S2 Ep20: Astral Projecting Away From Here
Have you ever left your body, willingly or not? Astral projection has a long history, stretching from ancient religious texts and up through our current, quarantined imaginations. We humans desire to get out of ourselves from time to time, but when we do…where do we go? In this episode, we’ll head into the astral realm with the fascinating practice of accessing it.
34m Sep 15, 2022
34m
S2 Ep19: Get Out of My Head: MK Ultra & The Monarch Project
Mind control –as a conspiracy and fear– has its long, questionable history in the United States. Starting in the 1950s in response to the Korean War and up through the LSD tests of the 1960s, the American government cooked up some experiments for the purpose of psychological manipulation. The top-secret CIA program MK Ultra spawned suspicion… as well as ideas that twisted themselves into a new ...
37m Sep 08, 2022
37m
S1: The Lady of the Dunes
We're taking a break this week so here's an episode from our first season you may not have heard yet. There she lay face down on a beach towel, naked in the sand: handless, dead and with a mouth full of expensive dental work. In 1974, when a kid and her dog discovered the body of a young woman in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a mystery took off. Who was she? Well, she’s the Lady of the Dunes.
34m Sep 01, 2022
34m
S2 Ep18: Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Lori Ceci Bova
In the early hours of a June morning in 1997, 26-year-old Lori Ceci Bova stepped outside for a smoke break and never came back. She forgot her cigarettes, for one, and as the search for Lori unfolded more questions than answers emerged. Loved ones, police and bystanders took turns being cagey, and the abundance of psychic input on the case led everyone astray. When someone disappears truly with...
32m Aug 25, 2022
32m
S2 Ep17: Death by Disney: The Happiest Place on Earth?
Welcome to the magical world of Disney theme parks, where the huggable characters, glistening turkey legs and all around sparkle are a sheen over some dark secrets –which makes sense. Any place touting a policy of zero death on its grounds has to have some skeletons hidden away.
31m Aug 18, 2022
31m
S1: The Tragicomedy of Typhoid Mary
We're taking a break this week so here's an episode from our first season you may not have heard yet. We'll be back with a new episode next week! This is the story of a cook who refused to wash her hands and the health department that chased her around New York City in search of a stool sample. She’d end up alone on an island, but everyone knew her name. Here’s how Mary Mallon became Typhoid M...
30m Aug 11, 2022
30m
S2 Ep16: Dude, Where’s My Personality?
Imagine surviving a freak accident and coming out the other side unrecognizable – not on the exterior, but inside. Where do our personalities live, and how can they shift drastically? In season one, we covered miraculous talents resulting from traumatic brain injury. On this episode, we’ll head to the dark side of personality change with the stories of Phineas Gage, Eadweard Muybridge and someo...
34m Aug 04, 2022
34m
S2 Ep15: The Hum Heard Around the World
Can you hear that? It’s like a car –idling in the distance– or a plane on a tarmac, with a tinge of oil crackling in a pan. Since the 1970s a mysterious sound has tormented communities across the globe and confounded those curious to find its source. With no recording of it in existence, and only 2 to 10 percent of affected area populations able to hear it, this hum is a sonic mystery for the a...
35m Jul 28, 2022
35m
S2 Ep14: Stairway to Hell: The Legend of Stull Church
In 1974, an article in a local paper turned the sleepy town of Stull, Kansas upside down. It was about an abandoned church and its surrounding cemetery. Accounts of cold brushes with spirits and theories on a stairway to hell drew the likes of rowdy college students and celebrities alike, including Kurt Cobain and Ariana Grande. But what’s more haunted: the places that fascinate us or the stori...
31m Jul 21, 2022
31m
S2 Ep13: Into the Multiverse
The possibility of parallel universes has long been considered in science fiction, pop culture and even plain, old physics. Accounts of interdimensional travel stretch back to the 12th century and forward to the annals of reddit today. On this episode, we’ll parse through some of these stories about slipping out the other side.
