Episoder
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Elizabeth takes us into the remote mining country of northern Ontario, where a neuroscientist named Michael Persinger has spent decades trying to understand how the brain constructs some of our most powerful experiences. At the centre of his work is a modified motorcycle helmet, fitted with coils that deliver weak, patterned magnetic fields to the temporal lobes. The idea is unsettlingly simple… could the feeling of a presence in the room, even something interpreted as God, be triggered by subtle changes in brain activity? As one journalist sits inside Persinger’s lab and undergoes the experiment himself, the line between neuroscience and the supernatural begins to blur in unexpected ways. Plus Elizabeth shares a little about the release of her new book.
If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected]
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Elizabeth takes us to the wooded outskirts of Florence, where between 1968 and 1985 a killer known as the “Monster of Florence” stalked young couples parked in secluded cars. Sixteen people were murdered across eight attacks in rural lovers’ lanes. But as the investigation dragged on for decades, suspects multiplied, confessions unraveled, and the truth only became more elusive. So was this a single, methodical killer moving through the Tuscan darkness, or a case where fear and flawed policing helped create the monster? Plus Elizabeth shares a little about her recent trip to a spider convention!
This story was provided by a Paranormia listener. If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected]
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Manglende episoder?
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Paranormia is back for season two! In this episode Elizabeth takes us to the remote Alaskan village where former Marine and actor Teddy Kyle Smith claimed he was being followed through the wilderness by the Inukins, mysterious little people from Inuit folklore said to live beyond the edges of civilisation. Days later, two brothers on a hunting trip stumbled across Smith hiding in an isolated cabin deep in the tundra… only one of them would escape uninjured. So what really happened in the frozen wilderness outside Kiana? A psychological break shaped by isolation and folklore, or something far stranger?
Plus, throughout season two, Elizabeth wants to share a bit more of her life outside of Paranormia… the strange stories, rabbit holes and weird moments that catch her attention during the week. From talks about alien encounters and the people who genuinely believe them, to internet deep dives sparked by a chaotic Dev Patel lookalike contest in London, this season also explores the strange things that stick with us, both on and off the podcast.
If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected]
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Elizabeth checks in as Paranormia wraps its first season, with a quick look back at CrimeCon Birmingham and a glimpse into what’s coming next… From the science that might explain ghosts, including a device that can trigger the feeling of a presence in the room, to unsettling encounters linked to a real life plane crash where crew members reported sightings of those who didn’t survive… and a court case so strange it saw “demonic possession” used as a legal defence.
Plus, a reminder that if you’ve got a story you think Elizabeth should dig into, she wants to hear from you: [email protected]
Paranormia will be back in a couple of weeks.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In February 1945 Charles Walton, a farm labourer in his seventies was found brutally murdered in a field in Warwickshire. The scene was shocking… his throat cut with his own tool and his body pinned to the ground with a pitchfork.
As the investigation unfolded, rumours began to spread of witchcraft, ancient rituals, and something darker beneath the surface of rural life. Over time, the case became both an unsolved murder and legend. So what really happened to Charles Walton? And how did one killing turn into one of Britain’s most unsettling folklore mysteries?
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the 1980s a kitsch mass-produced painting of a tearful child was linked to a spate of unexplained house fires across the UK in the 1980s. Firefighters noticed that when they attended house fires there was often one object left intact, the big blue eyes of a little crying boy, its edges singed, the frame sooty. But surviving seemingly countless fires. So how did the legend of the crying boy painting lead to a massive tabloid bonfire? Find out, on this episode of Paranormia.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In 2005, on the Isle of Sheppey, a young man was found wandering near a beach soaked through and unable to explain who he was or where he came from. As weeks passed with no answers his case captured global attention, and with no identity to anchor the story, speculation began to take over. Known only as “The Piano Man,” he became the centre of a mystery shaped as much by imagination as by fact. This episode explores what really happened, and how a real person became a story the world couldn’t stop telling.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Between 1968 and 1969, a mysterious killer haunted Northern California, murdering at least five people and sending cryptic letters and ciphers to local newspapers. Calling himself the 'Zodiac,' he taunted police and the public, but his true identity has never been revealed. This episode explores the crimes, the chilling letters, and the lasting mystery of the Zodiac Killer.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In March 1997, a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California became the site of one of the most unsettling mass deaths in modern history. 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate group were found arranged in identical clothing, their deaths carefully planned and documented. Led by Marshall Applewhite, the group had spent decades developing a belief system that blended religion, science fiction, and extraterrestrial salvation, teaching that Earth was temporary and that a spacecraft from the “Next Level” would come to take them home. As comet Hale-Bopp comet appeared in the 1990s, their beliefs crystallised into a final act they described not as suicide, but as “graduation.” This episode explores how the group formed and how belief created one of the most haunting cult cases in American history.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the late 1970s, Sacramento was shaken by a series of brutal killings carried out by Richard Trenton Chase, a man later labelled the “Vampire Killer.” Convinced that his blood was being poisoned and that he needed to survive by taking blood from others, his behaviour escalated from harming animals to attacking people. In just one month, six lives were taken. This episode explores who Richard Chase was, how his beliefs developed, and how a suburban city became the backdrop for one of the most disturbing true crime cases in American history.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Cottingley Fairies might not seem like the kind of story you’d expect on Paranormia. In 1917, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright produced photographs that appeared to show tiny winged figures, ‘fairies’, dancing beside Cottingley Beck. What could have stayed a family joke quickly spread far beyond the Yorkshire village. The images reached Theosophists who believed they were proof of hidden worlds, and eventually Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, who published them in The Strand magazine and argued they might change how people think about reality. This episode explores how a childhood hoax became an international story, and why so many people, in a world still recovering from war and loss, wanted to believe it.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the early 2000s, a small group of teens and young adults found each other online through Final Fantasy VII fandom, where they felt understood. But survivor accounts describe a household in State College, Pennsylvania, where a leader turned fantasy and roleplay into a system of control. This episode traces how a fandom became a closed world, and why its aftermath became an internet legend. Some names are pseudonyms from reporting in Vice, while others are composite characters based on survivor accounts.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In January 1804, a man was shot dead on a dark lane in West London after residents of Hammersmith became convinced a ghost was haunting their streets. When Francis Smith fired at what he thought was the figure, he killed Thomas Millwood, a bricklayer walking home in his white work clothes. This episode retraces how fear spread through the community, leading to that moment, and follows the case into court, where it raised a bigger question… can belief ever excuse taking a life?
