Spectral Skull Session: Recent Episodes
Dane
We explore claims about the occult, supernatural, and paranormal from an analytic standpoint. We’re open to the existence of a world beyond the five senses, and we dismiss that dogmatic skepticism that insists that any story about the unexplained has to reduce to ‘hallucinations’ or ‘swamp gas,’ but we’re not committed to any particular theory or philosophy about what the paranormal is. And we realize that, whatever is out there, the answer is likely to be more complicated than any existing model or theory. What we bring to the table is small ‘s’ skepticism – a skepticism that we throw as much on the mainstream accounts, as we do on the supernatural story.
A special report on breaking news from June 5th, 2023, concerning Pentagon whistleblowers revealing the existence of allegedly illegal and improperly concealed programs to retrieve and study crashed UFOs. Former Air Force Intelligence Officer, David Grusch revealing that he has filed a complaint with the Intelligence Inspector General about retaliation after he began investigating illegal black box programs to study off-world craft without appropriate Pentagon oversight. Multiple current and former officials are corroborating his story, with additional whistleblowers said to be going directly to Congress. Is this the beginning of alien disclosure, a revelation about massive U.S. military misconduct, or a bizarre hoax?
Bruce Fenton returns for an update on his research into possible extraterrestrial intervention in prehistoric human development. Fenton has been finding scientific evidence that corroborates a story first related to persons in Australia through an interaction with an aboriginal mystical artifact. His research draws from converging lines of evidence from anthropology, geology, and genetics. The conversation starts with an outline of the astonishing story of an alien "megastructure" being destroyed in Earth orbit and the survivors taking an interest in the manipulation of our pre-human ancestors. It quickly pivots to a discussion of the mainstream academic geological controversy around a massive strewn field of silica debris scattered across Asia and Australia. Fenton links the debris field to the megastructure, posited by his anthropological sources. Importantly, Fenton points out that "mainstream" academics have struggled to explain the debris field, whereas his hypothesis that a megastructure was destroyed in Earth orbit uniquely explains various mysteries associated with the debris. Next, Fenton reviews the genetic evidence showing that dramatic and improbable changes in the ancestral human genome began around the same time as the event that created the debris field. Finally, the conversation pivots to the growing interest in Fenton's work, from the popularity of his 2022 scientific pre-print, to his securing of independent financial backing for additional research. It ends with a discussion of how Fenton's research relates to recent developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Could the aliens be less interested in us humans and more interested in the thinking machines we are in the process of creating? Could there be a glitch in human cognitive architecture that makes it difficult for mainstream society to grapple seriously with the possibility of alien intervention in the human genome? This is a heady and detailed discussion that no one interested in real scientific evidence for ancient aliens can afford to miss!
A review of the big, recent conspiratorial news: What is the Bilderberg Group and are they meeting to try and head off an AI apocalypse? Former Roscosmos chief questions American moon landing. RFK Jr., and Lyndon LaRouche and the conspiratorial American presidential candidate. Musk v. Magneto, who will win? Don't forget to build-a-samosa.
When a professor of physics started poking into reports of strange lights in the local highlands, he found himself entangled in the great 1973 UFO flap of Southeastern Missouri. When he published his book "Project Identification" he turned the small town of Piedmont's spooky lights into one of the best scientifically documented UFO cases in history. As his research continued through the 70's, the professor would be drawn into the High Strangeness and associated hijinks that often follow in the wake of sustained inquiry into the paranormal. The Piedmont lights are a mystery from recent history that continues to haunt the region to the present day.
According to the Pentagon's new UFO-report clearing house, the All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), metallic orbs are buzzing America's military service men and women. Meanwhile, the Russo-Ukranian war enters a terrifyingly unstable new phase. And Elon Musk warns that AI may destroy the world, but is he trying to hinder the apocalypse....or hurry it along?
Could DMT induce spiritual beliefs by activating a pre-existing disposition latent in the human mind? We examine this possibility in the astonishing conclusion to our exploration of why some people believe that the entities encountered while using the psychedelic DMT are real. After recapping previous coverage of DMT-induced spiritual belief, this episode pivots to examine traditionally religious people - Christians, Jews and Muslim - who are fundamentalists about DMT entities. Many of these people have not, and never will, experiment with psychedelics, but have nevertheless found a place within their conceptual schemas for admitting the reality of DMT entities as angels, demons or djinn. The episode then turns to the work of Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Rick Strassman. Strassman, who converted to Judaism as a result of his research and experimentation with DMT, makes the case for 'neurotheology' - the existence of a distinct neurological circuit inside the human brain that facilitates prophetic encounters. This episode ranges over modern Egypt, the rantings of Alex Jones, and the bizarre angelic manifestations in the Hebrew bible, to build the case that DMT spirituality may be an extreme manifestation of something deeply embedded inside the human psyche.
