Pseudophiles

What causes people to deny one of the most well known and documented atrocities of the modern age? What drives that sort of intense willful ignorance? Join us as we dive into the disgusting waters of holocaust deniers.

Is your refrigerator running? Then why don't you go catch it? Also this is the voice of your dead wife. We all share our stories of strange or unexplained phone calls in this episode of Pseudophiles.

Born from Algonquin folklore, the Wendigo is a terrifying legendary creature with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. But don't let it get to you, because thinking of the Wendigo may give you the same desire. This week on Pseudophiles, we talk about the Wendigo and those who were reportedly affected by it. Also we can't help talking about Supernatural... 

The man that basically started it all. Everything we know about alien abduction comes for the man Mr. Strieber, Join us and our returning special guest about the legend of Whitley Strieber,

We've talked abductions. We've talked ancient astronauts. But what about those mysterious lights in the sky? Are they aliens too? Join us as we talk about evidence of UFOs.Pseudophilesyes01:15:45Episode 59: UFO EvidenceEpisode 59: UFO Evidencehttps://www.pseudophiles.com/podcast/2018/5/10/epis

From treading where you shouldn't, to stealing that which is not yours, there are many ways to get cursed. One of them is by listening to this episode. So join us? This is Curses, this is Pseudophiles.

This week on Pseudophiles we are joined by the hilarious and brilliant Maria of the Misfit Book Club Podcast who shares with us the crazy and roller coaster of a human being that was (maybe still is?) Ambrose Bierce. We also delve into the story of the vanishing lighthouse keepers, the lost Sodder children, a few people that went missing for decades that eventually find their way home, and a lot of ridiculous conversation in between.

We all wonder how the people of the past built the pyramids, the stone heads on Easter Island, or Stonehenge. What if it were aliens.jpg? Or maybe it were something else entirely. Join us as we talk about ancient astronauts.

Is this your card? What about this one? Well, anyway, Torrance, Ben, Sidney, and recurring guest Alex talk about the history of sleight of hand. Join us as we discuss magic.

Do you like cats? Well we're talking about cats. Everything from their role in history to their roles in our lives. Join us as we discuss our feline friends.

One full year of Pseudophiles! We made it this far guys and we don't plan on stopping. This week we are joined by avid podcast listener Graham to recap a year of Pseudophiles. We share some of our personal favorite episodes and guest, as well as, show a glimpse of what is to come.

Wheeeen the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amoreee. And it's also time to discuss just what exactly is that big celestial body doing up there. Sure, it may seem pretty 3rd grade science, but have you considered that it might also be a hollowed interstellar ship housing a secret cabal of lizard people controlling our world? Or that it's not even real? Join the gang as they talk about the moon.

A flash of popcorn, a brief moment of a cold soda, what images have influenced you to buy more concessions? And have these images ever got you to do something more nefarious? Join the gang as they talk about all things subliminal. Permalink

Ghosts, spirits, phantoms, whatever your preferred term is for the ethereal beings that lurk around after death, these entities seem to be embedded in the lore of every town and person. This week we explore some of these stories and share some of our own. So join us as we talk about local hauntings, creepy videos from the early days of YouTube, get distracted by how creepy Scrappy Doo is, and much more. 

Following the first entry into King Tuts tomb 11 people involved died in freakish ways. This week on Pseudophiles, Torrance, Ben, and Sidney talk about whether these deaths were due to a curse or purely coincidental. They also explore ways to which they would like to curse others if their tomb was busted into by unwanted explorers.

They control the world! They are behind every major conspiracy you've ever heard of. Or at least most of them. Are they Satanic, alien, or mystical? Who knows. Join us as Torrance, Sidney, and Ben talk about the Illuminati.

Be careful where you take your next cruise. The Bermuda Triangle might eat you alive. Join us as we we talk about the mysterious area of the sea.

Beautiful voices, scaly tales, and clam shell bras. The mermaids have been tempting seafarers since the beginning of sea travel. Are they benevolent sea creatures, here to rescue drowning sailors, or are they harbingers of doom? Join us as we talk about mermaids.

Do you remembah the 31st of Decembah? Well we do. Ben, Sidney, and Torrance talk about that night was like and all the conspiracies that surrounded it. Join us as we talk about the beginning of the year 2000.

Break out the 'nog and get rid of that problematic mistletoe, because it is Christmas. Or rather, it's a few days after Christmas. Join the gang as they completely avoid the premise of the podcast and just enjoy talking about the holidays.

Inspiring myth, legend, and a Disney movie, Grigori Rasputin was, and is today, an anomaly. Having the eyes of lunatic, the beard of a wizard, and the attire of a peasant, Rasputin used his religious affiliation, mysticism, and above all else, his charm to befriend nearly every man and swoon the panties off nearly every woman. The latter would ultimately get him in trouble and lead to a nearly failed assassination attempt involving cyanide, stab wounds, multiple gunshots, and drowning. This week we are joined by expert Amber Black to talk about the history of Rasputin and the mysteries that surround his life.

This week we talk about the possibilities of the the imminent future. Robots, AI, cloning. What can we expect and what will the ethical and philosophical implications? Also can we put our heads on wolf bodies?

We have all seen them, the contrails in the sky left behind by airplanes. Most people would explain them to be vapor trails emitted from the engines, but others would rather you wake the hell up because not everything is as it seems. They would suggest that these trails are riddled with chemicals used for nefarious (somewhat ambiguous) purposes. This week Torrance, Sidney, and Ben discuss what some of these purposes are and whether this conspiracy is rooted in truth or baseless.

Shadow People are depicted across many cultures. Hovering right around your periphery may be some dark figures that are ever watching yet rarely seen. They are usually harmless unless sporting a hat but stories of their sighting are abundant. Take a trip with us as we are joined by the lovely Allie Simpson to explore our worst nightmares and tales of Shadow People.

Aleister Crowley was known for being an occult leader, a poet, novelist, mountaineer, painter, and alleged recruit of a British intelligence agency. However, a little known theory about Crowley is that he may have been responsible for summoning The Loch Ness Monster from his home on the shore of the loch. In this episode we are joined by Siloam Springs' own local business owner Joe Gibbens of Ash and Ember to go deeper into this theory and talk about the crazy intricate life of Aleister Crowley.

MKUltra... The project that validates almost every government conspiracy and makes them seem a little less insane. This project shows how capable the government is at keeping secrets from you and may make you wonder what they are hiding from you today. Join Torrance, Ben, and Sidney as they dig into what experiments took place as part of MKUltra and speculate on how it could still be affecting us today.

In this episode of Pseudophiles, the gang is joined by our reoccurring guest Alex and his lovely wife Angie to talk about Halloween. We get into a bit of the history of Halloween but when you get five people in the same room that love horror movies and the topic is Halloween, then there is no stopping us from sharing some of our favorite moments in horror.

Who knows what mysteries lie beneath our own feet? There could be undiscovered animals, plant life, and even entire civilizations below the earth's crust, if only someone adventurous enough could explore and discover for the rest of us! Join Ben, Sidney, and Torrance as they discuss the hollow earth theory.

Unless you're a cockroach, you'll want to be underground or dug deep into a hillside when the bombs start falling and humanity meets our seemingly inevitable fate of world-ending nuclear fire. World War 3 is one big explosion, and World War 4 is fought with sticks and stones, but what about the in-between? Humanity must survive somehow. So this week, Torrance, Sidney, and Ben talk about bunkers, video games, and where they would want to be when the end is nigh. 

Populated by greats like Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin, the 27 Club is one of the only "clubs" of music legends that no one wants to be a part of. Probably because they all died at 27, and more often then not, at the peak of their careers. This week we are joined by Chris Moore to discuss why the 27 Club exists, reminisce on some of their accomplishments, and reflect on how they inspired those who came after them. 

There is very little that we know about the afterlife. So little, in fact, that ancient civilizations guess on what the afterlife looks like is no less accurate than humanities ideas on it today. So, in this episode the gang takes a look at a few of those ancient ideas of what people once believed the afterlife to look like and also explore some studies done on what we can observe of an "afterlife." 

We all have heard of the mysterious and allusive creature residing in Loch Ness. But what you may not know is that there are tales of lake monsters all over the world. In this episode, Torrance, Ben, and Sidney pick a part a few different lake monsters and try to make sense of why these tales exist and if they are based in any truth. Are the stories an economical ploy to persuade tourists to visit their otherwise humdrum town? Maybe they are fishing tales that got out of hand in their constant retelling. Or perhaps there is some truth to some of these tales and we have a lot more to learn about our local lakes.

The Pseudophiles gang welcomes London Smith (.com) to use his knowledge as a medical student to attempt to understand some of the medical practices of old and some of new. In this episode we cover topics ranging from blood letting, to ice pick lobotomies, to fecal pills, and briefly to alcoholic enemas (butt chugging). You won't want to miss it.

We all have odd dreams that we cannot fully explained. Why are some dreams reoccurring? Can dreams really tell us something about ourselves? Why is it that there are themes that appear to be universal in dreams like falling or being chased. To answer these questions we called in our good friend Hannah to help us answer these questions and dissect some of our own dreams.

We know that the power of suggestion can be very persuasive. But how persuasive? Could it convince you to be more motivated, quit smoking, or bark like a dog? In this episode we are exploring the history and methods in which people can be hypnotized and try to find a conclusion as to whether it is effective or a parlor trick.

What's so interesting about a bunch of stones in a field? Well, when almost nothing is known about them, they can be either extremely fascinating, or exceedingly dull. Join the gang as they dive into what we do know, as well as struggle to stay on topic.

This week on Pseudophiles, Torrance, Sidney, and Ben discuss Atlantis, the lost colony of Roanoke, Easter Island, prehistoric floods, ancient structures, and more. Nothing captures the imagination more than pondering a lost groups of people who seemingly vanish over night. Sure there are some logical explanations, in fact, there are several of them. But for every logical ones there are 10 crazy ones. Listen and find out which you believe. 

This week Torrance, Ben, and Sidney take another look at a couple different forms of alternative medical treatments. On one hand you have the televangelist who makes a spectacle of laying on hands in the name of God while asking everyone for donations. On the other you have the unregulated homeopathic expert who essentially gives you sugar pills to heal you of your ailments. Is there any merit to either of these approaches? Find out this week on Pseudophiles.

Welcome to the second and final week of urban legends. This week Sidney, Torrance, and Ben discuss the different types of urban legends in video games and a slew of other video game related topics. Are some of our childhood games darker than we realized? Did the CIA enlist Atari to develop the most addictive game of all time? Was Fallout 3 able to predict the future? All these questions answered on this weeks episode of Pseudophiles.

Better not flash your lights at strangers on the road, unless you want to be a part of a bloody gang initiation. This week Ben, Torrance, and Sidney are joined by special guest Emily Moore to discuss urban legends. From the hook man to the death car, they get into the interesting stories we all seem to know and why we all seem to know them. So lock your car, turn up the volume, and join us for another episode of Pseudophiles.

Full moons get blamed for a lot of thing: crazy behavior, crime, romance. But there's one lunar legend that has consistently played a role in our pop culture. From the comedic Teen Wolf to the action packed Underworld, to the nauseating Twilight movies, the legend of the werewolf comes with different rules, sensibilities, and levels of horror. And whether through a bite, genetics, or a curse, lycanthropy will turn you into a hairy monster, and will be, at the very least, an inconvenience. So draw the curtains and be aware of the stages of the lunar cycle as we talk about werewolves.

On that fateful day in 2001 the US was scarred by a terrible tragedy that cost the lives of many victims. Some say it was a violent act of terror and some say it was an inside job caused by the very government that claims to protect us from dangers such as these. In any case, this event sparked the War on Terror and eventually lead to the war in Iraq. In this episode we examine both sides of the coin to try to discern what is hearsay and what is fact.

Depending on who you ask, there are many beliefs on what the end of the world may look like. Some say it will be a rapture where the evil are left behind for judgement, others say a natural disaster will split the Earth in two, and some may think the end is when the sun leaves the sky. We do not know for sure, but that has not stopped people from trying to predict how and when it will happen. On this episode we take a look at end of times predictions and discuss what people think is right around the corner.

Children are the future.It is a parents duty to keep them from anything harmful to their well-being... like murderers, pedophiles, violent video games, Dungeons and Dragons, and songs that sound like the devil when played backwards. The 80's was a strange time for children growing in religious households. The looming threat of satanists, demons, and the devil himself drove parents to a state of fear that was inescapable for their children.

What will cause the dead to walk again? Voodoo, a virus, or radiation? Will it be airborne, or passed along through a bite, or... maybe we're all infected? When there is no room left in hell...well, you know the rest. On this episode of Pseudophiles Torrance, Sidney, and Ben explore the world of zombies in history and pop culture. There are many iterations of what makes a zombie, how they act, and what motivates them. Let's explore that shall we?

The gang is joined by Arlene McCloud to discuss the frightening realm of possessions. As a child in the Philippines, Arlene witnessed something she still can't quite explain. Join them as they navigate these experiences and hash out their own hypothesis on this episode of Pseudophiles!

A destroyer escort vanishes off the coast of Philadelphia, appears leagues away near a port in Norfolk, VA, then reappears back in Philadelphia in a matter of seconds. Upon materializing out of thin air, a horrific scene is seen all across the ship. Crewman are thriving in pain as their limbs are now molecularly fused to the steel of the ship. Was this a Naval experiment gone horribly wrong, or was it a lie told by an elusive man with a love for UFOs, science fiction, and telling tall tales.

This week Torrance, Sidney, and Ben are joined by local legend Tucker Allen to discuss brain enhancing drugs also known as Nootropics! The mind is a complicated thing but can it truly be amplified by the use of these pills and powders that can be bought right off the shelf? Well, we will explore this topic and the many questions that surrounds it in this episode of Pseudophiles.

What do your hands and your butt have in common? They both tell you your future... So maybe talking out of your ass isn't always a bad thing. In this episode, Ben, Torrance, and Sidney are joined by the lovely Kate to explore these topics and learn to have some clairvoyant fun from your buns.

Life is never all sunshine and rainbows. This is especially true for those unfortunate enough to believe in the teachings of Jim Jones and Marshall Applewhite. Both of these men rallied people behind them to support their idealistic cause that slowly revealed itself as a front for their own power hungry mind games ending in the self inflicted deaths of hundreds. How were these men able to blindly lead these healthy, intelligent people willingly to the grave? Find out on this episode of Pseudophiles.

This week Torrance, Sidney, and Ben are joined by DJ Rundio to discuss a certain cryptid from New Jersey that we may have all heard of but until now have lacked a true insider's perspective. So, this week we are in luck because not only are we fortunate enough to have such a great guest but he is also a descendant of the family that may have brought us one of the most notable monsters in US history.