33m Jul 14, 2022
33m
S2 Ep12: The Smurl Haunting: A Demonic Drama
Jack and Janet Smurl were your typical, civically engaged, small-town couple. That is, until they –and their four kids– moved into a haunted house in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Exploding appliances, strange sounds, violent events and a foul odor tortured the family inside while drawing onlookers and media outside. But was this craze the work of a demon or something more morally sinister?
32m Jun 30, 2022
32m
S2 Ep11: Murder in the Name of Love: Alice & Freda Part 2 (Pride Series)
The trial of teenage murderer Alice Mitchell was an all out spectacle. After killing her former lover Freda Ward in a crime of passion, no one seemed to believe her motivation –least of all her own defense team. She’d end up pleading present insanity under the counsel of men who couldn’t even begin to comprehend any deviation from the sexual and gendered norms of the late 19th century. In the s...
34m Jun 23, 2022
34m
S2 Ep10: Murder in the Name of Love: Alice & Freda Part 1 (Pride Series)
When 19-year-old Alice Mitchell jumped from a carriage and slit the throat of 17-year-old Freda Ward one fateful day in 1892, a rampant fascination over the drama soon followed. Alice loved Freda and killed her accordingly –to the crazed confusion of nearly everyone in Memphis, Tennessee and beyond. In the first half of our pride series, we’ll go over the story of their sapphic relationship, ho...
34m Jun 16, 2022
34m
S2 Ep9: How We Lost the Plot on the Lost City of Atlantis
The mythic metropolis of Atlantis has long been an object of our curiosity, but the search for where it was and who lived there has left its origin story underwater. On this episode, we’ll explore how this thought experiment about a fallen empire from the mind of Plato turn into a justification for grand projects of bigotry from eugenicists, pseudo-archeologists and –you guessed it– Nazis.
32m Jun 09, 2022
32m
S1: The Impossible Disappearances of Brian Shaffer and Ian Burnet
We're taking a break for the holiday so we wanted to feature an episode from our first season you may not have heard yet. We'll be back with a new episode next week! Columbus Ohio 2006, 1:15 am: 27-year-old medical student Brian Shaffer is seen on a surveillance camera walking into a bar with two friends. But he never comes back out. Somehow, in a bar packed with potential witnesses, Brian van...
31m Jun 02, 2022
31m
S2 Ep8: Lights, Camera, Moon Landing!
When Neil Armstrong touched down and said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” he meant it, right? The 1969 moon landing was a long-awaited event that brought the world together and the United States across the Space Race finish line. But, as with any historic victory for powerful people in powerful governments, doubters soon followed. To this day, many still believe the...
32m May 26, 2022
32m
S2 Ep7: A Decade of Terror: Village of the Damned Part 2
We left off in the ill-fated Dryden, NY with two high school cheerleaders missing and a town in mourning for years of tragedy under its belt. In the second half of this series on the “Village of the Damned,” we’ll go over the hunt for a murderer and the unfortunate string of deaths that followed. How did this decade of terror come to a conclusion? The end would be more bitter than sweet.
32m May 19, 2022
32m
S2 Ep6: A Decade of Terror: Village of the Damned Part 1
Dryden, New York is your typical, small town nestled among forestry, ponds and plains. But in the 1990s, that peace was disrupted by a string of events so tragic it was hard not to suspect a site-specific curse. Dryden would come to be known for a time as the “Village of the Damned,” and in Part 1 of this series we’ll trace the first half of this ominous decade there.
29m May 12, 2022
29m
S2 Ep5: An Assassin’s Escape: What Happened to John Wilkes Booth?
After former president Abraham Lincoln was shot dead at Ford’s Theatre, a manhunt for John Wilkes Booth ensued immediately. History tells us Booth was captured by Union soldiers on a farm in Virginia 12 days after the assassination, but contrarians to this story have been begging to differ even since. Did John Wilkes Booth escape after all? On this episode, we’ll explore alternative fates for t...
