Believing the Bizarre: Paranormal Conspiracies & Myths

The Raven Mocker
We explore the terrifying Cherokee legend of the Raven Mocker (Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï ), one of the most feared entities in Cherokee mythology.
The Raven Mocker is described as an ancient shapeshifting witch that preys upon the dying, consuming their hearts to steal their remaining years of life through supernatural means. According to Cherokee tradition, these malevolent beings appear as withered elderly humans but can transform into fiery, raven-like creatures that soar through the night sky, invisible to all except Cherokee medicine men.
It is said that Raven Mockers must feed every seven days to survive and can supernaturally extract their victims' hearts without leaving any physical wounds.
We discuss several historical accounts and modern encounters, including a chilling story about an oil field worker's face-to-face encounter with a feathered humanoid creature and a medicine man's lifelong battle against these entities.

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Top 10 Horror Comedy Movies - Blind Rankings

It's time for another Blind Rankings. This month, we rank our top 10 horror comedy movies (without knowing what film comes next).

From Shaun of the Dead and Scary Movie to Lake Placid, we discuss a bunch of great hilarious scary films. What would your list look like?

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The Goblins in the Fields
It's listener submission time again and we have 3 chilling tales for you.
The first story comes from Davis, who experienced paranormal activity throughout his life before encountering a mysterious shadow woman after hitting puberty.
In a story from Brazil, Kelvin shares an unsettling late-night experience involving sleep paralysis, a mysteriously moving fork, and an inexplicably relocated blanket.
The final tale from Washington state introduces us to "Duendes" - mischievous goblin-like creatures from Latin American folklore that allegedly caused havoc in a young girl's life.

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Paranormal investigators and content creators Audrey and Bella, who met in high school through their shared love of K-pop and ghost hunting shows, have grown their YouTube and TikTok following by documenting their investigations at haunted locations.
In this interview, Audrey and Bella discuss their investigation process, which includes extensive planning via Google Docs, using equipment like spirit boxes and REM pods, and taking turns handling editing and social media duties for each investigation.
They discuss some of their most compelling evidence, including intelligent responses through the Estes Method (where one investigator is blindfolded and wearing headphones while attempting to communicate with spirits), physical touches, and unexplained sounds at locations like Madison Seminary and Hotel Conneaut.
Despite their rapid success on YouTube, they maintain a grounded approach to investigating, emphasizing the importance of showing respect at haunted locations, proper research, and careful planning for those interested in pursuing paranormal investigation.

Make sure to check out Audrey and Bella's investigations and give them a subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@audreyxbella

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It is listener submission time again!
The first story follows Emma and her family in Colorado, where unexplained phenomena escalate from mysteriously stacked pots and pans to a child being repeatedly thrown from his bed, leading her coal miner father to make a difficult decision.
Strange shadows with skeletal features and long fingers begin appearing in doorways, while scratching sounds and unexplained voices echo through their home.
The second story delves into Richard's experience as a foster parent in Los Angeles, where his 13-year-old foster daughter Tina's connection to a mysterious entity named Melable sets off a chain of increasingly disturbing events.
What begins as concerning behavior from Tina evolves into a series of terrifying encounters that drive even mental health professionals to take extreme measures.

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The Manhattan Alien Abduction
In a 1989 case known as the Manhattan Alien Abduction, Linda Napolitano claimed she was lifted through her apartment window in a blue-white beam of light and taken aboard a UFO, with 23 witnesses reportedly observing the incident from various locations including the Brooklyn Bridge.
UFO researcher Budd Hopkins, known for his regression therapy work and theories about alien-human hybrids, investigated the case and documented additional claims from Linda about subsequent alien encounters involving her son Johnny, who suffered persistent nosebleeds afterward.
The case took an even stranger turn when two mysterious men named Richard and Dan, who initially came forward as witnesses, began stalking Linda for over a year before kidnapping her twice at gunpoint to question her about the abduction.
While skeptics including Hopkins' ex-wife Carol questioned the credibility of the investigation and suggested the case was embellished for media attention, the high number of witnesses and physical evidence like Linda's x-ray showing an unexplained object in her nose have made this one of the most compelling and well-documented alien abduction cases.

