This episode is about the legendary pigman of Denton, Texas. Kinda. The thing is, I'd never heard of the pigman, so it's really an episode about how urban legends and folklore are spread, what makes one urban legend take off while another lingers in obscurity, and what our urban legends say about us. Though I do also tell the story of the pigman so…

Not far from the famed Goatman's Bridge in Denton County, Texas, a courthouse square has its share of spirits. I return once more to North Texas—a place of strange UFO and cryptid encounters, and also where I grew up. This time, I'm looking at Denton Square, a historic spot where urban legends, history, and hauntings intersect. Content note: This e…

Continuing my deep dive into nostalgia and the paranormal! Does the way we feel about paranormal investigation tools change their efficacy? How do our emotions (especially nostalgia) interact with the paranormal? Highlights include: My continuing fascination with whether the ghosts of living people can haunt us Looking at nostalgic paranormal inves…

A look at lore surrounding the legendary Panasonic RR-DR60. How did the late 1990s audio recorder become a device that now sells for $4,000-5,000 USD on eBay? What makes the DR60 so special? Highlights include: plenty o' nostalgia (and skepticism) a digression about hard drives (everyone's favorite) some arguments in favor of using older gear to in…

A wild ride through nostalgia about instant photography, the pitfalls of both analog and digital photography, the weirdly zeitgeisty history of the Polaroid Corporation, and the search for images we can "trust." Highlights include: My attempts to doctor Polaroid photos Spirit photography Computational photography Check out the shownotes for sources…

A deep dive into nostalgia, liminality, and the paranormal. Are we interested in the paranormal because we feel nostalgic? Could that be why so much paranormal investigation gear is inspired by 1980s and 1990s tech? Highlights include: Could a state of feeling deep nostalgia help with spirit communication? Radio Shack memories Internet aesthetics A…

In 1897, a series of mysterious airships were sighted all around the United States. This is a look at the flap in general, with a particular focus on some of the North Texas UFO sightings. Highlights include: The Dallas-Fort Worth area as a "window area" with heighted strange activity A glimpse into how Victorian-era people responded to UFOs Lots o…

A look at the Aurora, Texas, UFO crash, one of many sightings during the mystery airship flap of 1897. Highlights include: airships! urban legends and uncertain truths Jacques Vallée Check out buriedsecretspodcast.com for the shownotes.Por Buried Secrets

I really get into it in this one! The stated goal of this episode is to talk about some fascinating takeaways from Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason Miller. However, get ready for many digressions about my own paranormal experiences, several of which I haven't talked about yet on the podcast. Highlights i…

Do you ever read a book so interesting that you gotta tell everyone about it? I recently read Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason Miller and was struck by how much great information and advice it contained for paranormal investigators. Though the book is ostensibly geared toward magickal practitioners, it m…

I’ve been told that if I were in a horror movie, I would die first. But can I help it if I'm curious, chaotic, and solitary? Anyway, here's a look at some solo paranormal investigations I did around Halloween 2021 in two North Carolina state parks: Eno River State Park in Durham and William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh. Highlights include: - ph…

A look at a place full of cemeteries, ruins, and ghosts of the past. Also actual ghosts. Those too. Eno River State Park, in Durham, North Carolina, is said to have its fair share of hauntings. I dive into the history of the park, especially the area around the Cabelands Cemetery, which is supposed to be one of the most haunted areas of the park. P…

When we go to "spend time in nature," we like to think that the parks that we visit are separate from the bustling cities that we live in. But in reality, parks are as human-made and full of history as any landmarked building. You just have to look a little more closely to uncover that history. This episode explores the forgotten history of William…

What if, after you died, a close friend of yours made a bust commemorating you, spending years trying to make the piece of art capture your very essence? What if some of your ashes were put into said statue, which was then displayed in a prominent public area? Might you haunt that statue? Well, that's what happened to Jason Miller, Scranton native …

Stories of a haunted museum, a former hotel, a historic home, and a pub in Scranton, PA. Plus a couple cool urban legends about a stone couch and a lady in black. Highlights include: - a nun psychopomp - a child who followed a ghost into the basement - a ghost that sneaks up on people in a storage closet - a mannequin that moves on its own…

A dive into some of Scranton's haunted locations, including the Lackawanna Station Hotel and Nay Aug Park. Plus, a haunted real estate listing. Highlights include: two defunct amusement parks ghosts that love to haunt minor league baseball players a weird treehouse a mine that was never used one of the worst zoos in the US…

I tell the story of a weird paranormal experience I had during a recent trip to Scranton, PA. Highlights include: - my first sleep paralysis experience - a strange roadside creek - my thoughts about ScrantonPor Buried Secrets

Some thoughts about mylar balloons, what they represent in the paranormal, and what else they might mean in terms of our world and our future. Highlights include: - mylar balloons' history in the paranormal and position as garbage - the idea of being haunted by trash - the power of imagination - some solarpunk reading recs…

