Astonishing Legends

When you hear the name, "The Grim Reaper," a very familiar image probably pops into your head. With the black robe and cowl, skeletal face and hands or the visage of a dour corpse, a threatening scythe, and hourglass at its last sands, this is the image the modern, western person thinks of when we personify death. But where did this visual come from? How do we know what death looks like? And since death has always been with us, isn't this image as old as that finality itself? One might think so, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Surely since there have been humans, we have wondered what becomes of us once we die, where do we go when we shuffle off this mortal coil, and how do we get there? What we have found is that yes, we have always created myths and put a face on death in order to help comprehend such an abstract and mysterious concept, but that face has morphed through the ages and varies by culture. In the ancient western world, the concept of a Grim Reaper was more of a psychopomp, a guide that takes the freshly departed to their place in the afterlife. But since we have doubts nowadays when it comes to a more universally accepted idea of an afterlife, perhaps the notion of a ghastly specter that merely extinguishes our spark when our time has come is more relatable. And he's just a mythic character, right? A cartoon? Well not if you ask some folks who claimed to have seen him and lived to tell about it. Whatever the truth, in one sense, in the end, it doesn't matter if you believe at the moment of death that we are whisked away to another realm or it's just "lights out." As the saying goes, whether king or pauper, a Grim Reaper comes for us all.For more information on this episode visit our website!

You might not believe in ghosts, but it would be difficult to ignore all the furtive and orchestrated actions that were going on throughout the years at 30 East Drive, which continue to this day. Certainly, in some famous poltergeist cases, incidents could have been manipulated to gain attention for the prankster. However, unless you're contending that pre-teens have somehow gained Hollywood Special Effects level skills in every case, then some of the more bizarre and baffling examples of poltergeist activity would be worthy of investigation. Then what exactly, are the defining factors between a run-of-the-mill poltergeist and other types of spirit activity? Is a poltergeist more paranormal than supernatural? What are the rules? There are theories that poltergeist activity may be a physical manifestation of intensely directed energy emanating from people, mostly youth. As "fringe" as that may seem, then in some cases it might possibly be explained by science one day, that is, if enough scientists would be willing to endure the ridicule and ensuing damage to their reputations from their peers. However, the strange activity at 30 East Drive seems much more than that, not only because it continued long after the Pritchards left the house, but also because this energy appears to have a personality behind it, and there are indications that there's more than one spectral personality residing around the property. Whatever you think The Black Monk or "Fred" is, whether disembodied spirits or mischievous kids, this "Mr. Nobody" might not be anybody, but it sure seems like it's something.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Poltergeists are all fun & games, that is until they try to strangle you. The actions of whatever force was interacting with the Pritchard family at 30 East Drive in Pontefract, England had seemed playful in a way, albeit disturbing and churlish at times. It seemed there was a primary personality that was the source of the mischief they were experiencing and so consistent were its stunts that the family became familiar with this presence they called "Fred." However, no one really knows what someone or something is capable of until it gets angry. The family saw another side to Fred, or The Black Monk, when it violently attacked the daughter Diane Pritchard on the stairs, leaving red marks on her throat. But was this the doings of their ol' gadfly pal Fred, or something much more sinister? Join us tonight as we examine this escalation of poltergeist activity at the house and try to analyze this darker, malevolent nature of the Black Monk.For more information on this episode visit our website!

The quote, "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days" is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. We assume the esteemed Mr. Franklin was speaking only of human guests, but it could also apply to the subject of tonight's show. Because the uninvited guest of 30 East Drive in Pontefract, England would prove to be more than an annoying visitor oblivious to hints or uncaring that they'd overstayed their welcome, it would show itself as a threat to the family's safety and sanity. In the mid-1960s and 70s, the Pritchard family who lived at that address experienced a visitor who was not only unwelcome but unseen, a capricious prankster whose sense of humor was offset by its sometimes vicious and violent power. Human beings have an astounding ability to endure hardships they are powerless against and eventually, this poltergeist presence came to be somewhat accepted, with the mother of the family, Jean, giving it the nickname "Fred." But what was this force in supernatural terms? Was Fred merely poltergeist energy in the general definition, a collective of entities, a demon, or the vengeful spirit of a condemned man? A local legend that a 16th century Cluniac Monk was tried and executed for a horrific crime on those grounds is the source for that last idea. Some have seen a dark, shadowy figure wearing a black monk's robe around the property and it has reinforced that notion. If that is the case, perhaps the Pritchards were the unwelcome visitors to the home of "The Black Monk." For more information on this episode visit our website!