New tech and rumors of alien tech have been all over the U.S. news in March. First, British scientists made a breakthrough in superconductivity that could revolutionize the transportation and energy industries. Second, some context to make sense of why Congressman Tim Burchett told Newsweek he's confident that the U.S. has a captured alien spacecraft. Dane suspects the answer is the mysterious 'Wilson Memo' found in the estate of the late Edgar Mitchell that details an alleged conversation about a black-box reverse engineering program inside the U.S. government. Finally, the Pentagon and Harvard have teamed up to outline what an actual active alien mission to Earth might look like.
The ancient Mayan elves known as "Aluxe" may have released 'proof of life' through a photograph released by Mexico's President. Some background research reveals the Aluxe have a more interesting backstory than is being reported in legacy media. Meanwhile, the Russo-Ukranian war continues to escalate towards WWIII, even as China positions itself to mediate and potentially put an end to the chaos.
Computational neurobiologist, Andrew Gallimore, has a theory about what takes places inside the brain when a person uses DMT. Shockingly, this published neuroscientist maintains that DMT affords our brains access to a higher dimension. Dane reviews Gallimore's book and gives a critical analysis, arguing that the gaps in Gallimore's argument support his own theory that DMT undermines our rational faculties.
Menacing objects shot down over North America have been linked to a secret Chinese balloon-based surveillance program. But, not all of the four interlopers downed by the Pentagon in the past eight days fit the description of balloons. What is going on over America's skies? Could the Pentagon be suffering from a case of 'war nerves'? Is China plotting to strike the U.S.A? Or are we being revisited by the mysterious airship captains of 1896-97?
Dane builds the case that interesting and important news that makes the U.S. government and foreign allies look not-so-great is deliberately ignored by print media, TV and cable news inside the U.S. Meanwhile, the terrible coverage of legacy media is fueling an explosion of high quality independent journalism. Could a golden age of American media be happening right under our noses?
How can you learn anything about external reality from an experience that takes place entirely inside your own head? Initially skeptical of psychonauts, Dane reviewed DMT user reports and found five characteristic properties that seem to be self-authenticating. DMT users say their experiences contain elements that are hyper-real, not like being intoxicated, wonderous, trigger synchronicities, and demonstrate interpersonal stability. Dane compares the inference from mystical DMT vision to the reality of the supernatural to the writings of the great French philosopher Renee Descartes. In doing so, he builds the case that we can make sense of why many people who use DMT change their spiritual and metaphysical beliefs in response to the events that take place under its influence. Whatever you may think of all this, there's no escaping from the larger cultural ramifications of a molecule that makes people take the supernatural seriously.
When Paul Bennewitz believed he had proof that alien spacecraft were buzzing military bases in New Mexico, he went straight to the air force. Unfortunately, they sent him an agent of disinformation, officer Rick Doty. Bennewitz' life and career would be derailed as he became obsessed with a fake alien invasion, invented by Doty and the intelligence community to conceal their research programs and ferret out Soviet agents. This story from the 1980s raises questions about who we can trust in our search for answers about UFOs. At the end of the episode, Dane reports that mirage man, Rick Doty, is still active in the American UFO community. From working as a consultant for the X-files, to appearing in a recent Showtime documentary, Doty continues to sing variations on the same incredible theme of crashed saucers and UFO retrieval programs.
Has internet 2.0 been silently seized by the U.S. security services? Elon Musk thinks he has the proof. Was Twitter once the iceberg tip of a massive conspiracy run by the American three-letter agencies - FBI and CIA as well as the Pentagon?. According to Musk's 'Twitter Files' these government organizations co-opted and paramilitarized Twitter, transforming it from the "town square' of a virtual global village, into an unofficial wing of the U.S. national security establishment. The FBI calls the story a "conspiracy theory" whose sole purpose is to discredit 'the agency' but doesn't challenge the stated facts, only their interpretation. NPR frames the Twitter Files as part of an old and debunked right-wing narrative about censorship, while the frmr. attny. general of Missouri, Eric Schmidt, describes the situation as an attack on the first amendment rights of his constituents. In contrast to these very partisan interpretations, Dane argues that the issues here go far beyond political bias and challenge the integrity of the United States as an open, democratic society, as well as the future of the American-owned internet as a global meeting and marketplace for an interconnected and open global society.
Large numbers of people around the world share memories of events that never happened and things that never existed. Dane discusses this so-called "Mandela Effect" with an alleged CIA remote viewer, DJ Dooley. The interview focuses on Dooley's work unearthing shocking discrepancies surrounding whether the Fruit of the Loom logo ever featured a cornucopia. The company denies its logo ever had a cornucopia. Many Mandela Effect experiencers insist it once did. Dooley relates the discovery of bonafide records going back as far as 1973 that support the Mandela experiencers' position. This challenging session ends by exploring one of the more far-out theories about the Mandela Effect, including whether it was anticipated by the late Philip K. Dick.