33m May 05, 2022
33m
S2 Ep4: Lucid Dreaming: Controlling Worlds Inside Our Heads
The dream world is a mysterious place of delights, nightmares and lots and lots of memories. But what if we could control it? Many do by harnessing the skill and cultural fascination that is lucid dreaming. On this episode, we’ll explore the origins, possibilities and dangers of the practice.
34m Apr 28, 2022
34m
S2 Ep3: The Philadelphia Experiment Fallacy
What started as mysterious letters to a UFOlogist turned into a rumor straight out of science fiction. The USS Eldridge –a naval destroyer– undoubtedly existed, but how did it become the subject of alleged teleportation in a top secret government experiment? On this episode, we’ll traverse the murky waters of the story that brought The Philadelphia Experiment to life.
35m Apr 21, 2022
35m
S2 Ep2: Ed Edwards: The Killer You Might've Missed
History’s most infamous serial killers had calling cards, from names and symbols to systems and strategies of predation. But the only thing tying together the story of Edward Wayne Edwards was his ability to resist definition. He was a robber and a self-proclaimed “reformed man.” He was a father and a Zodiac Killer enthusiast. He was a vocal opponent of crime while murderously slipping under th...
34m Apr 14, 2022
34m
S2 Ep1: Mandela Effect Mayhem
The Berenstain Bears, Tony the Tiger’s blue nose and a ‘90s movie starring Sinbad as a genie have all come back to haunt us. What started off as confusion over Nelson Mandela’s death date has exploded over the years into mass mixups concerning the big and small. On this episode, we’ll dive head first into this global phenomenon that is the Mandela Effect.
34m Apr 07, 2022
34m
S1 Ep52: The Mothman Cometh!
Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a humanoid, moth-like creature? The Mothman entered the scene of Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966 and has fascinated our imaginations since. Here’s how an anomaly with glowing red eyes flew straight into the heart of this small town’s identity.
33m Mar 17, 2022
33m
S1 Ep51: Skeletons Beneath the Surface: Lake Lanier’s Troubling Past
One of Georgia’s most popular tourist attractions is also the site of some dark history. From the bottom up, the manmade Lake Lanier holds everything from ghost town remnants, to bodies to monstrous catfish. The legends along its shores only add to that lore. On this episode, we’ll dive into one of the deadliest lakes in the United States.
33m Mar 10, 2022
33m
S1 Ep50: The Tragicomedy of Typhoid Mary
This is the story of a cook who refused to wash her hands and the health department that chased her around New York City in search of a stool sample. She’d end up alone on an island, but everyone knew her name. Here’s how Mary Mallon became Typhoid Mary.
30m Mar 03, 2022
30m
S1 Ep49: Secret Society Sampler: Freemasonry & The Illuminati
From their esoteric symbols to their elusive rituals & doings, secret societies control our curiosity. If we can’t join them, we can still poke around their stories. On this episode we’ll explore the origins of two of the most talked about groups in modern history and where they are today. What happens behind the curtain? Are you wary to find out? Welcome to the club.
38m Feb 24, 2022
38m
S1 Ep48: The Lady of the Dunes
There she lay facedown on a beach towel, naked in the sand: handless, dead and with a mouth full of expensive dental work. In 1974, when a kid and her dog discovered the body of a young woman in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a mystery took off. Who was she? Well, she’s The Lady of the Dunes.
34m Feb 17, 2022
34m
S1 Ep47: The Stayner Saga Part 2: Cary’s Gone Killing
In Part 2 of this series on the Stayners, we turn to Cary: the brother left to live through Steven’s disappearance and eventual return. After tragedy strikes Cary’s family multiple times, he heads down a dark and deadly road into the forests of Yosemite.
32m Feb 10, 2022
32m
S1 Ep46: The Stayner Saga Part 1: Steven’s Gone Missing
When 7-yr-old Steven Stayner was kidnapped, his family was shaken. And when 14-yr-old Steven returned home, life was still far from normal. How does trauma travel through a family? And what would come next? In these next two episodes, we’ll follow a pair of brothers on their diverging paths, starting with Steven.
