Occulture Shock Podcast

Hello Seekers! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break! So, I feel into a pretty deep archeological internet hole the other day around 2 am and this is what I came up with: Today's episode of Occulture Shock goes deep into one of the strangest gaps in ancient Egyptian history: the disappearance of the Benben stone. This artifact was once the most sacred physical object in ancient Egypt And then it vanishes. Just POOF! There one minute, gone the next. In this episode, we break down what the Benben likely was, how it Egyptian construction and design for thousands of years, and why its influence shows up everywhere in Egyptian architecture. Then we follow my weirdo 2 am theory as to where it is...because, why not? I hope you enjoy (it's an extra long one today) & as always, thanks for getting weird with us!

Hi Seekers! Today we have a special guest! My co-host from the Discovery Channel special, Bigfoot Took Her, Robert Collier. Aside from his work regarding Bigfoot on TV, Robert is also an avid member of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) and guides expeditions into the woods of California for others looking to investigate Bigfoot for themselves. For those that are interested - I have Robert's EVP recording of the "hello?" he says he heard in the woods over on my Patreon page: Patreon.com/OccultureShockPodcast for Tier members. Enjoy the show and thanks for getting weird with us!

Hello Seekers, In the 1970s and 80s, spiritual leader (and talking head on In Search Of w/ Leonard Nimoy - one of the best TV shows of all time), Elizabeth Clare Prophet built a movement around the idea that sge was receiving messages from enlightened beings known as Ascended Masters. At the center of those teachings was one of the most mysterious figures in occult history - The Count of Saint Germain. Her grassroots organization (later called Church Universal and Triumphant) grew to become a massive spiritual community out in Montana preaching good vibes. BUT, during the height of the Cold War, the messages she claimed to be reciving started to take a darker and more menacing turn... We talk about that and so much more on today's Occulture Shock Podcast - Thanks for getting weird with us!

Hello Seekers! Tonight's episode covers one of my favorite topics - Government espionage and conspiracy! WOO-HOO! Specifically, one of the strangerst relics of Cold War Intelligence: Numbers Stations. For decades, shortwave radio listeners around the world have reported hearing anonymous broadcasts where a voice calmly reads strings of numbers into the airwaves. There's no station identification. Just a string or groups of seemingly random numb ers, sometimes proceeded by music or a tone, and then....nada. These broadcasts are almost certainly tools of espionage (and I want to know how to get that job)! So, sit back, relax and get weird with us!

Hello Seekers! I've taken a hard left content-wise today and shifted gears into something that captured my imagination - and that is my absolute fascination with fortune telling and pre-cognition. Since I was little and read about Lincoln's Ghost Train from a Time Life Book: Mysteries of the Unknown volume, I've been obsessed with people being able to foretell the future. Today, on the Occulture Shock Podcast, I've cobbled together a short list of some of my favorite incidents, along with a little background on each. For example: Did you know... that England had a Premonitions Bureau that was responsible for some of the most scientifically documented incidents of premonition in the world? Did you know...that a man from Dublin trained in India to read palms and was so good, he amassed a fortune and, although now he is somewhat forgotten, almost all of his palmistry books are still in print and available? And speaking of books...did you know...that the sinking of the Titanic was foretold YEARS beforehand by an author writing about an unsinkable ship meeting its demise in the cold North Atlantic waters? (I also tossed a little section of Nostradamus in there for good measure too). I hope you all enjoy and, as always, thank you for getting weird with me today!

Hello Seekers! This episode is the first in our latest themed podcast, Music & Magick, and is part of a larger installment of a randomly on-going series that I'm currently referring to as, All Your Favorite Artists Are Occultists. First up: The Glam Rock (and heavily drugged) Days of David Bowie. He was positive that a demon lived under his LA swimming pool and that Jimmy Paige put a curse on him (I would not be sockeed to learn that the latter is legit). As always, thanks for getting weird with me and enjoy! Jessica

Hello Seekers! Thank you for beung patient whike I was away on vacation. We are back on track this week with our first ever official interview with special guest: Marco Visconti. Marco is incredibly well informed and well spoken and I think you will all find his interview not only entertaining but incredibly interesting and informative no matter where you are within your own personal esoteric journey. For the video version of this podcast or, for early and ad-free podcast access, join the pateron over at Patreon.com/OccultureSockPodcast As always - I hope you enjoy and thanks for getting weird with me!

