Some Other Sphere: Recent Episodes
Rick Palmer
Interview style podcast where Rick Palmer talks to knowledge experts on a range of unusual subjects including Folklore, the Paranormal, Magic, the Occult, and much more.
Joining me for this episode are Robert Williams and Jacqui Thackway-Winn.
Robert and Jacqui were part of a small group of people who in 2023 took part in an experimental magical project at Cley Hill in Wiltshire, England. Cley Hill is perhaps best known in fortean circles for being something of UFO hotspot, most notably ‘The Warminster Thing’ in the 1960’s.
The magical project was part of an attempt by the group to develop a new practice they called ‘Meta Magic’ and took place from January to December 2023, finishing on the Winter Solstice. A written record of their experiments, rituals and experiences was kept and has now been published by Liminal Gate Press as a book called The Magical Rites at Cley Hill.
In the interview I initially talk with Robert and Jacqui about their backgrounds and how the idea for the yearlong magical project came about. We discuss why they chose Cley Hill, some of the rituals they used and experiences that resulted from that and what the ideas and goals were for Meta Magic. We conclude by talking about The Warminster Thing.
You can find out more about Robert, Jacqui and the book at Liminal Gate Press.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
For this episode my guest for is academic and author Shira Chess. Shira is Associate Professor of Entertainment and Media Studies at the University of Georgia. For a long time she was a Game Studies scholar but her recent focus has moved to the ‘Digital Uncanny', resulting in her new book The Unseen Internet: Conjuring the Occult in Digital Discourse.
The book explores the magical thinking and occult influences that have shaped the history of digital spaces since the early days of the internet – and by extension, reality itself (or at least our perception of it). It examines subjects such as technopaganism, Gnosticism and simulation theory, reality hacking, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence and much more.
In the interview I begin by talking with Shira about her background and how the idea for the book came about. We also discuss the curious connection throughout human history between new or emerging technologies and paranormal phenomena (such as telegraphy and spiritualism).
Our conversation is more of an exploration of the themes and subjects in the book, rather than an analysis of the book itself but I think that we managed to cover a lot of interesting topics.
You can find out more about Shira and her research at https://unseeninternet.substack.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is psychologist and psychotherapist Michael Wilson, who joined me to discuss his recent book, Portals into Deep Imagination: Celtic Mythology, Nature’s Year, and the Quest for Soul.
The book is an anthology of weekly contemplations and practices for spirituality through the lens of psychology, inspired by the culture and mythology of the Celts in Britain and Ireland and their connection with nature.
Following the course of the Celtic year (beginning at Samhain), each weekly chapter offers tales and folklore from Celtic mythology, followed by a suggested practice of meditation and contemplation.
It explores the metaphor and symbolism contained in these myths and legends and shows how those themes can be used to examine the nature of the human mind and imagination and the relationship between them.
In the interview I begin by talking with Mike about his background and how the idea for the book came about. We discuss the structuring of the book around a yearly cycle and then our conversation broadens a little, exploring the importance of connecting with nature and the relationship between folklore, myth, the imagination, dreams and altered states.
You can find out more about Mike and his writing at https://www.michaelwilson.uk.com/. Portals into Deep Imagination: Celtic Mythology, Nature’s Year, and the Quest for Soul can be purchased from Aeon Books.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is historian and filmmaker Dean Bertram.
Dean’s current project is The Man Who Invented Flying Saucers, a documentary about the relationship between science fiction pioneer Raymond A. Palmer and the writer Richard Shaver, whose stories about his encounters with terrifying subterranean beings called Deros captivated readers in the pages of the magazine Amazing Stories (which Palmer edited at the time) in the 1940’s. The ‘Shaver Mysteries’ as they came to be known would also set the stage for the emergence of the UFO phenomenon in post-war America.
In the interview I begin by talking with Dean about how the idea for the documentary came about, after which we discuss Ray Palmer and Richard Shaver and the subtle way that their lives seemed to complement one another. We also talk about the Shaver Mysteries and the themes they explored along with Ray Palmer’s connection to Kenneth Arnold and the enigmatic Maury Island incident.
You can find out more about Dean and his documentary at https://www.facebook.com/TheManWhoInventedFlyingSaucers.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is Edward Tick.
Ed is a therapeutic mentor, pilgrimage guide,educator and poet. He has been honoured for his groundbreaking work in the spiritual, holistic, and community-based healing of veterans and other survivors of severe violence who suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and moral injury.
He also conducts original and groundbreaking work in the Ancient Greek tradition. Since 1995 he has led more than twenty pilgrimages to Greece, teaching ancient traditions and the use of myth, poetry, tragedy, literature and philosophy for deep soul exploration.
In his latest book Passage to Poros, Ed examines pilgrimage, sanctuary, and asylum under the god Poseidon, the ruling spirit of the island of Poros, and how these have been practiced through the millennia. He writes about the ancient healing traditions, including dream incubation of Asklepios, and using sacred art and ritual to connect with our visions and the divine
He also reveals life-changing mystical experiences he and his travelers have had over forty years of pilgrimages, including encounters with animal guides, higher powers, and oracles, as well as examining the physical and spiritual restoration of Poseidon’s sanctuary and contributing to its literary and mythological legacy.
Ed was pleasure to talk with and shared some fascinating stories about his life and work in our conversation. You can find out more about him and his writing at https://www.edwardtick.com/ and Passage to Poros is published by Simon & Schuster.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is Dr Gavin Miller, who joined me to discuss his research on the history of UFOs in Scotland.
In his work, Gavin doesn’t investigate what UFOs might be. Instead, he investigates the human side of the phenomenon in Scotland: the people, practices, cultures and organisations that have developed around them. He has given a number of presentations on this subject and was kind enough to provide me with the slides for one of these in preparation for our conversation.
In the interview I talk with Gavin about his background and the origins of his research. We then discuss the subject matter in question, beginning with how UFO encounters were initially received in post war Scotland, and moving on to discuss some of the people who experienced the phenomenon, the organisations that developed around the subject and some of the notable UFO incidents.
We conclude by talking about the importance of preserving the artefacts of Scotland’s UFO history and what form that might take, if possible.
You can find out more about Gavin and his research at https://ufos.ac.uk/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is author and folklorist Hugh Williams, who joined me to discuss his new book The Horn of Mercia; The Wild Hunt and The Spectral Huntsman of Central England.
In the book, Hugh explores the history of the legendary Wild Hunt, delving into the ancient origins of the idea, it’s emergence as a supernatural phenomenon in Medieval Europe and how it has been recorded and reported in the folklore of the English Midlands, where he grew up. He also writes about both the mythic figures who were said to lead the hunt and those that were solitary, most notably Herne the Hunter a character famously mentioned in the Shakespeare play The Merry Wives of Windsor. Hugh investigates the legend of Herne in depth and, using an evidence-based approach, theorises a new origin for this legendary phantom.
I begin the interview by talking briefly with Hugh about the medieval kingdom of Mercia. From there he discusses the history of the Wild Hunt legend, and goes through his theory about the origins and evidence for Herne the Hunter.
You can find out more about Hugh's book, along with his 'Mysteries of Mercia' social media accounts at https://www.mysteriesofmercia.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is paranormal author and researcher Fiona Dodwell, who joined me to discuss her new book A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls. Fiona has been passionate about the paranormal for many years. She has studied demonology, applied paranormal research, exorcism, and theology.
In the interview we begin by talking about her background and interest in the subject of haunted dolls, the famous examples such as Robert the Doll and Annabelle and the variety of theories connected to the phenomenon. After this we discuss some of the dolls that Fiona has personally interacted with and what those experiences were like.
A small item of housekeeping – there were some technical difficulties toward the beginning of the interview, so our conversation is a little shorter than I’d hoped for. However it turned out this kind of interruption isn’t unknown to her when discussing haunted dolls, which she also talks about in the interview.
You can find out more about Fiona and her writing at https://linktr.ee/Fiona.Dodwell.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is artist, filmmaker, occultist and magical practitioner Francesca Way.
Francesca is an expert Tarot reader and specialises in Ceremonial Magic and Witchcraft. Their practice is grounded in deep spiritual transformation and a life-changing connection with her Holy Guardian Angel, something which is only developed through an intense magical rite lasting many months known as the Abramelin Operation.
She also helps people with their own esoteric development in one-to-one sessions which can involve tarot readings, divination, intuitive guidance and a variety of other techniques.
In the interview I begin by asking Francesca about how their magical practice began and then we talk about the experience of going through the Abramelin Operation. From there we discuss the relationship between Francesca’s magical practice, artwork and film-making which leads into a broader conversation about the connections between magic, occultism and the paranormal.
You can find out more about Francesca at their website https://francescaway.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is author and researcher Tony Wright, who joined me to talk about his recent book Things Aren’t Right: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five.
The book explores the strange and tragic 1978 disappearance of five friends in the Plumas National Forest in Northern California; Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias. Four of these men had intellectual disabilities while one was diagnosed with schizophrenia. On Friday, February 24, 1978, they left the Yuba County, California area in Madruga’s 1969 Mercury Montego to attend a basketball game in Chico, California. Four days later the car they were traveling in was found abandoned on a snow-covered road in the mountains of the Plumas National Forest, some seventy-five miles in the wrong direction from home.
Four jurisdictions of law enforcement would investigate and search for the missing men. Psychics were brought in, and there were strange reports of sightings of the five from numerous people. One witness came forward with an incredible story of seeing the men disappear into the forest that night. Yet every lead came to a dead end. About four months after they vanished, four of the five men’s remains were found some twelve miles from the car, with one discovered in a US Forest Service trailer with plenty of food and fuel to keep them alive for months.
Once described as ‘Bizarre as hell’, the case of the Yuba County Five has baffled law enforcement and the families of the missing men for over forty-five years.
Tony’s meticulous research has rightly earned him the reputation of being one of the foremost authorities on the subject, and his conclusions are likely as close as anyone will come to making sense of what happened to Ted, Jack, Bill, Jackie and Gary.
You can find out more about Tony and his book on his Facebook page.
Nick Kyle's The Missing Enigma YouTube channel also has some excellent videos about the Yuba County Five case. You can find out more at https://www.youtube.com/@TheMissingEnigma.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is author and academic Alice Vernon. Alice is a Lecturer in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University and her research primarily involves the intersection between storytelling and the history of medicine, with a particular interest in sleep disorders, hallucinations and parapsychology. She has written two books connected to these subject matters and the most recent of these - ‘Ghosted: A History of Ghost Hunting, and Why We Keep Looking’ is the subject of our conversation.
In Ghosted, Alice examines the history of paranormal investigations, beginning in the séance rooms of Victorian era Britain and moving across time through the aftermath if WW1 to the technology driven ghost hunts of recent times. The book explores how approaches to studying paranormal phenomena have changed over the decades in response to technological advancements and shifts in cultural attitudes to the paranormal and shows how the pursuit of contact with otherworldly entities has enthralled people for so long.
I begin the interview by talking with Alice about what prompted her to write the book and then we delve into the pages of Ghosted itself, which leads to a varied conversation on the ways that people have continued to try and interact with paranormal phenomena and what it is about doing that that makes it such an enduring pursuit.
‘Ghosted: A History of Ghost Hunting, and Why We Keep Looking’ is published by Bloomsbury and information about the book can be found here. Further details about Alice are available on her staff profile page at Aberystwyth University
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is paranormal investigator, researcher and writer Kate Ray. In addition to scientific rigour, Kate’s approach to investigating hauntings is influenced by appreciating how these sorts of happenings were understood and described in pre-industrial societies and preserved in the local folklore. A good example of this is how what might be described as poltergeist activity in the present day could in the past have been considered the actions of a displeased house spirit, or fairy.
Kate has written extensively on a range of Fortean subjects, including two books inspired by the Wollaton Gnomes case and regular articles appearing in Haunted magazine. In addition, she hosts a faery inspired podcast called Hare in the Hawthorn.
In the interview I talk with Kate about how her career in paranormal investigation began and has developed around the connection between hauntings and the presence of beings which might best be described as fairies. The conversation opens out into a wide-ranging discussion on the nature of paranormal phenomena and the role that experiencers have as part of that. I also talk with Kate about the Wollaton Gnomes case and we conclude with her relating a very unusual entity encounter she had whilst visiting an ancient earthwork known as Wayland’s Smithy.
You can find further details about Kate's paranormal investigations and podcast at her Youtube channel Hare in the Hawthorn.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is writer and researcher Paul A.T. Wilson, who joined me to talk about his ongoing involvement in developments relating to a paranormal encounter that happened on the Isle of Wight in the UK over fifty years ago – that of Sam the Sandown Clown.
To describe the events of the initial encounter as unusual is somewhat of an understatement. In 1973, two young children were out playing near Sandown when they met the titular Sam – who was described as wearing a pointy hat, having triangular markings for eyes and a square nose on a pale face and arms and legs that seemed wooden. The children spent some time with Sam in a small hut and spoke with him, after which they left, and both he and his dwelling had disappeared. This encounter eventually featured in a journal of the British UFO Research Association in 1978 after which, the strange events of that day in 1973 faded somewhat, becoming a small part of paranormal history.