32m Feb 03, 2022
32m
S1 Ep45: NXIVM’s Own Starlet: The Wayward Story of Allison Mack
Allison Mack set off on her acting career at a young age, playing dorks, "plain Janes" and other blonde-haired, girl-next-door types across the ‘90s and early aughts. But when a crisis of confidence presented a fork in her road, Mack veered down a dark path of sex-trafficking, conspiracy and a whole lot of interpersonal manipulation. How did it all happen? We trace the story in this episode.
35m Jan 27, 2022
35m
S1 Ep44: Lost in the Wilderness Part 2: Hikers Found Dead
If a tree falls in the forest –and nobody’s around to hear it– who knows if it killed someone below? The mysterious, fatal instances that occur in nature are hard to piece together. This week, two stories of people who went into the great unknown and died. To this day, how they died is also a great unknown.
32m Jan 20, 2022
32m
S1 Ep43: Lost in the Wilderness Part 1: Hikers Gone Missing
We walk into nature to confront the unknown, but returning home isn’t a guarantee. From the desert of Nevada to the mountainous forest of Vermont, secrets of missing people are embedded across the landscapes they once traversed. This week, we stray from the trailhead with two stories of hikers who seemingly disappeared into thin air.
31m Jan 13, 2022
31m
S1: "Crimes of the Centuries" Returns for Season 2!
Hey, Strangers!  Today the Obsessed Network is launching Season 2 of “Crimes of the Centuries” - the true crime podcast from award-winning reporter Amber Hunt. Recently named by Rolling Stone as one of the 10 Best Crime Podcasts of 2021, “Crimes of the Centuries” rediscovers the true crime stories that shocked the nation—cases so unbelievable that we thought we’d never forget them, but somehow...
12m Jan 10, 2022
12m
S1 Ep42: Etan Patz: The First Milk Carton Kid
On a spring morning in 1979, a young boy walked to his bus stop and never returned home. The disappearance of Etan Patz would result in a search across New York City that spanned 40 years. From flyers to milk cartons, his face and name became a cautionary tale to many, a tale with an unclear ending still to this day.
31m Jan 06, 2022
31m
S1: The Simulation Theory: Is Any of This Real?
Is our existence a reality, or are we the product of someone else's imagination? The chances that we are all just avatars in someone else's video game are better than you think.  This week, we explain what the simulation theory is, share stories of those who have experienced a "glitch" in the Matrix, and offer proof that none of this--or us--are real.
31m Dec 30, 2021
31m
S1: Roanoke: That Time 100 People Vanished for No Reason
So... we still don't know what happened, you guys.  BUT 420ish years ago, a bunch of white people tried to form a colony in present-day North Carolina.  It didn't go great. The dude whose idea it was LEFT, and when he came back, everyone was gone.  We have no idea what happened to them... but it won't stop us from guessing.  You're welcome.
33m Dec 23, 2021
33m
S1 Ep41: Aliens in the Schoolyard
In 1966, a group of schoolchildren in Australia pointed their fingers at what looked like a UFO. School personnel cautioned everyone to hush up, and apparently some men in black arrived, enforcing the same. In 1994, alleged aliens touched down at a different school, this time in Zimbabwe. Kids say the darndest things, especially when it comes to mysterious flying objects. But regardless, what h...
32m Dec 16, 2021
32m
S1 Ep40: Who's That Babushka Lady?
When John F. Kennedy was assassinated on that fateful drive in Dallas, The Babushka Lady was there, capturing it all on film. As onlookers ducked, screamed and ran, she stood fast, appearing calm in her head scarf and trench coat. Who was she? Why was she there? And what happened to her footage after all these years?
34m Dec 09, 2021
34m
S1 Ep39: The Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen
On a spring morning in 2011, a father dropped off his six-year-old son at school. An hour later, a mother picked the boy up, whisking him away on vacation. She was later found dead in a motel room along with a note stating her son’s fate: Timmothy was safe with people who loved him, but he would never be found. There are gaping holes in this story and plenty of theories devised to fill them. Wh...