Hello Seekers! This week on Occulture Shock, we're digging into one of the most...awkward...fight in modern occult history. It wasn't in the form of a public blow-up but it was a stealthy and corrosive power struggle between two of the most recognizable women in occult history. When Dion Fortune clashed with Moina Mathers inside the Alpha et Omega, questions of authority, publishing, control, as well as gossip regardig the legitimacy of personl threats felt on both sides of the divide were brought into question. We talk about the origins of Fortune's opus, Psychic Self Defense, and why this particular conflict got a little spiteful. There is documented history to be found here and tea to spill surroundig two notable women occultists navgating belief in a system that wasn't structured to handle disagreement or independance very well. Enjoy, and as always... Thanks for getting weird with me!

Hello Seekers! This week on OSP, we dive headfirst into one of the most infamous occult brawls (physically AND spiritually) of the mmodern era: Aleister Crowley v/s The Heremtic Order of the Golden Dawn. This episode is all about ego, secrecy, power and what happens when everyone and their mom want to control the access to "ancient hidden knowledge." Specifically, we will be unpacking the Blythe Road incident and how Crowley may have lost the battle when he got his a$$ kicked out of their clubhouse but definitly won the war when it came to everlasting notoriety. There's gossip here, some weird history and a lot of toxic human behavior in between. If you've ever wondered why modern esoteric traditions are so obsessed with lineage, secrecy and who gets to be the ones "with the power," then this episode is for you! Enjoy & Thanks for getting weird with me! Jessica

Hello Seekers! We are still going strong with our Wiccan Wars theme this month - Today it's Gerald Gardner V/S Robert Cochrane! Gardner? He is all ceremony, degrees of intitiation and formality. Cochrane? Witchcraft is part of nature. It's wild. It's in your blood...you either have it or you don't. Both men were incredibly formative within modern day witchcraft/Wicca, both were also SUPER gate-keepy in their own particular ways and both argued different sides of the same coin (IMO). Also, as an added bonus - we have our first ever Listener Story! If you want to check out the references photos while listening along, you can find them over at our Patreon site (Patreon.com/OccultureShockPodcast ) - The referece photos are accessible to Patreon members only (however, there is an option to register for free - you do not have to be a part of the Tier membership program). Enjoy todays podcast episode and as always.... Thanks for getting weird with me! Jessica

Hello Seekers! The week on Occulture Shock - Wizard Wars I'm digging into the fracture between Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente: the founder who went public to protect witchcraft and the woman who helped to write it.... ....only to then walk away when Gardner's mythology making started outweighing honesty and power plays were rife within the coven. This is not an episode of blind hero worship. This is a sharp (but hopefully, fair) look at how modern witchcraft was shaped by real human beings with real human egos and why questions of validity still haunt the practice today. I hope you enjoy todays episode and thanks for getting weird with me! Jessica C.

Hello Seekers! Welcome to a new year, a new podcast "season" and out new theme to start of uss: WIZARD WARS! This month I'm focusing on the hurt egos, sullied reputation and downright bitch-fests between the big names within the occult scene - both past, present & future. Consider today's episode a bit of an hors d'ouver. little teaser of sorts - A quick overview of some of the most famous fights amongst the self-proclaimed spiritually enlightened such as: Helena Blavatsky, The Fox Sisters, Aliester Crowley (naturally), and many, many more. Nothin' like a healthy reminder that - while we should glean what we can from the occult knowledge and work that these folks did - you should never take anyone at full face value. I hope you enjoy and thanks for getting weird with me! Jessica

