Author: Meagan Ankney

Thalassophobia, the fear of the ocean or other large bodies of water, is a common phobia, and in this episode we discuss what makes large bodies of water so spooky. Whether it be the size of the ocean, ghost ships, or what could be lurking beneath the surface of the water there are plenty of reasons to be creeped out! You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Reminder: We’re collecting spooky stories for our Annual Halloween Listener Stories episode! If you have a paranormal or other creepy experience that you were able to debunk, or that you’d like us to take a stab at, you can send it to [email protected] or DM us on any of our social media accounts. Happy Spooky Season!

As always, here are our sources:

1. https://amp.capecodtimes.com/amp/7653838002?__twitter_impression=true
2. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a19000/less-than-one-percent-worlds-shipwrecks-explored/
3. https://theconversation.com/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-the-oceans-deepest-places-55172
4. https://www.usharbors.com/2018/10/the-science-of-ghost-ships/
5. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-enchanting-sea-monsters-on-medieval-maps-1805646/
6. https://medium.com/short-history/christopher-columbus-cant-tell-a-manatee-from-a-mermaid-b008e117c78d
7. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-real-sea-monsters-brought-life-early-naturalists-180953155/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_wave
9. https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/lifestyle/best-ghost-ship-stories–29737
10. https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/ss-ourang-medan-ghost-ship/
11. https://www.historicmysteries.com/ourang-medan/
12. https://www.marineinsight.com/maritime-history/ghost-ship-the-mysterious-flying-dutchman/
13. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-did-whales-evolve-73276956/

We’ve all heard stories of Elizabeth Bathory, who is known as the most torturous and prolific female serial killer in history. Was she really the monster we all know her as, or was she the Regina George of her time – a powerful woman with enemies just as mean as she was? Kyna, host of the Historical AF podcast joins us for our second spooky true crime episode. Listen in for a giggle-filled discussion on the famed Blood Countess and her residence-turned-prison, Cachtice Castle. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Here are our sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_B%C3%A1thory
2. https://www.thoughtco.com/elizabeth-bathory-mass-murderer-or-victim-1221244
3. https://stmuhistorymedia.org/elizabeth-bathory/
4. https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/elizabeth-bathory/elizabeth-bathory-countess-dracula/
5. https://allthatsinteresting.com/elizabeth-bathory-true-story
6. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bathorys-torturous-escapades-are-exposed
7. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/elizabeth-bathory#:~:text=In%201610%20she%20was%20accused,for%20most%20prolific%20female%20murderer.
8. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1134&context=etd
9. https://www.historyhit.com/the-blood-countess-facts-about-elizabeth-bathory/
10. https://www.thetravel.com/elizabeth-bathory-history-education-hungary-travel/
11. https://www.istrianet.org/istria/legends/vampires/bathory.htm
12. https://historycollection.com/real-countess-dracula-12-facts-life-crimes-elizabeth-bathory/6/
13. https://www.orellfuessli.ch/shop/home/artikeldetails/ID3093779.html
14. https://stmuhistorymedia.org/elizabeth-bathory/#marker-96966-11
15. https://serialkillershistory.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/the-true-story-of-elizabeth-bathory-the-blood-countess-2/
16. https://amyscrypt.com/cachtice-castle-elizabeth-bathory/
17. https://historycollection.com/10-ghosts-of-the-most-famous-historical-figures-and-where-to-find-them/6/
18. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/blood-countess-slovakia/index.html
19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egNckCeKevE

Thousands of crop circles have appeared in fields worldwide. Theories about what created them have included everything from horny hedgehogs to extraterrestrials. In this episode we discuss the history of crop circles and cover who (or what) is really behind them. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Here are our sources:

Podcasts: Stuff You Should Know, “What’s the Deal with Crop Circles?”; Astonishing Legends, Episodes 206-208: Crop Circles; Unexplained Mysteries, “Crop Circles”

Key Images Discussed in the Episode:

1. Hedgehogs cartoon: https://twitter.com/yerufoguy/status/1363101028380516354?s=21
2. The Mowing Devil: https://mercuriuspoliticus.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/the-mowing-devil/
3. Arecibo message & hoax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_message

Other sources:

1. http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/ericeproduction/I.a_Plowing_patterns.htm
2. https://www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html
3. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/crop-circles-the-art-of-the-hoax-2524283/
4. https://daily.jstor.org/pssst-crop-circles-were-a-hoax/
5. https://www.nature.com/articles/465693a.pdf?origin=ppub
6. www.circlemakers.org
7. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/03/two-men-started-phenomenon-crop-circles-planks-wire/
8. https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-cave-artists-might-ve-knowingly-deprived-themselves-of-oxygen-to-paint
9. https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-08/popsci-qampa-using-modern-tech-make-crop-circles/

Do you enjoy scary movies? Have you ever wondered why that is? In this episode we chat about what science has to say about why scary movies are so enjoyable, and what is happening to your body while you watch them. We discuss a list of the top 20 scariest movies and give our rankings. Whether you are a fan of psychological thrillers or prefer a classic slasher, this episode is for you! You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Here are our sources:

1. https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/10/these-are-the-scariest-horror-movies-according-to-science/
2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbean/2020/10/17/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever-well-science-now-has-an-answer-to-that-question/?sh=1e7e19ad56a2
3. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02298/full
4. https://now.tufts.edu/articles/why-do-we-horror-movies
5. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2017/october/fear
6. https://news.usc.edu/151096/why-do-we-like-to-be-scared-usc-experts-explain-the-science-of-fright/
7. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anxiety-love-watching-horror-movies_l_5d277587e4b02a5a5d57b59e
8. https://read.dukeupress.edu/poetics-today/article-abstract/25/2/283/20819/I-ll-Never-Have-a-Clown-in-My-House-Why-Movie?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Kenny Biddle joins us for another fun, goofy, and giggle-filled episode about famous hauntings! In this episode we look at audio and visual evidence for supposed hauntings at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL and Victoria’s Black Swan Inn in San Antonio, TX. Kenny helps us do some investigative work to figure out what is really going on with these videos of EVP recordings, shadowy figures, and spooky voices. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago, IL:

The YouTube video we discuss can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BihfOGHAI8

Key timestamps are:

1. EVP in ballroom: 15:00-16:00 min
2. “Face” in door: 25:00-25:35 min
3. Voices in hallway: 27:00-28:00 min

Additional background links:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_Plaza_Hotel
2. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/dark-history-congress-plaza-hotel
3. https://www.choosechicago.com/blog/chicagos-most-haunted-hotels/
4. https://dementedmittentours.com/blog/room-441-chicagos-most-haunted/

Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, San Antonio, TX:

The videos we discuss include:

1. SLS footage from Black Valley Paranormal: https://fb.watch/55J0tNvwFk/
2. Dairy barn EVP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7eZs5oW-XU&t=10s
3. EVP of little girl laughing ~1:40 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_rEamHeluw
4. Whistling sound from hallway: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=899366823917557
5. Shadow figure in dairy barn: https://www.instagram.com/p/BE8mG0lKZBp/?igshid=r7wccgklfke7

Additional background links:

1. https://www.slotsource.com/haunted-hotspots
2. http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/
3. https://bunewsservice.com/they-saw-something-they-couldnt-explain-the-strange-case-for-ghost-sightings-in-the-u-s/
4. https://www.victoriasblackswaninn.com/about
5. https://www.sanantoniomag.com/events/overnight-ghost-hunt-and-campout-at-victorias-black-swan-inn-san-antonio-tx/

A mother helps solve her daughter, Zona’s, murder after a visit from Zona’s ghost. An urban legend from the Hudson Valley area in New York turns the Boogeyman real. In our first ever spooky true crime episode we cover two horrifying, but real, stories. Listen now to learn more about the Greenbrier Ghost and Cropsey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Sources:

1. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11917
2. https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/01/greenbrier-ghost.html
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbrier_Ghost
4. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o9tdAAAAIBAJ&pg=1068,3035905&dq=shue&hl=en
5. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4679
6. http://www.wvdnr.gov/wwvmagazine/Archive/Batch1999/1999%20-%2009%20September.pdf
7. https://www.gothichorrorstories.com/gothic-travel/the-death-resurrection-and-retribution-of-zona-heaster-shue-the-greenbrier-ghost/
8. https://heathermonroe.medium.com/the-curious-murder-of-zona-shue-the-greenbrier-ghost-33a4058f9d13
9. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30608/elva-zona-heaster-ghost-who-helped-solve-her-own-murder
10. https://dustyoldthing.com/greenbrier-ghost/
11. Cropsey documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1277936/
12. http://cropseylegend.com/urban-legends
13. http://cropseylegend.com/
14. https://morbidlybeautiful.com/ominous-origins-cropsey/
15. https://timeline.com/willowbrook-the-institution-that-shocked-a-nation-into-changing-its-laws-c847acb44e0d?gi=d1f5cfd8c442
16. https://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/rand-andre.htm
17. https://the-line-up.com/cropsey-monster-of-staten-island