Are UFOs passing through America's lakes and rivers on their way to hidden underwater bases? Dane interviews the author of “The Alien Colonization of Earth's Waterways A Reference Guide to UFO/USO Water-Related Activity” and founder of the Missouri MUFON Dive team, Debbie Ziegelmeyer. The conversation starts with what the MUFON Missouri Dive team is doing to advance civilian investigation of UFO activity. It branches out to some of the most intriguing water-related UFO sightings of modern times, from Shag Harbor, Nova Scotia, to Lake Baikal, Russia, to Clearwater and Piedmont, Missouri. Along the way, the interview touches on a little-known bible passage that seems to mention flying bread rolls, whether UFOs are actively camouflaging themselves as human aircraft, and how water sportsmen around the world can best prepare themselves for a water-related UFO sighting. At the end, Dane is thrilled to learn that a little-known river he personally frequents is believed to be an active UFO hotspot.
Was an advanced civilization 'reset' by a global flood 12,000 years ago? Professor of Anthropology at Kansas Univesity, John Hoopes, joins the show to critique the scientific credibility of Graham Hancock's claims to have found evidence that a pre-historic human civilization was destroyed at the end of the ice age. Hancock's work has exploded in familiarity recently after his multiple appearances on the Joe Rogan podcast and the debut of a Netflix docuseries showcasing his work, "Ancient Apocalypse," that aired November 11th. But was there really an ancient apocalypse that reset humanity back to the stone age 12,000 years ago? Dr. Hoopes argues that the evidence is slim. In his view, the very idea of humanity passing through cycles of birth, death, and rebirth belongs to an occult tradition that makes use of tools and methods that are inconsistent with good scientific practice. The conversation also touches on recent claims that the native Americans of ancient Ohio were struck by a cometary impact 2,000 years ago.
An interview with Missouri State Assistant director of MUFON, Margie Kay, about MUFON and the dramatic upswing in UFOs over the state of Missouri. Margie tells us that there has been a UFO flap taking place all over the state of Missouri since August, 2022. The conversation ranges from best practices for filming UFOs to some of the weirder aspects of recent Missouri UFO sightings, including encounters with 'birds' that reveal themselves to have machine-like properties. Dane raises the prospect of aliens disguising themselves as drones to evade detection and touches on the difficulty of distinguishing between submarines and river monsters in this informative interview. Why does Missouri have more UFO sightings and rank in the top ten states in the nation for UFOs? Margie suggests it may be that Missouri has more extraordinary activity.
Distrust and conspiratorial thinking has gone mainstream around the world. In Russia, prominent people are ranting about satanic conspiracies inside Ukraine. In the U.S., they can't even agree on what we should be afraid of. From Kanye West's dirty mouth to Putin's dirty bombs, the world's so-called elites are increasingly convinced that nefarious forces are plotting their demise. Dane counsels everyone to please take it down a notch before someone gets nuked.
Everyone knows Skinwalker Ranch is the most haunted place in America, but did you know the Pentagon spent millions investigating it and other paranormal hotspots from 2008 to 2010? The true story of a major military intelligence program to make sense of UFOs and orb attacks was detailed in the 2021 best-selling book "Skinwalkers at The Pentagon." Dane reviews this bookand its completely novel picture of certain UFO-like phenomena. Although the authors are focused on the technical details of their $20 million military intelligence program to investigate UFOs and weird phenomena, the phenomena they studied revealed itself to be more sinister than anything described in the works of John Keel or Jacques Vallee. Skinwalkers at The Pentagon describes investigators who were haunted by cancer-causing and immune-system destroying balls of light. These phenomena shook up the Pentagon brass so badly they labeled it 'demonic' and shut the research program down (although they may have done that no matter what the researchers found). While striving to be scientific and open-minded, the authors raise questions about whether their enthusiasm for creating a new science of the paranormal led them to throw caution to the wind at the expense of the health of nearly a half dozen government agents. Dane identifies the strengths and weaknesses of this challenging and important book in a critical book review.
A team of scientists in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev has published an article detailing their use of cameras to capture extremely high-altitude unidentified aerial phenomena. The researchers describe two different distinct kinds of craft, between ten and forty feet in diameter, moving close to orbital velocity in the exosphere about Ukraine. What is most astonishing, however, is the way in which these researchers were able to deduce the altitude of these mysterious objects. The researchers were able to infer the objects' altitude from their color. Dane explains how this works and validates that it is at least a theoretically valid process. The session ends with Dane's prediction that the Ukrainian conflict is turning into a re-enactment of World War I except with the addition of a lot of unnecessary fighting around a nuclear power plant.
Mac Tonnies' book "Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us" makes the case that the UFO phenomenon is terrestrial in origin. Tonnies' book posits a breakaway humanoid civilization operating parallel to humanity. The cryptoterrestrials are dependent on us for genetic material, but fear us as an existential threat. They kidnap humans for the material required to replenish their gene pool, while spinning an elaborate and fantastical story of their off-world origins. According to Tonnies, cryptoterrestrials are a better explanation for UFOs and other paranormal phenomena than the more popular extraterrestrial hypothesis, because they explain the nonsensical dimensions of UFO encounters as part of the cryptoterrestrial deception program. Dane outlines Tonnies' arguments in favor of cryptoterrestrials and critiques the idea before making the case that the cryptoterrestrial theory advances UFOlogy by reintroducing the potential role of systematic deception in understanding UFOs and paranormal phenomena.
