Episode 106: Up in the Sky

I talk to Danielle Aykroyd about her family's involvement in spiritualism, and growing up in a home where the paranormal is just normal. For the full episode, sign up for the Otherworld Patreon Danielle Aykroyd, also known by her stage name Vera Sola, is a singer-songwriter, poet, and multi-instrumentalist. She is the daughter of the actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd who came from a long line of spiritualists. His family was heavily involved in the movement and the movie Ghostbusters was actually based on the experiences of his great grandfather.  His great-grandfather, Samuel Augustus Aykroyd, was a dentist and an avid spiritualist who held séances at the family home in Ontario, Canada. He was deeply interested in communicating with spirits, which was a popular practice during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Samuel Aykroyd even kept detailed journals documenting his experiences and beliefs. If you want to hear the entire interview, it's out now on the Otherworld Patreon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Felicia was coming home from music practice with her mother when they saw something strange and unexplainable in the sky. Scared of its unknown power, Felicia kept the experience a secret for years. Similarly, Aidan was a young girl when she and her friend went into the woods one summer day. After getting lost, their disagreements over which direction to take led them to separate. Wandering alone, Aidan stumbled upon something deeply unsettling and mysterious in the sky. Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The night their mother unexpectedly passes away, Ariel experiences a surreal out-of-body encounter where their mother appears, desperately trying to convey a cryptic message. Initially dismissing it as a reaction to grief, Ariel's perspective shifts when new revelations come to light. Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of The Reader, Jamie's channeled messages expand to include not just Jennifer's father but also several other deceased family members. As the school year progresses, Jennifer experiences a mix of emotions—ranging from amazement and excitement to anxiety and confusion—as she struggles to navigate this overwhelmingly surreal situation. Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A teacher's life is turned upside down when her student seems to be able to read her mind. Things get even stranger when the student begins delivering very specific messages from people she could not possibly know. Stay tuned, The second half of this story will be coming soon in Part 2. Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I sit down with Dr. Bruce Greyson, one of the world’s foremost experts on Near-Death Experiences, who has dedicated nearly 40 years to studying this fascinating phenomenon. He is the author of several books, including After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond. Dr. Greyson is a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia and the former director of UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies. Dr. Greyson’s interest in Near-Death Experiences began just months after graduating from medical school, when an unconscious patient in the emergency room later described an out-of-body experience in vivid detail. This encounter challenged his beliefs about the relationship between the mind and the brain, sparking a lifelong journey of scientific exploration that has led to over a hundred medical publications on Near-Death Experiences. Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at University of Virginia After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this patreon bonus episode, I am joined by researcher JC Dentun to dive into the many theories, supposed historical references, and internet origin stories about the "Zozo" phenomenon. To listen visit www.patreon.com/otherworld To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part 2 of this series, we talk with Kiki, the waitress that Chase met years after his encounter with Zozo who shared an eerily similar experiences of her own. After tracking her down, it became clear that her story is even more intense than what Chase remembered. Kiki's encounter began after the loss of a friend when she turned to a Ouija board to seek answers or some form of closure. If you would like to know more about the history and origins of Zozo, and what this phenomenon might be, we are currently making a research based episode that will be available on the Otherworld Patreon very soon. That will be available at www.patreon.com/otherworld Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I dive into the history of Ouija Boards with historian and planchette collector Brandon Hodge. To hear this and other bonus episodes of Otherworld, sign up at www.patreon.com/otherworld To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chase considered himself an atheist from a young age, so when he and his cousin played with a Ouija board, it was all just fun and games until they found themselves communicating with a mysterious entity who called itself "Zozo." Check out our Merch Follow us on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter For business inquiries contact: [email protected] If you have experienced something paranormal or unexplained, email us your story at [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices