Some Other Sphere

My guest for this episode is photojournalist Shannon Taggart, who joined me to talk about her 2019 photobook - 'Séance'. This project was the culmination of two decades of research into the history, rituals, practices and exponents of Spiritualism, a religious movement which emerged in the mid 19th Century in update New York in the USA and is now established across the globe. Shannon's interest in the subject stems from an experience as a child attending a service at a spiritualist church in Lily Dale - which is perhaps the town most emblematic of the movement in the United States. For the book, she expected to spend one summer figuring out the tricks of the Spiritualist trade but instead the mysterious processes, earnest practitioners, and neglected photographic history became an inspiration which would see her travel to the United Kingdom and Europe in order to see the project to its conclusion. 'Séance' features 150 of her original images, complimented by historical photographs, a commentary on her experiences, and a foreword by Dan Aykroyd, who himself is a fourth-generation Spiritualist. It concludes with a debate over ectoplasm and how Spiritualism can move forward in the twenty-first century. In the interview, we begin by discussing Shannon's initial experience at a spiritualist service and from there talk more about Lily Dale, and how the idea for the 'Séance' project came about. From there our conversation explores the relationship between photography and spiritualism, the practices and methodology that are used, and the mysterious, controversial substance that is ectoplasm. Further information about Shannon and her work can be be found at https://www.shannontaggart.com/. If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is witch and author Emma Kathryn. Emma has had an interest in witchcraft from an early age and her practise has developed to include a combination of british magical traditions with the afro-caribbean ones of Myal and Obeah. She has written books such as Reclaiming Ourselves, Reclaiming Food, Wild Witchcraft and Witch Life and champions the positive relationships that can exist between people and nature through an interest in the supernatural. I begin the interview by asking how her interest in witchcraft started and developed over time with the mixing of different magical systems. From there we talk about the path that she followed to becoming an Obeah woman, some of the deities she works with as part of that and the relationship and differences between Obeah and Myal. We also discuss our shared interest in animism, and how immersing yourself in the natural landscape can bring about a deeper connection with the other. For more information on Emma and her writing please visit the Wild Witchcraft website at https://emmakathrynwildwitchcraft.com/. If you would like to support the upkeep of the podcast you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me as my guest for this episode is Emma Heard, creator of the Weird Wiltshire blog. Emma has had a lifelong interest in the paranormal and experienced many unusual occurrences that are hard to explain. During the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 she had a chance to write a blog for fun and so Weird Wiltshire was born, offering a place to explore the history, folklore and spooky tales which overflow the county. I begin the interview by talking with Emma about how her interest in these subjects began and developed when she moved to Wiltshire. We also discuss some of her own experiences of the paranormal and then move on to the weird history of Wiltshire itself, which is so often connected to the ancient monuments and landscape that exemplify the area. To visit the Weird Wiltshire blog go to https://weird-wiltshire.co.uk/. You can follow Emma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WeirdWiltsBlog. If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Gregory Forth, who joined me to discuss his book Between Ape and Human: An Anthropologist on the Trail of a Hidden Hominoid. Gregory received his doctorate at Oxford and was a professor of Anthropology at the University of Alberta for more than three decades. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and is the author more than one hundred scholarly papers and several academic books. Between Ape and Human is his first book for a general audience. While doing fieldwork in the Lio region of the Indonesian island of Flores, he came across people talking about half-apelike, half-humanlike creatures called Lai Ho’a that once lived in a cave on the slopes of a nearby volcano. Over the years he continued to record what locals had to say about these mystery hominoids while searching for ways to explain them as imaginary symbols of the wild or other cultural representations. In 2003 however, skeletons of a small-statured early human species named Homo Foresiensis were excavated in a cave in western Flores. In view of this timing and the striking resemblance of floresiensis to the mystery creatures described by the islanders, Gregory began to think about the creatures reported to him as possibly reflecting a real species, either now extinct but retained in ‘cultural memory’, or perhaps even still surviving. I begin the interview by talking with Gregory about how his interest in researching ape-man encounters in Flores started, and then the discussion moves to the book itself, which across four sections examines the space the Lai Ho’a occupy in islanders’ culture as both natural creatures and as supernatural beings. Between Ape and Human is published by Pegasus Books - for further details go to http://pegasusbooks.com/authors/gregory-forth. You can purchase a copy from the publisher or by ordering it from your favourite bookseller. If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere, you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me as my guest for this episode is author Patrick Harpur. Patrick has written extensively on a range of fortean subjects but is perhaps best known for his 1994 book Daimonic Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld. This applied the ideas of people such as William Blake, W.B Yeats and Carl Jung to examine the connections across a wide range of paranormal phenomena and explore the history of the realm many believe exists between the states of body and spirit. The book is regarded as classic of it’s kind and a must have for the bookshelves of people interested in the sort of subjects It covers. In the interview I begin by talking with Patrick about the concept of daimonic reality and what that term describes. From there we discuss the book and how it came about and then move on to the daimons themselves, what they are, their interactions with humanity and how and why they manifest in our world the way they do. More information about Patrick and his writing can be found at http://www.harpur.org/patrick.htm. You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere Theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is folklorist and author Jeremy Harte, who joined me to talk about his new book Cloven Country: The Devil in the English Landscape. Jeremy has written extensively on local history, folklore and the supernatural and is the curator of the Bourne Hall Museum at Epson and Ewell as well as secretary of the Romany and Traveller Family History Society. In Cloven Country, he explores the background of those stories where the Devil played a part both in creating the English landscape, as well as his relationships with the people who populated it – which could range from being hoodwinked by cunning cobblers, to punishing wealthy merchants and landowners for their greed and avarice. In the interview I begin by talking with Jeremy about what inspired the idea for the book and then look at the history of the Devil's appearances in English folklore, and some of the themes and motifs that are most common there. We also talk about the relationship between this kind of folklore and peoples personal experience of the supernatural, and how the latter has become much more prevalent in modern times, to the extent that presence of the 'landscape devil' in recent storytelling is hard to discern. Cloven Country: The Devil in the English Landscape is published by Reaktion Books - more details can be found at https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/cloven-country and the book can be purchased from your local bookshop. You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere Theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode is filmmaker George Popov. George is half of the creative partnership behind Rubicon Films, who since 2022 have released a series of paranormal themed documentaries under the title of ‘Sideworld’. To quote George, a sideworld exists “where the line between fact and fiction is enshrouded in mist and shadow, and beyond that threshold is a place that can change our perspective on everything we think we know.” The three Sideworld documentaries made so far have explored the haunted forests of England, terrors of the sea, and English villages with ghostly reputations. Prior to that, Rubicon made two feature films - Hex in 2017 and The Droving in 2020, which both include folk horror themes and fortean subjects. In the interview I begin by talking with George about his interests in the paranormal and filmmaking, and the relationship they have had as part of his career. From there we go on to discuss the Sideworld documentaries and some of the subjects they cover, as and explore how these sorts of things represent the sideworld concept itself. More information about George's films can be found at https://www.rubiconfilms.co.uk/. You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Vuk, host of the Tracing Owls podcast. A quirky but nuanced exploration into Fortean philosophy, Tracing Owls focuses on the roles of Mother Nature, the Trickster and the experiencer in shaping paranormal phenomena, with a healthy amount of humour and humility along the way. Could Cryptids, UFOs, High strangeness and paraweird anomalies all originate from the same source? Vuk seeks to catalogue the overlooked, spotlight the disregarded, and show that the cosmic expanse is much greater than our understanding of it. A good example of this are his thoughts on Gaia Theory, expanding on the ideas of James Lovelock and Lynn Margoulis. This is the focus of the episode, exploring how paranormal happenings could be manifestations in the workings of a vast global consciousness. More information on the Tracing Owls Podcast can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TracingOwls. If you'd like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can do so with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode is author and dream researcher, Sarah Janes. Sarah has been an enthusiastic lucid dreamer since childhood and has written about dreams, dream culture and the anthropology of dreaming for a number of academic journals, the Idler magazine and more. Sarah’s first book Initiation into Dream Mysteries, Drinking from the Pool of Mnemosyne was published recently and explores the ancient history and philosophy of dream therapy and sleep medicine, beginning in deepest antiquity through to ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. It also has seven stories in it which are inspired by Sarah’s own dream incubation practices. These stories are designed to act as psychomagic narratives to influence your dreams and take you on a self-initiatory conscious dream quest. In the interview we talk about how Sarah’s interest in dreams and dreaming began, and then move on to discuss the history of dream therapy and interpretation in ancient times, along with examples of that such as temple sleep and dream incubation. We also chat about the role and importance of divine entities in these practices, and what the use of dream therapy in ancient societies can inform us on about the worldview and reality of those cultures as a whole. Our conversation was recorded in November 2022. For more information on Sarah's new book and dream culture research go to her website https://themysteries.org/ If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The podcast theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey amd Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Dr Liz Savage, who joined me to talk about the concept of Dickensian Cryptozoology. Liz earned her PhD from Durham University on nineteenth-century literature, focusing on Charles Dickens and the uncanny. Her current research continues to focus on the strange and unusual in literature, film, and other media. Dickensian Cryptozoology is the subject of a paper she has written which proposes a new approach to the writers texts that examines the character and places he created through the lens of creature myths and legends that persist today. Central to these ideas are his Mudfog Papers, a fantastical set of stories complete with robots, circus fleas, and overenthusiastic scientists studying the mathematical implications of children’s books alongside annuals that run on milk. Later Dickens works are also included to help demonstrate how cryptozoological and Fortean readings of character and places are not only possible, but create a fun, unique, and unexpected research angle for both seasoned academics and those new to Dickens. We begin the interview by talking about the otherworldliness of Dickens writing, and how there are examples of that in many of his works. We then discuss the Mudfog papers themselves, and some of the stories and characters which represent the ideas Liz is interested in. Liz is presenting her talk about Dickensian Cryptozoology at a Dickens Day symposium which is happening at the School of Advanced Study (University of London) on Saturday February 25th 2023. More details can be found at https://ies.sas.ac.uk/events/dickens-day-2022. She can be found on Twitter as @LizAnneSavage where there is a bio with links to more of her talks and contact information. If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere, you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The podcast theme is from Purple Planet Music - ' Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is author David Booher, who joined me to talk about his 2017 book, No Return: The Gerry Irwin Story – UFO Abduction or Covert Operation. The book explores the interesting case of Gerry Irwin, a young soldier in the US Army who whilst driving back to his base on a cold February evening in 1959, witnessed an unusual light in the sky. Stopping to investigate, he left a message on his car to make other motorists aware and walked through the undergrowth towards the spot where he thought something had crashed, or landed. He would later be found unconscious, and from that point on would be beset by inexplicable blackouts and bizarre behaviour, which threatened to derail his promising Army career. Then one day early in August 1959 he suddenly deserted his Army post in Texas and seemingly disappeared without a trace. What happened to Gerry in those months is one of Ufology’s less famous mysteries, but a fascinating one nonetheless. Was this an alien abduction case, two years before something similar happened to Betty and Barney Hill? Or, as has been suggested with those events, could it be something more terrestrial and nefarious? No one knew what became of Gerry until David decided to research the mystery and the book details the results of those investigations. We begin the interview by laying out the established timeline for the case and then talk further about how David uncovered more about what happened to Gerry. No Return: The Gerry Irwin Story – UFO Abduction or Covert Operation is available to purchase online and from your local bookshop. David can be contacted by email at [email protected] if you have any questions for him. If you'd like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation, you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me as my guest for this episode is Duncan Barford. Duncan is the creative force behind Occult Experiments in the Home, a project which began as a blog but has expanded beyond that into a number of books and a podcast. These have all explored magick, occulture and the paranormal and focus in particular on how those areas intersect with personal experience, psychology, and spiritual practice. Duncan is also a qualified counsellor and suspended the blog when beginning the training for this, concerned that a conspicuous interest in the occult might prove professionally unhelpful. Having now qualified and worked for several years in various therapeutic contexts, he is able to enjoy discussing openly his deep and lifelong interest in these subjects. In the interview we begin by talking about how Occult Experiments in the Home got started, which leads to a wide-ranging discussion about magic, psychology, the nature of being, the value of experience in understanding the paranormal, and much more. Further details about Duncan and OEITH can be found at https://oeith.co.uk/. You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

In this episode my guest is paranormal investigator Michele Eve. Michele, who is based in the English county of Gloucestershire in the UK is the creator of the Mystical Times blog, where she writes about a wide range of paranormal phenomena, from time slips, to ghostly monks, past lives, strange deaths, local folklore and much more. Michele grew up in a Spiritualist household and we talk about that early in the interview, before moving on to her time working as a psychic medium, and what that faculty can tell us about the nature of the supernatural. After that we talk about a local legend that was born out of a tragic rail disaster in the 1920's and then return to discussing some of the unusual happenings Michele has experienced and written about, as well some of the haunted places that are dotted throughout the county of Gloucestershire. To visit the Mystical Times blog go to https://mysticaltimesblog.com/. You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode are paranormal researchers Ailsa Clarke and Bethan Briggs-Miller, who are the hosts of the Eerie Essex podcast. In their podcast, they explore the folklore, macabre history and supernatural happenings of Essex, an ancient county in the east of England. There have been episodes on witches, cryptids, ghosts, exorcisms, gnomes, and much more. In the interview I begin by talking with Ailsa and Bethan about how Eerie Essex got started, after which we discuss some of the unusual subjects they’ve covered in the podcast, as well as a few of their own weird experiences. In Essex, as in most places, the supernatural permeates the landscape, communities and legends of the area and we also talked about the high strangeness that can arise from personal interaction with those things. To find out more about Eerie Essex, please go to the podcast Twitter account (@Eerie_Essex). Ailsa and Bethan can also be contacted by email at [email protected]. You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Emma Woods, author of Glimpses of Magonia, a memoir of the disconcerting yet transformative anomalous events that she has experienced all through her life. The book provides a unique insight into what motivates people like her to seek answers in areas of paranormal research, to help better understand the meaning of those experiences. In the interview, I start by talking with Emma about the title of the book and what that means to her. From there we talk more about the experiences themselves, the way that Emma recollected them, and how she learned to understand what they might mean. Some of these happened at very difficult times in Emma life and as I’m sure you can imagine, it was a privilege to talk with her about such personal matters. We end the interview by talking about some mysterious files sent to her by a Ufologist friend, which seemed to indicate the existence of a very unusual project at NASA – and whether these were genuine, or another example of disinformation being spread among the Ufology community. For more information on Emma's book got to https://emmawoodsbooks.com/. You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode is Jo Hickey-Hall. Jo is a folklorist, researcher and social historian with a long-held interest in the relationship between supernatural experience, local landscape and oral tradition. In 2015 she gained a Masters in History from the University of Bristol, supervised by Professor Ronald Hutton, with her research focused on the portrayal in Medieval Irish literature of a mythic race of beings known as the Sidhe. Later, Jo began the Modern Fairy Sightings Project, which set out to record peoples personal encounters with strange beings whose identity might best be examined through the lens of folklore and legend. This then lead in 2020 to the start of the Modern Fairy Sightings podcast, an excellent show where she talks to people who have had these type of experiences with a wide and weird range of entities. In the interview I talk with Jo about the origins of her interest in fairies, how best to understand what that term means and the beings that it is most useful in describing. We discuss the often-found relationship between fairies and nature, and the more playful, trickster like behaviour they exhibit which at times seems akin to poltergeist activity and which we have both experienced recently For more information on Jo's research into Fairy encounters (including the Modern Fairy Sightings project and podcast), go to https://www.scarlettofthefae.com/ You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The podcast theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is the Reverend Peter Laws. Peter is not only a church minister but also an author, journalist, public speaker and podcaster. He has written articles for the Fortean Times and has a regular film review column there. In 2018 he wrote his acclaimed non-fiction book The Frighteners , which sought to understand and defend why humans have a morbid streak and saw him investigate the human fascination with death, murder and the supernatural. Our conversation is a wide ranging one, starting with Peter’s love of horror movies and the juxtaposition of that with his religious vocation. We also discuss his own podcast projects, along with subjects such as the nature of good and evil, demonic possession, Padre Pio and the mystical elements of Christianity, Vampires and much more. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED: Our conversation does contain some gruesome subject matter, which you may wish to avoid if you're not a fan of that sort of thing. More information on Peter and his books, podcasts and writing can be found on his website https://www.peterlaws.co.uk/. You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The podcast theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode is paranormal researcher and investigator Morgan Knudsen. Morgan is the founder of the award-winning Entity Seeker Paranormal Research and teachings, which developed a number of educational programs to help people better understand and appreciate supernatural phenomena, the best known being Teaching the Living, which was also developed into a book based on the program. Morgan’s latest book is The Gift of Instinct: Paranormal Lessons for an Extraordinary World, in which she shares some practical ideas on how the paranormal can teach people about who we really are and the instinct that calls us to a greater connection with what we call spirit. In the interview I begin by talking about how her interest in the paranormal started off, and developed into a career researching and investigating this field. We talked about some of the places she has investigated in Canada, and the legacy of the arrival of Europeans settlers in the country, which had a drastic effect on the indigenous cultures who lived there, both literally and spiritually, which led us to talk about the Wendigo phenomena. Later on our conversation leads to us talking about the mysterious Van Meter Visitor, a bizarre cryptid reported to terrorise an town in Iowa in the early 20th Century. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED: Our conversation does include the details of a gruesome murder associated with the Wendigo, which you may wish to avoid if you are not a fan of that sort of subject matter. More details on Morgan's books, research, teaching programs and podcast can be found at https://www.entityseeker.ca/. You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is author and magical practitioner Melissa Seims, who joined me talk about her new book Here be Magick: The People and Practices of the Coven of Atho, which tells an unusual story set in the early post-war years of the UK, a period that was an interesting time in the history of witchcraft in the country as changes in legislation had allowed people to explore their interest in the occult more freely. Some began searching for evidence of pagan traditions that had survived into modern times and this would ultimately lead to the emergence of 'Wicca' in 1954, a movement championed by a retired civil servant named Gerald Gardner. Here be Magick however focuses on the lives of Charles Cardell, the son of an internationally famous Victorian stage magician and Ray Howard, an unusual character who claimed to have been bequeathed a mysterious artefact called the ‘Head of Atho’ a striking wooden altarpiece featuring an array of occult symbols and purported be thousands of years old. The idea of the coven itself has a somewhat confusing origin but seems to have been born out of the relationship between Cardell and Howard, which started well but ended acrimoniously with accusations of witchcraft and a messy High Court libel case. In the interview I talk with Melissa about how her own interest in magic and witchcraft began, and then we move on to discuss how she progressed from first writing about the Coven in a 2007 article onto researching and writing about the people and events who together make up the story of the Coven of Atho in much more detail. For more of Melissa's writing and to get a copy of Here be Magick, go to https://www.thewica.co.uk/. If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere, you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode is paranormal psychologist and writer, Evelyn Hollow. Evelyn is a former psychology lecturer and holds a Master of Research degree in Paranormal Psychology. She was a resident author at Esoterica Zine for more than four years, the occult columnist for the Corvid Culture website and gives guest talks on paranormal history and the quantum physics of anomalous phenomena. She now also consults as an expert for a variety of TV shows and podcasts — most recently the smash-hit BBC shows The Battersea Poltergeist and Uncanny. She is also one quarter of the team on the new TV show Spooked Scotland, which began airing on the Discovery Channel in May 2022. I start the interview with Evelyn by asking about how her career investigating the paranormal began and her approach to this from a psychological and scientific perspective. We also discuss the role and importance of consciousness in understanding the nature of happenings such as hauntings and poltergeists. As you might expect, the Battersea Poltergeist made its way into the conversation, as well as some of the theories about what might be the cause of cases such as that, and other types of paranormal activity. To find out more about Evelyn and her work go to https://evelynhollow.com/. If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn of Purple Planet Music.