A look at what urban legends, especially the Goatman's Bridge urban legends, do in society, including urban legends as "folk news." Plus, some possible debunkings of some of the Old Alton Bridge phenomena. Content note: This episode contains discussions of white supremacist hate groups. Highlights include: • Reflections on the legends on the bridge…

An attempt to trace the current tales of the Goatman's Bridge to their source: a 2008 YouTube video that contained seemingly new information about the urban legend, including some information that linked the story to the Mothman legends. Highlights include: • Thoughts about how the internet transforms and changes urban legends • A little digital gu…

Satanic Rituals at the Bridge: A look at the urban legends claiming that cultish activity has occurred at Texas’ famously haunted Old Alton Bridge, or Goatman’s Bridge. Content note: This episode contains discussions of white supremacist hate groups and urban legends about animal abuse. Highlights include: • Some possible debunkings • A creepy aban…

A deep dive into strangeness associated with the Goatman’s Bridge, featuring weird stories that I found on forums and comment sections, including a devil sighting, a ghost driver, lights turning red, terrifying laughter, Bigfoot-type phenomena, and more. Highlights include: A ghostly driver redirecting a car to a cemetery Disembodied voices Will-o'…

North Texas has four different Goatman legends, including the Old Alton Bridge Goatman. Here’s a look at those stories, as well as other urban legends about goatmen around the world. As I continue my series on the Old Alton Bridge, or Goatman’s Bridge, I take a little detour to look at different goatmen throughout history. What similarities are the…

A look at one legend behind the Goatman’s Bridge, the period of history that inspired it, and a suspicious recent death at the bridge. Highlights include: The Texas Troubles Attempts to bury history Mass hysteria and bloodthirsty vigilantes Some creepypasta-style urban legends Check out the shownotes for sources and more.…

Update: Looks like there was a technical glitch when I initially published this episode. It should be fixed now, but let me know if not! One of the most famous urban legends about the Goatman’s Bridge (aka the Old Alton Bridge) has roots in a hidden, unpleasant part of the county’s history. This episode looks at the legend of the Goatman and the hi…

In December 2021, I visited the Old Alton Bridge, or Goatman’s Bridge. Here’s what it’s like to visit the famously haunted bridge, as well as the history of the bridge itself. CONTENT NOTE: I talk about gun use in this episode (not about people getting shot, but about people shooting guns near the bridge because they’re bored.) If you don’t want to…

The Old Alton Bridge, or Goatman’s Bridge, is a famously haunted site in north Texas. It has been featured in Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ghost Adventures, and the urban legends about the bridge are well-known in the paranormal world. But in my research, I’ve discovered that everything may not be as it seems at the Old Alton Bridge . . . Highlights inclu…

I talk about some of the strangeness and patterns that have emerged during my own randonauting trips. Plus, I tell the story of some freaky fire-related synchronicities that have happened since last week. Highlights include: • Ominous warnings from Randonautica • Lots of owl lawn decorations! • Three fires I’ve encountered since recording the last …

I finally talk about some of the weird stuff that has happened to me at the Hell Gate since releasing my episodes about the Hell Gate in 2020. Also, nominally, this episode is part of my series on randonauting, so I of course talk about the ways that Randonautica has led me back to the Hell Gate, as well as the concepts of memetics and the despair …

A look at the connection between strange synchronicities and Randonautica. Plus, I explore some unusual synchronicities that happened to me while just talking and thinking about randonauting. Can Randonautica cause synchronicities when you aren’t even actively using the app? I’m not sure, but I’m ready to speculate wildly. Highlights include: • Stu…

Escaping the Probability Tunnel Using Randonautica: A deep dive into how to randonaut, or go on mysterious, synchronistic adventures using the Randonautica app. Highlights include: • Psychic self-defense • Ideas behind how the app works • Weird owl stories • Probability Tunnels Subscribe on Patreon to support the show and get cool stuff: https://ww…

A how-to guide on how to use a modified version of the Estes Method in solo paranormal investigations. I walk through how to set up your own Solo Estes Method kit, how to use it, cheap or free alternatives to buying new gear, and more. Highlights include: • Some weird audio from a 1979 spirit communication • A look at some ghost hunters who develop…

Wrapping up this series on the history and hauntings of Fordham University, I look at some additional theories behind why Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus seems to be so haunted. Highlights include: • My recent trip to Fordham’s campus • Some less pleasant elements of Fordham’s past • Stone tape theory and residual hauntings Got a Fordham haun…

A spin through some theories behind why hauntings and strangeness occurs. In this instance, I'm looking at the concepts of ley lines, window areas, and liminal spaces, and seeing whether any of them could be in play in the hauntings of Fordham University. Highlights include: A quick examination of incomprehensible aeromagnetic maps A weird internet…