Nikolai Federov believed that it is humanity's duty to colonize outer space, put an end to death, and resurrect the dead. He spawned a movement that inspired the Soviet space program, the musical instrument known as the theremin, and a range of occult, scientific, and pseudo-scientific research programs. Although Cosmism was eventually banned by the Soviet authorities, its influence changed the music and film of the twentieth-century USA. Today cosmism is enjoying a revival in modern Russia and is now virtually the state religion of a little-known north Caucus republic called Kalmykia. In 1997 the President of Kalmykia shocked Russia's leadership when he confided to Boris Yeltsin that he had had a close encounter with E.Ts. Since then the popularity of cosmist ideas in Kalmykia and the Eurasian world has only grown.
This is a five-minute announcement regarding the upcoming transhumanism session arc. Transhumanism is the idea that mankind should, or will, transcend the limitations of our mortality and finitude through the use of science and technology. The Spectral Skull Session is doing a series of sessions touring transhumanism, the impact and influence of transhumanist ideas, and making the case for transhumanism as an emerging form of religiosity rarely recognized as such. This piece also includes some corrections to earlier episodes.
Dane discusses mysterious stories from the war in Ukraine. First, a UFO blasts Russian troops in response to the prayers of a Ukranian church. Second, the Kremlin's Duma complains of Ukrainian biomutants. Third, Dane provides some real backstory to help make sense of the ongoing Russian allegations of secret U.S. biolabs inside Ukraine. Finally, is the United States transforming into the next Soviet Union? **Note: This episode was edited on 7/30 after publication. Two minutes of discussion of the 7/29 Olevinka explosion that killed 53 Ukranian POWs was removed. The reason for this redaction is that the discussion was supposed to illustrate Dane's point that the western press often fails to investigate mysterious events related to the war in Ukraine. On the contrary, by the morning of 7/30, CNN and other western news services have significant stories about the explosion and the U.N. has offered to investigate. We're happy to see the western media doing their job and hope this bodes for expanded and higher-quality coverage of the many mysteries of the war in Ukraine in the days to come.
HP Lovecraft has been declared the 20th century’s greatest horror writer by Stephen King, and influenced countless movies and video games. This episode explores Lovecraft’s influence with a focus on groups of people who regard him as a source of positive insight into the occult and esoteric. Dane reviews the themes of Lovecraft’s fiction, including the dangerous nature of knowledge, the subjectivity of knowledge, dysgenic horror, scientific occultism, and the Lovecraft mythos. British warlock, Aleister Crowley, seems to have borrowed from Lovecraft as evidenced by their use of similar terminology. The Crowley acolyte, Kenneth Grant, maintained that Lovecraft’s fictional Necronomicon is a real book that can be accessed through dreams. Dane argues against this on the grounds that Lovecraft wrote letters in which he insisted the Necronomicon was fiction. Even if the Necronomicon were real, Dane questions why anyone would want to communicate with Lovecraftian entities since those who do so in Lovecraft’s works tend to meet abysmal fates. Next, Dane discusses Jason Covalito’s book "The Cult of Alien Gods" which argues that the entire Ancient Aliens movement can be traced back to the French counter-culture of the 1960s through the editors at the Planete magazine and their book "Morning of the Magicians." Lastly, Dane discusses the Church of Satan whose own interest in Lovecraft is mitigated by their disbelief in supernatural entities. With all these different groups of people taking Lovecraft seriously, Dane sets out to explain why Lovecraft has such an effect on people. He posits that Lovecraft mastered the art of realism and cites scholar S.T. Joshi’s view that Lovecraft’s stories can be seen as incantations. Dane maintains that Lovecraft may be seen as unusually skilled at the art of making fiction seem real, a magical, if not necessarily supernatural skill. The episode ends with Dane refuting the objection that we ought not read Lovecraft because of his racism. Dane argues that Lovecraft grew out of his racism through real-life experiences and relationships, demonstrating the redemptive virtue of openness to experience. Shunning Lovecraft for being problematic would undermine our own open-mindedness. The listener is encouraged to find out for themselves if they enjoy Lovecraft, but to take care because this man’s writings have an established track record of making some people loosen their grip on reality.
Dane reviews British warlock and Thelemite magus, Aleister Crowley's best known works: The Book of Lies and The Book of The Law. Dane offers a unique interpretation that unifies both texts and helps explain Crowley's influence on the American counter-culture of the 60's and 70's. Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole of The Law!
Enoch. A mysterious biblical figure is described as ascending bodily into heaven in Genesis. He is alleged to have written a book of his travels through the cosmos and encounters with fallen angels; the eponymous “Book of Enoch.” This enigmatic text was revered by ancient Jews and Christians. Today, it is rejected by most established religions, but popular with counter-cultural spirituality and paranormal researchers.Dane argues that the Book of Enoch is a cultural touchstone that brings together Christian, Jewish and Greek mythology. More than that, the text provides a unified account of the origins of evil including the origins of such 'creepy evil' as giants, sirens, evil spirits and fallen angels. Furthermore, the forces of darkness are located in diverse liminal spaces around the cosmos - from hollowed-out mountains to chaotic zones in outer space. This suggests the book is attempting to explain why we encounter paranormal phenomena in fringe and borderland locales. Taken together, all the unusual features of this book suggest we can best see it as a "cryptidnomicon" - a unified account of weird and disturbing fringe phenomena. The episode ends with Dane reviewing the impact the Book of Enoch has had on modern magicians, bigfoot research and UFOlogy.
