32: Great Balls of Fire

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. Sometimes it is thought that Sallie plays harmless pranks on visitors and sometimes, something more sinister than pranks. While we may not know what goes on in the spirit realm, what seems to be true is that once you experience the spirit of a place, you can feel drawn to return, and in turn, that spirit may want to revisit you. For more information on this episode visit our website!

29 Okt 20183h 55min

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." Having appeared on numerous radio and television programs to discuss his findings, Chuck has cataloged an astounding variety of experiences. But apropos of the Spooky Season, you're going to hear about a few that are so terrifying you may never go back into the woods again. GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED. For more information on this episode visit our website!

21 Okt 20182h 2min

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. But don't let your guard down too much, because as it's often said, there is some truth to the origin of most myths and deadly spirits know no borders. GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED. For more information on this episode visit our website!

15 Okt 20181h 40min

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. In the ancient western world, the concept of a Grim Reaper was more of a psychopomp, a guide that takes the freshly departed to their place in the afterlife. But since we have doubts nowadays when it comes to a more universally accepted idea of an afterlife, perhaps the notion of a ghastly specter that merely extinguishes our spark when our time has come is more relatable. And he's just a mythic character, right? A cartoon? Well not if you ask some folks who claimed to have seen him and lived to tell about it. Whatever the truth, in one sense, in the end, it doesn't matter if you believe at the moment of death that we are whisked away to another realm or it's just "lights out." As the saying goes, whether king or pauper, a Grim Reaper comes for us all. For more information on this episode visit our website!

7 Okt 20182h 5min

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. As "fringe" as that may seem, then in some cases it might possibly be explained by science one day, that is, if enough scientists would be willing to endure the ridicule and ensuing damage to their reputations from their peers. However, the strange activity at 30 East Drive seems much more than that, not only because it continued long after the Pritchards left the house, but also because this energy appears to have a personality behind it, and there are indications that there's more than one spectral personality residing around the property. Whatever you think The Black Monk or "Fred" is, whether disembodied spirits or mischievous kids, this "Mr. Nobody" might not be anybody, but it sure seems like it's something. For more information on this episode visit our website!

24 Sep 20181h 56min

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. For more information on this episode visit our website!

17 Sep 20181h 21min

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? Was Fred merely poltergeist energy in the general definition, a collective of entities, a demon, or the vengeful spirit of a condemned man? A local legend that a 16th century Cluniac Monk was tried and executed for a horrific crime on those grounds is the source for that last idea. Some have seen a dark, shadowy figure wearing a black monk's robe around the property and it has reinforced that notion. If that is the case, perhaps the Pritchards were the unwelcome visitors to the home of "The Black Monk."  For more information on this episode visit our website!

10 Sep 20181h 52min

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.  We'll find out what captivates him about each incident and the creatures at their centers, what it was like to actually explore these towns, and what he thinks might be happening with all this High Strangeness.   For more information on this episode visit our website!

26 Aug 20181h 48min