylor, would become the only people in the world at the time researching the global Crop Circle phenomenon.
As we dive deeper into exploring the phenomenon of Crop Circles, it seems that the story of its research takes on the shape of other histories of paranormal investigation. Misinformation and misdirection from government and military agencies, hoaxes complicating genuinely anomalous evidence, and the phenomena itself presenting an ever-moving target for those that seek the truth are akin to the serious study of UFOs, for example. And curiously, for being thought of by many as just prankish art installations in grain stalks, Crop Circles come with a Grab Bag of High Strangeness too. For tonight's Part Two in our series, we first cover inexplicable occurrences associated with some circle formations. We'll focus on one surveillance experiment in a crop circle dubbed "Operation White Crow" with bizarre and unsettling effects for Colin Andrews, Pat Delgado, Busty Taylor, Dr. Terence Meaden, and others.
So, as we close out our three-part series on Crop Circles, what have we all learned so far? Well, we've learned that Crop Circles are not just another fad from the 1980s and 90s. Generations of farmers going back at least to the turn of the last century have found them, and probably long before that if written accounts are accurate. They may have been the template or the inspiration for Standing Stone formations such as Stonehenge and rock paintings like the Gwion Gwion, often found in the sacred sites of our earliest ancestors. And they continue to be discovered to this day. While hoaxers have gotten more sophisticated with their designs and prodigious with their efforts over the years, simple logic and reason would suggest they couldn't have made all the now thousands that have been found all over the world. And many of these showing no signs of human touch. It applies especially to the massive and intricate patterns discovered within hours or less of their creation.
Many of us have taken an adventurous expedition to check out some local, notorious spot to see if we could witness or sense some evidence of a past famous or infamous incident. Most of the time, one only returns with a minor anecdote or pictures of an ordinary location bereft of anything noteworthy. The more realistic purpose is not so much to find a ghoulish memento but to imagine what it must've been like to have been there when it happened. But what if such an outing starts with strange coincidences and ends with the adventurers enduring a paranormal event seemingly unrelated to the original incident? This is the sort of tale we'll hear from our good friend, graphic designer, and illustrator Tommy Beaver about the time some friends went to check out the scene of a horrific crime that happened in Summerfield, North Carolina, almost 13 miles northwest of Greensboro.
Whether you're a fan of horror films or not, you've probably heard of the 2013 motion picture, "The Conjuring." This film, starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, struck such a chord with viewers that it spawned a franchise of related films like The Conjuring sequels, The Nun, Annabelle, and The Curse of La Llorona. But the initial movie was inspired by real-life events, the roughly decade-long hauntings of the Perron family that started the moment they moved into the Arnold Estate in 1970, now called "The Farm on Round Top Road" in Harrisville, Rhode Island. The colonial farmhouse, built circa 1736, would be home to 9 generations of families, including the Perrons. It seems some of the residents would never be able to leave, and some new and terrifying entities would make an unwelcome appearance during the Perron occupancy.
Our goal in covering the story of the Perron family's experience while living for a decade at the Arnold Estate, the inspiration for the motion picture, The Conjuring, was to uncover the real story behind the persistent hauntings. What we discovered once again was the actual truths at the heart of this, and other famous cases are as murky and nebulous as the spirits that do the haunting. The question that remains is, what is truth and what is real when it comes to supernatural activity? Skeptical researcher and writer Kenny Biddle investigated the historical people that the Perrons thought may have been the entities that lingered in their home. He found inconsistencies between the records of the lives and deaths of named locals and their claimed involvement with the farmhouse. But the attempt to cast doubt on the Perron story by focusing on historical inaccuracies is to go at the problem in an understandably linear, causal fashion, perhaps not one taken by a paranormal investigator.
It's much more comfortable for most of us to think of paranormal subjects as having their origins beginning only in recent history – an amusing byproduct of mid-twentieth century foolishness or the internet age. Much easier to dismiss then. Many people, persuaded by an uninformed media, believe UFOs only started appearing to the public after pilot Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting while flying near Mt. Rainier on June 24, 1947, or the incident in Roswell, NM, just fourteen days later. Similarly, many people believe the Bigfoot or Sasquatch phenomenon only began in 1958 in Bluff Creek, California, after the family of Ray Wallace claimed he started it all by leaving large, fake footprints made with wooden carvings as a prank. It's uncomfortable to consider that these unnerving intrusions into our comfortable reality had occurred for maybe hundreds, if not thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years before our sophisticated logic matured.