My guest for this episode is Bex Atwood. Bex, who lives on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State, is a witch, horticulturalist and paranormal investigator, who in 2021 joined the Liminal Earth project alongside Jeremy Puma and Garrett Kelly, who I spoke to in episode nineteen, way back in 2019. In the interview we talk about the origins of Bex’s interest in the supernatural, her investigations of haunted spaces and how that lead to becoming part of the Liminal Earth setup. Our discussion includes topics such as the nature of hauntings, the value of respecting and understanding your environment when investigating the paranormal, some of the projects the Liminal Earth team are currently involved in, and much more. The website for the Liminal Earth Map is https://liminal.earth/ and you can get the Liminal Spirit Oracle and Oracle of the Hypogeum at https://liminalmall.com/. To find out more about the Wednesday UFO Watch (WUFO Watch) go to https://www.wufo.watch/. You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast, Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

For this episode I’m joined by a returning guest, author Travis Watson to discuss his latest book ‘Mysteries in the Mist : Mist. Fog and Clouds in the Paranormal’. This is a follow up work to his book on Phantom Black Dogs and explores the evidence of an association between a host of different paranormal phenomena and their appearance amidst or being presaged by unusually localised mist, which in some cases seems to be an intentional act. In the interview we discuss this in more detail, exploring a number of examples included in the book, from Dogmen to Sasquatch, Djinn, Shadow People and much more. ‘Mysteries in the Mist : Mist. Fog and Clouds in the Paranormal' is available to buy now. Travis can be found on social media at: Twitter - https://twitter.com/WTWatson2 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curunir60/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/blackdog60 If you would like to support Some Other Sphere you can do this via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere Theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is paranormal researcher and author Michelle Souliere. Michelle is a resident of Portland in the US state of Maine and since 2005 has been chronicling the weirdness of that part of the world in her ‘Strange Maine’ blog, which explores unusual local history, mysteries, legends, cryptids and a whole lot more. In 2021 she released the book Bigfoot in Maine, which is the subject of our conversation for this episode. In the interview we talk about the history of Bigfoot sightings in Maine, and what might explain some of those encounters. We then move on to discuss the eyewitness experiences Michelle has recorded from more recent times, interviewing the people involved to get their testimony first hand. Some of those experiences are quite incredible, and offer a fascinating insight into the nature of the Bigfoot phenomenon. The 'Strange Maine' blog can be found at http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/ and Michelle's books are available from all good booksellers - including the Green Hand Bookshop (https://greenhandbookshop.com/), which she owns and operates and where signed copies are available. The video Michelle mentions in the interview where Suzy talks more about her encounters with 'Wabou' can be found here. If you would like to support Some Other Sphere with a donation you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - ' Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