That was until a few decades later, when Paul was put in contact with someone who claimed to be one of the children who encountered Sam and has been given the pseudonym ‘Fay’. Paul was allowed to meet with Fay and talk to her about her initial encounter with Sam in the process of which she revealed she had met him again on four other occasions. These developments have been part of a renaissance of interest in the Sandown Clown incident, which has seen the adoption of Sam by Sandown as something of a fortean mascot, and him becoming an important part of the islands recent folklore.
The interview begins with Paul providing a brief summary of the initial incident, after which we talk about how his own interest in those events started, and how he came to meet with Fay. We discuss the memories she has of her first meeting with Sam, and then go into the subsequent encounters she had with him, exploring the themes they include which may offer some clues as to Sam’s true nature. We end by talking about the recent upsurge of interest in the Sandown Clown case, what makes Sam an important part of the Isle of Wight’s culture.
You can find Paul on Bluesky as Tales of Wihtlore.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
For this episode, I welcome back previous guest Laura Lewis-Barr. Laura first appeared on Some Other Sphere in episode 116, where we discussed her work as a stop-motion filmmaker, creating short movies inspired by myths, fairy tales and the ideas of people such as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell.
This time around, Laura joined me to talk about the relationship between states of illness and paranormal phenomena. The idea for this subject matter was prompted by an experience she had whilst on holiday in Greece in 2024, during which she suffered from an attack of Bell’s Palsy.
The interview begins with Laura describing the events that led up to the attack, along with the symbology and archetypal imagery she noticed around that time. From there our conversation opens out into a broader discussion on the liminality of being unwell, centred around an article by Dr Sabina Dosani titled ‘Ghosts and Angels: The Supernatural in Illness Narratives’. We discuss the effect illness can have on a persons sense of self and their perception of the world around them. and we finish up talking about some of the mythic characters and stories that feature motifs of illness and injury.
A full account of Laura's illness experience can be found at https://www.storysanctum.org/post/speaking-symbols-with-gorgons.
The article by Dr Sabina Dosani that Laura and I discuss in the interview is available at https://medicalhealthhumanities.com/2025/02/25/ghosts-and-angels-the-supernatural-in-illness-narratives/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is author Raphael Cormack, who joined me to talk about his new non-fiction book, Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age.
The book explores what it describes as a ‘golden age of the uncanny’ centered around the Eastern Mediterranean in the years following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. This was a time when Clairvoyants, fakirs, mind-readers, miracle-workers and jinn-summoners enthralled people and audiences with the idea that unseen spiritual powers commanded a realm of hidden human potential.
The story Raphael tells focuses on the lives of two such characters in particular; Tahra Bey, who took 1920s Paris by storm as a self-styled Fakir with remarkable displays of bodily endurance and mind reading ; and Doctor Dahesh, who combined a similar skill set with techniques from Spiritualism into something which would eventually evolve into a pan-religious faith in Lebanon.
Travelling between Cairo, New York and Jerusalem, Paris, Istanbul and Rio de Janeiro, these two mystics reflected the desires and anxieties of a troubled age, beginning in the aftermath of World War One and extending into World War Two and more recent conflicts in the Middle East.
In the interview I talk a bit with Raphael about his background, and how the idea for the book came about. From there our conversation loosely follows the structure of the book itself, first talking about Tahra Bey, and then Doctor Dahesh. It is a conversation more about a time in recent occult history, represented in microcosm by these two men, rather than an exploration of their purported abilities but it still provides a fascinating insight into a world that is quite recent, but mostly forgotten today.
You can find out more about Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age at https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/holy-men-of-the-electromagnetic-age/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is folklorist and author Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir, who joined me to discuss her new book Ghosts, Trolls and The Hidden People; An Anthology of Icelandic Folk Legends.
Dagrún Ósk’s research on the folklore and legends of Iceland has included the topics of cannibalism, Ouija board traditions, supernatural beings and, for her PhD thesis, women, femininity and gendered power relations.
Her new book is a window into the mythic and supernatural history of the Icelandic people. The six chapters of the anthology are each based on a different setting: farm, wilderness, darkness, church, ocean and shore. It features translated tales from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as introductions from Dagrún Ósk herself, which place these often-supernatural happenings in the context of Icelandic society.
The legends include stories of hidden people, trolls, ghosts, sea monsters and even polar bears, exploring themes of love, revenge and conflict. The book highlights the tension between Christianity and paganism, past and present, nature and humanity, and divides within society.
More details about Ghosts, Trolls and The Hidden People; An Anthology of Icelandic Folk Legends can be found at https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/ghosts-trolls-and-the-hidden-people.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
Joining me for this episode is philosopher Kimberly S. Engels.
Kimberly is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Molloy University and her research focuses on existentialism, phenomenology, and ethics. In 2023 she started a new research project on the UAP phenomenon, focusing on the lived conscious experience of individuals who report these kind encounters, and how they integrate these experiences into their understanding of self, other, and world. This work has seen her become Research Director at the John Mack Institute, and Advisory Board Member for the Society for UAP Studies.
Phenomenology is the direct investigation and description of phenomena as consciously experienced, without theories about their causal explanation.
In the interview I begin by talking with Kimberly about her background and exploring phenomenology in more detail. From there we discuss how its methods can be applied in the of study of extraordinary experiences such as those people have with UAPs/UFOs and also how it can help experiencers understand those events on a personal level.
Further details about Kimberly's research is available at https://kimberlyengels.academia.edu/ and to find her blog posts for the Society for UAP Studies, go to https://www.societyforuapstudies.org/blog. Kimberly also has a podcast series called 'Phenomenology of the Phenomenon' which is available on the Society for UAP Studies YouTube channel here.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is author and historian Karl Bell, who joined me to talk about his new book, The Perilous Deep: A Supernatural History of the Atlantic.
Karl is Associate Professor in Cultural and Social History and Co-Director of the Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures at the University of Portsmouth. Prior to his latest work, he wrote The Legend of Spring-Heeled Jack, which was winner of the 2013 Katharine Briggs Award.
As its title mentions, The Perilous Deep focuses on the Atlantic Ocean. This is a place whose vastness and unfathomable depths have inspired tales of ghost ships, reports of encounters with mermaids and sea monsters, and legends of mysterious islands for centuries. These stories were told by both seafarers and coastal communities and formed an important part of their culture.
In the book, Karl explores why these stories were told, how they were repeated and mutated and what fears, anxieties and desires they helped to express. It offers an insight into the supernatural history of the Atlantic Ocean and some of its neighbouring seas, showing how seafaring peoples have developed knowledge and a sense of control over nature through myths and legends.
The Perilous Deep is published by Reaktion Books - further details are available at https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/the-perilous-deep.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is paranormal podcaster and author Jim Harold.
Since 2005, Jim has built a global following with his flagship shows The Paranormal Podcast and Jim Harold’s Campfire.
Jim’s podcasts have been downloaded over eighty million times and consistently rank alongside major networks on the podcast charts. Going full-time in 2012, he has also authored six books in his Campfire series, which collect together the spooky stories and weird happenings people have reported to him from all over the world.
In the interview we focus on the Campfire project. I begin by talking with Jim about the origins of his interest in the paranormal and ask how his career in podcasting started. From there Jim shares some of the stories from the latest volume of the Campfire books, which leads us into to a wide-ranging conversation about the nature of paranormal experience, how that might relate to consciousness and the importance of storytelling in human cultures, and much more.
Further details about Jim, his podcasts and book series can be found at https://jimharold.com/
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
Joining me for this episode is returning guest Susan Demeter.
Susan is a Canadian born author, artist, and witch. The themes of her writing, research and art incorporate a lifelong interest in exceptional human experiences, UFOs, nature, social history, mysteries, and magic.
She was previously a guest back in 2021 for episode 62 of Some Other Sphere, where we discussed her book Cosmic Witch: Magic Witchcraft and the Supernatural.
This time around, Susan joined me to talk about a recent paper she has written about three roads in Ontario, Canada which each have haunted reputations.
The paper explores the paranormal history of these places—Mississauga’s Trail, Texas Road, and Buck Hill Road—both through her first-hand observations and research of primary and secondary sources.
I begin the interview by talking with Susan about what drew her to this subject matter and her own unusual experiences when visiting Mississauga’s Trail. From there the conversation opens out to cover the other two sites included in the paper and consider why some roads seem to attract paranormal phenomena. We discuss the symbolism present in some of the folklore and otherworldly beings connected to the roads, their role as both practical , imaginal and mythic spaces, the relationship between people and nature and what that all might indicate about the nature of our reality.
You can find out more about Susan and her writing at https://susandemeter.wordpress.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is Clive Bloom, who joined me to talk about his new book, London Uncanny: A Gothic Guide to the Capital in Weird History and Fiction.
Clive is Professor in Residence at Hull University, Emeritus Professor at Middlesex University and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Western Timisoara, Romania. He is a feature writer for several newspapers and the author of many books on topics from literature to politics, including the London political histories Violent City (2003) and Riot City (2012).
In London Uncanny, Clive takes the reader on a psychogeographical tour of the capital’s uncanny literature, arcane events and its infamous and imagined locations. The urban landscape is presented as a space of wonder and madness, both haunted by its past and haunting the present. With stories of death and murder, spiritualism, lunacy and the occult the London in the book is one where dreams and nightmares meet.
In the interview I talk with Clive about how the idea for London Uncanny came about, and some of the themes that are present throughout its pages. We discuss how different versions of the city intersect, such as the ancient and modern, the ways that some people have found ways to interact with the imaginary and mythic London, and how the effect of modernisation, such as the construction of the London Underground, have given rise to new mythologies and uncanny experiences.
You can find out more about Clive and his work at https://www.clivebloom.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
Joining me for this episode is research scientist and author Dr. Bob Davis.
After receiving his doctorate in 1981 Bob served as a professor for the State University of New York for over thirty years, where he conducted extensive research in the behavioural and neurosensory sciences, taught, and held many high-level administrative roles.
Following retirement, he published several articles in the Journal of Scientific Exploration and Edge Science and has given lectures at national and international conferences on consciousness, spiritually transformative experiences, and unidentified anomalous phenomena. He has also published four books - The UFO Phenomenon: Should I Believe?; Life after Death: An Analysis of the Evidence; Unseen Forces: The Integration of Science, Reality and You and most recently The Consciousness Connection: Extraordinary Human Experiences and the Nature of Reality, which has also been turned into a documentary.
As you can imagine with a subject as vast as consciousness, my interview with Bob is wide-ranging. I begin by talking with him about his early life and what drew him to a career in neuroscience, and then move onto how his interest in studying the more esoteric and fortean aspects of consciousness developed. We discuss how he moved past the materialist outlook he had developed from a career in science and the extraordinary experiences he had which helped him to do that. From there we discuss how such experiences are best looked at scientifically and what they suggest about the nature of consciousness and beyond that, reality itself.
You can find out more about Bob and his research at https://bobdavisspeaks.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is Nick Literski.
Nick is a Jungian scholar, spiritual guide, author, and retired attorney. Dissatisfaction with a career working in law, together with the experience of coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community, led them to rebuild their life and pursue their interest in the intersection of spirituality and psychology. After three years of training as a shamanic practitioner, Nick’s desire to help facilitate the spiritual journey of queer persons led them to earn a master’s degree in Spiritual Guidance at Sofia University, where their thesis work focused on how gay men from non-affirming religious backgrounds create their own sustaining, affirming spiritual practices. This work, in turn, inspired Nick to pursue further graduate work in depth psychology and attain a PhD in that subject. Their dissertation work involved a depth psychological analysis of Palaeolithic cave art, through Carl Jung’s technique of active imagination, with an eye toward what these images can reveal about the human religious instinct.
Nick is an accomplished author, having essays and articles published in multiple academic journals. They also co-authored Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration, published in August 2022 by Greg Kofford Books. In addition, Nick served briefly as Assistant Editor of the journal, Anthropology of Consciousness.
I begin the interview by talking with Nick about the life events that led up to their decision to change career and pursue their passions for psychology and spiritual development. From there we discuss some of the methods they use to help their clients and this leads into an interesting conversation about how best to understand extraordinary experiences and the importance of personal meaning and subjective reality in trying to do that.
You can find out more about Nick and their work at https://www.dancingancestors.com/ and they can by contacted by email at nick@dancingancestors.com.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is author Liz Williams, who joined me to talk about her new book Rough Music: Folk Customs, Transgression and Alternative Britain.
Liz holds a PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge and is a widely published journalist and writer of both fiction and non-fiction.
In Rough Music she examines the influence of themes such as transgression and shame in British folk customs, from ancient times to the present day. The book investigates a variety of ceremonial traditions in Britain such as May Day parades, Bonfire Night and other seasonal events and reveals the roots and roles of violence, mockery, protest and public shaming in some of these.
In the interview I talk with Liz about her background and interest in this subject matter and the connections between some of the customs detailed in her book and otherworldly folkloric entities such as Woodwoses, the Green Man and Black Shuck. We also discuss the debate around the origins of some of these traditions and how this contrasts and compares with the timeless quality that they possess, which is something that they share with a lot of paranormal phenomena.