The American rocket pioneer, Jack Parsons, co-founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasedena while running a cult with his wife's younger sister. His bizzare life has been turned into the show "Strange Angel" on CBS+. Dane reviews the literature on Parsons, exploring the man's deeply personal life and the explosive impact Parsons has had on the American UFO mythos.
Congress attempted to bring the Department of Defense's new Airborne Object Identification Management and Synchronization Group (AIMSOG) to account Tuesday with an open hearing on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Although many left the briefing disappointed, a tense exchange over a mysterious memo raises new questions about what might be going on behind the scenes when it comes to Congress, the Department of Defense, and the search for the truth about UAPs.
Bruce R. Fenton, author of "Exogenesis: Hybrid Humans" comes onto the show for a deep dive into his theory that an interstellar object - possibly a spacecraft - exploded over ancient Australia. The discussion begins with Fenton recapping his 2020 book, before elaborating on how his research is developing. Fenton's work is genuinely multi-disciplinary, integrating published results from anthropology, geology and astronomy to support his case that something extraordinary happened in the Southern Hemisphere over 780,000 years ago. If the strongest version of Fenton's theory turns out to be true, then that event transformed our ancestors into early modern man. Anyone who genuinely wants empirical evidence before countenancing an ancient aliens theory can't afford to miss this conversation.
Could extra-terrestrials have intervened in primate evolution to accelerate the emergence of humans? Bruce and Daniella Fenton think so. Their book "Exogenesis: Hybrid Humans: A Scientific History of Extraterrestrial Genetic Manipulation” promises scientific evidence in support of alien intelligent design. Dane reports on the scientific content and the degree to which it actually does support an intervention hypothesis. The answer has a lot less to do with genetic anomalies and more to do with Australian meteorites.
Anthropologist Gregory Forth is making waves ahead of the publication of his new book "Between Ape and Human," telling the media that the extinct hobbit-man, Homo Floresiensis, is still living in Indonesia. The uncertainty surrounding the extinction of this hominoid species raises questions related to the long-term survival of the human race: Could the Ukraine war go nuclear? Would UFOs intervene to prevent WWIII? And is Musk's purchase of Twitter a step away from the apocalypse...or towards it?
Dane examines a variety of articles and rumors linking the deceased sage to Russian President Vladamir Putin. Rejecting the argument that Putin is the reincarnation or clone of Rasputin, Dane makes the case that the better Rasputin is Russian political philosopher Alexander Dugin. As early as 1997, Dugin called for the invasion of Georgia, Ukraine and the mass murder of Ukrainians - all of which have been attempted by the Russian regime. This suggests that Dugin really does have significant influence over Russia's rulers, just as the late Rasputin exerted malevolent influence over the Russian royal family. The episode ends probing allegations that Dugin has connections to various occult philosophies, with Dane surprised to find that he really does think that Dugin is playing an evil role in steering Russia and the world towards calamity.
Starting with a discussion of the cult classic "The Eighth Tower," the conversation moves to map Keel's ideas onto the landscape of contemporary lore. We learn that Keel's travels exposed him to the arcane theology of the middle eastern Yezidi people. These so-called 'devil-worshipers' gave Keel the idea of a machine that projects influence over human history in the form of specters, apparitions, and religious manias. Integrating this idea with his own research, Keel proposed that the increasingly bizarre nature of UFO and cryptid encounters might be a sign that unknown occult influencers are in need of a new means of control - the Eighth Tower.
This line of speculation leads to a discussion of modern esoterica, including the 'name game', synchronicities, 'dead internet', and whether the world wide web could be a trojan horse for reasserting weird dominion over our haunted planet. The conversation ends with a discussion of the psychic perils of daring to think like John A. Keel.
An interview with Ted from The Gaslight Hour Podcast about the American journalist and UFOlogist, John Keel. Starting in the early 1970s, Keel began publishing books and articles that pushed back against the idea that UFOs are flying machines originating from elsewhere in our universe. His twelve books on the paranormal take a broader view that integrates the flying saucer phenomena into hauntings, cryptids, and demonic possession. Most of this first half of the discussion focuses on the evolution of Keel's thought; from his ideas about breakaway civilizations, to his 'ultra-terrestrial' and 'superspectrum' hypotheses. Towards the end, the conversation shifts to some of Keel's intellectual influences including possibly Charles Fort, Jacques Vallee, and an esoteric cyberneticist.