Joining me for this episode is returning guest Matt Frederick, who first appeared on Some Other Sphere back in 2019, in the early days of the podcast. This time around we’re discussing his new book, A Meeting at The Crossroads: Robert Johnson and The Devil, which explores one of Blues musics best known legends, that the musician Robert Johnson made a pact with the Devil for talent and fortune, and not long after met his demise in 1939, at the age of just twenty-seven. In the interview we talk about the numerous factors which combined, or existed at the same time to birth the legend; the creativity and spirituality of the Blues; the rich traditions and folklore of the Deep South, the real-world dangers facing travelling Black musicians in the 1930’s and the mythic reputation that could be attained from that kind of life. For more details on how to get hold of Matt's excellent book, along with information on his radio and DJ work go to https://www.mattfrederick.info/. If you would like to support the podcast with a donation you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Eli Lewis-Lycett. Eli is a historian, researcher and writer from the Northwest Midlands of England who in 2020 started the Local Mythstorian project, a blog in which he delves into the legends and history of that area, which covers parts of Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. In his research he digs deep into historical records to find the connections between fact and myth, and how those things have influenced each other and been preserved through the local communities that retain a memory of events from the deep past. In the interview we talk about his approach in more detail, and some examples of where it has yielded fascinating results. Headless Horsemen, Arthurian legends and teleporting witches all feature in what was a really fun conversation. To visit the Local Mythstorian website and read more about Eli's research go to https://thelocalmythstorian.com/home. If you would like to support Some Other Sphere you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

For this episode I’m joined by writer, performer and podcaster Richard Daniels. Richard is the creator of the Occultaria of Albion, a part work zine and podcast series that explores a wide range of strange goings on in locations that feel familiar but exist in an alternate England, just beyond the horizon of the one we know about. He describes it as ‘a world designed by torch and moonlight, dedicated to revealing the truth about the paranormal’. In the interview we start by talking about how the Occultaria came into being, the way that it explores the nature of the paranormal though a fictional lens and the insights gained by doing that. We go on to discuss ghosts, urban legends, conspiracy theories, UFOs and the weird charisma of electricity pylons, to name just a few things. For more information on the Occultaria of Albion go to https://www.occultariaofalbion.com/. You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Kate Cherrell. Kate is a writer, editor and creator of the excellent Burials & Beyond blog, which she describes as being about "life, death and the weird bits in-between". She has a keen enthusiasm for cemeteries, unusual graves, death history, miserable Victorians, and the paranormal, all of which shines though in her writing. In the interview we start by talking about how she got interested in these subjects, and what makes cemeteries and graveyards such fascinating places. Later on we discuss the origins of the Spiritualist movement in Britain, it’s influence on mediumship in more recent times, and how these practices are depicted in pop culture. The Burials & Beyond Blog can be found at https://burialsandbeyond.com/. If you'd like to support Some Other Sphere, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

In this episode, I talk with Caz Clarke, who was a first-hand witness to a spectacular UFO that appeared near where she lived in the small village of Pentyrch, South Wales, in February 2016. What has come to be known as the Pentyrch UFO incident was preceded by days of unusual aircraft activity in the area and escalated into what can really only be described as a full scale military operation to intercept the mysterious interloper, actions which resulted in reports of an explosion some miles away and evidence of damage to woodland in that area. The explanation as to the nature of these events that was provided from official channels is short on detail and does not correspond with witness testimony. Added that that, there was suspicious activity reported in the area afterwards that seems directly connected to the incident and again the rationale given for this is left somewhat wanting. All in all this is a fascinating case. In the interview I talk with Caz in detail about what happened, the investigation she is still working hard on to get a full explanation of those events, and the implications of the incident itself and how it was handled by those in authority. More information the the Pentyrch UFO incident can be found at http://www.thepentyrchincident.com/. If you would like to support Some Other Sphere you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

Welcome to the first episode of 2022! My guest is author Travis Watson, who joined me to talk about his recent book – Phantom Black Dogs: Walkers of the Liminal Way. Travis writes both fiction and non-fiction under the name W.T. Watson and has long been fascinated by the paranormal. In the interview we talk about what first interested him in the subject of Phantom Black Dogs, what he feels can be considered such a creature, the keys aspects of encounters with these entities, and the cultural and folkloric history of the phenomenon, which stretches from Ancient Egypt to Skinwalker Ranch. Travis can be found on social media at: Twitter - https://twitter.com/WTWatson2 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curunir60/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/blackdog60 If you would like to support Some Other Sphere you can do this via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere Theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