Here's a question: What makes a haunted house spooky if you've never been there? How scary can a haunted house be if no one has repeatedly investigated it? In other words, what is more frightening, the honest anecdotes about experienced paranormal activity in a haunted location or the unverified legends and lore of a place that send the frights of our imagination into overdrive? And what makes a house haunted? Is it the house or land itself, the activities and energy of its inhabitants, or a reciprocal combination of both? These are questions that would be apropos for tonight's subject, a house known as the Wilbur-Hahn manor in Spokane, Washington. The craftsman-style mansion came to life in September of 1916, when the heiress to the Hecla Silver Mine fortune, Sarah Smith, married playboy Ralston T. "Jack" Wilbur. Jack Wilbur had used Sarah's money to hire an eminent architect to build a three-story, seventeen-room house in Spokane's historied and tony South Hill neighborhood.
One question we often receive is, do we think the US Government will ever disclose the existence of UFOs? We believe the answer is, they've already begun. Since the groundbreaking, front-page article appeared in the December 17, 2017 edition of the New York Times with a title exclaiming "Real UFOs," the world has seen drips and drops of Pentagon-authenticated video clips and statements publically disseminated and officially validated. Add to this the testimonies of some of the most credible sources willing to come forward, such as Luis "Lue" Elizondo, former director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program or AATIP at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intel… in the Pentagon, Christopher Mellon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and retired veteran US Navy fighter pilot Commander David Fravor.
We often wonder when was the first time a now well-known phenomenon first occurred or was recorded. In the instance of spiritual possession, at least in the United States, we may have an answer in the case known as “The Watseka Wonder.” Indeed, if such a condition exists, it’s likely people have been claiming or appearing to be possessed by a supernatural force since human beings existed. However, many cite the Watseka story as the first well-documented example of a person appearing to have been taken over by a deceased human spirit. This historical incident also benefits from the thorough documentation from a credible source. At the time, a physician and Spiritist, Dr. E. Winchester Stevens, treated his patient experiencing the possession and wrote about the bizarre events soon after they occurred in a book he titled, The Watseka Wonder.
Now that we've covered the story essentials of the strange case of Mary Lurancy Vennum, known as "The Watseka Wonder," it's time to take a look at the possible causes and mechanics of this apparent miracle. Suppose Lurancy's possession was merely the imaginative prank of an attention-seeking impressionable teenager. How then did she know intimate, inscrutable details of her possessor Mary Roff and that of her family, when Mary had died over ten years before she was born and the Roff family were vague acquaintances? It's perhaps possible that this naive fourteen-year-old had mastered the manipulation techniques employed by experienced Mentalists and charlatan psychic mediums to fool desperate parents, but how likely is that? In Part Two of our series, we consider the investigation of a noted psychical researcher at the time, Dr. Richard Hodgson, who interviewed witnesses and studied case notes about thirteen years after the significant events in light of contemporary hypotheses.
Many of us enjoy a good ghost story. Many of us enjoy Science Fiction. But how many stories do you know that start off as one and evolve into the other? What's become known as "The mystery of the Dodleston messages" is precisely just such a case. And if the story is accurate, it comes with some of the most incredible, baffling, and mind-bending implications we've ever encountered. Towards the end of summer in 1984, teacher and musician Ken Webster was renovating his 16th-century home named "Meadow Cottage" when the strange activity began. Located in the village of Dodleston, four miles southwest of the town of Chester in northwest England near the border with Wales, life was taking its usual somnambulistic pace while dusted with the discomfort and drudgery of living in a small, historical residence during construction.
As we continue with Part Two of our discussion with Richard Hatem of Ken Webster's book, The Vertical Plane, we find that "The Mystery of the Dodleston Messages" has become even more fantastical and bizarre. As unimaginable as it would be to ostensibly communicate with a living person from hundreds of years ago, Ken and his friends now find themselves on something of a "Party Line" via their computer with beings or perhaps some form of intelligence from a distant future or existence. Identifying itself as "2109," this individual or agency soon warns that Ken's meddling with the construct of space-time by continuing to communicate with Lukas, now known as "Tomas," could irreparably damage the fabric of our reality. However, this 2109 and company don't appear to be very professional in conducting their lording over timelines.