You can find out more about Liz and her book Rough Music at https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/rough-music and further details on the 2025 Black Shuck festival are available at https://blackshuckfestival.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
Joining me for this episode is returning guest Dr. Josh Bullock.
Josh is part of the team behind Weekday Worldviews, a sociological project which in 2023 began investigating the relationships between personal worldviews and psychological well-being amongst those attending public psychic events in the UK. He was my guest for episode 114 of the podcast, where we discussed the project, the subjects it was looking at and the methods to gather information.
In the interview for this episode Josh returns to discuss the project findings in more detail. To begin with we briefly go over the background to Weekday Worldviews and its methodology, and Josh shares his own experience of attending a Psychic Night at a pub in Bristol. After that we look at some of the answers given by people who took the project survey and sat down for interviews. It reveals some very interesting insights into the differences between the ways people view the truth of something and understanding it, the role of science in determining that, psychological attitudes towards death and grieving and personal belief in a wide range of paranormal phenomena.
You can find out more about the Weekday Worldviews project at https://www.weekdayworldviews.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support it you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is archaeologist, explorer and educator Dr Ed Barnhart.
Ed specialises in studying the ancient civilizations of the Americas and has over twenty years of experience working at archaeological sites in North, Central, and South America. Of particular interest to him during his career have been the Maya, who are is the main subject of the interview.
In 1994, Ed discovered the ancient city of Maax Na, a major center of the classic Maya period in northwestern Belize. Later on he was invited by the Mexican government to direct the Palenque Mapping Project, a three-year effort to survey and map the unknown sections of the ancient Mayan city’s ruins. The resultant map has been celebrated as one of the most detailed and accurate ever made of a Mayan site.
In 2003, he became the director of Maya Exploration Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the study of ancient Maya civilization through study-abroad courses for college students and tours for the general public in the ruins of the ancient Americas.
He also presents the ArchaeoEd podcast, in which he shares his knowledge and experiences of the awe-inspiring civilisations he has researched.
We start off the interview for this episode by discussing how his career as an archaeologist began, what drew him to civilisations such as they Maya, and what his first experiences of visiting their ancient sites were like. After that I talk with Ed about the Maya themselves – who they were and still are, their customs, incredible talent for mathematics and astronomy and their fantastic architecture. Our conversation also includes their spiritual beliefs, and some of the supernatural beings that were part of their culture just to make sure this episode still has a little fortean flavour.
Further details about the Maya Exploration Center are available at https://www.mayaexploration.org/ and you can find out more about Ed's ArchaeoEd podcast at https://archaeoed.com/.
If you like what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep 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 music is taken from 'Window Area', from the album 'Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind' by The Night Monitor. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
Joining me as my guests for this episode are Elin Heron and Callum James.
Elin is returning to Some Other Sphere, having first been interviewed by me in the very early days of the podcast. She is a writer and musician, a talented tarot reader and a speaker of Welsh. Callum is a poet, artist, bookseller and magical practitioner.
Both have long been close friends and 2024 saw them each publish new works - Jude by Elin, which is her debut novel and The South Downs: Paths of the Dead byCallum, which details his experience of completing the South Downs Way, an ancient walking route in Southern England.
In Jude, Fifteen-year-old Nick has just finished his GSCEs and is stuck at home in the seaside village of Brexenham. What starts as a boring summer quickly transforms, as he meets Jude Fletcher, a wild and otherworldly boy. Nick is pulled into another world, but the disappearance of local girl, Jemma Cox, hangs over the community, and is something that runs farther back than anybody realises.
The South Downs is partly a grimoire of the walk Callum undertook, partly a linear topography, and partly a treatise on necromancy. It recognises the folklore, spirits, and the magic of a place and Callum writes as one who does this magic, speaks to these spirits, and follows this lore.
In the interview I talk with Elin and Callum about their writing and their friendship, how the ideas for their recent publications came about and how their approach to writing them developed. This leads into a wide-ranging discussion, covering themes such as the role of the imagination and imaginal thinking in otherworldly encounters, the connections between the dead and the landscape, and the nature of otherworldly entities such as The Green Man, a character who features prominently in Jude. I also get to share a couple of my own unusual experiences with them as part of our conversation.
Further information about Elin can be found at her website https://www.elinheron.co.uk/ and you can order a copy of Jude from her publisher, Lucent Dreaming.
Callum's website is https://www.mercurysbrother.com/ and you can order a copy of The South Downs: Paths of the Dead from Broken Sleep Books.
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 music is taken from 'Window Area', from the album 'Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind' by The Night Monitor. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.
My guest for this episode is paranormal researcher Loren Hughes.
Loren is the creator of 'The Ancients of Avalon', an eclectic amalgam of blog and social media where he shares his own unusual experiences along with the folklore and weird history associated with the area around Glastonbury in Somerset, England where he lives. UFOs, Cryptids, the Fae and of course, the myths and legends connected with King Arthur have all featured prominently.
Our conversation starts off with Loren talking about the background to his interest in the paranormal, how he ended up living in Glastonbury and his experience of moving to a town with such an esoteric reputation.
We talk about a few of the unusual encounters he has had over the years, on Glastonbury Tor and further afield, which leads into a wide-ranging discussion covering the nature of other realms, the beings that inhabit them, the role of meaning, dreams and the imagination in these kinds of encounters and much more. Loren brings the interview to a close with a fantastic ghost story, perfect for this time of year.
You can find Loren's Ancients of Avalon project on X/Twitter at https://x.com/theavalonians.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep 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 historian and author Timothy Grieve-Carlson. Tim’s work focuses on the intersection of esotericism, ecology, American religious history and the paranormal and his writing has appeared in magazines like Hellebore and in academic journals such as American Religion, Correspondences: A Journal of Esotericism, and Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft.
2024 saw the publication of his first book, American Aurora: Environment and Apocalypse in the Life of Johannes Kelpius – which is the subject of this episode.
Johannes Kelpius is an enormously influential but comprehensively misunderstood theologian, born in what is modern-day Romania in 1667. His time studying at university would expose him to esoteric ideas and religious practices that would prove influential in his life, leading him to eventually settle outside of Philadelphia from 1694 to 1707. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, his legacy began to warp under the scrutiny of both enlightenment historians and antiquarian authors, entangling him in the legacies of nineteenth century Rosicrucianism and the occult revival.
In the interview I talk with Tim about how he first became aware of Johannes Kelpius and what led him to write a book about the man. From there we discuss the environmental, political and theological upheaval that was happening in Europe in the time Kelpius lived and the esoteric ideas made available to him at university that would pique his spiritual curiosity and deeply influence the religion he practiced.
Tim also talks about some of the paranormal phenomena Kelpius witnessed in his lifetime, the events that would lead him to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to live a hermit-like existence in the wooded wilderness of Pennsylvania, and how we should view Kelpius’ legacy today.
Further details about American Aurora are available on the Oxford University Press website here and you can find out more about Tim and his work at https://www.timothygrieve-carlson.net/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep 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 provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
Joining me as my guest for this episode is paranormal historian, researcher, writer and speaker, Allison Jornlin.
Allison has been investigating strange phenomena for more than twenty years. Inspired by Chicago’s Richard Crowe, who kick-started U.S. ghost tourism in 1973, she developed Milwaukee’s first haunted history tour in 2008. Allison currently works as a professional weirdo, speaking throughout the U.S., writing for a variety of publications, and developing haunted history tours for American Ghost Walks.
In addition, she is a passionate champion of important female figures from the history of paranormal research and investigation, whose contributions to these fields have often been unfairly overlooked. Allison’s Paranormal Women blog highlights the groundbreaking work of people such as Lahe Gay, Zora Neale Hurston, Eleanor Sidgwick, Thelma Moss and Catherine Crowe, who is the main subject of our conversation in this episode.
Born in 1790, English mystery writer Catherine Crowe became fascinated with the work of German doctors and scientists who dared look into the realm of unexplained phenomena beginning in the 1820s. She strived to make their research available to ordinary English readers by writing two non-fiction books – the second of which, The Night Side of Nature became immensely popular. This 400-page work combines the stranger elements of classical history, shares discoveries by top German researchers, and compiled worldwide paranormal accounts from antiquity to Cathrerine's time. It played a crucial role in popularising terms such as Poltergeist and Doppelganger and was very much ahead of its time.
In 1854, Catherine conducted the first recorded single-blind study of a haunted house. Unfortunately, the chance for further investigation was curtailed after she was sidelined by a trumped-up scandal, which ultimately led to her fall into obscurity.
I start the interview by talking with Allison about how own her career as a professional weirdo began. From there we move on to Catherine Crowe, discussing her background and what prompted her interest in paranormal research and writing what is perhaps her best-known non-fiction work, The Night-Side of Nature. Allison tells the story of Catherine’s Haunted House investigation, and the sad events soon after that which led to her contributions to paranormal research being overlooked for so long.
You can find out more about Allison and her work (including further details on Catherine Crowe) at her website https://paranormalwomen.com/.
If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep 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 provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is Greg Eghigian, who joined me to talk about his new book After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon.
Greg is a Professor of History and Bioethics at Pennsylvania State University. An expert on the history of the abnormal and the paranormal in the modern world, his research has been supported by NASA and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
After the Flying Saucers Came begins with the 1947 Kenneth Arnold incident near Mount Rainier in Washington State and traces how that incident sparked an international drama involving shady figures, questionable evidence, suspicions of conspiracy, hoaxes, new religions, scandals, unsettling alien encounters, debunkers, and celebrities. It examines how descriptions, theories, and debates about unidentified flying objects and alien abduction changed over time and how they appeared in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Russia. It also explores the impact UFOs have had on our understanding of space, science, technology, and ourselves up through the present day.
In the interview I start off by talking with Greg about his background and what drew him to write a book on the subject of UFOs. We talk about Kenneth Arnold’s sighting, and the remarkable way that the term ‘Flying Saucer’ helped launch Ufology as the latest incarnation of humanity’s fascincation with visitors from the stars. Later on we discuss the way the book looks at the subject matter from a cultural context and talk further about how that viewpoint can help us to understand the human experience and meaning of encounters not just with UFO’s, but otherworldly, strange phenomenon in general.
Further information about After the Flying Saucers Came can be found at the Oxford University Press website here and to find Greg on X go to https://x.com/GEghigian.
If you like what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, 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 from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
Joining me for this episode is returning guest, paranormal researcher and author Ruth Roper Wylde. Ruth has written extensively on strange happenings in Britain, beginning with her book The Ghosts of Marston Vale and continuing with titles such as The Almanac of British Ghosts, The Roadmap of British Ghosts and These Haunted Times, with the latter two titles extending into multiple volumes since I first spoke with Ruth back in 2021.
In the interview we talk again about her life-long interest in the paranormal, which began with poltergeist activity in her family home. We discuss her approach to researching reports of hauntings and recording those details and some of the bizarre experiences reported to her, including an encounter with a dog-man like entity, and a potential time slip experience at a long abandoned RAF airfield.
You can find details of how to purchase Ruth's excellent books here.
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 paranormal investigator, writer and podcaster Dash Kwiatkowski.
Prior to their paranormal investigation career, Dash spent a decade as a touring stand up comedian, featuring in festivals around the United States. Now based in Providence Rhode Island, their latest project is the paranormal documentary series 'Liminal', in which Dash and their team search for the connection between queer identity and strange phenomena as they explore the mysterious and magical world of the rural south.
In the interview I talk with Dash about their background and moving from a career in comedy to paranormal investigation. We also delve further into the Liminal project, the ideas behind it, Dash's investigation team and some of the cases they are involved with in the show - one of which features legendary actor Ray Wise, of 'Twin Peaks' fame.
You can find out more about Dash and the Liminal documentary series at https://linktr.ee/LiminalTV.
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.
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 paranormal researcher and investigator Amanda Paulson.
Amanda has been actively investigating paranormal phenomena since 2008 and since then has visited numerous places with haunted reputations across North America, including locations such as Waverly Hills Sanatorium and the Lizzie Borden house. She specialises in focusing on the emotional aspects of haunted sites and also how that is important in the act of investigating them, which can help to broaden the scope for understanding what might be happening at such places.
In the interview I talk with Amanda about how her career in the paranormal field has progressed, from the early days as part of an investigation team in Montana , to more recently working independently in Spokane, Washington in the Pacific Northwest. We discuss some of the type of places she has investigated, the importance of the symbolic and emotional components of haunted locations, and some of the imaginative techniques she has developed to help with her research.
Our conversation also includes her experience investigating an allegedly haunted doll, and we end the interview discussing the most famous otherworldly being in the PNW, Bigfoot.
You can find more information about Amanda at her website https://www.prettyfnspooky.com/. Her experience with the haunted doll mentioned in this episode is available to watch on YouTube here.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere, you can make a donation via Kofi. 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 journalist and author Matt Salusbury, who joined me to talk about his latest book, Mystery Animals of Suffolk.
This catalogues a wide range of yet-to-be identified animals reported in the English county, together with folkloric creatures from local tradition in the region.
It opens with an examination of the mythical entities of East Anglian storytelling, including hairy wildmen known as Woodwoses which survive as carved figures in some of Suffolk's churches. There are accounts too of dangerous freshwater mermaids, as well as encounters with baby-snatching fairies, in particular centered around the town of Stowmarket.
