Many of us, at heart, are extremely skeptical when it comes to anything that exceeds the boundaries of our everyday existence. We listen with interest to those who claim to have had some kind of "experience," but at best we just find it entertaining. However, every now and then, we hear of a story that really can't be explained away by logic and reason. Those Things is a podcast that explores real-life experiences individuals have had that can't be so easily explained away, and the stories and the people involved make us question our own beliefs.
In this episode I explore the world of telepathy and clairvoyance. I take a look at the telepathic connection between twins, and look at two unwilling clairvoyants who foresaw terrible tragedies in both England and the United States
Listen to the unexpected conclusion of Robert Bloch's short Story, "Yours Truly - Jack the Ripper."
Since this is October, I thought it might be fun to read some creepy short stories. This episode features the short story, "Yours Truly - Jack the Ripper," by Robert Bloch. Bloch was a prolific writer in the mid twentieth century who became famous due to his novel, Psycho. In this story, he offers an interesting twist to the Jack the Ripper murders. I have split the story into three parts. Part two will be coming shortly.
On June 13, 1797, Nelly Butler and her child died during childbirth. Her husband, George Butler, buried them on their property. On January 2, 1800, Nelly Butler appeared in the cellar of the Blaisdell home in the next town, almost three years after her death. What transpired over the next several years was not only the first documented case of a haunting in America, but one of the most well documented hauntings in history. Several hundred people would see and document in their journals and letters their experiences with the apparition.
In 1997, Jeff Boiler was a deputy sheriff in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. It was the perfect job for him because it gave him plenty of time to do his favorite thing - hike and camp in the woods. Whenever possible, Jeff was in the woods. On a particularly nice day, his boss let him leave work early, and Jeff decided to go for a hike. He drove to a remote area and went on a hike. What happened that day forever changed Jeff's life.
In this special Halloween edition, I read a story called "The Damned Thing," by Ambrose Bierce. The story is about a young man named William Harker, who while on a hunting expedition with his friend Hugh Morgan, witnesses the gruesome death of his friend. He is called before a Coroner's Inquisition, and this is his testimony.
I have always loved Edgar Allan Poe, so on this special Halloween Episode I present to you "The Cask of Amontillado." If you are not familiar with the story, the main character, Montressor, has been insulted, along with his family, by Fortunato. The insult is such that it demands that Montressor seek revenge. The story follows Montressor as he plans and tries to implement his revenge upon Fortunato.
This is a short story by Daphne du Maurie called "The Doll." It was published in a small collection in 1937 and then lost for 70 years. I think the story was way ahead of its time. It is an eerie little story about a man, a woman, and her life sized doll named Julio. If you really pay attention, there are lots of little twists and turns that only come apparent at the very unsatisfying conclusion of the story. The creepy factor in this story is in the details.
Nancy Weber is a woman with a gift. She has the ability to see things in her mind, events that have happened in the past or are occurring in real time. When a young girl is brutally raped and murdered, the police have very little evidence to go on. They seek out Nancy's help, and she agrees to work with them.
In the Bible, it talks of a race of giants who were possibly the offspring of fallen angels and the women of Earth. These giants were considered to be the heroes of their day and were called the Nephilim. In Afghanistan, in 2002, a specials forces team was involved in a confrontation with what they called "a giant." Could this giant have been a Nephilim?
There is so much in the this world that no one has ever seen or experienced. The Martin family had just purchased a small farm in a small town. The house was nestled in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by dense dark woods. On a late summer evening, the Martin family experienced something that very few people, if any, had ever experienced before.
Bill is just trying to do his job. So, when he stumbles into what appears to be some kind of ritualistic event, he is justifiably freaked out. He leaves and goes home, but something isn't right. Things start to happen in his home that he can't find a rational explanation for. This episode of "Those Things" tells the story of how Bill tries to deal with the things he is finding in his home.
Elizabeth Bathory, or the Blood Countess as she would come to be known, was probably the single most prolific serial killer the world has ever seen. She preyed almost exclusively on young peasant women, and it was even rumored that she bathed in their blood. For decades Elizabeth tortured and killed woman after woman, and it was a fairly well known fact, but no one dared to stop her because she was nobility.
Werewolves have been a part of our collective culture for over 4,000 years. Over the decades and the centuries, the story of the werewolf has evolved from an archaic archetype into the modern version that we know today. This episode is about a small family living in their dream house in the woods, who have their own werewolf story to tell.
Throughout America's history, soldiers have always returned home from war with stories of strange things they either saw or experienced on the battlefield. This episode explores a number of strange happenings that occurred during a time of war.
Two very famous supernatural stories have persisted in the Chicago metropolitan area for years. Episode 4 delves into the stories of Resurrection Mary and Bachelor's Grove Cemetery.
The episode explores the strange and mysterious world of alien abductions. It takes a close look at two famous documented cases of abduction.
This episode explores the claims of some individuals that they were visited by a loved one shortly after the loved has died, usually unexpectedly or from unusual circumstances. Some claim they actually have a vision that shows how the loved one dies.
In May of 1971, a strange creature came out of the woods in Fouke, Arkansas, and terrorized a family living in a small home in the country.