Hello Seekers! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and a Happy New Year's celebration and...speaking of that..... Huzzah! Here is the latest episode of the OccultureShock Podcast for 2005! And what better way to close out the year than to talk about a prophet and his accurate predictions for an upcoming disaster in the new year (that "new year" being 1666...so, no worries for us). As always, thank you for getting weird with me! -Jessica

BE WARNED - This episode is VERY true crime heavy and thus, involves a lot of dark and distrubing material - CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Seekers! We are in the "between times" right now - the Rauhnächt - where the veil is thinnest between the world and the dead & The Wild Hunt walk the Earth. Which makes this the PERFECT time to discuss some infamous true crimes that occured on, and around, Christmas Day. Let's keep the tradition of telling scary stories during Christmas alive with this week's podcast episode!

Hello Seekers! You've heard the Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but have you ever asked yourself... Why? Why twelve days? And what was it about those days that make them such a big deal in the first place? On today's podcast episode, we look into that VERY thing (and it's both super weird and kinda' MEH (all at the same time). I break down what is: Historicaly documented Folklore Theory Why the number twelve keeps cropping up throughout the holidays even though no one can agree on why it does. It's a fun one! Especially if you love chaotic folklore (and keeping your calander organized) ;) Thanks for getting weird with me! -Jessica

Hello Seekers! It's a new month, so a new mini-season of topics! Since it's December and the holidays are right around the corner, I'\m going to stick with "weird holiday histories and traditions." First on our list comes straight out of the Alpine regions of Northern Europe - Krampus and Grýla. In the mountains of Austria and the lava fields of Iceland, the gifts the winter spirits came with were horns, claws and a very clear message: behave....or else!

Hello Seekers! Today we are pulling the curtain back on one of the holiday's most traditional and beloved drinks, Eggnog and its filthu cousin, the Tom & Jerry. Rife with bacteria, potentially poisoned by disgruntled family members and the cause of one of the largest (and most hilarious) riots in U.S. military history, I present to you, the final installment of our mini-series, Nightcap Noire: The Hidden Crimes Behind Holiday Cocktails. Be careful this holiday season (especially when it comes to imbibing) and thanks for getting weird with me, -Jess

Hello Seekers! This week, in our podcast mini-series, Nightcap Noire - The Dark History Behind Your Favorite Cocktails, we are taking a gander at the infamous Ward 8. A drink that somehow managed to survive longer than the political system that created it. Old-guard Bostonians liked to hole themselves up in Locke-Ober; a formal, male-only dine and drinks establishment that has a reputation for haughty exclusivity. The fact that a drink created and named after Martin Lomasney's blue-collar ward made it onto the Locke-Ober menu caused some folks suspect that something suss was happening down at the ballot boxes. Lomasney's Ward 8 district operated on favors: If he helped you, you voted for him. Thus, an amazing cocktail that has stood the test of time and proven it has a right to be served at any bar it wants was born.

Good evening Seekers, I thought I'd try out a new series theme for the rest of November (and maybe a little into Dec. if it feels right) and that is: Nightcap Noire - A series that explores famous cocktails based on gruesome true crimes and the histories behind them. Los Angeles, 1947. A body in a vacant lot. A dark legend in the making. Elizabeth Short, soon to be known as The Black Dahlia, wanted to be seen... And Hollywood promised her that would happen. This episode of the Occulture Shock Podcast follows the investigation from the Biltmore Hotel's involvement and homage cocktail: The Black Dahlia, to the surgeon's table, police files, cover-ups, and the city that, even after all of these years, can't leave it alone. Thanks for getting weird with us! -J

Seekers! Here's a true crime story that I've been sitting on for a while: The Mysterious death of Josslyn Hay, the 22nd Earl of Erroll and the scandalous lifestyles of the "Happy Valley Set," a group of British elites in Kenya during the early 20th century. In 1941, a car was found idiling on a desolate road just outside of Nairobi. Inside? A British aristocrat with a bullet in his brain. This week's episode dives into one of the most notorious true stories to come out of the 1940s: the murder of Lord Erroll (Josslyn Hay), his not-so-secret love affair with Diana Delves Broughton (the wife of "Jock" Broughton), Jock's sham of a court case and the inevitable unraveling of the so-called Happy Valley Set - a group of white British colonials whose idea of paradoise was cocaine, cocktails and each other's spouses. We trace how this band of British (and some American) aristocratic misfits fled post-war England for the Kenyan highlands, turned stolen land into personal playgrounds and built an illusion of civility that rotted from the inside out. By the end, we're left with a question that still lingers over the entire enterprise: When there are no consequences no matter what you do, is it any surprise that all you have left to destroy is yourself?