We met filmmaker Seth Breedlove at the Kent Stage for the 2018 Kent Paranormal Weekend symposium, where our first event was a screening of his film, The Mothman of Point Pleasant. Needless to say, we were very impressed by his documentary on the subject and then later by Seth himself. After a very pleasant chat in the lobby, we knew we had met a kindred spirit and had to get him on the show to discuss other works by his film production company, Small Town Monsters. Tonight we discuss Seth's oeuvre of well-researched, fascinating and enjoyable documentaries, covering such topics as the Minerva Monster, the Beast of Whitehall, the Boggy Creek Monster, Mothman of Point Pleasant, Invasion on Chestnut Ridge, the Flatwoods Monster, and his latest, The Bray Road Beast, as well as several upcoming projects. We'll find out what captivates him about each incident and the creatures at their centers, what it was like to actually explore these towns, and what he thinks might be happening with all this High Strangeness. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Anyone who has experienced what is considered a paranormal event will tell you that it's not easy to tell others about what you had witnessed, especially if that experience was dramatic and significant. Testimony about such things is often met with ridicule, scorn and sometimes violence by those who feel threatened by such challenges to their reality. Therefore it takes no small amount of courage and resolution to tell your truth and stick to it. Such are the qualities that we believe make up the mettle of tonight's guest, David "Dave" Davies. Davies has had to endure bullying and beatings since he first described what he witnessed for himself and what his classmates had seen landing on the playground of the Broad Haven Primary School in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1977. For the 40 years since that close encounter, Davies has stood by his story with conviction and without embellishment or wavering, still ever willing to talk about his experience. In fact, the sighting had made such an impact on him that he's spent the intervening years in a quest to find an explanation for what he'd seen. Join us tonight as we hear from an eye-witness to one of the most well-observed UFO cases in history, The Broad Haven School UFO incident.For more information on this episode visit our website!

So many popular culture misconceptions abound with stories of UFO sightings; that it's always some farmer, alone in his fields when an unidentified flying object appears. The "hayseed farmer" is an easy target to dismiss with ridicule and hubris. Sure, sometimes it is a farm, as it was in 1977 at the Coombs family farm in southern Wales, but it is far from the norm. And it wasn't a singular farmer who witnessed a UFO then, prominent townsfolk and a group of schoolchildren also saw bizarre craft and phenomena during a series of events that would become known as the Broad Haven incident. The Coombs family would also go on to experience High Strangeness that would rival the happenings at Skinwalker Ranch. If you still think that remote farms are still the most likely places for such incredible tales to emerge, you might be surprised that schoolyards also seem to be just as common for alien interactions, with notable cases happening all over the world, in countries like Australia, Zimbabwe, and Russia. Decades later, questions about these cases emerge: Were the goings on in Broadhaven, this "Flap," connected to the incident at Berwyn Mountain, three years prior? Does a "Welsh Triangle" exist? Why do otherworldly visitors want to communicate with our children? Is it because they are more likely to learn lessons we adults are too proud or stubborn to heed? Join us tonight as we examine these cases with a friend and fellow podcaster, Rob Kristofferson, host of Our Strange Skies, as we go in search of answers to these fascinating questions.For more information on this episode visit our website!

On January 23, 1974, villagers in the community of Llandrillo in the Edeirnion area of Denbighshire, northern Wales, experienced a tremendous jolt and noise a little after 8:30 p.m., akin to a magnitude 3.5 earthquake. Highly strange, colored lights were seen over the surrounding hills at the same time. Another unusual occurrence was that the British Military was immediately on the scene as if they were tracking the "geological event" in real time. The official Ministry of Defence conclusion was that the event was caused by a simultaneous earthquake and meteor impact, with the meteor being the cause of the freakish light show. However, a meteor impact that would cause a shock of that magnitude would have left a visible crater, which was not found. And of course, there were reports by witnesses on the scene of the military carting off bodies and wreckage. Does this sound familiar to you? It did enough to some tabloid papers at the time who dubbed it, "The Roswelsh Incident." What's your conclusion?For more information on this episode visit our website!

Many people enjoy a good mystery. However, mysteries often leave us slightly disturbed and unsettled, because we're also always searching for answers and when we look for answers, we're sometimes comforted the most by the simplest explanations. With the case of the Flannan Isle Lighthouse Keepers, most are willing to accept that a massive "Rogue Wave" swept the three men into oblivion. But what if meteorological science matched against clues left from the scene could show that this theory may not be the most plausible? What if several simple, yet extreme events combined to plunge this mystery into the depths of the unexplained? Join us tonight as we interview Keith McCloskey, author of the book, The Lighthouse: The Mystery of the Eilean Mòr Lighthouse Keepers. We'll discuss his in-depth research into the case and the possibility that the simplest explanations, while the easiest to accept, are often not where the real truth lies submerged.For more information on this episode visit our website!

In 1899, construction on the Flannan Isles lighthouse was completed, perched atop Eilean Mòr, one of the highest points in the Outer Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It would soon experience its first tragedy and an enduring mystery. For several days, it's light could not be seen and on December 15, 1900, the ship Archtor documented this concern in its log while heading to port in Leith. However, 11 days would pass before the lighthouse tending ship Hesperus would be able to dock at Eilean Mòr due to foul weather, for which the area is well-known. What they discovered, or rather, didn't discover, would lead to one of the biggest mysteries of this enchanted region. Serious storm damage was evident on the island, but nothing seemed amiss inside the lighthouse itself except for the fact that the three lighthouse keepers had vanished and would never be seen again. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Something or someone of great importance and influence had convinced and motivated these neolithic hunter-gatherers to put their way of life on hold and come together as a group to undertake such a tremendous project as Göbekli Tepe. This is likely the first time hundreds of prehistoric peoples had formed an organized collective in order to build a religious sanctuary. The work would've taken years to accomplish and the temple would be built upon for many centuries more. The result of this work is believed to have spurred civilization as we know it today. But what beliefs or legends could have generated such a monumental task? In Part Three of our series, we examine the hypotheses put forth in Andrew Collins' book, Göbekli Tepe, Genesis of the Gods: The Temple of the Watchers and the Discovery of Eden. With his comprehensive and detailed research, Collins goes beyond the boundaries of interpretation where Processual archaeologists would not stray. Could the memory of a global, natural catastrophe which nearly wiped out humanity be the impetus for creating a shrine to assuage the gods into sparing them more devastation? Could the builders have been directed by foreign and mysterious visitors who seemed to have knowledge of the heavens and history far beyond their own? If they did indeed fear destruction from the cosmos, then a connection from them to us could be made, because we're subject to those very same dangers. For more information on this episode visit our website!