The book also includes reported sightings of Black Shuck – Suffolk’s phantom black dogs, which have been reported reported from ancient folklore tight up to the 1970’s.
The mystery animals surveyed then become progressively more plausible, with the final third of the book devoted to an account of over one-hundred and seventy mystery big cat sightings withing Suffolk.
I start off the interview talking with Matt about his background and the county of Suffolk. We then discuss Mystery Animals of Suffolk itself and some of the creatures that are included in its pages, following the structure of the book, beginning with the mythic Woodwoses and concluding with the multitude of big cat sightings in the county.
Further information about Matt's research can be found at https://bigcatsofsuffolk.com/. Mystery Animals of Suffolk is published by Bittern Books and can be purchased at their website - go to https://bitternbooks.co.uk/product/mystery-animals-of-suffolk/ for more details.
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 is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is author and podcaster Thersa Matsuura, who joined me to talk about her new publication, The Book of Japanese Folklore: An Encyclopedia of the Spirits, Monsters, and Yokai of Japanese Myth.
After a childhood living all over the U.S. - as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska and as far south as Jacksonville, Florida, Thersa moved to Japan to study. She would eventually settle there and has now lived over half her life in a fishing town in the country.
Her fluency in Japanese allows her to do research into parts of the culture - legends, folktales, and superstitions - that are little known to western audiences. A lot of what she digs up informs her writing or becomes fodder for her podcast, Uncanny Japan.
Thersa is the author of two short story collections, A Robe of Feathers and Other Stories and The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales, the latter being a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award in 2017. She’s had stories published in various magazines, anthologies and serialized in the Asahi English Newspaper.
I begin the interview by talking with Thersa about the events that initially took her to Japan and what those early experiences of living in a new country were like. We also discuss the cultural history of the country and how that has influenced and is expressed in the relationship between it's people, the natural world and the supernatural.
From there we focus on Thersa's new book itself, exploring some of the beings that are featured in it, which range from mythical versions of historical figures, through to supernatural foxes and wolves, giant spiders and full on Lovecraftian horrors. We round off things talking about ghosts and Thersa shares some of her own uncanny experiences.
You can find out more about Thersa, her writing and podcast at her website https://thersamatsuura.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 author Gareth E Rees, who joined me to talk about his latest writing project, Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Lost Kingdoms and Flooded Worlds.
In the book, he explores stories of flooded places from humanity’s past – and those disappearing before our eyes. Sunken Lands peels back the layers of silt, sea and mythology to reveal what the history and tales of such places can tell us about our imminent future as rising sea levels transform our planet once more and reflects upon how these underwater worlds can teach us important lessons about the unavoidability of change, the ebb and flow of Earth’s natural cycles, and the folly of trying to control them.
Gareth himself describes the book as "an anxiety-fuelled trip through enigmatic landscapes that conceal and reveal tales of trauma from the past present and future".
In the interview, I start off by talking with him about what drew him to this subject matter and how that fits with the sort of themes he has previously written about and is expressed through the psychogeographical context that features in his work.
From there we discuss Sunken Lands itself, the ancient origin of flood myths and some of the places and legends that feature in the book, such as Lake Bala and the lowland hundred in Wales, the Fens of Eastern England and of course, Atlantis. Towards the end of the interview, we talk a bit about if and how stories will be told which will preserve the memory of flooding and it’s effect on contemporary society.
Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Lost Kingdoms and Flooded Worlds is published by Elliott & Thompson - details on how to order a copy are available at https://eandtbooks.com/books/sunken-lands/. To find out more about Gareth and his writing go to http://www.unofficialbritain.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.
Joining me for this episode is writer, researcher and publisher Kingsley Dennis. Kingsley has written extensively on social and digital futures, global affairs, and conscious evolution. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books including Breaking the Spell: An Exploration of Human Perception, Unified: Cosmos, Life, Purpose and Hijacking Reality: The Reprogramming & Reorganisation of Human Life. He also serves as Director of Publications for the Laszlo Institute for New Paradigm Research.
His latest book - which is the subject of this episode, is The Inversion. This is an exploration of the cultural trends and dominant ideas that seem to influence an increasing level of control in consensus reality and a distortion of the world we perceive around us. It also examines the historical background of perceiving this manipulation, through schools of thought and occult philosophy such as Gnosticism and Hermeticism, as well as more recent examinations in literature, such as in the work of Philip K Dick.
In the interview I talk with Kingsley about his background and interest in these ideas and how his new book is the most recent expression of that. We discuss the premise of ‘The inversion’ itself, the connection to that of concepts such as consensus reality and reality constructs, how it can be seen via the dangers of movements such as transhumanism and unchecked technological progression and how society has expressed those concerns throughout human history through modes of spirituality, philosophy, and popular culture.
You can find out more about Kingsley and his writing at https://kingsleydennis.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 provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is Laura Lewis-Barr. Laura is an award winning film-maker, who specialises in the medium of stop-motion to create short movies inspired by myths, fairy tales and the ideas of people such as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. In her films, she uses dolls to portray an eclectic array of characters and does all of the costuming, set design, filming and editing. Her films are part of a larger project called Psyche’s Cinema.
Prior to her film-making, Laura was a graduate student in clinical depth psychology and her interest in Jungian psychology is an important part of her film making projects.
In the interview I stalk by talking with Laura about the origins of the idea for Psyche’s cinema, and what drew her to the medium of stop-motion film-making. We then discuss some of the mythic and psychological themes she has explored in her films, the importance and value of mythic ideas, and how they persist in modern human culture and can help us better understand paranormal phenomena.
You can find out more about Laura and her films at https://psychescinema.com/.
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.
My guest for this episode is Sharon Hewitt Rawlette.
Sharon is a philosopher who writes for both popular and scholarly audiences on the topics of consciousness, anomalous experience, ethics, and spirituality. She has a PhD in philosophy from New York University and taught at Brandeis University before launching her career as an independent writer and researcher. She is also the founder and director of the Mind & Meaning Institute, which brings together world-class researchers to explore new philosophical and empirical approaches to the deepest questions raised by human experience.
Soon after leaving academia for a career as an independent writer and researcher, Sharon became interested in the phenomenon of “coincidence” or “synchronicity”: strange, enigmatic experiences that aren’t blatantly paranormal but that seem so improbably meaningful that they make us wonder whether something more than chance lies behind them. Her May 2019 book, The Source and Significance of Coincidences, presents a wealth of evidence concerning the statistical importance of coincidences, their range of possible causes, and how we can best interpret their implications for our lives.
In November 2021, Sharon was named a runner-up in the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies essay contest for her essay “Beyond Death.” This essay summarises and analyses the best evidence for life after death collected over the last 150 years.
I begin the interview by talking about what first interested her in anomalous and strange experiences and how that developed as a student, into academia, and becoming an independent researcher. We then discuss her work on coincidences, before focusing on her essay Beyond Death, exploring some of the Third Person and First Person evidence that she collected for that and how scientific research might progress when it comes to investigating the survival of human consciousness.
Further information on Sharon and her research can be found at https://sharonrawlette.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 Dr Josh Bullock. Josh is a senior lecturer in the Criminology, Politics and Sociology department of Kingston University London and part of the team behind Weekday Worldviews, a sociological project which is investigating the relationships between personal worldviews and psychological well-being amongst those attending public psychic events in the UK.
It is the first project of its kind, and offers a unique look at this grassroots phenomenon using mixed methods (survey, observation, interview, comparison), which will allow the analysis of patterns of belief and their implication for understanding the relationship between science, spirituality, and well-being.
I begin the interview by talking with Josh a little about his background and the type of work he has done prior to Weekday Worldviews. We then discuss how he became involved with the project and the other people involved in it, before moving on to talk about the methods used to gather the necessary data and what will happen once that process has been completed, and the results analysed. I also talk with Josh about his perspective on relationship between studying the paranormal and both its place and perception within academia.
To find out more about the Weekday Worldviews project, and potentially participate go to https://www.weekdayworldviews.com/.
If you are in a position 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 Gary Opit. Gary is an Australian zoologist, cryptozoologist, and author. He also hosts a wildlife talkback radio show on ABC North Coast NSW Local Radio and between 1997 and 2015 conducted a citizen science project, collecting data based on the phone calls and emails he received during that time from people seeking assistance identifying wildlife they had encountered.
Often these would be turn out to be examples of rare known and existing species of animal, but a significant amount were not and indicated the survival of animals previously thought long extinct on the Australian mainland, such as the Thylacine and Marsupial Lion, as well as completely unknown species, including ape and hominid like creatures, commonly referred to in Australia as the ”Yowie”.
Gary has had an incredibly varied career, working as a State Park Ranger, as well as at a number of schools and universities, teaching subjects such as Anthropology, Ecology, Zoology and Botany. His knowledge of the wildlife of Australia is extensive as is that of the history of cryptid sightings in the country.
As you might imagine, our conversation in this episode is a wide ranging one. I talk with Gary about how his interest in Australian cryptids started, the fossil record of wildlife in Australia and the range of habitats that could potentially allow the survival of some of those species into the modern day. Gary talks about some of his own experiences as well as encounters that other people have had with an impressive array of unusual creatures.
Further details on Gary and his research are available on his Facebook page 'Australian Cryptozoology Gary Opit', which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/doolagarl/ and a Kindle version of his book 'Australian Cryptozoology' can be purchased via Amazon here.
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 author and historian Dr Richard Sugg. Richard has written both fiction and non-fiction on a wide range of unusual subjects - from John Donne in 2007, through to Mummies, Cannibals and Vampires in 2011, Fairies: A Dangerous History in 2018, and more recently: A History of Disgust from Jesus Christ to Boris Johnson in 2023.
His research has featured in popular magazines and press, and Richard has appeared on international television and radio, in addition to guesting on various podcasts. He has been published with institutions such as BBC History, The Guardian, The Lancet, Der Spiegel, and the New Yorker.
He has also published three edited collections of historic stories with a Fortean twist: A Century of Supernatural Stories, A Century of Ghost Stories and A Singing Mouse at Buckingham Palace.
These books come together in recent research Richard has done on animal homing instincts, perhaps most famously exemplified by Bobbie the Wonder Dog, who returned to his family home in Oregon after a six month, three thousand mile journey in February 1924.
In the first half of the interview I talk with Richard about some of the subjects he has written on and how his interest in weirder topics progressed during that time, which has seen his attitude to the paranormal change accordingly. We talk about some of the ghostly encounters that have been reported to him and the validity of anecdotal evidence, which for many paranormal phenomena is extensive.
After that we focus on Richard’s current research into the remarkable homing abilities of animals such as Bobbie the Wonder Dog, along with other examples such as Railway Jack, Lampo, and an Irish Terrier called Prince.
You can find out more about Richard and his writing at https://doctorrichardsugg.com/ and his recent article for The Guardian is available here.
If you would like to make a donation to support 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.
My guest for this episode is Charis Cotter. Charis is an award-winning author who specialises in writing ghost stories, many of which are influenced by the history, folklore and landscape of Newfoundland where she lives.
Alongside her writing, Charis has worked in schools and libraries across Canada, using drama and storytelling to bring her books to life. She has also encouraged Newfoundland children to collect traditional ghost stories from their communities as part of a project which has seen two books of these tales published, written and illustrated by the students.
I begin the interview by talking with Charis about how her interest in ghosts started from an early age, and how moving to Newfoundland has influenced her passion for writing stories about them. We discuss the relationship between ghosts, storytelling and people and how the importance of that can be seen in the history of Newfoundland as well as in the present day with the projects she has worked on with local school children. We also debate how stories about ghostly encounters may offer an insight into the true nature of what might be happening when people have these experiences and how that can offer a better way to frame a discussion on the paranormal outside of believing or not believing.
Charis also provides some accounts of local ghostly encounters that have been reported to her, which are great examples of why these types of stories fascinate us so much.
Information about Charis and her books can be found at her website https://www.chariscotter.com/.
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 provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is Natalie Doig. Natalie is the creator of Weird in the Wade, a blog and podcast which details her exploration of the spooky happenings, forgotten history and curious folklore of the area around her hometown of Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire England.
This has seen her investigate a wide range of unusual cases, from a shop plagued by ghostly activity to UFO sightings in the 1950s, a haunted woodland and a fire that devastated Biggleswade in1785. Natalie has a very engaging presenting style and a real talent for rediscovering local stories that have slipped from recent memory.
In the interview we begin by talking about how her interest in the paranormal started and then we move on to some of the stories covered in Weird in the Wade, and what makes them and the weirdness they feature so interesting.
To find out more about Weird in the Wade go to https://weirdinthewade.blog/.
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 as my guest for this episode is Sue Terry. Sue is an academic of weird and occult literature – her research interests involve her exploring the relationship between 'the occult' and literary fiction and understanding how texts of all kinds can help us interpret paranormal phenomena to develop a better appreciation of it.
She is currently writing a book on fantasy author Alan Garner as well as researching her PhD in feminist occult literary modernism at the University of Surrey and it is these two areas which my conversation with her focuses on.