Hello Seekers! Well, I'm still rockin' that Shirley Jackson podcast angle this week! After last week's podcast, I ended up falling into quite a deep Shirley Jackson internet history hole and discovered that Mrs. Jackson is connected (however tenuously) to an infamous and unsolved murder case of one of the most important American heiresses within the U.S.'s Gilded Age "royalty." Jane Stanford was the wife of prominent robber baron/ railroad tycoon and founder of Stanford University, Leland Stanford. She was also the victim of a notorious case of murder by poison! This week's podcast is a twisted game of "six degrees of Kevin Bacon," but with Shirley Jackson swapping places with the ol' Footlooser, her famous great-great-grandfather inspiring The Haunting of Hill House and Mrs. Jane Stanford of San Francisco's horrific and untimely demise. Thanks for getting weird with me!

Hello Seekers! This week, we take a look at the author who inspired modern day horror writers such as Stephen King and Guillermo Del Toro by turning her ordinary suburban American life into quiet horror. Shirley Jackson lived in a house full of noise - four children, a controlling and flandering husband and a typerwrite on a kitchen table within the middle of it all. From that chaos she wrote fantastic short stories and novels revolving around the seemingly calm surface of the suburbs and the evil truth bubbling just underneath, such as is, The Lottery, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. This episode unpacks her marriage, her fascination with magic and the occult and how the control she tried to manifest within her writing became her personal spell for survival. I hope you enjoy today's episode and I also hope you go and read some of her works - they're EXCELLENT psychological horror and thanks for getting weird with us!

Hello Seekers! Last week we went into the connections between the top 3 Romantic writers of their era: Mary (Godwin) Shelley, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. But that just SCRATCHES at the surface of these lunatics (and their friends). This week's episode goes more "behind-the-scenes" of what famously went down at that villa in Switzerland (hint: It wasn't all writing. There was also a fair bit of sex, drugs and rock n' roll), as well as, everyone's messy personal lives and Percy's creepy and slightly paranormal death at a very young age. I hope you enjoy today's more personal episode regarding the illustrious 3 and thanks for getting weird with us! **Thumbnail image: "The Funeral of Shelley (1889) by Louis Édouard Fournier**

In 1816, under a sunless sky, 18 year old Mary Godwin dreamnt of a man who could re-animate the dead. But the story of Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus wasn't born out of superstition, it was born out of the Ennlightenment itself. This episode unravels how a secret Bavarian order, a volcanic winter and one radical family's obsession with reason combined to create the world's first modern monster. From the real Illuminati in Ingolstadt to the electric horros of Galvanisim, discover how humanity's pursuit of perfection became its own cautionary tale. Thank you for getting weird with us, -The Occulture Shock Podcast

Hello Seekers! Welcome to an episode that I've done inn combination with: A). Just getting back from a weeks long vacation in Japan and B). Popular demand for this particular subject matter. What is that subject matter, you ask? It's actually about one of my favorite things in Japan - their toilets! Specifically, their high-tech Toto ones. Because the Japanese didn't just re-invent the toilet into something spectcacular, they actually turned it into a cultural icon! Today on the Occulture Shock podcast, we're talking about "night soil" and its ties to farming, French courtesans with their first bidets and how Japan took that tech and turned it into a point of pride. Thanks for getting weird with us! -Jessica PS: For those interested inn early and ad-free episodes, you can join the Occculture Shock Patreon at Patreon.com/OccultureShockPodcast. Their bare Tier groups for every type of listener. Enjoy the show!

