The Psychic Cold War Pt. 1

Episode 1 - L. Frank Baum and H. Blavatsky Hello Seekers! Oh my GAWD! It is good to be back! That said, it was WONDERFUL meeting everyone, both at the event in Richmond as well as at the Partanorma Cruise! Here is to many more hangs in the future! I had such a blast and I hope you all did too. As promised, here is episode 1 of a 4 to 5 episode arch re: the occult origins of The Wizard of Oz children's novels by L. Frank Baum. I don't know about you but I've read all of the OZ books (there is more than just Wizard) and deeply fell in love with them (did you also know they were one of Shirley Jackson's favorite book series?). I also wondered how Baum was able to think up suck an amazing place and what was the actual spark behind it all. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Where IS Oz? In part one of our four-episode deep dive, we start with the people around L. Frank Baum: his wife, Maud, and his formidable mother-in-law, Matilda Joslyn Gage. Their connections to Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy and debates about women, power, and spiritual authority offer important context for the world Baum created. Matilda Joslyn Gage This is the foundation for the series: exploring the real people and the ideas they believed in as the backdrop to the creation of an enduring and charming American myth. Enjoy and thank you for getting weird with me!

Sure, we cover weird history but what weird stuff is happening NOW!? Hey Seekers! For the last year and a half of this podcast, we've been focusing on what has happened within the world of the paranormal and not so much of what is happening within the woprld of the paranormal. Is anyone still experimenting with out-of-body experiences anymore and, if so, where and how? You're in luck! Apparently, researchers at the University of Virginia are diving deep into the mysteries of human consciousness. They're testing out-of-body experiences and then some! (do me a favor and look up their involvement in the James Leininger case. I promise you won't be disappointed). The weirdness isn't limited to the past - it's happening right now, as we speak! Join us as we explore these fascinating studies and what they mean for our understanding of reality & as always, thanks for getting weird with us! -Jess

Hello Seekers! Continuing on this week with products produced by the dead - we're tuning into the stranger side of technological history. From to the Spiricom Mark IV (a machine whose creators claimed allowed them to hold conversations with the dead) to California's famous Integratron (now additionally protected by the Huntington Library and Museum), and everything else in-between; we're looking at the inventors who tried to pull voices from the other side into this one - kicking and screaming all the way. Enjoy the show and, as always, thanks for getting weird with us!

Hello Seekers! In the 1850s, former Universalist minister and radical social reformer John Murray Spear claimed he was recieving instructions from a group of dead scientists, inventors and poli8tical thinkers known as "The Association of Electrizers." Their grand plan? To spiritually "birth" a half-man / half-machine capable of drawing life from the Uniuverse itself tio help humanity twoards a Utopia. And it only get's weirder from there! Thanks for getting weird with us!

Hello Seekers! Today's episode takes us back (briefly) into the CIA's STARGATE files—but this time, it ratchets up the weird! Meet Rosemary Brown, a British housewife who claimed that dead composers like Beethoven, Chopin and Franz Liszt were visiting her and dictating brand-new music from beyond the grave. Enjoy the episiode and thanks for getting weird with us!  

Hello Seekers! In the grand finale of our three part series, we dive into the conclusion of the U.S. government's remote viewing experiment known as STARGATE. The program, which spanned over two decades and cost millions of dollars was finally evaluated by the CIA in 1995 - The question on everyon's mind: Was any of it useful for actual intelligence purposes? And ho9w the heck does The Monroe Institute and astral travel play a part in this? Find the answers to all this and more on today's Psychic Cold War finale ep. and, as always, thanks for getting weird with us.

There is so so soooo much more than the big gothic cathedral outside the train station! Hey Seekers! I've been at Gamescom this past week, hence the delayed release for this week's episode (but better late than never is what I always say). It actually kind of worked out because: My planned interview with Seamus Blackley has been pushed to later on in September It gave me the chance to do some deep diving into what creepy and weird sh*t is just underfoot that no one really knows about as they're walking around checking out the latest game demos. REMINDER: Despite this week's late release, we are still on time for the last episode to our 3-part series "The Psychic Cold War" going live this Tues for Patreon members and Wednesday for everyone, everywhere, else! Make sure and keep your eyes and ears attuned for it going live! Enjoy the show and thanks for getting weird with us! -Jess

Hello Seekers! Welcome back to part two of our three part series: The Psychic Cold War! What had started as a story about fake military telepathy claims has quickly turned into one of the weirdest intelligence experiments in modern history. Fast forward to 1972, the U.S. has arrived at the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California; a place known for advanced physics, defense contracts and Silicon Vallet level technical talent. It is the perfect  setting for a truly bizarre intersection of science and the supernatural. In today's episode, we get into the who, what and why of it all over at Stanford and how the program kept surviving even when the government told the public it had all been useless. I hope you enjoy the show and as always.... Thanks for getting weird with me!

Seekers! This one is going to be a DOOZY!  Welcome to part 1 of 3 episode mini-series all about the CIA's Project Stargate and Project Gateway and all because of one question I've never really heard annyoe ask in a simple way: Who started it? Thanks for getting weird with us and buckle up!

Hello Seekers! I have basically made this week's episode entierly with my phone, so apologies that the sound is a bit off this week but I didn't want to have to push the podcast again, so we are trying this technique out. While not ideal...it's not half bad! I hope you find this week's story of an obscure occult mail order musician/magician as intriguing as I did when I stumbled across his work. Who knows? Maybe he will become the next big occult talent to be "discovered" posthumously. After all, only a few folks really knew about Austin Osman Spare until Kenneth Anger came along & now he's finally been given the spotlight he deserves. As always, enjoy the show! Thanks for getting weird with me!