This episode was originally published in April, 2021, but was dropped from the RSS feed
It is an undisputed fact that some of America's top scientists log long hours and strange devotions to the suspected remains of crashed flying saucers. In her book, "American Cosmic: UFOs, Technology, Religion," Dr. Diana Pasulka reports from inside this community of talented Americans obsessed with alien spacecraft. She also argues that, following the lead of their technogentsia, ordinary Americans are falling under the sway of a new popular religiosity devoted to extraterrestrials. Because Dr. Pasulka is chair of philosophy and religion at the University of North Carolina Willmington, we examine her incredible claims with the utmost seriousness. Is Dr. Pasulka a lucky scholar who beat the public to alien disclosure? Has she stumbled into the midst of a new "scientific" cult? or is she a pawn in our government's cynical quest to control a budding new form of spirituality? If you listen to this episode, you will be able to decide for yourself whether aliens, angels, demons, madness (or none of the above) now obsess the hearts and minds of America's most capable researchers. This is a rare episode at the crossroads of the future of the United States and the salvation of our own immortal souls!
In the latest S3, Dane makes the case for the existence of an "integrated control network" (ICN) which increasingly weaponizes the label 'misinformation' as a tool of social control inside the United States. Dane outlines some of the ICN's operations through a discussion of the recent controversies surrounding the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
New research published in the journal Nature marshals archeological findings and oral histories to make the case that a comet devastated ancient Ohio less than two thousand years ago, dramatically shaping native American culture, and possibly initiating the collapse of an entire civilization.
Returning guest, Luther Wissa, joins the show for an open-ended conversation about the rolling crisis that is the contemporary United States. Topics range from political polarization and corporate capture to conspiracies, cults, and Adam McKay's new film 'Don't Look Up'. Say goodbye to the old and hello to the New Year alongside Spectral Skull Session. For tonight we are asking "what has gone wrong and how should we respond to it?"
Neal Sibley discusses his book "Deception by Design: Understanding the Paranormal from a Biblical Perspective". This second part of the interview ranges over ghosts, hauntings, UFOs, and the works of the paranormal investigator John Keel.
A version of the Gillibrand amendment mandating the Department of Defense establish an office to study the threat UAPs pose to U.S. national security and DoD personnel has passed. Meanwhile, Stanford professor, Gary Nolan, gave a wild interview that links UAPs, Havanna Syndrome, and Skinwalker Ranch to unusual brain structures.
Author and screenwriter, Neal Sibley, discusses the Bell Witch of Tennessee and his belief that this famous 19th-century haunting was the work of a fallen angel. This is the first in a two-part interview focusing on Sibley's new book "Deception by Design: The Biblical Interpretation of The Paranormal."
Ten mysteries of the independent, Caucasian nation of Georgia, including pagan revivals, cryptids, shamanic possession, mystery bone pits, and a possible connection between Georgia and Atlantis. If you have any inside information about Georgia (Sakartvelo) contact the show at spectralskull@protonmail.com
A proposed amendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act would create a permanent office to investigate UAPs. Digging into the legislation, Dane unravels a thread that leads to a Harvard astronomer, a former intelligence official, and possible space poltergeists.
In 1977, the legendary American author gave an unnerving speech in Metz, France. Speaking at a science fiction convention, Dick claimed that his published novels were received transmissions from alternative realities and speculated that Jesus was a time-traveler. What happened to the late Philip K. Dick? Confronting evidence to the contrary, Dane argues that the man was not insane, but a creative genius who set the stage for pro-science reboots of mainstream religions, as of yet to be realized.
Luther Wissa is a lifelong practitioner of glossolalia, an American businessman, and author. He first started speaking in tongues at age 11, while attending a retreat in his birthplace of Egypt. Wissa describes glossolalia as a kind of meditation that anyone can practice, regardless of their religious beliefs or metaphysical commitments. The conversation ranges over esoteric spiritual practices, evolutionary explanations for glossolalia, and how accessing an alternative state of consciousness helped Wissa write his first book, "The Race: What's Wrong With Capitalism and How to Fix It".
New research findings show that attending a psychedelic retreat causes significant changes in a person's belief system. Psychadelic ritual attendees report increased confidence in the reality of a supernatural world, the distinction between mind and body, and the non-existence of free will. Is this because psychedelics give us access to hidden truths about the structure of reality or it is because they induce a permanent state of delusion?
Dane advances the conversation about extraterrestrial visitation with a new argument that harkens back to an earlier age of space-alien enthusiasm. We've all heard the skeptical criticism that Earth is too far away from other stars for intelligent aliens to get here. But what if the call is coming from inside the house? It's time we revisited the 19th-century intuition that extraterrestrials are native to our own skies.
If you are convinced that interstellar travel is implausible, then it's time to contemplate whether any aliens visiting Earth likely originated from a world located within one light-year of our own. In making the case, Dane relies entirely on mainstream astronomical research. Exploring articles on the watery moons of Jupiter and Saturn, partially-liquified plutoids, lost planets, and rogue worlds, Dane aims to persuade skeptics of interstellar travel that intelligent extraterrestrials probably originated from local space.