Alan Garner’s work is deeply connected to the local landscape of Cheshire in Northern England where he grew up and often features the emergence of mythic and fantastical events in the everyday world – sometimes in a subtle way but not always. His fascination with the relativity of space and time is also prevalent and means that his stories are full of high strangeness, with ancient evils, gateways to otherworldly realms and the lasting effect of mythic betrayal and murder featuring prominently in some of his most beloved works, such as Elidor and The Owl Service.
I begin the interview by talking with Sue about her research and her PhD thesis, after which we talk about Alan Garner – from his traumatic childhood which may have ignited his imagination onto some of his best known works and the themes they explore.
Further details on Sue, her work and the courses she runs can be found at her website https://www.sueterryacademic.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 Dr Diana Walsh Pasulka, who joined me to talk about her new book ‘Encounters: Experiences with Non-human Intelligences’.
Diana is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She writes and teaches about the history of the catholic tradition and new religious movements, particularly as they intersect with digital technologies. Her published work has explored topics as varied as from the catholic doctrine of purgatory to UFOs, to human potentials and has received international acclaim, with her 2019 book ‘American Cosmic’ especially offering an intriguing insight into the religiosity of the UFO mystery.
In Encounters, she writes about the work of experts across a range of fields who are endeavouring to connect humanity with unknown life-forms and help to encourage a rethink on some of our most basic assumptions about life and its manifestations beyond our experiences.
I begin the interview by talking with Diana about her first book about purgatory, and how researching and writing that led on to her other writing projects such as American Cosmic. We then move on to her new book and talk about some of the people featured in it, and the work they are doing to help reorientate our understanding of the world around us.
To find out more about Diana's research and her books go to https://dwpasulka.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 Victoria Jaye. Victoria is a folklorist, writer, podcaster and author whose areas of research is demonic experiences, narratives, and phenomena. She runs a blog called The Demon Folklorist and her first book ‘The Black Hours: Modern Demonic Experiences and Folklore’ is due to come out in October 2023.
I begin the interview by talking with Victoria about her own experience that prompted an interest in demons. We then discuss the enigmatic nature of what these entities might be (and also what they aren’t), how they are primarily contextualised via the route of ritual magic and religion, what drives their hostility towards humans and the role pop culture has played in a modern understanding of these beings in the western world.
Victoria has also developed her own system for identifying a demonic presence using the five senses as a measure, which we talk about in some detail, along with a couple of well-known cases of demonic possession.
Further details about Victoria and her new book can be found at her website https://demonfolklorist.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.
Joining me for this episode is intuitive artist, writer, researcher and podcaster Claire Casely. Claire’s creative projects are inspired by the presence of faeries which she experiences through nature connection, faerie sight and during journeying in meditation and dreams. Together these practices have helped her to form a multi-sensory method of connecting with the otherworld, which she calls ‘Faery Whispering’.
In the interview I begin by talking with Claire about how her interest in faeries started as a child growing up near Dartmoor and some of her experiences with those types of beings as she grew older. We discuss what faeries are, what faerie whispering is and explore the relationship that seems to exist between these entities, ourselves, the places we live and on a deeper level, the natural world. Claire also offers some advice on how to develop your own connection with otherworldly beings such as these.
Further details on Claire's creative projects (such as her podcast) can be found at https://www.faerywhisperer.co.uk/ and you can support her work at https://www.patreon.com/faerywhisperer. She also has a YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@TheFaeryWhisperer.
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 them if from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is researcher and author Fred Andersson, who joined me to talk about his new book, ‘Northern Lights – High Strangeness in Sweden’.
This is the first book written in English entirely devoted to the subject of high strangeness, UFOs, and other mysteries in that country. Sweden has a long history of weirdness, unexplained observations, and eerie encounters, often connected to the countryside, desolate roads, and empty fields. From gnomes, elves, and trolls of the past to UFOs and aliens in modern times.
The book takes an in-depth look at a wide range of peculiar incidents recorded throughout Sweden's history, spanning from 1920 to 2013 and delves into a myriad of extraordinary encounters, diving into the mysterious realm of the unknown. The primary emphasis of the narrative remains on the gripping subjects of UFOs and extraterrestrial beings, examining their profound impact on both the personal experiences of witnesses and the rich tapestry of Swedish culture.
In the interview I begin by talking with Fred about his interest in the paranormal and how the idea for the book came about. From there we explore some of the strange incidents it covers and discuss Fred’s own insights into the high strangeness of his homeland.
Fred is a lively presence on social media and can be found on X (formerly Twitter) here. 'Northern Lights: High Strangeness in Sweden is available from your bookseller of choice.
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 author Simon Miles, who joined me to talk about his recent book 'The Map and the Manuscript'.
This debut work documents an investigation of over more than twenty years into the "Affair of Rennes", a tangle of puzzles that has fascinated readers and researchers alike for half a century. A minor riddle of local history centered on a tiny village in the south of France became a global phenomenon, yet its greater secrets have remained tightly sealed.
Amongst a sequence of breakthrough original insights, "The Map and the Manuscript" reveals for the first time the traces of a remarkable artefact of the ancient world, a geometrical complex laid out with impressive accuracy and at large scale between certain peaks, churches and châteaux in the landscape of the Pyrenees mountains. This discovery leads to a far-reaching exploration across a rich expanse of topics, from sacred geography to French poetry, from alchemy to dreams, from the Temple of Delphi to the streets of Paris, from hidden designs in old books to secret codes in manuscripts.
In the interview I talk with Simon about how he became interested in these mysteries, and the key aspects of his research and investigation which have made a significant contribution to a wider reappraisal of the capabilities of landscape architects in the ancient world.
Further information on Simon's writing, including the 'The Map and the Manuscript can be found at https://www.simonmmiles.com/ and the book is available from your literary retailer of choice. To visit his YouTube channel, featuring videos of the alignments detailed in the book, go to https://www.youtube.com/c/SimonMilesresearch.
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.
Joining me for this episode of the podcast is previous guest and good friend of the show Matt Hopewell, AKA AP Strange.
AP is a paranormal researcher, writer and self-described Discordian Flying Saucer Enthusiast, Certified Kook, Donut Wizard and Master of Mystical Flapdoodle.
He has a distinctly fun and light-hearted method of exploring Forteana on his blog 'AP Strange's Weird Writings', with articles on an impressively varied array of unusual subjects.
In the interview I talk with him about his approach to researching the paranormal and how helpful a sense of humour can be when doing that. Our conversation is a wide-ranging one, covering cryptids, poltergeists, UFOs, Star Trek, ancient Greece, the ideas of Robert Anton Wilson and much more.
AP Strange's Weird Writings can be found at https://www.apstrange.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 legendary paranormal investigator and author Lionel Fanthorpe.
Lionel has had a prolific writing career dating back to 1952 which has seen him pen hundreds of books. Not only has he written science fiction stories, but together with his wife Patricia, also non-fiction books on an array of subjects, most notably the paranormal, unexplained mysteries of the world, poetry and religion.
He has travelled the world in search of the unexplained, endeavouring to unravel such mysteries as the ‘Oak Island Money Pit’ and ‘The Creeping Coffins of Barbados’. He has presented a number of television series, perhaps the best known being the cult Channel Four show, ‘Fortean TV’. During this time in his career he was also a practicing Anglican priest, which added a novel element to his televisual exploration of the unknown. Currently he is also the president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena.
As well as being a major contributor to paranormal research, he is a former journalist, teacher, head teacher, army rock climbing instructor and also a World Judo Association Black Belt Fifth Dan.
I begin the interview by talking with Lionel about his early experiences of the paranormal and how his interest in that field developed. From there we discuss his writing career, his time as a journalist, what prompted him to become an Anglican priest and how all of these things have in some way influenced the way he investigated and contemplated the unusual phenomena he has encountered.
Further information about Lionel can be found at his official website https://www.lionelfanthorpe.co.uk/. He also has a YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@lionelfanthorpeofficial5752.
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.
For this episode my guest is art historian Emily Leon. Emily’s research focuses on modernism and the esoteric interests of late-19th and early-20th century western artists, with a particular concentration on abstraction and the links between art, science, and religion. Since 2017, much of her scholarship has focused on the social, spiritual, and theoretical implications of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint’s work. Most recently, in 2023 she presented “Past-Future, Present-Future, Future-Future: Hilma af Klint in Three Temporal Dimensions” for the Modernist Futures conference, hosted by Modernist Studies in Asia.
Emily is also the founder of the transdisciplinary working group 'In the Eggshell', a five-part lecture series that seeks to redress modern art by turning to how the sciences, religious beliefs, and occult traditions provide a better articulation of the subject.
In the interview I begin by talking with her about the origins of the relationship between esotericism and modern, abstract art. From there our conversation moves on to Hilma af Klint, specifically the occult ideas that influenced her art as well as the unusual methods she used such as spirit channeling that were a vital aspect of her craft. We also discuss the deeper meaning of Af Klint’s artwork and the vision she had for how it was meant be displayed, before concluding by talking about Emily’s own efforts to encourage a better understanding of the relationship between modern art, science and esotericism with the 'In the Eggshell' lecture series.
Emily can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DisincarnateEVL and more details on 'In the Eggshell' are available at https://desertsuprematism.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.
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 noreturnufo@gmail.com 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 eerieessexpodcast@gmail.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 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.
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.
In this episode i’m joined by Timothy Boucher and Jeremy Puma to discuss their work exploring the history and culture of the ancient, enigmatic Quatrian civilisation.
This is no mean feat, as you will find very few direct references to Quatria on maps, in historical texts, or recorded in archaeological investigations. Imagination, legend and myth are the means by which it has survived the many millennia since it fell.
This has informed the way that Tim and Jeremy have uncovered the story of this culture – most notably a book called The Lost Direction, written by Timothy, and The Oracle of the Hypogeum, a card deck created by Jeremy and Garrett of the Liminal Earth project.
To say much more than this would spoil the interview a little I think. Enjoy!
If you'd like to read more about ancient Quatria please visit https://medium.com/quatrian-folkways
You can get a hold of The Lost Direction at Lost Books and The Oracle of the Hypogeum at https://liminal.earth/the-oracle-of-the-hypogeum/.
You can now also support the podcast via Ko-fi. To buy Some Other Sphere a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The song playing out this episode is 'White Christmas' by The Inkspots (Decca Records 1947).
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.
My guest for this episode is Dr Eric Wargo, who joined me to talk about his research into the nature of precognition, specifically its connection to dreaming, the unconscious and the scientific principle of retrocausation, which posits that events in the future can produce effects in the present, and present happenings can have a similar influence in the past.
He covers this all extensively in his 2018 book Time Loops and next year sees the release of Precognative Dreamwork and the Long Self, which explores in more details methods that can be used to interpret these glimpses of the future. His work encompasses physics, psychoanalysis, anthropology and esoteric thought and challenges a lot of long held assumptions about the nature of our reality and how it works.
Fascinating stuff indeed. Enjoy!
You can find out more about Eric's research and books at http://thenightshirt.com/
You can now also donate to 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 Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.
In this episode my guest is author Peter Bebergal, who joined me to discuss his 2018 book Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story of the Technological Quest for the Supernatural. In that work he explores the various ways people have tried to use technology to better understand and communicate with the supernatural along with the engineers, inventors and seers who were fascinated by those mysteries.
Peter has written extensively on a range of fringe and Fortean subjects, with essays and reviews featuring in The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, The Believer and The Quietus. He is also the author of Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll and has recently edited Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons, due out early next year.
This is a wide ranging chat, covering magic, technology, myth and science. Something for everyone, I hope!
Peter can be found on Twitter as @peterbebergal and his books are available from all good book retailers.
You can now donate to Some Other Sphere via Kofi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The Some Other Sphere intro music is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
My guests for this episode are folklorists, paranormal researchers and authors Timothy Renner and Joshua Cutchin, who joined me to talk about their new co-written work Where the Footprints End: High Strangeness and the Bigfoot Phenomenon Volume One: Folklore.
The book details Tim and Josh’s extensive research exploring the multitude of similarities between Bigfoot encounters and the folklore of other Fortean entities such as Fairies, Aliens, Witches and Ghosts. The connections they have found are numerous, and offer a compelling counterargument to the hypothesis that Bigfoot is simply a flesh and blood creature – an as yet undiscovered great ape, or relic hominid.
It’s an exploration into the myriad oddities of the phenomena – the high strangeness mentioned in the title – and has been compared to the work Jacques Vallee has done writing about the true nature of UFOs.
Both Tim and Josh have written extensively on a wide range of paranormal topics and are some of the most interesting voices in Fortean research right now, so it was a real treat to get them on the podcast to talk about their latest work.
Enjoy!
For more information about Tim's work please visit: https://www.strangefamiliars.com/
To find out more about Josh's work please visit https://www.joshuacutchin.com/
You can now donate to 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 Halloween episode is author Keith Linder, who joined me to talk about the unsettling events he experienced for four years whilst living in a house in Bothell, a suburb of Seattle WA. These happenings started as soon as he and his partner moved in in 2012, and include almost everything you can imagine happening in a haunting, or poltergeist case.