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It's time for December 2024's Bizarre News! This month, we discuss four strange news stories. Phantom Neuro, an Austin-based startup, is developing a groundbreaking muscle implant that allows amputees to control prosthetic limbs through thought alone, with clinical trials planned for 2025 showing 94% accuracy across different gestures.
Multiple oarfish, rare deep-sea creatures typically found 3,000 feet underwater, have mysteriously washed up on California beaches since August, leading scientists to suggest changes in ocean conditions or El Niño might be responsible.
Researchers have developed an "Earworm Eraser," a 40-second audio track that switches between different tempos and musical styles to help eliminate unwanted songs stuck in people's heads, while a 106-year-old woman from Loveland, Ohio named Florence "Fireball" Smith celebrated her birthday by going skydiving and attributes her longevity to staying active and having a daily shot of Fireball Whiskey.

For our monthly Blind Rankings, we have to rank the top 10 Horror Movie Villains.

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New Jersey Drone Sightings
Since November 2024, residents across the northeastern United States have reported mysterious large drones, approximately 6 feet in diameter, appearing in coordinated formations at night over populated areas and military installations.
These unidentified drones possess unusual characteristics: they're undetectable by radar, demonstrate advanced evasive capabilities when pursued, and have been spotted coming in from the ocean, leading to various theories ranging from foreign surveillance to military testing of new technology.
While thousands of sightings have been reported, government agencies including the FBI, DHS, and Pentagon have downplayed the incidents, stating they've found no evidence of threats to national security and suggesting many sightings may be misidentified conventional aircraft.
The lack of clear explanations and minimal government response has frustrated local officials and residents, with some state leaders calling for expanded authority to track and neutralize unauthorized drones in their airspace.

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The Lingering Shadow Isaac
Sasha's story began when she moved into a house with her father and brother, instantly sensing an overwhelming, oppressive energy.
Over time, a shadowy figure emerged—a towering presence she called Isaac. Its intentions were a mystery, but it seemed to grow more intrusive, hovering near her and leaving her with scratches and unsettling encounters.
Seeking help from family and spiritual practices, Sasha thought she had distanced herself from the entity. Yet, years later, Isaac returned, following her wherever she went. A medium claimed Isaac might not be malevolent but protective, leaving Sasha questioning everything she thought she knew.
Was Isaac truly a guardian—or was something darker still waiting to reveal itself?

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In this month's interview, we talk to Steph and Alex from 13 Degrees of Screams.
13 Degrees of Screams is a horror movie review podcast hosted by Alex and Stephanie, where they rate films on a 13-point scale ranging from family-friendly to extremely terrifying, with Alex bringing extensive horror genre knowledge while Stephanie offers fresh perspectives as someone newer to horror.
In this interview, we discuss their podcast style, why they pick the particular movies they do, and any films that have stuck with them after turning off the TV.
We also go into their personal experiences with the paranormal, including Alex's encounter with a ghost in his college dorm and Stephanie's mysterious occurrences in her home, which add authenticity to their horror discussions. 

Make sure to check out 13 Degrees of Screams!

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In this week’s episode, we have four chilling encounters. In Tennessee, two friends encountered a deer-like entity that was twisted and deformed, almost like it was drawn by a child. 
In Arizona, a camping trip turned terrifying when something mimicked a friend's voice, trying to lure a friend into the darkness.
A Vermont teenager was stalked by a grey-skinned creature with empty eye sockets, forcing her family to relocate. In Texas, two construction workers faced off against an aggressive 7-foot humanoid that hurled rocks, damaged property, and left one worker's power drill embedded in concrete.