What every horror film loves to boast, if possible, is the claim of "Based on a True Story." Because if the story is not just from some writer's imagination, if there is a thread to an actual event with real people, no matter how thin, then the fear becomes more real. William Friedkin's 1973 motion picture The Exorcist is considered one of, if not the scariest horror film of all time. At that time, no audience had seen a case of demonic possession dramatized so deftly and explicitly, and the resulting shock left a lasting mark on popular culture and our collective psyche. Not as widely known is that William Peter Blatty adapted his Oscar-winning screenplay for the movie from his novel of the same name. And perhaps even lesser-known to most is that Blatty based his book on a real-life case, what is more commonly known as the "1949 Exorcism," or "The Exorcism of Roland Doe," or of "Robbie Mannheim."
We've probably all seen exorcisms performed in movies and TV, but how accurate are those portrayals? Are they really as ferociously terrifying as these shows would have us believe? Where did the writers get their ideas and details about what actually takes place during an exorcism? The Roman Catholic Church has only one sanctioned procedure, and it's in the 23 pages of "The Great Exorcism Rite" contained within the Rituale Romanum. Compiled in 1614 at the request of Pope Paul V, with minor updates added in 1952 and 1999, it is still the only rite used to this day. With this sacrament guiding the Jesuit's efforts recorded in the "Exorcist's Diary" documenting the exorcism of Ronnie Hunkeler, it can be argued that this account is the inspiration for most everything portrayed in entertainment media. And therefore mostly informing what the general public has seen and knows about an authentic exorcism.
Now that we've heard the shocking details of Ronnie Hunkeler's exorcism, we're once again left to wonder at what point does a logical, scientific explanation become inadequate in accounting for all the extreme events that occurred? Looking objectively at Ronnie's behavior before, during, and after the exorcisms, those who favor a psychiatric or medical diagnosis could explain them as the result of an ailment like Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Dissociative identity disorder, or perhaps Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis along with comorbidities. For those who believe in supernatural possibilities, then a spiritual force of possession could explain the incredible actions, or maybe one in conjunction with a medical condition; for them, the two are not mutually exclusive. Yet mental illness or a brain abnormality only goes so far in explaining Ronnie's lifetime of conduct.
We're proud and pleased to bring back one of our most intriguing guests, Terry Lovelace, Esq., to talk about his new book, Devil's Den: The Reckoning. Our first interview with Terry, episode 155: "Abduction at Devil's Den," which aired on October 13, 2019, is one of our most popular and one of the most talked-about. Surprisingly, not because of its controversial nature, but because Terry's unassailable character has imbued chilling credibility to his claims, leaving the listener to ponder the terrifying implications. Terry's first book chronicled his life-long encounters with extraterrestrial beings, culminating in a partially-suppressed, horrific abduction while camping with his best friend at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas. At the time, Terry and his friend Toby served in the USAF as EMTs stationed at Whiteman AFB in June of 1977.
More people have personal paranormal stories than you know. Even some of your relatives or your closest friends. They're not likely to share those stories because they know or suspect the telling will be met with, at the least, eye-rolling or good-natured ribbing, and at the worst, ridicule, scorn, and even anger. Beyond confessions of seeing ghosts or cryptids, this seems to be even more true for claims of encountering UFOs or UAP. And further still, as more people seem to be willing to consider that extraterrestrial vehicles exist, believing that there are beings that control these objects, ones that would logically have an agenda, is paradoxically too far of a leap for most to take. But to hear someone else's paranormal anecdote, if you convince them that you'd be respectful and open-minded, or better yet, lead and open up with your own story, you'll often find they're glad or relieved to be able to share one of theirs.