Welcome dear listener to the Some Other Sphere Christmas Special! My guest is paranormal researcher Matt Hopewell, aka AP Strange, who returned for his third visit to Sphere HQ. In the interview we discuss a range of Yuletide topics – some that have a familiar association with the festive season such as Santa Claus and others that don’t at first glance – for example, Vampires. Matt recommends some of his favourite Christmas movies, educates us with an interesting seasonal factoid and relates some of his ideas about the secret occult meaning of some TV Holiday specials. To visit Matt's blog go to https://www.apstrange.com/. He can also be found on Twitter (@AProdigiosus). If you would like to support support Some Other Sphere you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Gemini 6 Clip is from Wikipedia and 'A Christmas Carol' by Tom Lehrer is from https://tomlehrersongs.com/. The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn & Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is author Genevieve Gornichec, who joined me talk about her recent novel the Witch’s Heart, a story set in the time of the ancient Norse myths and centered around the enigmatic witch Angrboda, who is crucial to the cataclysmic events of Ragnarok but only features briefly in the narrative we know from the Prose and Poetic Eddas. In the interview I talk with Genevieve about how she re-imagined Angrboda from her traditional counterpart and focused on some of the lesser-known characters from Norse mythology when telling her story. We also discussed the insights that can be gained into the nature of gods and supernatural beings from writing a story about them and exploring their ontology through the imagination and how that might help us understand the paranormal experiences and high strangeness reported across the world in more modern times. For more information on Genevieve and The Witch's Heart go to https://genevievegornichec.com/. You can support Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The first reading is from the Witch's Heart. The second reading is adapted from the Prose Edda and taken from a blog post on https://www.asgard.scot/. The music in both readings is 'Nordic Flute' by Gertraut Hecher and available on https://freesound.org/ . The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is Paolo Sammut. Paolo is a paranormal researcher, who practices a low tech approach when visiting haunted locations, where the experience is key in exploring unusual phenomena and methods such as psychic questing and techniques from systems of magic are used as part of the investigation. Prior to the interview he sent me an essay he has written, which discusses his methodology in more detail and is the focus of our conversation. It was a fun and wide-ranging chat, exploring the nature of ghosts and hauntings, the value and meaning of such happenings and some of the unusual experiences Paolo has had whilst investigating the paranormal. We also talked a little about the Secret Lines of London project (@secretloLondon), which he started recently with the aim of helping people explore more of the city's esoteric history. Paolo can be found on Twitter (@PaoloSammut) and also has his own blog, Liminal Whispers (https://www.liminalwhispers.com/). If you'd like to support Some Other Sphere, you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is Douglas Batchelor. Douglas is a practicing magician and creator of the ‘What Magic is this?’ podcast where he discusses and explores a range of occult and Fortean topics with curious friends and guests. It’s both informative, engaging and fun - listening to an episode feels like being part of laid back but enthusiastic tutorial on the esoteric. In the interview I talk with Douglas about the beginnings of his interest in magic, and how his practice of it has changed and evolved as time has gone on. We also talked about some of the magical traditions that have been part of that and the cultures they came from, as well as some unusual experiences he has had whilst honing his craft. You can find Doug's podcast and blog at https://whatmagicisthis.com/ If you enjoy listening to Some Other Sphere, you can support it via Ko-fi at https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey,

Joining me as my guest for this episode is paranormal investigator Hayley Stevens, creator of the award-winning science blog ‘Hayley is a Ghost’. Hayley has been investigating paranormal mysteries for over fifteen years, conducting her research using a scientific methodology to seek rational explanations for the unusual happenings that people report to her. She has written for the Skeptic magazine and is also a fellow podcaster, producing episodes of the Spooktator Podcast as well as assisting with a recent BBC podcast about the Battersea Poltergeist. In the interview we talk about some of the cases she has worked on and how her approach to paranormal investigation has developed over time. We also discuss what that has revealed to her about how people try and understand the strange mysteries that fascinate us, and how that might be done, without being too skeptical or overly credulous. The excellent 'Hayley is a Ghost' blog can be found at https://hayleyisaghost.co.uk/. You can support Some Other Sphere via Ko-Fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere Theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is Amy Boucher, creator of the Nearly Knowledgeable History blog. In the blog, Amy explores the folklore and history of the people, places and landscapes of her native Shropshire in England, which is replete with tales of giants, ghosts, devils and witches, as well as an equally interesting cast of local heroes and villains. In the interview I talk with Amy about her love for these subjects, some of her favourite legends and notable Shropshire characters and the role that folklore and local history play in preserving the memories of communities and the heritage of those places. The Nearly Knowledgeable History blog can be found at https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/ . To support the podcast via Ko-Fi please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