What we've learned so far about Göbekli Tepe, is what it appears to be, which is that it is possibly the world's oldest sacred temple. We think we know who built it: a collective of hunter-gatherers, who had not yet learned the skills of farming. We also think we know approximately when. But the answers to the questions of how and why and what did it all mean to these Neolithic peoples may not be so easily obtained. In fact, since the 1960s at least in American archaeology, a debate still rages as to how far and by what methods archaeologists should proceed to interpret what they have dug up. How closely should archaeology be tied to anthropology, how much informed speculation about their beliefs should be allowed and by whom? Processual and Post-processual archaeology are two schools of thought within the field that currently define this debate. Tonight we take a closer look at the art, the architecture, and the symbolism from Göbelki Tepe, and what it's lead archaeologist, Klaus Schmidt, thought about what it may have represented to our prehistoric ancestors. We also get closer to an even grander question, did these ancient peoples know of events in earth's past that would blow our modern minds? For more information on this episode visit our website!

In 1963, archaeologists from the University of Chicago and Istanbul University examined a site known by locals as Göbekli Tepe, or "Potbelly Hill." They dismissed the site at the time as merely a medieval cemetery due to the numerous slabs of stone thought to be grave markers. However, in 1993, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, who was doing work at another Neolithic site in nearby Nevalı Çori, heard about the report and decided to investigate it for himself. What Schmidt and his team would eventually discover would turn out to be one of the most astounding, mysterious and important archaeological discoveries in history. Laying just below the surface was the earliest known sanctuary structure ever built by humans. Somehow, a group of prehistoric hunter-gathers had managed to quarry massive slabs of stone from nearby outcroppings, some weighing as much as 7 to 10 tons with lengths of up to 18 feet. They then moved them hundreds of feet into numerous circular configurations. This was done without the use of wheels or animals and before the invention of metalworking, pottery or writing. The earliest works found at the site date to over 11,000 years old, or around 9600 B.C., predating Stonehenge by at least 7000 years. While we may not know yet what belief system would motivate these ancient, primitive peoples to undertake such a monumental task, the result of their unbelievable efforts may have led to a ground-breaking theory. Instead of the previous view that the invention of the domestication of plants and animals led humans to develop civilization and with it, religious belief systems, the human desire to worship as a community may have led to farming and thus sparked civilization. As researchers are still seeking answers as to what these people believed, there are those that think the answers may be far more mystical than what many are willing to imagine.For more information on this episode visit our website!

One of the highlights of our appearance at the Kent Paranormal Weekend was participating in our very first Ghost Hunt! The event took place at the Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio which was first built in 1927 and since then has continued to host concerts, films, and various performances. The theater is also host to a cast of characters who were once somehow connected to this historic theater and whose spirits remain there. We explored the most haunted areas of the theater and tried our hand at documenting spirit activity, guided by experienced paranormal investigators Theresa Argie & Cathi Weber, known as The Haunted Housewives, Ray "Gooz" Goosby, Jeff and Susie from the North Canton Paranormal Detectives team, and theater owner Richelle Charlton. One of the techniques we tried is trying to capture an "EVP" or an instance of Electronic Voice Phenomena, which some claim could be evidence of communication with the spirit world. Electronic Voice Phenomenon are said to occur when a question is asked aloud in a haunted location, or even unprompted, and what sounds like a reply is heard in an audio recording. Believe what you may, we're convinced this hunt captured something, and that when you call out into the void, you might get an answer. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Of all the hypotheses of what happened to Amelia Earhart and her Electra 10-E, William "Bill" Snavely, Jr.'s may be the only one that starts with a found plane and traces her route backward towards her last known contact point. Operating on a hunch that due to low fuel, Earhart may have decided to turn back to a viable landing strip, which would have taken her directly over the path of Buka Island, east of Papua New Guinea. While in Buka searching for clues, Snavely received a tip that an airplane had crashed in 1937 and still lays submerged off the coast in 100' of water. According to Snavely, only roughly 30% of Earhart's route has been searched and has yielded nothing, so why not search the remaining 70%? Taking that approach has found a plane that so far, matches the description of Earhart's Electra. If an expedition could be mounted to identify this plane more thoroughly, could it be that one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th Century will be solved once and for all?For more information on this episode visit our website!

If Resurrection Mary is just an Urban Legend, merely another variation of the "Vanishing Hitchhiker" then her story is a common one, with similar descriptions found in folklore all over the world. If she is a spirit, then she's also not alone, because it seems people of every country have come forward with testimony of meeting a real "Lady in White." If these ladies are a myth, or if they're real, or some combination of both, why are they so universally elemental? Why is she so primal? Do we see her because of the folklore, or is there folklore because we've seen her? But whether spirits or an archetypal legend, what these women are eternally searching for is something lost, like a child or a future taken away too soon. What they want is to return to a happier time when all was right with their world, to return home, wherever and whatever that home may be, so they may finally rest in peace. For more information on this episode visit our website!