We at Astonishing Legends love… well... legends of course, and myths, and traditions. The first two often lead to the latter. But none of it, no story we've ever come across or covered, happens in a vacuum. The one constant connection between all of it, which matters most to us, is people. And so continuing on with a new tradition of our own, we'd like to present another Astonishing All-Star Holiday Special. It's time to congregate with great friends, share stories and ideas, and reflect on things that keep us searching for answers in a spirit of wonder and imagination. Once again, we're joined by our paranormal cadre, in alphabetical order: Micah Hanks, Jim Harold, Richard Hatem, Rob Kristoffersen, a special segment from our own Tess Pfeifle, and our most cherished guest, YOU. As we relax and enjoy this new tradition of a virtual year-end party. Please keep in mind that as everything is connected, so is everyone, in a profound and meaningful way.
One of the most baffling, disturbing, and popular subjects we've ever covered on the show is the mystery of Skinwalker Ranch. The groundbreaking book Hunt for the Skinwalker was the source for most of our research. And this is why we're honored and excited to discuss the follow-up book Skinwalkers at the Pentagon: An Insiders' Account of the Secret Government UFO Program, with two of its authors, Colm A. Kelleher, Ph.D., and George Knapp. Colm Kelleher is a biochemist specializing in cell biology and, since the early 1990s, has focused his work initially in the fields of cancer research and immunology. George Knapp is an investigative journalist based in Las Vegas, Nevada, whose probing into the secrets of Area 51 and related paranormal phenomena have garnered him accolades and authority for his 30 years of reporting. It's also secured him a recurring role for the past 12 years as a guest host for the legendary Coast to Coast AM radio program.
We're honored and excited to present a conversation with our good friend and Remote Viewing sensei Lori Lambert Williams. Lori first started studying Remote Viewing back in 1996, mentored by her now longtime friend, Lyn Buchanan. Lyn was one of the original members of the military unit of Viewers created in 1972 at the Standford Research Institute by physicists Russell Targ and Hal Puthoff and sanctioned as Project Stargate by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. With Lyn's tutelage and enthusiastic blessing, Lori has become one of only a few certified instructors with a long professional and practical experience history.
In part two of our conversation with Remote Viewing instructor Lori Lambert Williams, we'll discuss what is known about how the process works and what is still unknown. Including how the practice can get your non-local consciousness to work with your subconscious and how it can improve your daily life. We'll also explore the mechanics and procedure of a Controlled Remote Viewing session. Lori relays anecdotes and answers to frequently asked questions, such as about her successes and the types of challenges that a professional remote viewer must overcome when viewing operational targets. Ultimately, if you believe that Remote Viewing doesn't work and that somehow the Stanford Research Institute was able to fool its CIA and DIA overseers in 23 years of repeatable demonstrations of its effectiveness, it doesn't matter to anyone who's tried it.
We’ve all heard of the mystical and wondrous ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica and South America: The Maya, Olmecs, Aztecs, and the Inca. But one culture that developed on the southern end of Lake Titicaca in present-day western Bolivia near the border with Peru left behind ruins so monumental they continue to intrigue archaeologists and spark hypotheses of anachronistic, advanced technologies. The Inca referred to Lake Titicaca as their origin place. The culture that evolved in the region became known as Yaya-Mama, or “Father-Mother,” for the sculptures depicting dualistic Male-Female opposites. The remains of the capital city for this society are now known as Tiwanaku, one of the most significant archaeological sites in South America. Beginning as a small village in the BCE period, Tiwanaku grew to an enormous metropolis for its time.
In tonight's Part Two of our series, we continue with the "Why?" of Tiwanaku and Pumapunku. As in, why was it all built? Why did Tiwanaku society spend so much effort and resources on it, and what did it mean to them? We then transition to the "How?" such a monumental architectural and cultural feat could be accomplished. What craftsmanship skills and construction technology did they possess to erect structures that continue to baffle present-day archaeologists and engineers? Could an organic technique of creating geopolymers, or essentially a type of concrete, explain the precise geometric shapes attained? Or was it a combination with a lost art of stone softening and shaping to achieve such exact tolerances? Perhaps they were just some of the best stonemasons in the world, with modern-quality chisels, drills, saws, and generations of labor at their disposal?