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Could the terrifying predator Megalodon still lurk in the ocean’s depths, or did it vanish millions of years ago? 
In this episode, we dive into the evidence surrounding the legendary giant shark. 
From a 1918 lobster fisherman’s account of a 300-foot shark to modern TikTok conspiracies, the possibility of Megalodon’s survival is greatly debated. 
While the Megalodon, the largest shark, likely became extinct due to climate cooling and dwindling prey, people keep trying to make the Meg a thing. Join us as we explore the facts, myths, and modern shark encounters to determine if this legend holds water.

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It's time for another Blind Rankings with Producer Ben. This month, we blind rank the scariest movies to watch after Midnight.

From The Exorcist and The Conjuring to newer films like Talk To Me, see where we blind rank these horror movies. What would your list be?

Note - with the Holidays, we did not have time to add a Bizarre News. Hopefully, our November UAP Congressional Hearing Recap will suffice!

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In October 2001, a peaceful evening in Australia turned surreal when 22-year-old Amy vanished from her living room sofa.

Her friend Petra claimed to witness Amy being lifted through a window by a beam of light into a hovering disc-shaped craft.

Remarkably, Amy reappeared just hours later at a gas station 500 miles away, showing signs of weeks' worth of body hair growth and mysterious triangular marks.

She recalled encountering a tall, masked figure in a well-lit room. As UFO investigators began looking into the case, Amy, her husband Keith, and Petra suddenly disappeared after reportedly being pursued by mysterious strangers in a dark truck.

Additionally, we provide an overview of the early November 2024 UAP Congressional Hearing. We discuss the 7 key takeaways provided by the four individuals providing testimony, Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, former Department Of Defense official Lou Elizondo, journalist Michael Shellenberger, and former NASA official Michael Gold.

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This week on Believing the Bizarre we have 3 creepy listener submitted stories.
First, Jared and his sister experienced recurring supernatural events in their Indiana home. 
Then, Ryan and his girlfriend faced strange scratches and noises in a remote Scottish cottage, fleeing in fear. 
Finally, sensitive to spirits, Sophia encountered both gentle and malevolent entities, including a demon named Otis, who attempted to manipulate her and later demanded violent actions. 
After researching, she linked Otis to a powerful demon named Botis and sought ways to escape his influence.

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Here is our interview with the awesome and super talented Kaydra Brannan of the Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast.

Kedra created Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast as a creative outlet during pandemic burnout from her healthcare career, drawing inspiration from her childhood love of mysteries and true crime. When covering true crime cases, she emphasizes victim-first storytelling and thorough research, while her most compelling personal paranormal experience involves a mysterious woman who appeared to help her sister during a dangerous rope swing accident, with multiple witnesses describing the woman differently.
As her podcast approaches its 100th episode, she discusses her evolution as a host, including improved audio quality, added video content, and increased networking with other podcasters, while maintaining her methodical approach of scripting episodes through Gmail drafts. Beyond her love for dark history and psychological thrillers, Kedra expresses particular fondness for video games with cinematic storytelling like The Last of Us and plays/musicals that evoke strong emotions.

Make sure to give Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast a listen, we know you will love it!

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It is listener submission time again and we can a couple of wild stories for you!
Over several years, Yasmin experienced a series of inexplicable encounters that began in 2011 when she and her family witnessed a triangular UFO near their grandmother's house, followed by sensing an invisible presence in her bed, feeling supernatural forces under a mattress, and observing strange lights and streetlamp phenomena. Her most terrifying experience occurred when she and her boyfriend encountered a tall, slender, hair-covered creature emitting a sulfuric smell near their car, an encounter that continues to haunt her to this day.

From childhood through adulthood, Devin - a self-described eclectic pagan sensitive to the paranormal - experienced numerous supernatural encounters, including an imaginary friend she called "Cinderella," mysterious music that followed her between homes, and shadow creatures, culminating in her most terrifying experiences with a malevolent entity in her brother's house that physically attacked her and may have influenced her brother's descent into drug addiction. During her teen years and after her father's death, she began actively pursuing communication with spirits and helping others deal with paranormal activity, leading her to encounters with various entities from playful fae in England to a demon-like creature that tormented her mother.