How many reported sightings of a particular ghost would it take before you started to believe that perhaps people were indeed interacting with something supernatural? Hundreds? Over a thousand? But you're looking for proof, you say. Well, what would be convincing proof for you? What about mysterious, spectral handprints melted and scorched into bronze bars that have resisted repair and coverup? Tonight in Part Three of our series, we examine the possibility that Mary may have left her indelible mark not only on the front gates of Resurrection Cemetery but also in the imaginations of Chicagoans ever since. For more information on this episode visit our website!

As you delve into the legend of "Resurrection Mary," you'll soon notice that the stretch of Archer Avenue from Resurrection Cemetery to the Willowbrook Ballroom is not the only piece of land that seems haunted, nor is it haunted just by "Mary." It seems the entire locality has a supernatural quality to it, enough that Chicago's "Southwest Siders" have dubbed it "The Archer Triangle," in reference to the more famous one near Bermuda. But what is it about this region that spurs so many reports of paranormal activity? Is it the legacy of ancient Native American activity, the numerous cemeteries located here, or Ley lines and waterways? Is it all an imagined coincidence or is there a more sinister force at play? Tonight, we take a more thorough look at Mary's favorite haunts and examine why the spirits of the area appear to be so restless.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Legend has it, that sometime in the late 1920s or early '30s, a young couple was enjoying an evening of dancing at the Oh Henry Ballroom, later renamed the Willowbrook Ballroom & Banquets, located southwest of Chicago, IL. After an argument, the woman stormed out, deciding she'd rather walk home than spend another minute with her boyfriend. As she walked along Archer Avenue on a wintery night, she was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. Her bereaved parents buried her at nearby Resurrection Cemetery in the white ballgown and shoes in which she died. Ever since, people have reported either dancing with or giving a ride to a hauntingly beautiful young woman, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white gown, who at some point vanishes from their midst. Accounts of these spectral encounters have been so numerous over the years that the legend of "Resurrection Mary" is perhaps Chicago's most famous and beloved ghost story. For more information on this episode visit our website!

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As we wrap up our 100th episode celebration with "ARCapalooza! Part 2" we'd like to thank the terrific people who have come together to form the Astonishing Research Corps for their efforts, friendship, and sharing their personal stories, demonstrating their generosity and a fair amount of bravery. We'd also like to thank another crucial member of this project, and that is you, our listeners. We're astounded, humbled, and most importantly grateful for the support you've shown with your continued listenership. It's why we keep going. We've always meant for this podcast to feel less like a lecture and more like a conversation between friends who share an interest in fascinating topics. With that spirit in mind, we hope you continue to feel like a part of this group of friends and a cherished member of the team. And now on to the next 100 episodes!For more information on this episode visit our website!

Since it's no mystery that we can blather and prattle on for hours upon hours, it should come as no surprise that we ran long on Part One of our ARCapalooza 100th Episode Celebration! The result is this commercial-free, Bonus Episode, where lead A.R.C. researcher Tess Pfeifle poses questions to us submitted by listeners. We hope you enjoy this candid discussion where we talk about everything from our thoughts on show topics to producing the podcast.For more information on this episode visit our website!

This podcast wouldn't be as complete or as much fun to work on if it wasn't for the help of a special group of volunteer contributors, collectively known as the Astonishing Research Corps, or ARC for short, who have now become good friends as well as valued collaborators. So we figured it would be fitting to salute their efforts on our celebratory 100th episode by having some of the ARC's founding members tell their own strange and mysterious tales. We hope you find their stories entertaining and engaging, which we believe also serve to reinforce an Astonishing Legends adage, that if you personally haven't had an encounter with the paranormal, you probably know someone who has.For more information on this episode visit our website!

So, what have we learned about giants? Our current understanding of human biology finds limits as to how tall a person can grow and can still be relatively healthy while enjoying an advanced age. This knowledge then places limits as to what the majority are willing to believe about the tallest humans throughout all history, that no one could have existed beyond 8 to 10 feet tall at the most. In the still-nascent field of archeology in the 19th century, excavations do seem to provide accounts of unusually large individuals in Europe and significant numbers of taller than average Native American tribal members here in the U.S., so perhaps whole communities could have been seen as giants by contemporary standards. However, there are those researchers and writers who believe, possibly spurred by those findings and the subsequent, apparent mishandling of artifacts by some museums and academic institutions, that there exists a conspiracy to keep evidence of beings beyond that range from the public, and that the even more massive giants of yore were real, and some may even live to this day. If this is true, then one must think about our definition of a real giant, and would that giant be a real human?For more information on this episode visit our website!