30m Dec 02, 2021
30m
S1 Ep38: The Denver Airport: A Hub For Travel and Conspiracy Theories
Welcome to Denver International! Here’s the capstone donated from the freemasons, some murals depicting apocalyptic futures, and be sure not to miss "Blucifer," the giant, blue horse statue with glowing red eyes. Don’t go downstairs though. The New World Order would like to keep their underground highways a secret. Clearly, the air traffic on conspiracy theories here is out of control.
36m Nov 18, 2021
36m
S1 Ep37: Waking Up to Miraculous Talents
Traumatic brain injuries can be life-altering. Imagine surviving one and coming out the other side completely different. Furthermore, imagine suddenly being able to do things you’ve never done, like master a musical instrument, instantly calculate huge sums in your head or recall the events of your life to a new depth of detail. On this episode, we take a look at acquired savant syndrome and ho...
30m Nov 11, 2021
30m
S1 Ep36: The Mysterious Case of the Dyatlov Pass
A slashed tent, scattered footprints, radioactive clothing and a dislodged tongue. In February of 1959, nine hikers were found dead in the Ural Mountains of Russia, and the tale their bodies told in the aftermath was far from straightforward.
31m Nov 04, 2021
31m
S1 Ep35: Conjuring Up The Conjuring
When a movie introduces itself as “based on a true story,” everything that follows is subject to scrutiny. What true story, and according to whom? The Conjuring (2013) is perhaps the quintessential haunted house movie of today, but it all began with an imperfect book. On this episode, we’ll square up that story with what appears on screen.
33m Oct 28, 2021
33m
S1 Ep34: The Salem Witch Trials
Bubble, bubble, toil and lots of trouble. The puritanical witch hunt of Salem, Massachusetts took the lives of 19 innocent people as one of the most dramatic instances of scapegoating in American history. Was there something in the rye? Evil in the water? Sexism in the air? Well, that goes without saying.
30m Oct 25, 2021
30m
S1 Ep33: The Poltergeist: The Film That Unleashed a Curse?
Steven Spielberg’s 1982 horror hit scared audiences silly with its story of a suburban family cursed by demonic ghosts. Off-screen, there were deaths of actors, accidents on set and an eerily targeted lightning strike. On this episode: a look inside the supposed curse of The Poltergeist franchise.
33m Oct 21, 2021
33m
S1 Ep32: A Quartet of Urban Legends
A chain-mail letter warns of an organ-harvesting cabal. A supposed mountain gremlin appears in a video. A hitchhiker in an evening gown vanishes into thin air, and people appear to live under New York City. But is any of it true? You decide on this episode, where we’ll explore the ins and outs of four urban legends.
32m Oct 18, 2021
32m
S1 Ep31: The Villisca Axe Murders: A Century-Old Bloodbath
One summer night in 1912, eight people were axe murdered in their sleep under the same roof. Over a hundred years later, the house remains in its rural farming town of Villisca, Iowa, open to the public. The case remains unsolved. The details of that night? Unsettling. One visitor even felt compelled to stab himself in the chest while there. On this episode, how a bloodbath from a century ago h...
30m Oct 14, 2021
30m
S1 Ep30: Hidden Rooms: What Lurks Inside the Walls
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you discover other rooms in your apartment? Like, suddenly there’s a door you never noticed before, and beyond it is all the extra space you always wish you had? Or maybe you’ve had the nightmare version where you open your closet door and instead of your clothes, you’re looking at some kind of medieval torture dungeon. What would you do if you actual...
30m Oct 11, 2021
30m
S1 Ep29: Lizzie Borden Had an Axe....
"Lizzie Borden had an axe, and gave her mother forty whacks; When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one." Or did she? There are lots of theories surrounding what happened in the Borden home that night. If Lizzie did kill her parents, did she do it alone or did she have help? Listen as we discuss all of the theories including Lizzie's alleged affair with the maid or even the p...
32m Oct 07, 2021
32m