In this episode I’m joined by parapsychologist and author Dr Dean Radin. Dean has been a key figure in parapsychological research for nearly forty years and is currently Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and Associated Distinguished Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Over his career he has worked at AT&T Bell Labs, Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, and the Stanford Research institute. He has given over six hundred talks and interviews worldwide, and is a prolific author, including four popular science books translated into fifteen foreign languages, starting with The Conscious Universe in 1997 and most recently Real Magic in 2018. In the interview I talk with Dean about his career, and some of the research and experiments he conducted as part of that, what we mean when we use terms such as mind, consciousness and magic, and how those things relate to each other. For more information on Dr Radin and his books please go to https://www.deanradin.com/. The website for the the Institute of Noetic Sciences is https://noetic.org/ and that for Cognigenics is https://www.cognigenics.io/. To support the podcast via Ko-fi please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn abd Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is writer, novelist and cultural historian John Higgs, who joined me to talk about his latest book, a biography of the visionary poet and artist, William Blake. Perhaps best known as the author of the hymn Jerusalem, Blake’s creative genius was shaped by a lifetime of unusual visionary experiences and his ability to interpret and discern their meaning through his poetry, writing and artwork, building a mythology that blends religion, psychology and occult philosophy in equal part but retaining an enigmatic originality that is still not fully understood today. In William Blake vs The World, John takes the reader on a journey through Blake’s eccentric life and worldview, and looks at how that can be examined alongside contemporary historic and political events, as well as more modern insights obtained through neuroscience, quantum theory and comparative theology. Enjoy! For more information on William Blake vs The World and John's other books, please go to https://johnhiggs.com/. You can also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is Dr Jack Hunter. Jack is an anthropologist whose research explores the borderlands between consciousness, religion, ecology and the paranormal. He is a tutor with the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and teaches on the MA in Ecology and Spirituality and the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology. His books include Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary Experience, Manifesting Spirits: An Anthropological Study of Mediumship and the Paranormal and Spirits, Gods and Magic: An Introduction to the Anthropology of the Supernatural. The latter title is the focus of our interview, as I talk more with Jack about Anthropology and how its principles and methods in the field can be used to understand the nature of paranormal phenomena and potentially help to issue in a sea-change in the Western world in how that is understood and appreciated. More information on Jack and his work can be found at: https://jack-hunter.webstarts.com/. You can now also support Some Other Sphere through Ko-fi. To by the podcast a cup of coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

In this episode my guest is witch, artist and author Susan Demeter, who joined me to talk about her new book Cosmic Witch: Magic, Witchcraft and the Supernatural. Susan’s writing and research explores a wide range of themes connected to her lifelong interest in exceptional human experiences, nature, mysteries and magic. Cosmic Witch is both a guide to the history and practices of witchcraft, as well as a memoir of Susan's own experiences of the supernatural and the role they played in her path to becoming a witch. In the interview we talk about these aspects of the book, and the relationship between magic and the supernatural. We also discuss the fascinating research and experiments explored in Susan's next book - the second volume of Cosmic Witch, titled Conjuring UFO’s. For information on how to get a copy of Cosmic Witch, as well as more of her writing and research please visit https://susandemeter.com/. You can now also so support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is journalist, lecturer and author Ralph Blumenthal, who joined me to talk about his latest book, The Believer: Alien Encounters, Hard Science and the Passion of John Mack. This is a biography Of John Mack, a Harvard psychiatrist, ardent social reformer and Pulitzer Prize winning author who in the 1990’s risked his career and professional reputation investigating the phenomenon of human encounters with alien entities and tried to help a group of people who were adamant about the reality of their experiences of that happening to them. Ralph is no stranger to this kind of subject. In 2017 he co-authored the New York Times article which broke the news about AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Programme), the secret US Government body investigating UAPs. In the interview he talks more about the article, as well of course about his interest in John Mack and what prompted him to write a biography on him. We also discuss what led to Mack making the decision to investigate the abduction phenomenon as thoroughly as he did and the importance of that work in the history of Ufology, both at the time as well as it’s legacy today. More information on Ralph's work and details on how to get a copy of The Believer can be found at https://www.ralphblumenthal.com/ You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere if from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn & Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is Anna Björg Þórarinsdóttir, manager of The Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft. The museum, located in Holmavik in the Strandir area of the country was opened in the year 2000 to promote and preserve the heritage of magical practice in Iceland, its methods and customs and tell the stories of the witches and sorcerers themselves. In the interview I talk more with Anna about the history of magic in Iceland, how it developed over the centuries and the changeable social attitudes to people who used spells, staves and grimoires. We also discussed the origins of the museum and it’s collection of fascinating and unusual exhibits, the most well-known of which are perhaps the rather gruesomely named Necropants. For more information on The Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft, please go to https://galdrasyning.is/en/. You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

In this episode I’m joined by the hosts of the Propagated Podcast, Daniel and Frankie. In their show they explore the history, science and folklore of our green world, understanding that plants themselves are wonderful storytellers, and that by learning from the history and relationships between plants and humans, a more sustainable future, one of coexistence is both possible and vital. Daniel and Frankie are huge plant nerds and their enthusiasm for the subject matter makes their show a really interesting and engaging listen. In the interview I talk with them about their shared passion, what made them start the podcast, and what that has revealed to them about the plant kingdom and humanities relationship with it. We also discuss plant folklore, and connections between the plant kingdom and the paranormal. To find out more about Daniel and Frankie and the Propagated Podcast please visit their website - https://www.propagatedpodcast.com/. You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is anthropologist and author Dr Holly Walters, who joined me to talk about her work researching Shaligram stones, sacred fossil ammonites found in a remote area of Himalayan Nepal. They are seen as direct expressions of the divine in the landscape and objects very much with their own agency, making pilgrimages through time and space, and their veneration has been a part of Buddhist and Hindu practice for over two thousand years. Interestingly the mystical nature of Shaligrams does not interfere with an interpretation of them as fossilised creatures, or their existence millions of years ago as living ammonites. They represent in microcosm the ability for something to have both meaning and explanation in balance, without one needing to supersede the other. In the interview I talk more about this with Holly, along with a general discussion about Shaligram stones themselves and their history as sacred objects. Given their birthplace is in the Himalayas, we also talked a little about how the Yeti and the supernatural in general is understood and interpreted in that part of the world. To find out more about Holly's work and Shaligram stones, her excellent blog can be found at https://www.peregrinationblog.com/. Her article 'Yeti or not! Here I come!' can be found here. You can now support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To be the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey of Purple Planet Music.