Hello Seekers! Jess here - I'm back from Japan (expect that love-letter podcast to Toto toilets coming your way very soon :) In the meanie, Here is my latest deep dive into videogames and their real-life counterparts. This week, we're loking at: Assassin's Creed Hexe (as currently titled) and the real German witch trials it world-builds around. Plus, it's the first day of October, so it's a rather apropo subject matter. When people think of witch trials, they almost always think of Salem but that's just one chapter in a buck longer, much darker book. Long before New England's panic, the German lands and people of the Holy Roman Empire were already in flames. Not from superstition alone but from politics, corruption and fear turned into law. Continuing with my Occult In Videogames series, I'm delving into Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed IP and their latest annoucement of HEXE (working title). HEXE's in-game locations have real world counterparts. A place and time where a single bishop coould (and did) sentence hundreads to a horrific fate. Where owning the wrong book of symbols could mean death. And where demons like Mephisto weren't just legends, they were written into confessions under brutal torture. Did you like this episode and are craving more? Remember: You can always get early and ad-free episodes when you sign up for a tier over on the Occulture Shock Patreon.

Seekers! This week we're heading deep into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. A million acres of twisted pitch pines, bogs and legends that refuse to die. For over 250 years, locals have whispered about a winged, hoofed creature living within the wilderness: The Jersey Devil. But here's the plot twist: one of the most famous supposed eyewitnesses wasn't a farmer or a trapper. It was Joseph Bonaparte, Napolean Bonaparte's older brother and a king in exile in his own right and living on a palatial estate in Jersey after fleeing Europe. In this episode I trace how a colonial family feud, Benjamin Franklin's b*tchiness, a cursed thirteenth child and a monarch in exxile all collided to give America one of its most enduring monster legends of all time. Get ad-free and early episiodes by becoming a member of our Patreon at Patreon.com/OccultureShockPodcast - Enjoy the show! Thank you for getting weird with us :) -Jessica

Hello Seekers! Step into the world of the unseen as we explore the strange history of dowsing rods in this episode of: Do You KNow Where Your Ghost Hunting Techniques Come From? From their origins in Germanic medieval mines to their controversial use in modern warfare, this episode uncovers the folklore and the alleged science behind this mysterious practice. Join me as I ask the question: Is dowsing a functional skill or a testament to the power of human belief? Thanks for getting weird with us!

Today's, "Do You KNow Where Your Ghost Hunting Techniques Come From?" episode is focusing on: Trigger Items. From ancient libations to Victorian scéance tables stacked with dolls and jewelry to teddy bears wired with ghost-tech, objects have always been used as "bait" for the dead. Find out the strange occult history behind the modern use of "trigger items" and how this particular technique to draw out the dead goes back way further than you imagined. (or maybe not - maybe you have a fantasti imagination and you knew how far back it went all along...either way, I hope you enjoy the show :) - Jess

Do you know where your ghost investigation techniques come from? Hello seekers! This week's episode of Occulture Shock kicks off a new series I'm calling: Do you know where your ghost hunting/investigating techniques come from? And we're starting with one of the most misunderstood investigative tools out there: the spirit box! You've probably seen it on TV (I've handleed a few on my old shows), or in ghost investigation videos. It's that buzy, static-y thing that spits out words while someone is yelling, "Is anyone here with us?" into the dark. But where did it all actually come from? In this episode,we're talking about Frank Sumption, the man who channeled the design for the first Spirit Box; the evolution from old school EVP experiments to modern ghost hunting tech; and - yes - even the ghost hunting/EVP phone apps. So if you are into weird tech, haunted frequencies, and the fine line between science and séance, hit play. And thank you, as always, for supporting the Occulture Shock Podcast and getting weird with us.

Hello Seekers! On today's Occulture Shock Podcast: Arcane Algorithms, we dive ibnto the fascinating intersection of psychedelics, counterculture and the dawn of the tech revolution. This episode explores how visionary thinkers, inspired by mind-expanding experiences, laid the groundwork for the digital age. Discover the untold stories of how these unconventional influences shaped the innovative spirit that drives today's technology. Join us as we unravel the surprising connections that fueled a new era of creativity and innovation.