What constitutes a "giant" in your mind? Certainly, people who are 6 to 7 feet tall are commonplace nowadays, unlike the Middle Ages, or even a hundred years ago. But what about someone who's seven feet tall or more? We may call them "giants" in jest, but it's not the same as when we think of the giants in our legends. A measurement of more than seven feet is rare, but there are plenty of healthy people living today in that range that prove it's not so legendary by our contemporary imagination. Rarer still is a human that's eight feet tall, but there has been one in recent history: Robert Pershing Wadlow stood 8' 11.1" tall (2.72 m) and weighed 490 pounds (220 kg) and showed no signs of stopping his growth at his untimely death in 1940 at age 22. So it's possible that a height for a human can approach nine feet, but could any height beyond that be sustainable? Because taller than that and it seems we venture beyond not only what is biologically viable for the human body, but also what is believable. It still leaves us with the question, "What makes a giant?" And if a skeleton is unearthed that appears to have horns? Well, that is another matter altogether. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Please join us for a special, commercial-free BONUS episode featuring an interview with senior Astonishing Legends Research Corps member, Chemical Engineer and newly appointed Director of Research for MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, Dr. Chris Cogswell, Ph.D. We originally interviewed Chris for our of Imminent Disclosure? Part 2 episode, but felt this congratulatory announcement and interesting discussion deserved its own segment. Chris explains how MUFON operates, what its aims are, and how through solid, scientific methodology they may continue and deepen this quest to find the truth behind the strangeness many of us are seeing in our skies. If you're interested in joining this adventure, you can use the Coupon Code JOIN25 to receive 25% OFF a One Year Basic Level Membership worth $60. If you're a scientist or academic researcher, contact Chris at [email protected] to discuss collaborating with them with a Full Access Membership. Not only is Chris trying to help find the "Truth Out There," but he has his own show called the Mad Scientist Podcast along with his co-host and ARC "O.G." Marie Mayhew.For more information on this episode visit our website!

It's easy to imagine a version of ourselves that's gargantuan, magical, a hero that often plays the villain, a giant among the ordinary. Legends of giants doing as they please have been with us since the beginning and continue to fascinate us in cinema and sport. The idea of a giant is easy to entertain because either through genetics or rare disorders, extra-large humans have naturally lived throughout our existence. The idea that's not easy for the modern person to imagine, aside from a singular Goliath-like demigod here n' there, is the possibility of a race of giants having once existed, tribes of superhumans whose feats and physicality filled us with fear and wonder in antiquity. Yet with these tall tales being so pervasive worldwide, could it be that communities of giants were real or was it merely that the occasional taller than average human became the inspiration for myth? Join us tonight as we explore the mystery of legendary giants.For more information on this episode visit our website!

How "credible" does an eye-witness have to be before their account of an Unidentified Flying Object is taken seriously? Whom would you think is the most credible sort of witness for this type of impossible craft, aside from the beings or forces that made them? How about an elite jet fighter pilot from the US Navy, highly trained to identify every known aerial threat – known to a conventional military, of course. Tonight, we sit down again for Part Two with our friend Rob Kristofferson, from the Our Strange Skies podcast to discuss in detail the eye-witness report and related consequences of David Fravor, USN Ret., former Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron VFA-41, who along with his Weapons Systems Officer Lt. Cmdr. Jim Slaight engaged a target that behaved like nothing they could imagine. After hearing about Fravor's account, you just might start to believe that "Secret Machines" do indeed exist... and your next thought will be, "...well then, who, or what is controlling them?" Get ready for some "Soft Disclosure" everyone.For more information on this episode visit our website!

The term "Disclosure" in the UFO community generally refers to the long-awaited event when the government, specifically the U.S. Government, finally tells the world that UFOs exist, along with everything they know about extraterrestrials, or so enthusiasts of the topic would hope. While we wouldn't suggest holding your breath until "Full Disclosure" happens, there has been an interesting, recent development worth noting. On December 17, 2017, the New York Times published a curious article titled, "Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program." Apart from the mild surprise that such a serious publication as the New York Times would bother running with any story that would give consideration to such a "preposterous" idea as UFOs being real, is the bigger surprise that from 2007 until 2012, $22 million dollars of U.S. taxpayer money was spent annually on something called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. Although funding for this program officially ceased in 2012, it was also revealed that the program still exists and continues to investigate credible reports of possible UFO encounters. Join us tonight as we sit down with friend, collaborator and fellow podcaster Rob Kristofferson, host of his own show called Our Strange Skies as we discuss the significance of a major revelation that there is a serious military effort to investigate what many believe is Science Fiction, but what some "in the know" think may be a threat against which we have no defense.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Like so many cryptid mysteries, what one realizes is that the deeper you search for the answer of what the creature might be, you find what it represents is so much more than just a singular beast. Such was the discovery of tonight's guest, Professor Daniel C. Taylor, PhD., author of Yeti: The Ecology of a Mystery. Dr. Taylor has spent 60 years of his life on a quest to solve the mystery of the Yeti, and that process has ultimately led to the foundation of a worldwide network and university dedicated to preserving not only the culture and ecology of the Himalayan region and beyond but it has also become a force for social change and preservation in other sensitive areas of the planet. But, if you just want to know if the Yeti is real or a legend, then consider the words of Dr. Taylor: "a legend doesn't leave footprints." The Yeti's prominence in the daily life of the peoples who inhabit the Himalayas makes it very real, and not just in a spiritual and cultural context. If you believe the Yeti exists, but just want to know what it is, you'll find that the question is lacking and that the answer indeed has more to do with the ecology of a mystery.For more information on this episode visit our website!