Unusually though, their house was not on old structure, or a building marked by a gruesome history. Still, what has happened within its walls has been terrifying enough for it to become known as the Bothell Hell House, and be visited by numerous paranormal investigators.
It is a truly fascinating case of what it is like to experience malevolent paranormal activity first hand.
Enjoy..
For more information on Keith's experiences at the house and his books, please visit https://demonsinseattle.com/.
You can now also donate to 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 Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.
The track playing out this episode is 'Bogey Wail' by Jack Hylton and his Orchestra.
My guest for this episode is author, publisher, researcher and priestess Sorita d’Este.
Sorita has been teaching and writing on a wide range of esoteric subjects for over twenty years, with her work being published in both mainstream and community magazines, websites and an impressive amount of books. This episode was inspired by one of these works, Isles of the Many Gods, which is a comprehensive A-Z of the many Pagan Gods and Goddesses worshipped in Britain from the Iron Age to the late Middle Ages.
We talked about some of those deities, their origins and nature, along with Sorita's life long interest in exploring the many pathways of experiencing magic, mysticism, folklore and religion.
Lovely stuff indeed. Enjoy!
To find out more about Sorita and her books please visit http://sorita.co.uk/.
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 Munya Andrews, who joined me to talk about her book Journey into Dreamtime, which is a guide to the ancient wisdom and beliefs that form the spiritual philosophy held by the aboriginal peoples of Australia.
As well as being a writer, Munya is a lawyer, educator and an accomplished, influential voice in her community, well versed in traditional laws, customs and practises. She is also a much sought after public speaker, so it was an absolute privilege to talk with her about the Dreamtime and the magical world of her people, one which I knew very little of before reading her book I have to admit.
To find out more about Munya and her work, please visit https://www.evolves.com.au/
You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Ko-fi - to buy the podcast a coffee, just go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is researcher, author, adventurer and producer Ron Morehead, who joined me to talk about his research into the Bigfoot/Sasquatch phenomenon. Ron is best known for his Sierra Sounds project, where he and his colleagues have captured a compelling range of noises on tape made by unknown entities in the mountain forests of Northern California. These are the only recordings of their type that have been scientifically studied, time-tested, and accredited as being genuine and document a phenomenon Ron first experienced in the early 1970s, which persists to this day.
He has also documented his personal interactions with these beings in his books, Voices in the Wilderness and The Quantum Bigfoot and recently appeared in the David Paulides documentary Missing 411: The Hunted.
It was fantastic to get someone with Ron’s knowledge, experience and standing in Bigfoot research on the show to talk about his work and discuss the insights he has gained and the theories he has about what these creatures might be.
If you want to find out more about Ron's research and his books, please go to https://ronmorehead.com/
You can now also support Some Other Sphere via Kofi. To buy the podcast a coffee, please visit https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast.
Enjoy the show!
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn
My guest for this episode is Rebecca Hardcastle Wright, who joined me to talk about her work in the study and application of something she terms as Exoconsciousness. This describes a natural state of mind attained after a person has experienced what would be best understood as contact with alien intelligence – though not in the fashion most might think of.
Rebecca has over thirty years experience as a mind body therapist and hypnotherapist and is the founder and director of the non-profit Institute for Exoconsciousness, which aims to help experiencers of the phenomenon use it in the creation of new technologies and development of new forms of communication, education and art with the goal of better preparing mankind for a future where spacefaring and interaction with alien intelligence is the norm.
This may sound like science fiction, but Rebecca’s background includes working alongside Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell as part of his International Quantrek Science Team, who researched Zero Point Energy, the nature of consciousness and the presence of ET’s on Earth. The better understanding of these concepts and how that could be applied has long been of interest to the armed forces and intelligence agencies of many countries, not to mention big business, so it’s definitely something that has been taken seriously at the highest level for a very long time, but discouraged as a matter of interest for the general public.
Rebecca’s work is really interesting, to say the least and a perfect subject matter for Some Other Sphere. We had a fun, wide ranging chat. Enjoy!
To find out more about Rebecca and her work with Exoconsciousness please visit https://exoconsciousness.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
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn
My guest for this episode is astrologer Maighdlin Kelly, who joined me talk about the fundamental concepts of this ancient practise.
For thousands of years cultures across the world have developed complex systems for understanding and predicting earthly matters using observations of the night sky. For most of that time it was a respected academic pursuit alongside astronomy and meteorology, and an astrologer would be an important person in their community.
In modern times however, mainstream society often depicts Astrology as nothing more than a pseudoscience. However if you take the time to understand its core concepts and get past the idea that astrology is nothing more than your daily horoscope, there is a fascinating tradition ready to explore, that can also help you make sense of a whole range of other esoteric ideas and areas of study.
I heard about Maighdlin's work via the Hellier documentary series, where they helped the team with their investigation by offering an astrological insight into their investigations. So, I was delighted when they agreed to be a guest, and we had a really interesting chat. Enjoy!
Maighdlin can be found on Twitter (@Weird_Astrology) and for more information on their Astrological work please visit https://weirdastrology.home.blog/
Recommended resources:
BOOKS:
You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self Acceptance by Chani Nicholas: https://chaninicholas.com/you-were-born-for-this/
Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/952258.Horoscope_Symbols
Planets in Transit by Robert Hand: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/766070.Planets_in_Transit
Alan Oken's Complete Guide to Astrology: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20321931-alan-oken-s-complete-astrology
The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest: https://portlandastrology.org/product/the-inner-sky/
Grendel by John Gardner: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/676737.Grendel
GROUPS:
Association for Young Astrologers ($20 for 1yr): https://youngastrologers.org/
Association For Astrological Networking ($30 for 1yr): https://www.afan.org/
APPS:
Time Passages ios/android (free)
AstroGold ios/android (paid)
DaffMoonPhase android (free+paid versions)
Sun Moon and Planets android (free)
The Some Other Sphere theme music is from Purple Planet Music. 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn
My guest for this episode is Fortean researcher and author Anthony Tyler, who joined me to talk about his book Dive Manual: Empirical Investigations of Mysticism, which details his experiences researching a wide range of esoteric subjects, and the methodology he developed to best try to understand the results of those investigations, and their deeper meaning. Given the nature of the subject matter and it’s personal nature, the book is an impressive accomplishment and a fascinating insight into someone’s experiences engaging with weirdness head on.
There was a lot to talk about, which is evidenced by the running time of this episode, the longest one of the podcast so far. It’s all killer though, I promise!
To find out more about Anthony’s work and how to get a copy of his book, please visit https://www.divemind.net/
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is Steve Mills, who returned to talk with me about an interesting theory he has regarding the events behind the Rendlesham Forest UFO incident, perhaps the best known event of that type in the UK.
To summarise, On 26 December 1980, unusual lights were reported in the vicinity of RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, an airbase which was being being used by the USAF at the time.
Initial investigation by airforce servicemen resulted in some reports of a glowing craft being sighted in the neighbouring forest but this could not be corroborated, and later investigation by the police also yielded no answers, though an unusual triangular set of impressions were discovered in the ground close to where the craft was reported. Further studies by the USAF two days later at the site of those markings would prompt more unusual activity.
Whilst there isn’t a lot to indicate that what happened involved extra-terrestrials, that’s not to say something unusual didn't happen and Steves’s ideas as to what that might be are very interesting, and explore areas not often looked into by other researchers.
Enjoy the episode!
Steve (AKA The Most Reverend StarDoG) is @StarDoG23 on Twitter, and well worth a follow.
The full MP3s of the Charles Halt tape can be found here.
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'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey/Chris Martyn.
My guest for this episode is author and Voodoo Priestess Lilith Dorsey, who joined me to discuss her new book Orishas, Goddesses and Voodoo Queens.
Lilith has been a magickal practitioner for nearly thirty years, with training involving initiations in Santeria (also known as Lucumi), Haitian Voudon and New Orleans Voodoo. She is also the editor of the Oshun African Magical Quarterly, as well as an accomplished filmmaker and choreographer.
Her new book explores the concept of the divine feminine in African religious traditions, and how it was understood and venerated both in Africa, as well as in the Caribbean and United States, where new magical practices emerged as a result of the diaspora of those people who were transported to the new world as victims of the slave trade and used ingenious methods to preserve their spiritual identity.
It was a pleasure and a privilege to talk with her about these fascinating subjects. Enjoy the episode!
For more information on Lilith's books and her Voodoo Universe blog, please visit https://lilithdorsey.com/. You can find her on Twitter @LilithDorsey.
The Some Other Sphere intro music is from Purple Planet Music.
‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey.
My guest for this episode is historian and author Thomas Waters, who joined me to talk about his 2019 book Cursed Britain: A History of Witchcraft and Black Magic in Modern Times.
In the book Thomas explores the enduring nature of magic and witchcraft in the British Isles from 1800 up to the present day, how its popularity waxed and waned over those years and the societal factors that played a part in those fortunes. It also offers a fascinating insight into the lives of some of the people who engaged in these secretive practices, as well as those affected by them – people who transcended class divides, and lived all across the land, from large cities to remote islands.
As soon as I found out about Thomas and his book last year, I knew I had to try and get him on the podcast, so it was great to make that happen.
If you would like a copy of the book for your bookshelf, it can be obtained via Yale University Press and at all good book shops.
Thomas also often discusses witchcraft on his Twitter page (@DrThomasWaters) and is a regular contributor to Folklore Thursday.
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‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is author and UFO researcher Mike Clelland. In his 2015 book The Messengers, he explored the unusual connections between the alien abduction experience, synchronicities, and encounters with Owls. Mike’s own experience with such events was the foundation of that research, which has continued with two further books and is covered extensively at his Hidden Experiences website. He also hosts his own podcast, The Unseen.
It was great to talk to him about his work, which is some of the most intriguing happening in Ufology right now, extending that field of study out into areas rarely explored before.
To find out more about Mike's books, visit http://www.mikeclelland.com/.
Enjoy the episode!
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is Dr Becca Tarnas, who joined me to discuss her work exploring the concept of the imagination. Becca is a scholar, artist, counselling Astrologer and an expert in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Carl Jung, with a PhD in Philosophy and Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
We talked about her background in researching and exploring the nature of imagination, how the work and theories of Tolkien and Jung can help to offer an insight into that, and how it might be applied to further understanding paranormal phenomena.
Really intriguing stuff, I hope you’ll agree. Enjoy!
To find out more about Becca and her work, please visit https://beccatarnas.com/.
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey
In this episode I discuss the folklore of the Isle of Man with James Franklin. Born and raised on the island, James is the Online and Educational Resources Officer for Culture Vannin, an organisation created to support, protect and promote Manx Culture in inclusive, creative and engaging ways.
As part of that he was recently involved in a project to re-print and publish a collection of Folklore compiled by Karl Roeder on the island at the beginning of the 20th Century, originally named Manx Notes and Queries and now splendidly titled Ghosts, Bugganes and Fairy Pigs.
The book contains over two hundred and fifty notes, which include encounters with an impressively broad range of supernatural entities; ghost, faeries, witches, giants, and of course the legendary Buggane. There’s even an encounter with a UFO, described as a ‘big wheel of fire’.
To find out more about Culture Vannin and the book, you can visit their website here.
The song playing out this episode is a piece of traditional Manx folk music titled ‘Arrane ny Niee’, featuring Mona Douglas and David Kilgallon.
It was a privilege to talk to James about the folklore of his homeland. Enjoy!
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey
In this episode I’m joined by Corjan Mol to discuss a mystery centered around a small village in the mountains of southern France called Rennes-le-Chateau.
In the late 1800s there was a notable change in the financial situation of the local priest, who went from a state of abject poverty to one where he was able to spend considerable amounts of money on various building projects around Rennes. Rumours soon spread that he had found a fantastic treasure somewhere in or near the church, but the location and exact nature of that find has never been confirmed.
Many people have researched and investigated the activities of the enigmatic priest since however, with compelling theories on the source of his wealth proposed and numerous books being written on the subject, the most famous perhaps being Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, which really helped to popularise the mystery.
Corjan has been investigating for over 25 years and has put together a comprehensive repository of information on his website about Rennes, including a podcast series, featuring interviews with some of the best known researchers of the mystery.
He has also participated in a number of documentary series like Forbidden History and recently appeared in the current season of The Curse of Oak Island.
The Rennes-le-Chateau mystery is something that has interested me for a long time and it was fantastic to be able to talk with someone as knowledgeable on the subject as Corjan.
Enjoy!
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music.
‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey
In this episode my guest is Dan Shaw, an author and researcher who specialises in Geomancy, an area of magic (or science depending on your viewpoint), that is concerned with understanding the unseen energies of the Earth.
The main body of his work focuses on vortexes, specific areas on the globe where these energies are focused, and understanding what they are, how they can be detected, and their importance to humankind, going back many millennia.
Indeed, Dan believes it is likely that many past civilisations had an intimate understanding of these vortexes and this can be seen in the many monumental structures that remain all across the globe, who construction and purpose remain as enigmatic as ever and provide a fascinating glimpse into a the deep past of human history, one alive with lost technologies.
You can find our more about Dan's work at http://www.vortexmaps.com/ and http://www.danshaw.com/.
The Some Other Sphere theme is from https://www.purple-planet.com/.