Perhaps most everyone listening to this show is familiar with the term "Fortean," meaning something related to the paranormal, the supernatural, or just generally strange phenomena. But where did that term come from? How did "Forteana" come to describe many of the topics we cover on the podcast? We owe that cognomen and a good deal of our inspiration for our reportage to the work of one man, Charles Hoy Fort. Fort (b. August 6, 1874 - d. May 3, 1932) was a journalist, author, and researcher best known for his collection of accounts of extraordinary incidents and bizarre phenomena. These reports and Fort's commentaries and speculations on them mostly ended up in four books: The Book of the Damned (1919), New Lands (1923), Lo! (1931), and Wild Talents (1932).
In the second part of our series on Charles Hoy Fort, we first return to the formative events of his adolescence that shaped his personality, career, and personal philosophies. Fort chronicled anecdotes from his youth in an unpublished manuscript titled Many Parts, written while in his 20s and of which only fragments remain. What can be gleaned from tales of his boisterous boyhood adventures, punctuated by harsh punishments from a strict father, is that it all instilled in Fort defiance of rules, dogma, and the expectations of hallowed establishments. He struggled to make sense of a childhood world that seemed rife with capricious events and outcomes, much as he later struggled to make sense of an adult world peppered with anomalous occurrences and their close-minded dismissal. We then examine Fort's journey from middle age to the end and his mindset towards and relationship with strange evidence.
On the evening of April 15, 1973, Enfield, Illinois, resident Henry McDaniel heard a scratching noise outside his door he thought might be a bear. He opened it to find a hideous creature he described as having "... three legs on it, a short body, two little, short arms coming out of its breast area, and two pink eyes as big as flashlights. It stood four and a half feet tall and was grayish colored. It was trying to get into the house." McDaniel grabbed his pistol and a flashlight and fired four shots at the beast, which was only 12 feet away, sure that he had hit it with the first shot. The bullets had no effect on the beast, as it made a hissing sound at McDaniel "much like a wildcat's" before bounding 50 to 75 feet towards a brush-lined railroad embankment in just three leaps.
Often when one hears about some group of people claiming to experience a highly strange event or similarly acting out in bizarre and irrational manners, it's easy and common to dismiss the episode as a case of "mass hysteria." Phenomena like the audience reaction to Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio broadcast, "The Dancing Plague of 1518," the "Windshield-Pitting Mystery of 1954," and "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" are considered by much of the public to be examples of mass hysteria. In the late 1930s and decades after, some sociologists used occurrences like those to help model their theory of "Social Contagion." Like the idea that one or several people claim to experience something unusual, others hear about it and start to see the same thing. Soon it all spirals into an epidemic of vast numbers of people all testifying to the same weirdness with no real, mystical cause.
One of the most enduring and pervasive tropes to ever capture the human imagination is the concept of a "bottomless pit." On Friday, February 22, 1997, a man calling himself "Mel Waters" had faxed Art Bell, the much-beloved and sadly now-passed host of the highly-rated, paranormal-themed radio talk show, Coast to Coast AM, claiming to have one on his property. Mel said his property is about nine miles west of Ellensburg, Washington, adjacent to Manastash Ridge. He and his neighbors and the property's previous owners had thrown their trash into the hole for decades. The 9' 9" in diameter hole had received everything from household waste and furniture to building debris to dead cows for as long as anyone could remember, yet it never seemed to fill up. Mel became self-admittedly obsessed with determining the depth of this curiosity. Being a former semi-pro shark fisherman, Mel had lowered three reels of 20 lb. fishing line with a one-pound weight at the end.
As we dive further into the epic of Mel's Hole, we learn that in the third phone call to Art Bell on the Coast to Coast AM radio show on April 24, 2000, Mel reveals what had happened to him since his initial calls in 1997. After supposedly taking the deal from the US government to relocate to Australia and receive a compensation of $250,000 per month for the lease of the land he received in a divorce settlement from his wife, Mel was happy to continue his research with medicinal plants and efforts with wombat rescue near Perth. However, upon Mel's return to the US and helping his nephew move from Tacoma to Olympia on the day he was scheduled to return to the program for a follow-up interview, there was an altercation on the bus he was riding. Mel was detained for questioning and told he would be transported back to Tacoma once authorities concluded their investigation.