This is a special episode of Spectral Skull Session specifically arguing against the skeptic who admits that there is something strange and unexplained behind military-documented UFO encounters but is unable to reconcile the possibility of alien visitation with the vast and unfathomable distances of interstellar space. Let's move the conversation forward into the ice-encrusted oceans of our (possibly) super-squid haunted solar system!
In light of an uptick in witch-hunting vigilantism in Papua New Guinea, Dane takes a moderate stance on anti-witchcraft laws, arguing that while extra-judicial killings are always wrong, it is acceptable to prosecute certain kinds of witchcraft. He also discusses the strange case of the Belarussian anti-government activist, Roman Protasevich, who prophesized his own capture by government forces in a dream. The episode ends rebutting science guy, Neil deGrasse Tyson's latest attack on the hypothesis that UFOs are extraterrestrials, in an article that recently appeared on CNN.com.
Information regarding the upcoming Pentagon report on UFOs and their threat to U.S. national security has been leaked to the New York Times. Meanwhile, the conversation about the proximate origins of these mysterious craft has shifted towards the Earth's oceans. Dane reviews what we know about the Pentagon report and the rapidly changing nature of the UFO conversation. Note: This episode erroneously claims the entire Pentagon report was leaked in NYTs. In reality, information about the report was leaked and there is no evidence that the full report has been released. We apologize for the mistake*
UFO mania is reaching a fever pitch in advance of a highly anticipated U.S. governmental report, due June 1st. The pending briefing on UFOs and their possible threat to U.S. national security has millions asking whether 2021 could be the year America's military discloses the reality of extraterrestrials to the public. In this episode, Dane argues that the very fact that Congress demanded this report from the military and intelligence communities heralds a monumental shift in U.S. policy on UFOs. After reviewing evidence that the U.S. military committed to UFO secrecy in the 1950s at the behest of civilian leadership which was itself paranoid about potential Soviet subversion, Dane predicts what the upcoming report will and won't say about UFOs.
We are told that civilization is in the late stages of transitioning from an era of superstition to one of rationality. According to this, the story of disenchantment, the U.S., Europe, and the larger post-industrialized world have passed through dark ages of widespread belief in magic, gods, demons, and spirits and into a glorious period of faith only in science and matter. But, in his 2017 book, "The Myth of Disenchantment," Dr. Jason Josephson Storm, Professor of Religion at Williams College, gives the lie to this fable. Storm argues this story is plainly false - belief in the supernatural and paranormal is utterly normal in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Furthermore, the narrative of a decline in paranormal and supernatural belief is essentially a re-telling of one of the most ancient pieces of European mythology: the fabulous tale of the end of the era of the miraculous. In this episode, Dane reviews Dr. Storm's book and explores some of the darker vicissitudes of European intellectual history to reveal the degree to which a handful of ideologues have sold us all on a false narrative about "progress" as entailing a rejection of belief in the paranormal, occult, and supernatural. In doing so, these intellectuals have only, inadvertently, perpetuated one of the most ancient myths of the European-influenced world - the myth of disenchantment.
Watch out, debunkers, weirdos are on the march to reclaim the banner of skepticism! In this session, Dane sits down with Dr. Everett Fulmer, a professor of philosophy and expert on the history and philosophy of skepticism, to discuss what it REALLY means to be a skeptic. As Dr. Fulmer explains, traditionally, skeptics were profound thinkers who discovered compelling reasons for doubting the very possibility of humans ever acquiring certain knowledge. These free spirits developed razor-sharp arguments that challenge the Enlightenment view of rationality as the one true path to objective truth, even to this day. Tracing the roots of skepticism to Plato's Academy and the struggle against the ancient Stoics, Dr. Fulmer outlines the personal stories and public beliefs of history's greatest skeptics – from a man with the unfortunate first name “Sextus,” to an Italian monk who was executed after publicizing warnings about the apocalypse.
The second half of the show explores the risks and benefits of skepticism for lovers of the strange and unexplained: Is skepticism the key to tranquility? Can we doubt the material world's existence without getting run over by that truck in which we refuse to believe? Could it help UFOtwitter chill out? Or will skepticism plunge those who study it into madness?
If you dabble with weird ideas and turn away from mushy thinking, then this session will be red meat for you. We think through the philosophy of universal doubt in an episode that could make you question not just whether you ever knew anything about skepticism, but whether you have ever known ANYTHING at all!
Dane and Chris interview Amanda, a Pennsylvania resident who encountered a howling, foul-smelling humanoid, while living near an abandoned strip mine outside Plant City, Florida in 2013. Amanda provides one of the most vivid and richly-detailed descriptions of a "skunk" or "swamp ape" we have ever heard, in an episode that will give you chills!
The second part of the Khan interview begins with Khan explaining why he believes at least some of the content of his DMT experiences is more firmly rooted in reality than a mere hallucination. Dane and Khan discuss the entities Khan has been encountering in more detail. The conversation also turns to the scientific validity of DMT investigations, the future of Khan's research, and the future of the DMT research community. .