You've heard the eye-witness accounts of encounters with the Yeti, but can you believe them? The DNA of supposed Yeti "evidence" has been tested, and it's hard to argue those results, but how do we know those bits were really from a Yeti as locals know it? And speaking of what the locals know, the western world likes to take one answer and apply it to many questions, while the eastern world knows that there can be several answers to a question. The locals also know what they saw when it comes to the question of the Yeti, and if they are right, and we combine that with the results from the scientific analysis, could there then be several correct answers as to what a "Yeti" really is?For more information on this episode visit our website!

On November 8, 1951, noted mountaineer and adventurer Eric Shipton and Dr. Michael Ward were on an expedition to find an alternate route to ascend Mount Everest. At approximately 17,500 feet and exploring a glacier near an Everest basecamp they came across a set of massive footprints that shouldn't have been there. The only possible known creatures that they thought could have left such crisp footprints in the snow at that altitude were humans, bears or yaks, and they didn't look exactly like any of those to them, but more like a strange unknown barefooted hominoid. Their Sherpa guides, however, knew exactly what had left those footprints, the legendary Yeti, known to the indigenous peoples of the region for at least hundreds of years, and was both feared and revered. Shipton set the head of his ice ax next to the track, which measured about a foot long and 5" wide, and took a picture. This photo, coming from such a well-regarded explorer, would help to forever leave an imprint in the collective imagination of the western world.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Join us tonight as we sit down with Chris Williamson, the project creator of Chasing Earhart. Chris, along with his wife Vanessa and their dedicated team of researchers and producers, has created a podcast and are working on a documentary all about legendary aviatrix Amelia Earhart: her life, her persona, her fateful last flight and the controversy that surrounds her legacy. The result is that Chasing Earhart has rapidly become one of the definitive repositories of information and interviews of the authorities who continue to devote their lives to solving her disappearance. In our interview with Chris, we discuss the major researchers, their theories, and current investigations which aim to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th Century. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Whether you choose to think of Black Eyed Kids as demonic entities or just unaccompanied children out by themselves late at night with full-sclera Contacts trying to scare people, one thing our research and the research of those who have written extensively on the subject has concluded, this is not just an internet hoax, no matter what you keep telling yourself. Perhaps the only proof of their authenticity is also something that is unquantifiable: a deep down, primal fear upon meeting them that is so profound it is unrelatable and incomprehensible to those who have not experienced it. In other words, when the real thing comes for you, you'll know. Maybe, in the end, you don't believe any of the accounts of these encounters, or you choose to believe it's simply a misidentification leading to an exaggeration of unease. That's fine. Whatever you need to tell yourself to get to sleep. But maybe one day you'll hear that late-night knock at your own door, and you'll wonder just what kind of evil awaits you on the other side.For more information on this episode visit our website!

The accounts of encounters with Black Eyed Kids vary with their observable details, except for two main factors: their dead, black eyes which you see and can never forget and the feeling of utter horror and doom which you will continue to feel every time you think about them. If the eyes truly are "windows to the soul" then these entities have no soul, or that soul resides in hell. Remember that the next time you hear a knock and think it's just a harmless kid or two, and all they want is some Halloween candy, or to use your phone, or a ride, or to come in and warm up, because what they will take is something you literally can't live without.For more information on this episode visit our website!

First, there's a knock. A very persistent knock, at your door, at your car window. Or maybe they stop you on a walk, on your way somewhere, when you're alone. They're just kids, right? And who doesn't want to help out kids in need? Except that these aren't like any kids you've met before. They're not like any humans you've ever met before, because what humans have you seen that have completely all-black eyes and fill you with an inexplicable dread? These kids don't want money (that's what humans want) and they really don't need to use your phone, even though that's what they mostly ask for. No. What they want is to get in. Into your house, into your car, into your space, to be near you. But, they need your permission first. Why? What are the rules? And what do they want when they get in? What they want is the only thing you possess of any real value – your soul. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Folklore can simply be described as beliefs, customs or legends handed down and preserved among a people. Some believe they are merely made up tales designed to entertain, while others believe folklore may be based on truths that have been gilded over the years by the oral tradition, yet their truth survives as valuable instruction or even a warning. Whether the legend of the Bell Witch was based on a real poltergeist event with the details being accurately preserved, or somewhat true but padded for effect, or wholly a lie spun to cover more humanly misdeeds, we'll likely never know. But before you dismiss the Bell Witch story outright, first think about your own family's stories or even how your own true tales you've told will be perceived through the lenses of bias and time. Will you be remembered as a faithful narrator or a liar? The purported entity called "Kate" may have left her legend behind for later generations to make that judgment but there are many who live in the area today that claim something may still be lingering. So before you bravely disrespect the legend of whatever it may have been, remember there is nowhere you can hide from a force that will gleefully visit misfortune upon you to make its point.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Every family has their stories passed down from generation to generation, but most aren't as fantastical or have made as much of an impact on regional history as the legend of the Bell Witch. From about 1817 to 1821 in the Red River Community, now known as Adams, Tennessee, some sort of supernatural entity known as the "Bell Witch" was claimed to have terrorized the family of John Bell. The activity was not just confined to the Bells, but many in the area at the time reported instances of poltergeist annoyances like slapping and pinching that then progressed to pranks and premonition, then to beatings and even murder. If the story of the Bell Witch is just a family's "tall tale" then it's one of the most fascinating and enduring family legends in American history. If the Bell folklore is even remotely true, then the consideration of trying to keep your own family safe from an omniscient, deceitful, vengeful and violent entity that wants you dead, surely makes for one of the most frightening tales ever told.For more information on this episode visit our website!