Werewolves (AKA lycanthropes) are typically described as a human with the ability to shapeshift into a vicious wolf. In this episode K.T. Katzmann (Twitter @IWriteMonsters), author of Murder with Monsters, joins us for a fun-filled discussion on the folklore and science behind werewolves. We cover everything from rabid dogs and clinical lycanthropy to the parallels between changes that occur during puberty and the werewolf transformation. You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

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Sources:

1. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cocktail-party-physics/bad-moon-rising-the-science-of-werewolves/
2. https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/1018/1084230-the-science-of-werewolves/
3. https://boingboing.net/2012/10/31/a-case-report-on-lycanthropy.html
4. https://dnascience.plos.org/2012/12/27/the-curious-genetics-of-werewolves/
5. https://theconversation.com/the-ancient-origins-of-werewolves-104775
6. https://www.livescience.com/24412-werewolves.html
7. https://twistedphysics.typepad.com/cocktail_party_physics/2009/11/bad-moon-rising.html
8. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/real-life-werewolves-dog-bites-and-full-moons/
9. https://dnascience.plos.org/2012/12/27/the-curious-genetics-of-werewolves/
10. https://gizmodo.com/werewolf-science-do-dogs-really-bite-more-people-durin-1652449939
11. https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/1018/1084230-the-science-of-werewolves/
12. https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/werewolf.htm
13. https://historydaily.org/werewolf-trials
14. https://www.livescience.com/44875-werewolves-in-psychiatry.html

If you enjoyed the Short and Spooky segment at the end of our early episodes, this one’s for you! In our first Short and Spooky episode, we share four short, but creepy stories! We discuss the mysterious blue people of Kentucky, two 100-year-old ghost stories, and wrap up with Paige guessing animals that used to be considered cryptids! You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora, or iHeartRadio.

Here are our sources for this episode:

Podcasts: Monster Talk, Episode 207, “The Guyra Ghost”

Websites/Articles:

1. “Showers of Stones” by Karen Stollznow, January 2020 – Fortean Times
2. https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/the-science-behind-the-mysterious-blue-people-of-kentucky/?fbclid=IwAR1WKDdN-OiMlnaHqYyHCaf3N2ed9w8KV8WPjb0CZZ05F5VdjTiFykYea1o
3. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819
4. https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2016/10/the_ghost_story_in_a_scientific_journal.html
5. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-scientific-explanations-spooky-sensations-180973436/
6. https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2020/12/12/seven-cryptids-species/?fbclid=IwAR3hS1nZ6YqjsdcicrWSuDeRcahjhxln6uUy-aKLutWoC9V8Xh6guzpchFE

In this episode we are joined by professor of science history at Kean University and author, Dr. Brian Regal, to discuss the origins of cryptozoology. We chat about some of our favorite cryptids, and learn about how sea serpents and mating whales helped to create what we know today as the field of cryptozoology. You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Pandora.

You can find out more about Brian, including the papers and books we discussed, on his website here: https://sites.google.com/a/kean.edu/brian-regal-phd/ or by following him on Twitter @Tarbosaur!

Sources:

1. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/is-cryptozoology-good-or-bad-for-science/
2. https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/how-the-search-for-mythical-monsters-can-help-conservation-in-the-real-world
3. https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/science-history-the-weird-world-of-cryptozoology/
4. https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/just-in/2018-10-26/so-why-do-people-believe-bigfoot-anyway

Wendigos are said to be terrifying humanoid cannibals from the Great Lakes region of the Midwest and Canada. In this episode we discuss the origins of the wendigo myth, wendigo psychosis, and our theories on alleged wendigo sightings.  You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Pandora.

Here are the sources we used for this episode:

Podcasts: Timesuck, Episode 196: “The Wendigo and Other American Indian Folklore Monsters”; Blurry Photos, Episode 135: “The Wendigo”; Lore, Episode 18: “Hunger Pains”