Many who smoke the potent hallucinogenic DMT report being transported to a hyper-realistic world where they encounter bizarre, otherworldly beings. But what is really happening to people who break-through? Dane talks to Dick Khan, a London-based writer, and researcher, who has a unique answer: using DMT attracts "occult entities" that lurk near the border of consensus reality. Dane and Khan discuss Khan's interest in psychedelics and why he first began to suspect that a non-human intelligence influenced his DMT experiences in this first of a two-part series.
The exciting conclusion to our series on Robert Anton Wilson focuses on R.A.W.'s retreat from politics. Pursuing a mix of Leary-inspired shamanism and Crowleyan magick, Wilson was haunted by synchronicities, spectral visions, and telepathic messages purportedly broadcast by entities from the Sirius star system. Wilson would later call this era of his life "Chapel Perilous." This is the story of how one great mind walked the line between open-mindedness and cosmic paranoia.
In the final part of a series on Atlantis, Dane builds his case for the reality of Atlantis. First, he defends Plato's honor against those who claim he made the story up. Next, Dane reviews the work of the notable pro-Altantis scholars: Ignatius Donnelly and Graham Hancock. Synthesizing the best evidence from disparate sources, Dane argues that we can reasonably believe that Plato's story of Atlantis was based on stories told by the survivors of a flood that marked the end of the ice age.
Chris and Dane discuss three wintery tales that weave through the uncertain space between fact and fantasy. First, Chris discusses the Indian army's alleged modern-day Yeti encounters in the Himalayas. Second, Dane recounts the strange case of Oliver Lerch's disappearance into the skies of Indiana on Christmas eve, 1890. Next, the duo discusses H.P. Lovecraft's mastery of mythic horror. Finally, Chris reads "The Festival," Lovecraft's story about a holiday homecoming that becomes a nightmarish encounter with the ancient and eldritch.
The episode begins with an international news round-up of UFOs and otherworldly visitations from the USA, France, and Israel. Next, Dane outlines French scientist & UFOlogist Jacques Vallée's arguments against the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Finally, Chris and Dane confront their growing suspicions that there is a, possibly sinister, story of manipulation and control behind UFO phenomena.
We are made of star stuff, orbiting a star, and dependent on that star. Does it not follow that stars rule our destiny? To explore that question, Chris and Dane unpack the case for astrology. After the team delves into the fundamentals of drawing up your horoscope, Chris discusses the possible role of seasonal change in explaining astrological signs. Dane speculates that astrology originated with ancient warring interplanetary civilizations.
Recent reports of giant birds and humanoid creatures over Northern Illinois have startled journalists into talking of the 'Chicago Mothman.' Is this the same cryptid that famously terrorized Point Pleasant, West Virginia, from 1966-67? Are these manifestations an ill portent for the windy city? Chris and Dane explore the possibilities in this Mothman-haunted episode!
The most commonly encountered cryptid is also one of the most terrifying. Chris and Dane discuss true stories of encounters with shadow people from Jason Offutt’s book “Darkness Walks: The Shadow People Among Us.” After that, we interview Jamie, a Connecticut woman who has been haunted by the shadow people for years.
A quick trip to the Church bathroom turns into deliverance; a Don Juan forms an unholy alliance of sorts; grandma's haunted bedroom. Chris and Dane map the possible explanations for exorcisms in this hell-raising episode!
When U.S. naval pilots began capturing video confirmation of Unidentified Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the early 21st century, the U.S. government mobilized to assess the apparent threat to America’s military operators. Could UAVs be software glitches, terrestrial drones, a Pentagon disinformation campaign, or something even more sinister? Chris & Dane comprehensively review the past three years of public news and declassified intelligence about the military’s growing interest in the UAV phenomena. Critically evaluating every possibility, we present the best evidence available in human history that shows there is something seriously strange happening in America’s skies.
When a respected psychologist published a series of studies supporting extra-sensory perception, he set the academic world ablaze. Cornell professor, Daryl Bem's article "Feeling the Future" has enraged some, delighted others, and cast doubt on the scientific foundation of psychology itself. Taking sides in the controversy, Chris and Dane square off in a debate over the infamous Bem experiments.
DMT is a powerful hallucinogen known for triggering encounters with mysterious entities, sometimes dubbed "Machine Elves." Chris & Dane explore the supremely weird stratum of psychedelic lore surrounding the Machine Elves in this far-out episode. The discussion ranges from clinical research on psychedelic usage to the early writings of famed psychonaut, Terrence McKenna. Are the Machine Elves real? Does DMT have the power to put us in contact with another dimension? Come along with us as we explore the possibilities!
In this week's episode, we discuss sightings of a North American Bigfoot-like creature distinguished by its foul odor: the Stinkfoot! Members of the Stinkfoot family include the "Swamp Ape" of Florida and the "Missouri Monster." Could the Stinkfoot be a hoax, a rogue monkey, or Florida Man in disguise? Follow us as we explore the possibilities!
The first episode attempts to answer all your questions about those mysterious beings allegedly brought to life entirely through the power of the human mind, the so-called 'tulpas'. We follow stories of tulpas from the nether regions of Reddit to the highlands of Tibet.