There are two connected, yet distinct traditions of weirdness concerning Houska Castle: its mysterious, violent and spotty history of purpose and ownership, and the reported sightings of horrific creatures and terrifying specters since its founding. Regarding the castle's originally intended design; whether it was really built to keep something from escaping rather than defense from outside forces, the lack of any definitive or comprehensive historical records will only lead to debate and speculation. However, those that have been inside the walls of this fortress and others in the region will tell you that Houska's architecture clearly doesn't seem to fit with the standard intentions. Regarding the encounters with frightening phantoms, if you believe places can be haunted, Houska Castle seems to be just that. For more information on this episode visit our website!

The descriptor "Hell Hole" can currently describe anything from your first apartment to the workplace you dread, but where do we get that term? Ages ago, could there have been a hole that people believed led straight to the depths of hell itself? There are several sites in our world that could lay claim to that title, where the "veil" to the underworld seems a little "thin," but a historically solid contender would no doubt be Houska Castle, about 40 miles north of Prague in the Czech Republic. Tales of demonic beasts issuing forth from the chasm and visiting violence upon villagers and ghastly specters scaring those who roam the castle grounds have been known since the Middle Ages to the present, but what of the edifice itself? No matter what you believe about the folklore, what can't be denied is that the castle was not built for the usual reasons – instead of a fortification to keep people out, it was built to keep things in.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Tonight's show is... well... we don't know what it is, frankly. What we can tell you is that friend and screenwriter Richard Hatem stopped by the Astonishing Legends studio, we ordered pizzas, made more than a few "Dirty Martinis" (at Rich's resolute insistence, which he then sent back several times to the bar until they met with his exacting and cruel satisfaction) and talked with great ardor and exuberance about everything paranormal and supernatural from the sublime to the silly, and apparently, this is the result. Oh, and we eventually talk about the recent spate of Moth-Owl-Bat-Man sightings in the Chicago, IL metropolitan area, which was the primary reason for inviting him over in the first place. For those of you who can embrace a rollicking discourse as a fresh change of pace, please enjoy. For those of you expecting more conventional and disciplined fare, please accept our apologies. ; )For more information on this episode visit our website!

It's easy to dismiss the entire Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter as the booze-fueled fantasy of a bunch of backward hicks who can't tell the difference between a goblin and an owl, or maybe you think it was an outrageous hoax perpetrated for cash. But before you begin telling people what they saw, or make assumptions based on character or class, just remember: unless you were there, you weren't there. These people didn't ask for this incident to happen to them, and they especially didn't ask for the notoriety or ridicule that followed. What the authorities at the time believed, and what many skeptics agree on in hindsight, is that the Sutton and Taylor families were genuinely terrified of something real, and yet even the most seasoned paranormal researcher can't definitively say by what or by whom. So maybe your educated reasoning doesn't allow for the possibility of otherworldly creatures? Well, that's fine, it's a natural human desire to make sense of the impossibilities of our strange world with rationalizations that we can comfortably live with. But as you do so, keep one more thing in mind: you can spend years or a whole lifetime developing and refining your rationale for disbelief, but it only takes one undeniable, paranormal experience to make you a believer.For more information on this episode visit our website!

In Part Two of our series on the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter, we analyze the elements of the Sutton and Taylor families' story. Is the tale that ended up in the media what actually happened or were certain descriptions exaggerated to make the story more sensational in order to sell newspapers? Perhaps some details were misreported due to anxiety, faulty memories and the phenomenon of the "Telephone Game?" Or was it all a hoax and for what gain? What we find is that the story in its original and accurate telling is so bizarre, any further embellishment would be pointless and believe it or not, that's the story the families stuck to, which only serves to add more mystery to an already mysterious world. For more information on this episode visit our website!

The 1950s was awash with incredible UFO sightings and purported alien encounters, but the Kelly-Hopkinsville Incident remains a highlight for the field of Ufology. The report was significant not only because of the long duration of the event and a large number of witnesses but also because the frightening contact sparked a one-sided gun battle. On the evening of Sunday, August 21, 1955, one of the occupants of the Sutton farmhouse, in the unincorporated area of Kelly north of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reported seeing a saucer-like craft land a short distance away in a gully to the rear of the property. Moments later, the two families staying there claimed that a number of "strange little men" approached the house and peered through the windows, and one even tugged the hair of Billy Ray Taylor, the man who had first seen the craft land. Understandably bewildered and fearing for their lives, Taylor, and another adult male, "Lucky" Sutton, fired round after round at the unwanted visitors from close range, all to little effect. After about four hours of this awkward alien interaction, the families saw their chance to escape and rushed to police headquarters to get help. The unusually large police response which resulted in a flurry of sensational news reports for years to come would cast this incident as one of the most bizarre and intriguing "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" ever to be included in UFO lore.For more information on this episode visit our website!