In this episode I’m joined by writer and esoteric researcher Stephanie Quick. Stephanie is the creator of the Ghost Dog is a Mystery Box blog, where she discusses her own experiences and investigations into a wide range of Fortean subjects. Her approach to engaging with the weird is a practiced one and as such she has a very thoughtful and insightful way of trying to understand subjects that can often be polarising. As you can imagine, when talking to someone with such an interesting life, this was a wide-ranging interview, with not that much input from me as it didn’t really need it! Stephanie's excellent blog can be found at https://stephaniequick.home.blog/ You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-Fi. To buy the podcast a coffee please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey

My guest for this episode is author, historian and paranormal researcher Linda Zimmermann. Linda is a native of New York State’s Hudson Valley, and has written extensively on the history of that area, a subject which includes an intriguing array of paranormal phenomena. Perhaps best known of these are the sightings and encounters that local residents have had with UFOs, which date back decades to the beginning of the 20th Century, perhaps even earlier. Linda wrote her first book on the subject, In the Night Sky in 2013 which would later go on to be made into an award winning documentary. In the interview I talk with Linda about the history of those sightings, how they changed over the decades and were perhaps at their most spectacular in the 1980’s when scores of people reported seeing vast craft in the skies above them. We also talk about the Hudson Valley area itself, its unusual nature on a broader scale and the part it plays as the setting for this fascinating weirdness. More information on Linda's books, research and podcast can be found at http://www.gotozim.com/ You can now also support Some Other Sphere through Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is author, artist and composer David Ditchfield. In 2006, David was dragged under a speeding train in a freak accident. Amazingly he survived this and as the surgeons fought to save him at the hospital, he had a profound near death experience. After this happened he soon found that he had acquired astonishing new abilities. He could paint dramatic paintings of what he had seen in the afterlife, far beyond any artistic ability he had before. He then discovered he could compose classical music, despite having never received any formal training. His debut symphony, The Divine Light, was premiered at a sell-out orchestral concert to a standing ovation. He has since composed further classical works which have also been performed at sell-out concerts and completed over forty paintings, many inspired by his NDE. He has also written a book called Shine On, which tells his remarkable story and was released in 2020. We end the episode with the first movement from The Divine Light. To find out more about David, his art, music and the book - please visit https://www.shineonthestory.com/. You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn & Geoff Harvey.

In this episode I’m joined by author and historian Dr Shane McCorristine, to talk about his 2018 book The Spectral Arctic: A History of Dreams and Ghosts in Polar Exploration. In the book Shane's research ventures beyond the familiar concepts of Arctic exploration in the 19th Century and reveals a wealth of strange stories and supernatural phenomena encountered by people travelling to the frozen north, as they partook in missions to find the near mythical Northwest Passage. Embodying that endeavour was the legendary Franklin expedition, whose disappearance in 1848 prompted rescue missions across the globe as well as the use of clairvoyants to try and locate the lost ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus. The fate of the crews of those vessels also inspired a host of macabre tales, both among the native peoples of the Arctic as well as back home in Britain, and these too play their part in understanding what Victorian society really considered the frozen north to be like. For more information on Shane and his books please visit https://www.shanemccorristine.net/. You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme music is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is artist, author, dancer and Witch Laura Tempest Zakroff. Laura’s artwork which includes drawings, paintings, jewellery and talismans embodies myth and the esoteric and has received honors and awards worldwide. She is also the author of the best-selling books Sigil Witchery: A Witches guide to crafting magic symbols and Weave the Liminal: Living Modern Traditional Witchcraft as well as the creator of The Liminal Spirits Oracle. In the interview we talk about how Laura became interested in Witchcraft and the magical practices she followed and developed alongside and as part of her artistic work, which led to her starting her own tradition with a group of like minded individuals. We also discuss some of the more fundamental concepts of what magic is and how it works, the role of symbols and sigils in that, and how paranormal phenomena can be viewed through a magical lens. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website https://lauratempestzakroff.com/. You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme music is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.

My guest for this episode is author Tanner F. Boyle, who joined me to talk about his book The Fortean Influence on Science Fiction. Charles Fort is an enigmatic character – part researcher, part writer, part philosopher. In the early twentieth century he extensively catalogued any reference he could find made to anomalous phenomena, which he would later go on to write about in a series of books, the most famous of which is The Book of the Damned. His writing includes ideas that would go on to be extensively explored in both science fiction and paranormal research – things such as Cryptids, UFOs, poltergeists, strange disappearances, ancient mysteries and unusual natural occurrences. Tanner’s book examines the work and ideas of Charles Fort, their influence on science fiction, and the writers and editors who included and popularised them in their work, as well as the challenges faced by doing that. Charles Fort is a hero of mine here at Sphere HQ – without him, the podcast might not exist, so it was great to be able to record an episode about him. Tanner can be found on Twitter (@TannerFBoyle1) and you can get a hold of his book from McFarland Books. You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey.

My guest for this episode is paranormal investigator and author Ruth Roper Wylde. Ruth has written extensively on supernatural happenings in Britain, beginning with her book The Ghosts of Marston Vale and continuing with titles such as The Almanac of British Ghosts and The Roadmap of British Ghosts. Her latest offering is the second volume of These Haunted Times, which covers a wide range of first hand accounts of encounters with ghostly entities. In the interview we talk about her life-long interest in the supernatural, her approach to investigating reports of hauntings and some of the theories as to what might be behind this sort of paranormal activity. Ruth can be found on Twitter (@Ruth Roper Wylde), Facebook and Pinterest and her books are available from all good book retailers. If you would like to support Some Other Sphere you can do so via Ko-Fi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you! The Some Other Sphere is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.