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is historian and paranormal researcher Amanda Woomer, who is the creator of Spook Eats, a blog detailing her travels, both in the United States and further afield, visiting a range of bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels, all with a unusual, spooky story to tell and very tasty food to eat.
Added this she has recently released her book A Haunted Atlas of Western New York, a fun, detailed resource of supernatural goings on in her part of the world, containing over 130 haunted locations in the region.
I really like the concept of the Spook Eats blog and think combining a love a food with a fascination for the weird is a novel approach to paranormal investigation. We had a really interesting chat, which I hope you enjoy.
The Spook Eats blog and more details on Amanda's book can be found at https://spookeats.com/.
The Some Other Sphere theme is from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
In the early 1930’s, a very odd story emerged from the Isle of Man, a small island located in the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland. A man called James Irving had reported to his friends that an unusual animal similar to a weasel had taken up residence on his farm. Although the scratching sounds and other weird noises were relatively explainable, what was remarkable in this instance was that, according to Irving, this creature could talk, and perform a range of unusual feats.
It would eventually come to be known as Gef, who identified himself as a mongoose who had been born in 1852 in Delhi, India. His activities with the Irving family over the next few years after would baffle and intrigue a variety of interested parties, including Harry Price, perhaps the most famous investigator of the paranormal in Britain at the time.
Despite this interest, a satisfying conclusion to the mystery was never reached, yet the case of the ‘Dalby Spook’ still fascinates people all these years later, including my guest for this episode, Christoper Josiffe, who in 2017 released his book Gef! The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose, a brilliantly researched and definitive account of this case.
I’ve been fascinated by the story of Gef for many years and it was a real pleasure to get Christopher onto the podcast to talk all about him.
For more information on Christopher's book and to purchase it, please visit https://gefmongoose.co.uk/book/.
The Some Other Sphere is from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is witch and paranormal researcher, Sara Schick. Sara lives in the city of Vancouver in Washington State and recently started investigating the legacy of a mysterious figure from the towns past called Mother Joseph, a remarkable renaissance woman and visionary who played a huge part in bringing the city into existence.
Integral to this were the Hidden family, who Mother Joseph transformed from farmers to expert brick-makers. Years later, the buildings made from those bricks which have survived into the present almost all have a reputation for being haunted and the ‘Hidden Bricks’, as they been named, are well known in local folklore.
Sara’s research is fascinating, and a great example of what can be uncovered when someone takes an interest in their local history. Lovely stuff…about bricks!
For more information on Sara's research, visit her excellent blog https://weirdlifepdx.blogspot.com/.
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is Dick Khan, author of the DMT & My Occult Mind book series. In those texts, Dick documents his personal research into the effects of using the drug Dimethyltryptamine, which is a powerful hallucinogen and a key component in Ayahuasca, a drink used by several indigenous tribal cultures in South America as part of their spiritual practises. It is often referred to as “The Spirit Molecule”.
Dick’s books also detail the encounters he had while taking DMT with a variety of unusual entities, which inhabited the occult reality that his use of the drug enabled him to experience and ponder on their nature. They’re a fascinating insight into one persons occult studies and this subject matter made for a really great interview. Enjoy!
Dick's books can be bought from Amazon here and he can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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'Hubbub' by Chris Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
For the first time here at Sphere HQ, we have a returning guest, Matt Hopewell, who was on the show last year to talk about Discordianism. This time around we’re discussing some of the unusual phenomena he’s experienced over the years and his thoughts on what might have been happening. This includes a discussion on Gorillas, which I’m not sure either of us anticipated, but was just as fascinating as the poltergeist Phenomena and possible Fae encounter he also describes in this episode.
Fun stuff as ever, especially if you like Gorillas!
Enjoy!
Matt's excellent blog can be found at https://www.apstrange.com/ and for more information on the Liminal Earth project, visit https://liminal.earth/.
Some Other Sphere intro music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
Hello! In this episode I discuss the life and work of the artist, writer and occultist, Ithell Colquhoun with Dr Amy Hale.
Ithell Colquhoun is perhaps best known as a member of the surrealist art movement in the 1930’s and 40’s both in London and Paris but she was also deeply interested in a variety of esoteric subjects and her art was part of a larger, long term magical practise that encompassed an range of unusual projects, exploring the magical qualities of colour and shape as a means to engage with other worlds and dimensions.
Amy is a scholar of occult, esoteric and marginal cultures, with a PhD in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA. She has written on a range of diverse topics, including modern Druidry, colour theory, the occult, and extremist politics in modern Paganism.
2020 will see the publication of her biography of Ithell Colquhoun, Genius of the Fern Loved Gully, a work twenty years in the making and something I think is both very much worth the wait, and timely (for more information on Amy and her work, you can find here excellent website here).
We had a really lovely chat, I think this is a great episode to kick off 2020 with.
Enjoy!
Some Other Sphere intro music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is Kiki Dombrowski. Kiki is a spiritual researcher and explorer, and has spent her life studying mythology, magic, witchcraft and the supernatural. She has been reading Tarot for over 25 years and is the author of two books, the latest of which, A Curious Future is a guidebook to some of the more unusual techniques people have used over thousands of years to try and predict the future.
Currently living in Nashville TN, Kiki is also a really positive and generous presence on social media when it comes to all things weird and wonderful and it was a delight to get her on the podcast, to talk about her life and work.
To find out more about Kiki I recommend you visit her excellent website which can be found here and you can find her on Twitter too. Her book, 'A Curious Future' can be purchased via Amazon online.
Some Other Sphere Intro Music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is Steve Mills, a listener to the podcast who contacted me with details of ghostly phenomena he and some friends encountered in Birmingham, England back in the 1980’s that is intriguing to say the least.
I talked with him about those experiences and his thoughts on their nature, and what it might suggest on a broader scale when it comes to trying to understand the supernatural. It was a really fun chat.
If you’ve had had a similar experience and would be interested in discussing it in an episode, you can email me at someothersphere@gmail.com.
Enjoy!
Some Other Sphere theme music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
In this episode I talk about the life and works of the artist Leonora Carrington with Dr Kate Laity.
Leonora Carrington is often considered part of the surrealist movement of the early 20th Century but her artwork is full of purposeful, esoteric symbology and otherworldly creatures, and often related to deeply personal events from her very eventful life. She also had a deep interest in mythology and the occult and this would inform her creative output throughout her career.
Alongside her art she was also an accomplished author with her most famous work perhaps being The Hearing Trumpet , a novel centered on nonagenarian Marian Leatherby, who is gifted the eponymous trumpet, and her adventures at the very unusual old peoples homes she is banished to by her family. Like her artwork, the book is full of mysticism and mystery.
Kate, my guest is an award winning author, scholar & critic, serving both as History Witch for Witches & Pagans and as Associate Professor of English at the College of Saint Rose. She recently gave a talk about Leonora Carrington at the fantastic Treadwells bookshop in London, which was the inspiration for this episode.
You can find out more about Kate and her work at her website https://kalaity.com/.
Enjoy!
Episode Image: 'Self Portrait' by Leonora Carrington
Some Other Sphere theme music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/.
'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
My guest for this episode is Andy Burnham, creator of the Megalithic Portal website. What started out as a small database of ancient sites in the late 1990’s is now an extensive and detailed Archaeological resource, lovingly sourced by people like Andy who are interested in the myriad ancient stone circles, Henges and other such structures that dot the landscape.
The website was such a success that it led to the publication in 2018 of a book called The Old Stones, a beautiful field guide to the Megalithic sites of Britain and Ireland that was named Current Archaeology’s book of the year for 2019.
Whilst providing a comprehensive level of information about Neolithic and Bronze Age sites across the British Isles, it also includes articles that speculate about the phenomenology of these places, the people who built them and the artifacts they left behind, and what such sites might tell us about the cosmology, religion, magic, science and culture of those times. It’s a lovely book and it was great to talk with Andy about what led to its creation.
Fascinating stuff all round, Enjoy!
'The Old Stones: A Field guide to the Megalithic Sites of Britain and Ireland' can be found at the Megalithic Portal website, on Amazon here and at all good book shops.
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'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
"Do you ever go somewhere, and have a strong emotional response to it, such as happiness, nostalgia or fear? Have you ever wondered why we look for meaning in places and develop stories or legends about them over time? Well these behaviours are known as a sense of place..."
Those are the words of my guest for this episode, Ailish Jane, creator of the excellent Sense of Place Podcast.
Ailish has interviewed a fascinating array of people on subjects that relate to the effect that certain sites can have on people and communities, going past the tangible and towards something more sublime, where buildings and other places can develop their own personalities and character, and myths and legends can emerge.
Even once gone, such places can still have their own ghosts which haunt the area they once occupied, and be mourned by the people that remember their passing.
In the episode we talked more about what a sense of place is and how it manifests, it’s importance in helping people form a connection to their local area and maintain a sense of community, as well as preserving the heritage of our towns and cities and creating new folklore. Lovely stuff!
Background sounds at beginning of episode: https://freesound.org/people/meisterleise/sounds/353259/
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'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
Folklore is a wonderful thing. It is deep rooted in the human experience and is a vital component of countless cultures throughout time. There are some startling similarities in the beings and legends encountered across the globe, but also unique differences that set apart a cultures mythic landscape. A wonderful example of this is Japan, a land long shrouded in mystery and hidden from the west, which developed a storytelling tradition replete with a menagerie of unusual entities ready to leap from subconscious and into the real world.
These beings are usually classed as Yokai, which is a term that itself can encompass a whole range of familiar creatures – goblins, ghosts, monsters, as well as humans and animals that possess an unusual talent or quality but it also includes urban legends and various paranormal phenomena.
My guest for this episode is illustrator and author, Matthew Meyer. Matthew is an expert on Yokai and has published three books on the subject. He is also an accomplished artist and you can find examples of his work and writing on his wonderful website Yokai.com, which is a comprehensive A-Z guide to the phenomena.
For further details about Matthew's books and artwork, as well as his blog and Patreon page, please visit http://matthewmeyer.net/
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'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey
This episode begins with a quote from my guests:
“Spooky things happen every day all around us! Instead of brushing these peculiar moments and bizarre encounters off as chance, or mere coincidence, what if we talked about them, mapped them, and tried to decode the message?”
Well, that’s what Garrett Kelly and Jeremy Puma have done with the Liminal Earth Project, which they describe as a map of the strange, wonderful, weird and unexpected. They both have a background in researching and investigating the unusual and this led them to come up with the idea of putting their experiences on a map, and then opening that up to the general public, allowing the project to be crowd sourced.
Experiences can be recorded on the map under a wide range of categories, including ghosts, cryptids and UFOs but also more unusual subjects like Dark Forces, Time Distortions, and ‘Thin’ places. It’s a really novel idea and is one which I think has amazing potential. As soon as discovered the map I knew I should get these guys on and discuss their adventures in Liminal Cartography.
To find out more about the map, go to https://liminal.earth/, where you can add your own experiences, become a Patreon of the project, or even volunteer to become an ambassador for your local area.
Garrett and Jeremy also talked about the project recently in an interview with journalist MJ Banias for VICE magazine which you can read here.
Intro Music:
Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey.
Recently, whilst out on a run, I went too near some stinging nettles and OUCH! – got stung. Luckily, I immediately knew what to do.
I found a dock leaf of course, and rubbed the affected area. Pain over and my run was saved!
I feel like I’ve always known that cure and I’m sure it’s something that most of you will have been told as a child as well.
It is a very old piece of knowledge that has lasted over countless generations, just one of many nuggets of wisdom about plants which has survived, along with things like carrots being good for your eyes, and mint aiding digestion, through story, song and at learned at the knee of a family elder. It comes from a time when it was vital to have an understanding of the botanical world around you..of those plants which were nice, and those that were not so nice.
My guest for this episode is Amanda Edmiston. Amanda is a professional storyteller, with a background and ancestry steeped in knowledge of Herbal Medicine. Her stories involve a wide range of characters from myth and legend and their encounters with and uses of herbs, flowers, trees, weeds..and a whole lot more. Plants and herbs have always been an important to her and it was fascinating to talk to about their folklore, and the wisdom contained there, not just about what they can be used for, but also how to treat them with respect, and work with them to a mutual advantage. In a time when modern society faces some of it’s greatest ever ecological challenges, these stories are more relevant than ever and offer a chance to connect with nature on a whole new level.
In the interview, we also discussed the use of certain plants in sympathetic magic, as well as the current growing popularity of permaculture. It was excellent stuff all round.
For more details on Amanda's work, her wonderful website can be found here.
Intro music:
Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/
'Hubbub' by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey.
When it comes to cryptids, one of the most famous of all is the Loch Ness Monster. However there are many other lakes around the world where it is believed creatures from Earth’s distant past have survived, even thrived – and some of these could well have more evidence to back them up than dear old Nessie.
A great example is Champ – the mysterious denizen of Lake Champlain in the United States. Sightings of an unusual creature have been reported for hundreds of years, as well as phenomena such as UFO sightings, and ghostly pirates.