We're marvelously fortunate and extraordinarily grateful that so many listeners have sent us their personal stories of mysterious experiences over the years. While it's not possible to respond to all of them, we can and should present some for the entertainment and edification of all. So as thanks to those who've shared, and a treat for us that love to hear them, we're featuring three stories from a recent call for submissions. Our first account comes from Terra Greenleaf, who managed to capture audio of strange animal sounds while at a facility in a deeply wooded area. Those familiar with Bigfoot research might classify them as typical "calls."
On June 11, 2022, The Washington Post published an article by their San Francisco-based tech culture reporter Nitasha Tiku titled, "The Google engineer who thinks the company's AI has come to life." The piece focused on the claims of a Google software engineer named Blake Lemoine, who said he believed the company's artificially intelligent chatbot generator LaMDA had shown him signs that it had become sentient. In addition to identifying itself as an AI-powered dialogue agent, it also said it felt like a person. Last fall, Lemoine was working for Google's Responsible AI division and was tasked with talking to LaMDA, testing it to determine if the program was exhibiting bias or using discriminatory or hate speech.
As we continue our discussion based on Blake Lemoine’s assertion that the Large Language Model chatbot LaMDA had become sentient, we relay the rest of his conversation with the program and then some questions and answers with Lemoine himself. But as Lemoine has said, machine sentience and personhood are just some of many questions to be considered. His greater issue is how an omnipresent AI, trained on an insufficient data set, will affect how different people and cultures interact and who will be dominated or excluded. The fear is that the ultimate result of protecting corporate profits will outweigh global human interests. In light of these questions about AI’s ethical and efficient development, we highlight the positions and insights of experts on the state and future of AI, such as Blaise Agüera y Arcas and Gary Marcus.
On December 1, 1948, an unknown man was found lying dead on the sand on Somerton Beach next to the neighborhood of Glenelg, about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Adelaide, South Australia. He had no money or identification on him, the labels in his clothing were cut off, and his minimal possessions yielded no clues. Further adding to the mystery, a rolled-up scrap of paper with the Persian phrase "tamám shud," translating to "is over" or "is finished," was found in the man's watch pocket around the time of his autopsy. The scrap was later discovered torn from a copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a circa 11th-century collection of poems by Khayyam, known as "the Astronomer-Poet of Persia." The book found tossed into a car after a public appeal by the police appeared to have previous writing indentations on a page adjacent to the torn-out one, revealing a local phone number and text speculated to be a coded message.
Since antiquity, espionage and deceit have always been crucial weapons of warfare. As technology and strategy have advanced over the centuries, methods for governments to deliver information and orders to their secret agents in the field have become more sophisticated. Yet, one form of cryptic communication implemented in the early 20th century has proven ever effective and relatively simple. With the advent of wireless telegraphy combined with a cipher technique called a "One-time Pad," militaries have been sending coded messages to their undercover operatives abroad since World War I. It wasn't until shortwave and HAM radio enthusiasts started noticing eerie and enigmatic broadcasts of spoken series of numbers or strange electronic sounds that these coded communiqués aroused widespread curiosity during the height of the Cold War.
A former police officer turned writer David Paulides was taken aside by a National Park Ranger and told about a disturbing trend he'd realized. This Ranger asserted that some people were going missing in the woods under mysterious circumstances leaving only puzzling evidence of their fate. Of course, people often go missing in the wilderness in tragic yet explainable events but what was troubling to these Rangers in the field was the apparent pattern of the occurrences and the subsequent investigation efforts. This Ranger stated that during the first seven to ten days of a disappearance, an all-out Search and Rescue effort ensued with plenty of press coverage. However, after the first week of a rescue mission, it seemed to them that the media stopped reporting, the search for the missing was called off, and no further explanation from the authorities was provided.
In Part Two of our series on the Missing 411 phenomenon, we'll first examine a study conducted to determine which National Parks are the most dangerous in the United States. The numbers and causes may surprise you. We then take a closer look at a few more puzzling cases and, with a critical eye, examine the data presented by David Paulides and the CanAm Project vs. what's been reported by the news media. Discrepancies raise questions when ascertaining the objective facts and judging if the evidence is remarkable. There are plenty of errors and omissions from all parties, but what are the causes and intentions behind them? With hundreds, perhaps thousands of incidents, it's understandable when a news outlet rushing to report under a deadline makes mistakes, but can the same leeway be given to Paulides?