Was Anneliese Michel truly possessed by demonic forces, or was she suffering from a more earthly psychological affliction such as an extreme case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Scrupulosity, epilepsy, PTSD or Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis? Tonight we examine this case from the solely scientific, clinical angle with our interview of Dr. Jennifer Sy, Ph.D. of the Houston OCD Program. Dr. Sy is a licensed clinical psychologist with training in cognitive-behavioral treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. She received a BA in Cognitive Science from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and her MS and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wyoming. She has published on cognitive/behavioral mechanisms and exposure-based treatment of social anxiety, specific phobias, and panic. In the end, however, even with a diagnosis that seems to cover many of her symptoms, those who allow themselves to consider possibilities beyond flesh and blood may wonder if the truth of Anneliese Michel will remain forever hidden between the worlds of the natural and the supernatural.For more information on this episode visit our website!

When considering the answer to the question, "Who or what was responsible for the death of Anneliese Michel?" as with all mysteries it is best to consider every opinion, especially an informed one. Tonight we interview Father John Duffey, author of the book, Lessons Learned: The Anneliese Michel Exorcism: The Implementation of a Safe and Thorough Examination, Determination, and Exorcism of Demonic Possession. Father Duffey is a former priest for the New American Catholic Church and Chaplain for the American Legion and has been researching and investigating incidents of suspected demonic and other spiritual activity since 1999, and researching matters of human behavior and anthropology since 2002. Father Duffey has formal training and experience in military law enforcement and anti-terrorism intelligence operations, general psychology, cultural anthropology, parapsychology, theology, and counseling. He holds a degree in psychology from Auburn University (Honors) and will soon complete a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Wake Forest University.For more information on this episode visit our website!

The legal systems of Western societies have no place for, nor consideration of, the offenses of the spiritual world. Neither does the spirit world have regard for the laws of men. These factors make the case of the death of Anneliese Michel so fascinating, so compelling, so confounding and ultimately so tragic, that it remains one of the benchmark legal cases for determining negligent culpability in purported cases demonic possession. Anneliese was a German girl who was known in life for being very intelligent, shy, kind, generous and pious, but will always be known in death as an unfortunate soul who experienced a deteriorating malady so mysterious and devastating she ultimately succumbed to starvation. But who, or what, is to blame? Was it the severe affliction of an extreme case of epilepsy or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder having gone untreated, or was it the detestable work of the Devil himself?For more information on this episode visit our website!

Southern New Jersey is steeped in the legend of The Jersey Devil, with the eponymous rascal inspiring everything from the names of businesses to stickers and T-shirts for tourists. But as one "South Jersey" native has informed us, The Pine Barrens themselves may be nothing like what outsiders envision, with most of it being "lush, green and beautiful" and a joy to explore. Also, maybe almost no one from the area believes the myth themselves. However, it seems in the case of the legend of Jersey Devil – there are two distinct yet connected phenomenal elements at play: the ye olde myth, and the otherworldly thing that more than a few people swear they've encountered. So what do you say to them? Are you sure all they saw or heard was an owl, a stray African bat, a mutant goat havin' a laugh, or that good ol' well-worn chestnut the Sandhill Crane? Because now these accounts become much like any other testimony of the paranormal; those who have not experienced it probably won't believe it, but those that have can never forget it.For more information on this episode visit our website!

They say if you meet someone from New Jersey, Pennsylvania or New York, you don't ask them if they've heard of the "Jersey Devil," you ask them if they've had some kind of encounter with it. The legend of the curious cryptid is so prolific, they've no doubt heard of it, and if they've spent any time near the Pine Barrens of "The Garden State," more often than not you'll find they've experienced some evidence of the beast, or know someone who has. Folklorists say that there are more than 30 variations of the legend, but the main origin story of New Jersey's own "Official Demon" goes all the way back to 1735, and a Mrs. Leeds of Galloway, NJ, who upon a difficult delivery of her 13th child, exclaimed it might as well be a devil – which, if the tale is to be believed, you should never do. Since then, the story has been so popular that the idea of The Jersey Devil has made its way into movies, television, and video games, and is even the inspiration for the name of New Jersey's National Hockey League team. But why has this tale endured for at least 282 years? Is it because somehow the legend is just so fantastic that people can't forget it? Or is it because, as so many residents throughout the years have claimed, from New Jersey's eastern shores, through the mysterious Pine Barrens all the way to western Pennsylvania, something really is out there?For more information on this episode visit our website!

Most of us go on about our lives, enjoying the predictable routine of family, work, and if we're lucky, a little bit of leisure. Usually, nothing too out of the ordinary happens from day to day, and although it may seem dull, we forget it's also comforting. But if you're Orfeo Angelucci – aerospace worker, family man, thoughtful but average citizen, one day you get contacted by a race of advanced, extraterrestrial beings that reveal to you the secret of the universe, your purpose here, and the task ahead that would change his life forever. This was the incredible claim in Angelucci's book, The Secret of the Saucers, which tells the story of his contact with a pair of kind, ethereal entities, who want him to share their message of peace and love for the human race. But these warm greetings came with a warning: that we must change our harmful ways or else suffer the fate of the world that came before us. Spreading this message caused no small amount of ridicule and hardship for Orfeo and his family, but as the legends tell us, being a messenger to the world can be a blessing but also a curse and the challenge requires courage. Join us tonight as Rich Hatem returns to discuss Angelucci's wondrous story. Whether you choose to believe Orfeo or dismiss it all as a fanciful daydream, it's hard to deny that the message for Earth has real beauty in its truth.For more information on this episode visit our website!