A look at different theories behind hauntings and the paranormal, with an eye to why Fordham University's Bronx campus might be so haunted. This episode focuses on the spread of urban legends and theories behind urban legends. Highlights include: • Comparisons with hauntings at Vassar, Columbia, and NYU • Thoughts about urban legends and why they s…

A strange story about a doomed dynasty of rams that once lived on Fordham University's campus, and the urban legends that grew up around them. Highlights include: • Kidnapped rams • A house built for the ram by Grace Kelly's father • Gruesome office decor Donate to bail funds to get people out of dangerous NYC jails: https://linktr.ee/covidbailoutn…

Ghosts emerging from paintings, an entity made from smoke, and bathroom electronics going haywire are just a few of the weird stories I dug up for this episode. This is a look at some of Fordham University's "less haunted" haunted buildings, including a theater, administration building, and classroom building. Plus a look at some of Fordham's other…

Creepy ghost children, a man disappearing into walls, priests blessing haunted dorms, and more, about in these haunted dorms at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY. This episode is a look at some of Fordham University's "less haunted" dorms: meet the ghosts of Loschert Hall, O'Hare Hall, Martyrs' Court, and Loyola Hall. Highlights include: • Though…

A look at my own paranormal experiences living in Fordham University's former medical school building. My time in Finlay Hall was uneasy, permeated by the feeling that I was always being watched. Though there were reasonable explanations for why I may have felt that way, I don't think that's all that was afoot. I tell the stories of an uneasy possi…

Chilling urban legends and ghost stories from people who lived in an old medical school building, which featured a morgue and a large operating theater. From 1905-1921, Fordham University had a medical school. After its short, troubled existence, the medical school was mostly forgotten. One of the few reminders of the school is Finlay Hall, the old…

A look at some stories of ghost priests in an old library and classroom building. Plus, something strange that supposedly happened in the cemetery while The Exorcist was being filmed nearby. Highlights include: • A 1980s ghost priest who apparently knew computer programming • A cemetery (and human remains) that was relocated twice • Phantom voices …

After a scene in The Exorcist was filmed in Hughes Hall, a former dorm at Fordham University, urban legends began to spring up about the building being haunted. Rumors of "cultish" graffiti, tales of a young boy's ghost, stories of a mysterious black dog, and more weird urban legends circulated about the building. This episode seeks to tease out wh…

Forgotten human remains, a lingering entity monitored by a ghostly priest, mysteriously vanishing objects, strange sounds, and more abound at Fordham University's most haunted dorm. Here's a deep dive into ghost stories from Queen's Court, looking at both the reported stories as well as the connections between tales of weirdness. Highlights include…

A look at one of the most concentrated areas of hauntings in all of New York City: Fordham University in the Bronx. Ghostly priests, secret tunnels, a black dog, poltergeist activity, multiple burial grounds, students living in an old morgue, and more, abound at Fordham University. The school's campus in the Bronx is about half a mile wide, but it'…

A look at some supposed ghosts and creepy cemeteries in Beacon, NY, as well as some haunting aspects of the area's recent history. A feeling of uneasiness permeates the beautiful town of Beacon, NY. It's a city of industrial ruins, cemeteries (including a terrifying abandoned one), and the memories of a sanatorium for the ultra wealthy and an old a…

A look at the haunting stories surrounding the mysterious ruins of a castle in the middle of the Hudson River. About 50 miles away from Manhattan, the ruins of a castle lie on a small island in the Hudson River. Travelers pass the ruins on the train, and the only clue to the history of the destroyed castle are the words "Bannerman's Island Arsenal,…

A look at Mount Beacon, a mountain named for its role in the Revolutionary War, which once housed a hotel and tourist attractions, and now is a beautiful, ruin-filled place to hike. The town of Beacon lies about an hour and a half from Manhattan by commuter train. The area, which once brimmed with factories, is now a quiet, small town, full of crum…

A look at the elements of high strangeness in the 1893 story of a strange, acrobatic ghost in Woodside, Queens. This episode delves into the Snake Woods and Rattlesnake Spring, the now-vanished wilderness of the New York City neighborhood of Woodside, and looks at the odd parts of the news reports of a ghostly figure. Though it's possible that the …

In 1893, a strange entity dressed all in white appeared in a forest in Woodside, Queens. The entity that was seen in the 19th century didn't seem to communicate verbally, though he made strange, chilling sounds. He was able to move on all fours as quickly as an ordinary person could run, and had a penchant for acrobatic stunts like handsprings. It …

When a series of dangerous paranormal events plagues a home, famed psychical researcher and author Hereward Carrington is called in to investigate Astoria's "Gold and Ghost" house. In 1934, a 30-year-old man and his 80-year-old housekeeper supposedly experienced a series of paranormal events at their home in Astoria, NY. One of their tenants was st…