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This week, we explore the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd when the gates of heaven are believed to open, allowing children's spirits to return on the first day and adults' spirits on the second day.
We discuss how the holiday originated from a combination of Mesoamerican rituals, European religion, and Spanish culture, including an ancient Aztec belief system where the dead had to overcome nine challenging levels to reach the city of the dead. Families create ofrendas (altars) with photos, favorite foods, personal items, and traditional elements like candles, salt, and bread to welcome back their deceased loved ones.
Then, we dive into several personal encounters, including stories of a woman hearing mysterious singing near her ofrenda, a man being walked home by his deceased father's friend, and a widow's husband experiencing a powerful connection with his late father through an ofrenda.

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Here is our live Halloween special from Weston, West Virginia where we visited the very haunted Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, North America's largest hand-cut stone masonry building, stands as a Gothic monument to both healing and horror in West Virginia.
Built in 1858 following Thomas Kirkbride's revolutionary design principles, which emphasized therapeutic sunlight and fresh air through its 900 windows, the asylum initially provided excellent care, complete with its own farm and dairy to ensure quality food for patients.
The early period was so positive that one patient described it as "heaven," not a "nut house." However, the Civil War marked a dramatic turning point, as the asylum was converted into Camp Tyler and its construction funds were seized by Union soldiers.
What followed was a descent into overcrowding and controversy, with the facility housing 2,500 patients despite being designed for just 250. The situation worsened with Dr. Walter Freeman's infamous $25 lobotomies, performed as theatrical presentations, along with other controversial treatments like electroshock therapy.
By 1994, the asylum closed its doors, but its legacy lives on through reported paranormal activity, including famous spirits like Lily, a young girl who died of pneumonia, Ruth, a man-hating female patient, and various Civil War soldiers who still supposedly roam its halls.

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It is Bizarre News and Blind Rankings time again! This week, we cover:

Story 1 - A mysterious rectangular structure resembling a door was spotted via Google Maps on an Antarctic mountainside, sparking widespread speculation about potential hidden bases, ancient civilizations, or extraterrestrial activity. While skeptics suggest the formation is likely a natural geological feature or satellite imaging artifact, the discovery has reignited broader discussions about Antarctica's unexplored regions and what might lie beneath its icy surface.
Story 2 - A 20-year-old psychic medium from West Yorkshire named Hannah Rose maintains a collection of 14 allegedly haunted dolls, which she claims can cause paranormal disturbances including hiding objects and, in one case, scratching her arm. Having experienced paranormal encounters since age seven, Hannah dedicates herself to caring for these dolls through cleaning rituals and communication sessions, viewing her role as providing understanding homes for spirits, a calling she believes she inherited genetically from her similarly gifted mother.

Story 3 - While countless people worldwide report ghostly encounters, scientists explain these experiences through natural phenomena such as sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and the brain's tendency to misinterpret ambiguous sensory information. Historical research reveals that ghost stories have evolved from pre-1800s tales of spirits with unfinished business to more personal encounters in modern times, though the most commonly reported paranormal experiences remain unexplained sounds rather than full-bodied apparitions.

Story 4 - A 32-year-old Minnesota woman named Phoenix Nightingale suffers from acute intermittent porphyria, a rare metabolic disorder that causes severe attacks of pain and vomiting when triggered by sulfur-containing foods like garlic - the same condition that allegedly inspired vampire legends through its supposed connection to Vlad III (Count Dracula). Having endured over 480 excruciating attacks throughout her life before receiving a diagnosis last year, Nightingale now carefully manages her diet while advocating for better awareness of rare conditions, as she must avoid common ingredients like garlic that could potentially trigger fatal reactions.

Story 5 - A group of hikers in Chile inadvertently captured what appears to be a mysterious woman's face in their trail selfie, which subsequently gained viral attention on Facebook's supernatural community with over 1,400 likes. While some social media users were unsettled by the clearly defined facial features visible in the image, others remained skeptical about its authenticity, highlighting the common tension between supernatural interpretations and potential photo manipulation in modern ghost photography.

For Blind Rankings, we rank the top 7 WORST Halloween treats.

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