My guest for this episode is cryptozoologist and filmmaker, Aleksandar Petakov. Aleksandar is a native of New England and in 2018 made a documentary called 'On the Trail of Champ', where he visited the lake, the communities that sit on its shore, and met some of the people who have seen the creature, whatever it may be.
In his next documentary he investigates the numerous mysterious sightings of mountain lions in the North Eastern United States, a species long thought to be long extinct in that area.
I talked with Aleksandar about how he has combined his loves of film making and cryptozoology, and the insights he has gained from his projects as to what sort of creatures might be out there, yet to be discovered.
For more information on his film projects, you can visit his website here.
If you'd like to view the news clip that started the episode, you can find it on Youtube.
Intro music: 'Hubbub' - Purple Planet Music.
My guest for this episode is Aaron Gulyas, author of books such as Extraterrestrials and the American Zeitgest and The Chaos Conundrum as well as being the creator of The Saucer Life podcast, where he examines the folkloric aspect to the Flying Saucer phenomenon and explores the history and lore of Ufology through the lens of individual stories of encounters, sightings, concepts or events.
I think he’s one of the most insightful voices exploring the history of UFOs right now and we had a really interesting conversation about his interest in this subject and the novel approach adopted to exploring it’s many fascinating characters. Albert K Bender, John Keel, Mothman, Hellier and a whole lot more were discussed.
You can find The Saucer Life podcast here and his books are available on Amazon.
For the full clip of the 1947 Kenneth Arnold radio interview click here.
Podcast Image: Thinkstock
Intro Music: 'Hubbub' from Purple Planet Music.
This weeks episode is about a remarkable woman from Victorian Wales called Lady Charlotte Guest and her quest to preserve the folklore and legends of her adopted homeland, which would be published as the Mabinogion, widely regarded today as one of the most important collections of medieval prose literature in Europe. The stories it contains began life as part of an oral storytelling tradition in Britains ancient past, featuring political intrigue, bickering royalty, warring armies, noble warriors, brave princesses, wizards, magical technology, trickster like anti heroes, monsters and many other archetypal characters and settings. Before it’s publication there was no such genre of fantasy fiction and it’s influence on our understanding of Arthurian legend as well as other works by authors such as J.R.R Tolkien, Evangeline Walton, Alan Garner and Robert Holdstock cannot be taken for granted.
My guest is Siân Esther Powell. Siân is studying for Masters in Celtic Studies and is the creator and host of the excellent Celtic Myths and Legends Podcast. We talked about Lady Charlotte and the scale of the project she undertook to locate and preserve the stories that would make up the Mabinogion, explore what these stories can tell us about ancient Britain and the use of stories in that time to engage with the imagination, and of course look at one of the fantastic stories that make up this incredible work.
You can find Siân on Twitter here.
Shirley Jackson’s novel ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, written in 1959 is considered one of the best ghost stories of the 20th Century and is seen as highly influential in the depiction of hauntings in literature in modern times.
The protagonist of the story is Eleanor Vance. The novel opens with her travelling to the titular house to be part of a scientific investigation she has been invited to by Dr Montague. Eleanor is a troubled character and her arrival at Hill House instigates a series of unsettling events, that defy rational explanation. We’re never quite sure who or what is really behind the occurrences that happen at the house. It’s a fascinating portrayal of a haunting and was prescient in its depiction of how such events could be investigated scientifically, and how people would go on to theorise about the nature of ghosts and hauntings.
My guest for this episode is Kellye McBride. Kellye is a writer and journalist and an expert on Shirley Jacksons work. We talk about The Haunting of Hill House and the events in the authors real life that may have inspired some elements of the story, and in other of her novels such as The Lottery and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. These highly imaginative stories all contain troubled characters trapped in an unfriendly setting, which prompts disturbing events which are hard to fully understand.
Although works of fiction, it is clear that Shirley Jackson drew inspiration from real life and this episode is ultimately a discussion of how the ideas and themes in her works can be used to explore the weirdness of the real world today.
Kellye's excellent articles on the Sublime Horror website can be found here:
https://www.sublimehorror.com/books/legacy-shirley-jacksons-hill-house/
https://www.sublimehorror.com/books/the-lottery-banality-of-evil/
Interest in the Occult is a strong as ever in the 21st Century. When you consider that these subjects are usually those that sit outside of acceptance by mainstream science or organised religion but can have a deep connection to human experience, it’s easy to understand the appeal – and I say that as someone who is very interested. It’s interesting that a lot of these idea are devalued by the mainstream as much as they every were. Why is that?
To get a better understanding of this, my guest for this episode is Matt Frederick. Matt is a practicing magician and expert in all things hidden. We talked about his own introduction to the Occult, explore the makeup of modern day Occulture and why these ideas are valuable to help deal with the materialistic mainstream we all have to negotiate daily. It was a fascinating chat.
To find out more about Matt you can find him on Twitter here.
For more information on the book 'Condensed Chaos' by Phil Hine which was discussed in the episode click here.
I also highly recommend Carl Abrahamsson's Occulture website if you enjoyed this episode.
When you think of magic, two things will usually come to mind; an artist on stage, performing fantastic acts such as card tricks, illusions, mind reading and hypnosis; or a more esoteric practice – someone, usually by themselves, enacting a ritual in an attempt influence their world by invoking supernatural assistance. In some ways, there would seem to be some similarities between these two scenarios.
My guest for this episode is Mark Bell, who has performed all across the world as the ‘magical mystery artist’ Mark Obscura. He is an expert in Hypnosis, Mentalism and Illusion among many other talents and has led a life regularly interrupted by unusual incidents featuring ghosts, unexplained lights in the sky and a range of puzzling synchronicities. As such he has an open minded approach to understanding the relationship between his career and these odd life experiences that made for a really interesting conversation.
To find out more about Mark, you can follow him on Twitter or visit his website here.
(James Randi clip provided from Wikipedia)
In the late 1950’s, two high school friends, Greg Hill and Kerry Thornley would regularly meet at their local bowling alley in East Whittier, California to hang out and talk long into the night about the issues of the day and the limits of the world that they lived in – one they felt was based all to willingly on order and control. What if there was a different way of engaging with the world, something more chaotic, unpredictable and fun?
These conversations and an affection for a certain Greek Goddess led them to create the joke religion – or religious joke, depending on your perspective – called Discordianism, which included a text called the Principia Discordia. It’s creation would see Greg and Kerry become entangled with Lee Harvey Oswald and the aftermath the JFK assassination, confuse the authorities with ‘Culture Jamming’ and play a pivotal role in influencing conspiracy theory culture as we know it today.
My guest is paranormal researcher Matt Hopewell, who is an aficionado of Discordianism and it’s prodigiously strange history.This is probably as unusual a Sphere as we’ve explored so far.
Matt's blog is now up and running and can be found here.
For more information on Discordianism, I recommend visiting Adam Gorightly's excellent website 'Historia Discordia'.
In this episode, I discuss Tarot with Elin Heron, who has been a Tarot reader for over twenty years and also hosts regular classes and workshops for people interested in learning more about the cards.
I’m very much a novice myself, and as such, this episode is a beginners guide, discussing the origins of Tarot, it’s evolution from a renaissance card game into an occult resource, the Major and Minor Arcana and how to best start using a Tarot deck for readings. It was a pleasure to talk with Elin and learn more about this fascinating subject.
Click here to visit the Derbyshire Tarot website where you can find Elin's excellent blog and details on the Tarot workshops and classes she teaches.
Elin can also be found on Twitter.
Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge running from east to west on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in England. Each side of it peppered with caves and until earlier this year, the site was most famous for spectacular cave art made by hunter gatherers many thousands of years ago.
A recent discovery has added a fascinating aspect to the history of the site however. What was thought to be Victorian graffiti turned out instead to be a vast array of protective marks, or "Witch Marks" dating back to the 17th century. It is thought that people would usually be making these to ward off evil, and prevent malevolent forces gaining access to our world.
My guest for this episode is Alison Fearn, one of the archaeologists involved in deciphering this incredible discovery. We talked about the history of protective marks, why those found at Creswell are so important, and what might have been going on to cause such a remarkable display of superstition.
To find out more about Creswell Crags, you can find their website here.
My guest for this episode is author and host of the Myth Legend and Lore podcast, Siobhán Clark. In her podcast Siobhán discusses a wide range of stories from her native Scotland, which feature a fascinating mix of characters and settings, and date far back into the early history of the nation.
We talked about the storytelling traditions of the people of those times, the cultures they came from, and of course look at some of legends and mythical creatures that have haunted the imaginations of Scots for over a thousand years, perhaps even longer.
I heartily recommend checking out the excellent Myth Legend and Lore podcast, which you can find on Twitter here, as well as on all good Podcast apps.
Siobhán's first novel, “The Children of Midgaard” is available on Amazon here.
My guest for this episode is Shanon Sinn, the author of a book called “The Haunting of Vancouver Island”. He has lived on the Canadian island for over twenty years and in that time has formed a deep, personal connection with the wildlife, landscape and people who live there. His book examines a wide range of supernatural tales, from first nations legends, through the early days of European settlement, and onward into more recent times.
Shanon is an award winning journalist and author, whose life story could be a book in itself. His connection to Vancouver Island gives a real depth to the stories he has featured in the book and make it an excellent read. It was a pleasure to have him on the podcast.
Shanon's website can be found here:
You can find "The Haunting Of Vancouver Island" on Amazon here.
My guest for this episode is Chris Reeve, the creator of a blog called “The Gotobed Diaries”.
The blog details his discovery of the case files of one Doctor Thomas Gotobed, who appears to have been (or still is) some kind of researcher of the occult. The files themselves vary between reports on paranormal incidents and the good doctor’s own thoughts on various theories about the supernatural.
Is Doctor Gotobed real? Well, I’ll let Chris tell you that. What I can say is that we had a really interesting talk about a broad range of supernatural subjects, from Werewolves, to Tulpas, Poltergeists and The Kraken. Enjoy!
The excellent Gotobed Diaries blog can be found here:
My guest for this episode is author and folklore blogger Icy Sedgwick. Icy has written several novels and short stories, many of which involve the supernatural. She is also a keen folklorist, writing a blog on an array of fascinating subjects and regularly contributing to "Folklore Thursday" on Twitter.
We talked about her interests in the paranormal and writing, how the concept of a haunting varies in the writings of authors such as Charles Dickens, M.R James and Shirley Jackson, the depiction of the supernatural in books and on film and how that can influence theories on unknown phenomena in the "real" world.
Icy's excellent website, where you can find her blog and details on how to get her books can be found here.
For this episode, my guest is comedian and Cryptozoologist Matt Kessen, who combined a lifelong obsession with monsters with his natural funnybones to create the phenomenon that is “ Reverend Matt’s Monster Science” – a regularly updated comedy show he presents that has covered an impressively broad range of subjects, most notable of which is perhaps “What to do in the event of a Dinosaur attack”.
Matt has received praise from no other than Guillermo Del Toro for his work (“You’re my kind of guy!”) , so it was a real privilege to get him on the podcast.
We talked about Dinosaurs, The Devil, Dragons, Kaiju and a whole lot more, it was a great chat. Enjoy!
To find out more about Matt and his work, you can find his website at: https://revmattsmonsterscience.com/
Firstly, Happy New Year!
My guest for this episode is Madra Banrion, who discusses her experiences with Ancestor Veneration and Animism.
Going into the recording, I only new the basics about these subjects but Madra was an excellent guest and led a really interesting conversation about these practices, which at first might seem esoteric but in reality, are probably something we already have at least a little experience of in our everyday lives.
Madra's excellent website is: https://madrabanrion.com/
Her article about Ancestor Veneration on the Plentiful Earth website is definitely worth a read and can be found here: https://plentifulearth.com/what-is-ancestor-veneration/
Enjoy!
My guest for this episode is Andy McGrath, a UK based Cryptozoologist with over 25 years of research experience investigating reports of unknown creatures living right under our noses here in the British Isles.
He's the author of an excellent blog called "Beasts of Britain", has brought out a book of the same name and is now working on a TV series. He's also spoken at events such as CryptidCon and the International Cryptozoology Conference.
We talked about how his interest in Cryptozoology started and discussed some of his favourite investigations in the UK, which include a creature in Lake Windermere (Bownessie), Bigfoot reports in Surrey and Staffordshire and a very odd, very large winged thing seen late at night in a Scottish Graveyard...
LINKS:
Andy's Beasts of Britain blog can be found here: http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/2018/
The Beasts of Britain book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beasts-Britain-Andrew-M-L-McGrath/dp/1549938983
The BoB post on Bownessie: http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/2017/02/
The BoB post on "The Black Country Stalker": http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/2018/07/
In this episode I talk to Dr Alan Montgomery who is the creator of the "My Search for Magic" blog. Alan has traveled across the United Kingdom and Europe visiting various sites, both man made and natural, that have a legend attached to them and possess an otherworldy quality. He writes about the people, places and things which bring magic into his life. In his own words, he describes it as "looking for magic in the modern world".
We talked about what inspired him to start the blog, some of the favourite places he's been to and how to start your own search.
The MSFM blog can be found here:
https://mysearchformagic.com/
Here is the blog post about Yester Castle:
https://mysearchformagic.com/2013/01/03/yester-castle-east-lothian/