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In November 1978, more than 900 people died in Jonestown, Guyana, an event often reduced to a warning about blind obedience. This episode looks at what led up to it, from the early days of the Peoples Temple offering support and community, to the slow loss of choice and control that made leaving feel impossible. It also explores daily life in Jonestown and the final days, showing how a place meant to protect people became one that trapped them.
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of mass death, psychological coercion, and harm involving children. Listener discretion is advised.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For years, children on Staten Island were warned about Cropsey, a boogeyman said to haunt the abandoned Willowbrook buildings. It began as a way to keep kids away, but in the 1970s and 80s, children started going missing. This episode looks at the real cases behind the legend, and how fear and tragedy became blurred into myth.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In January 2013, a 21 year old Canadian student named Elisa Lam checked into The Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. She was travelling alone, documenting her journey online, and calling her parents every day. Then the calls stopped. Weeks later, her body was discovered in a rooftop water tank above the hotel. Police released surveillance footage of Elisa behaving erratically in a hotel elevator. The video went viral, transforming a missing person investigation into a global obsession. This episode explores how a tragic death turned into a myth and what it reveals about mental illness, internet culture, and how easily a real person can be lost inside a legend.
Support note:
This episode discusses mental illness, suicide, and distressing themes. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.
UK & ROI: Samaritans - call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - call or text 988
Canada: Talk Suicide - call 1-833-456-4566
Australia: Lifeline - 13 11 14
Or visit findahelpline.com for local support worldwide
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In February 1959, nine experienced hikers disappeared in the northern Ural Mountains. When searchers found their tent weeks later, it was cut open from the inside. Boots were left neatly behind, food sat untouched, and footprints, some barefoot, led into the snow. Over the months that followed, the bodies were recovered in stages. Some had died of exposure and others suffered catastrophic internal injuries with almost no external wounds. The Soviet investigation closed the case with a single, unsettling phrase: “an insurmountable force of nature,” but theories, from avalanches to military tests and conspiracy, have persisted. This episode looks at what is known, what remains disputed, and how a remote mountain turned into a legend.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In 2001, a small wooden wine cabinet appeared in an eBay listing from Portland. Its seller claimed it had belonged to a 103 year old Holocaust survivor and that it contained a dybbuk, a restless spirit from Jewish folklore. He warned that opening it had brought illness, nightmares, and a sense of being watched. Over the years, the cabinet passed through multiple owners, each reporting disturbing experiences. But as the legend grew, investigators began to question where it came from, and whether the story attached to the box matched the traditions it claimed to draw from. This episode traces how an ordinary object became a modern haunting, and what the Dybbuk Box reveals about belief.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Michael and Suzan Carson drifted through the American West, moving between communes, shared apartments, and marijuana farms. They changed their names, adopted a patchwork belief system of mysticism and religion, and came to see themselves as warriors in a hidden war. Between 1981 and 1983, they killed three people and insisted their victims were witches. This episode traces how an ordinary couple built a shared delusion powerful enough to justify killing, and why the story has been remembered as something occult rather than what it was: a case study in belief, control, and the human capacity to turn ideology into violence.
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was a city stripped bare. Zack Bowen, a former soldier, and Addie Hall, a poet and bartender, stayed behind, scavenging and living in the streets while photographed as symbols of defiance. A year later, Addie was killed, and Zack took his own life, leaving behind a shocking crime scene. This episode explores how disaster, trauma, and addiction turned a brief romance into tragedy, and why the story became mythologised as a “voodoo murder.”
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If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at [email protected].
Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
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Support & Resources:
This episode discusses suicide, domestic abuse, addiction, and trauma. If you or someone you love needs support, help is available:
United Kingdom:
Samaritans - Call 116 123 (24/7) or visit samaritans.org
National Domestic Abuse Helpline - Call 0808 2000 247 (24/7) or visit nationaldahelpline.org.uk
United States:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Call or text 988 (24/7) or visit 988lifeline.org
Veterans Crisis Line - Call 988, then press 1, or text 838255
National Domestic Violence Hotline - Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org
Australia:
Lifeline Australia - Call 13 11 14 (24/7) or visit lifeline.org.au
1800RESPECT - Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au
Global:
International Association for Suicide Prevention
Find local helplines at findahelpline.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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