The Counterfeit Companion: Why We're Trading Real Love for Digital Deception

A 32-year-old Japanese woman just held a wedding ceremony complete with vows, rings, and guests to marry an AI character she created on ChatGPT — proving that everything we warned about last week is already happening.READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/japan-ai-wedding/WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.#AIWedding #ChatGPTMarriage #JapanAI #DigitalRomance #AICompanions #TechnologyAddiction #AIRelationships #ChatGPTLove #AIpsychosis #WeirdDarkness

From Abraham Lincoln wandering the White House halls to a Reddit user's cat being dragged backward by an invisible hand, we're looking at haunted house claims both famous and personal—and asking whether any of them hold up to scrutiny.IN THIS EPISODE: For some people, living in a haunted house is a dream come true; for others it's a nightmare. Real haunted house stories are not as rare as one might think - and they are often so creepy, even skeptics can acknowledge that something strange is going on. As for anyone who can say they lived in a haunted house, the idea that ghosts or poltergeists are real is not all that hard to swallow. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:00:42.067 = Show Open00:01:57.279 = Real Life Haunted Houses, Part 100:13:54.604 = ***Real Life Haunted Houses, Part 200:41:46.453 = ***Redditor Haunts, Part 100:57:24.722 = ***Redditor Haunts, Part 201:06:47.448 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“Real Life Haunted Houses” by Jerry Greenfield for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/e4e6bsev*** PHOTO of Ghost Room at Ballygally Castle: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5bysus82*** PHOTO of the Brown Lady at Raynham Hall: https://tinyurl.com/2ukmnw6t*** EPISODE of “The Disturbing Case of the Bell Witch” (“The Bell Witch Mystery”):https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/89mshe3x“Redditor Haunts” by Michael Gibson for Ranker’s Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3yhhfn8m=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: March 29, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/RealHauntsABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness, #HauntedHouses, #GhostStories, #Paranormal, #TrueHorror, #HauntedHistory, #SupernaturalStories, #CreepyTales, #GhostHunting, #HorrorStories

The woman who stabbed her classmate nineteen times to please a fictional internet monster has cut off her ankle monitor and fled — triggering a multi-state manhunt that ended at an Illinois truck stop.READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/morgan-geyser-escapeWeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.#MorganGeyser #SlenderMan #TrueCrime #Slenderman #Manhunt #CriminalCase #TrueCrimeNews #Creepypasta #WisconsinNews #WeirdDarkness

A woman, driven by vanity and greed, arranges to have her own portrait stamped on special gold coins. But things go very wrong — instead of her elegant image, the coins bear a hideous reflection of her avaricious nature. | “A Heart of Gold” by CBS Radio Mystery Theater | #RetroRadio EP0560CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “A Heart of Gold” (February 18, 1977)00:49:10.976 = Theater 1030, “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury (1968-1971) ***WD01:14:54.686 = 2000 Plus, “The Giant Walks” (November 05, 1950) ***WD (LQ)01:42:49.013 = The Unexpected, “Free Passage” (August 08, 1948)01:57:30.052 = Unsolved Mysteries, “Toll Bridge” (1936) ***WD02:11:56.382 = Dark Venture, “Only Inhabitant” (November 19, 1946) ***WD02:41:35.501 = The Weird Circle, “Duel Without Honor” (January 14, 1945) ***WD03:09:04.951 = The Whistler, “Beware the Bridegroom” (November 13, 1944) ***WD03:38:30.802 = The Witch’s tale, “To Share and Share Alike” (December 05, 1935) ***WD (LQ)04:04:50.007 = X Minus One, “The Stars Are The Styx” (July 24, 1956)04:33:05.188 = The Zero Hour, “Terror In The Night” (April 30, 1974) ***WD04:50:33.408 = Show Close(ADU) = Air Date Unknown(LQ) = Low Quality***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing.Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music LibraryABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.= = = = =#ParanormalRadio #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas #WeirdDarknessCUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0560

