The devilish reputation Ouija boards enjoy in horror films is a relatively new phenomenon.  In the Victorian era, they were... more

Apparently, I clipped off the beginning of the show during the initial upload.  It’s been fixed, so this would only... more

Ouija boards, or more generally, “spirit boards” have antecedents going back to the very first days of the Spiritualist movement.... more

A special short announcement regarding the October 20 deadline for Trick-or-Treat-by-Mail for listeners joining our Patreon.  Find out how you... more

We’re getting into the spirit of the season with a classic tale of witchcraft set in 17th-century Salem Village, Nathaniel... more

Agartha, Shambhala, and Hyperborea are all names for a a mythic spiritually and scientifically advanced  kingdom, always in some hidden... more

Borrowed from fairy lore, the notion of a hollow earth peopled by superior beings became a theme of literary fantasies as... more

While the dummies may be inherently creepy, they were not the source of  ventriloquism’s dark reputation in earlier times. This... more

Our understanding of hypnotism, once known as “mesmerism,”  has radically evolved over the centuries. This episode looks at where it... more

Banshees are spirits of Irish folklore, who warn of impending deaths.  Originally considered fairies, their Irish name, bean sídhe, means “woman of the... more