Hello Seekers! Today on the Occulture Shock Podcast, host Jessica Chobot follows a trail of punch cards and metaphysics garbed in science. We're headed straight into the mind of Charles Babbage: mathematician, inventor...and a cranky scientist with the heart of a mystic. This episode isn't just about the origins of computing. It's about how a man obsessed with order was equally obsessed with the notion that the Universe remembered EVERYTHING. We'll dig into Babbage's Analytical Engine and Ada Lovelace's visionary belief that one day machines could becomme creative thinkers. The roots of the idea behind the Akashic Record and how we may be living in a digital version of that in our modern times. The reality that early computing wasn't just cold logic but mysticisim tested within mechanical form. and what it means to live in a world that, as Babbage predicted, never forgets.

You've most likely heard about the Vatican's Secret Archives: full of old forgotten scrolls and tomes that the church has deemed dangerous for one reason or another. But....did you know about their forbidden time machine? On this week's episode of the Occulture Shock Podcast, host Jessica Chobot, looks into the mysterious case of the Chronovisor, its disapperance and the priest who said he used it to witness Christ's crucifixion.

Occulture Shock podcast host, Jessica Chobot, investigates the evolution of measurement and mathmatics. From its ancient mystical roots to its modern day applications. How measurement was once a sacred act, deeply intertwined with spirituality and cosmic beliefs, and how it has now transformed into a tool for control and effeciency in modern society. We traverse history: including ancient Egypt, Greece, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Highlighting the connections and implications of how we measure and quantify today's world.

In pt. 2 of 2 of Hollywood's Occult Blueprint, host Jessica Chobot , pulls the curtain back on Hollywood: from the invention of the first movie camera to the swingin' 60s and The Manson murders all the way to 1980s Satanic Panic and today's horror leanings via A24, Midsommar and The Witch. Hollywood has always had the weird, wild and the occult waiting in the wings.

In this Pt. 1 of 2 podcast episodes, Jessica Chobot pulls the curtain back on Hollywood: from sceance rooms and spirit photography to Jack Parsons and JPL in Pasadena to the 1980s Satanic Panic and Dark Disney all the way up to today's A24 phycological thrillers - Hollywood has always had the weird, wild and occult watching from behind the scenes.

A little update from Jess. See you soon!

Jess takes a break from showing her parents around Europe in order to cover a lil' Weird o' the Week & regain her sanity.

Jess invite's her friend Jacob Strunk to join her on this week's podcast to discuss the JFK conspiracy theories, her new obsession w. the CIA and an experiment to turn this podcast into a video.

New evidence has been revealed which may help identify Scotland's serial killer: Bible John and finally close this unsolved case.

This Week, Jessica lists some of her favorite CIA conspiracy theories from the fairly well-known MK Ultra program, to the ongoing debate surrounding whether or not the CIA created the Abstract Expressionist art movement.

Bizarros!! Jess is back with updates!!

When the LAPD investigate Mary Otis Blackburn and her cult for embezzlement they stumble upon a sacrificial burial site underneath the floorboards of a Venice Beach cottage.

We continue our journey across the states and return to the state that started it all for us - California! So many stories to choose from! We choose to focus on Synanon, the rehabilitation center that started with good intentions but then quickly turned into a violent and dangerous cult.

Bizarros! Welcome back! This week Jess continues the journey across the states and hittig: Arkansas! How did a medical fraudster create one of the most haunted hotels in North America? Find out the absolute bonkers backstory to The Eureka Springs Hospital and Spa.

HAPPY NEW YEAR BIZARROS!! Welcome to the first episode of 2024, AND WHAT AN EPISODE IT IS! Jess and Aristotle catch up a bit at the top before diving into one of the strangest murder stories we've ever heard in all our time of making this show! Be warned, the details are gruesome and maybe triggering. Enjoy!