POLICE & THE PARANORMAL! What Happens When Cops Get Called for Paranormal Activity? Police officers share their most credible paranormal encounters while on duty, from voices commanding homeowners to leave, to a drug user seeing the exact spirit of a man who hanged himself in that same bedroom years earlier, to an entire group witnessing their friend become possessed and speak in an unintelligible voice that wasn't her own. | #WDRadio WEEK OF NOVEMBER 23, 2025HOUR ONE: A group of hunters and Bigfoot enthusiasts go out looking for the elusive creature – but what they find is even more bizarre than anyone might have expected. (The Ultimate Monstrous Thought-Form) *** No one really thinks about it, but cops are usually one of the most credible witnesses to paranormal phenomena. Police officers are trained observers and usually will make better witnesses than a civilian. But even our brave men and women in blue can be terrified into a shade of white. (Police and the Paranormal) *** A bizarre phenomenon that manages to teeter where the lines of Bigfoot, Werewolves, the paranormal, and urban legend intersect, takes things deeper into the strange with various reports that suggest these beings utilize the mental power of telepathy as well. We’ll look into some of the creepy encounters with the Dogman. (Bizarre Encounters With Telepathic Dogmen)HOUR TWO: In parts of Africa it’s not the werewolf you need to look out for, but the were-hyena… and it’s almost always the local blacksmith that is the man behind the monster. (Lesser Known Morphing Monsters: The Shape-Shifter Hyena) *** Does the Vatican have a device that allows them to see in the past and the future? Some believe they do. And if it were to ever fall into the wrong hands, it could then create the “scariest dictatorship the world has ever seen.” (The Vatican’s Chronovisor) *** Some fathers will do whatever it takes to protect the virtue of their daughters. One man’s solution came at the end of an ax blade. (The Linville Murderer) *** A man believes the creature in his nightmares may be trying to speak with him. (Spirit Communicating Through My Dreams) *** A young girl is surprised to find the Easter Bunny visit her in the middle of the night. But many years later she learns it wasn’t either of her parents. (Easter Bunny Creeper) *** The stories range from the being inbred cretins running amok, to government created mutants, to escaped hydrocephalic patients from an insane asylum. What are the strange creatures people are seeing in the deep woods of Ohio? (Strange Encounters With The Bizarre Melonheads) *** Glitch In The Matrix==========SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW:“Lesser Known Morphing Monsters: The Shape-Shifter Hyena” by Nick Redfern: http://bit.ly/2lNmfOq“The Vatican’s Chronovisor” by Amando Flavio: http://bit.ly/2mh4Vl3“The Linville Murderer” by Robert Wilhelm: http://bit.ly/2klRUWQ“Spirit Communicating Through My Dreams” by Ari Lancaster: http://bit.ly/2mh4QxL“The Easter Bunny Creeper” posted anonymously at WeirdDarkness.com: http://bit.ly/2lN3Wcb“Strange Encounters With The Bizarre Melonheads” by Brent Swancer: http://bit.ly/2keM2hS“Glitch In The Matrix” from Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.com/magazine“Bizarre Encounters With Telepathic Dogmen” by Brent Swancer: http://bit.ly/2lQ72fv (Photos mentioned in this story:http://bit.ly/2mbhs9r) “Police and the Paranormal” is a collection of stories gathered from GhostTheory.com and GhostsNGhouls.com: http://bit.ly/2kKyk6K (other link is no longer available)“The Ultimate Monstrous Thought-Form” by Nick Redfern: http://bit.ly/2mhZUZD==========(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for material I use whenever possible. If I have overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately. Some links may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)=========="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46==========WeirdDarkness®, WeirdDarkness© 2025==========To become a Weird Darkness Radio Show affiliate, contact Radio America at [email protected], or call 800-807-4703 (press 2 or dial ext 250).

What if the Grey aliens abducting humans aren't exploring our world, but desperately parasitizing our species in a failed attempt to steal the one thing their advanced technology can never replicate—an immortal soul?IN THIS EPISODE: We’ve all been exposed to the concept of the grey aliens – made popular in numerous TV shows and films. From Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, to TV’s “Stargate SG-1” they are seen as harmless, even friendly. But then there are the darker stories such as the true account of the abduction of Barney and Betty Hill, or the film “Fire In The Sky” telling of the true kidnapping of Travis Walton into a strange spacecraft – with both stories telling of strange and terrifying experiments being done to the abductees by the grey humanoids. But could that latter category of stories be even more sinister? Could the Greys be, in fact, harvesting our humanity… and possibly even our souls? (The Parasitic Greys) *** Over the years, hundreds of people online have shared memories of a cheesy Nineties movie called “Shazaam”. There is no evidence that such a film was ever made. What does this tell us about the quirks of collective memory? (The Non-Existent Film The Internet Insists Is Real) *** While the Loch Ness Monster, or “Nessie” is a worldwide celebrity, she has a distant cousin in America that doesn’t get the same kind of press – although she probably should. Have you heard of Lake Erie’s “Bessie”? (The Legendary Leviathan of Lake Erie)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Abduction of Travis Walton00:03:30.325 = Show Open00:05:48.594 = The Parasitic Greys00:36:24.119 = ***The Non-Existent Film The Internet Insists Is Real00:51:26.241 = ***The Legendary Leviathan of Lake Erie00:57:03.719 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“The Abduction of Travis Walton” by Lee Speigel for the Huffington Post: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vd7v6xp3“The Parasitic Greys” from New Dawn Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3auj26fa (© Copyright New Dawn Magazine, www.newdawnmagazine.com. Permission granted to freely distribute this article for non-commercial purposes if unedited and copied in full, including this notice.)“The Non-Existent Film The Internet Insists Is Real” by Amelia Tait for New Statesman: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/phpf3tcz“The Legendary Leviathan of Lake Erie” by Molly Fosco for Ozy: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bu7bj4e8=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: March 27, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/GreyAlienAgendaABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness #TravisWalton #AlienAbduction #GreyAliens #UFOEncounters #AlienConspiracy #ParanormalPodcast #FireInTheSky #UnexplainedMysteries #AlienExperiments

As millions turn to AI companions for comfort and connection, we're discovering that the same technology promising to end our loneliness might be the very thing trapping us in isolation—and what Scripture warns us about this ancient temptation in digital form.SERMON TRANSCRIPT… https://weirddarkness.com/cotu-ai-romanceWeird Darkness® and Church Of The Undead™ are trademarked. Copyright © 2025.#AICompanions #ChristianLiving #DigitalLoneliness #BiblicalTruth #ChurchCommunity #TeenMentalHealth #AuthenticLove #SpiritualWarfare #FaithAndTechnology #WeirdDarkness

The Bell Witch became one of America's most famous hauntings, but the truth behind the violent spirit that allegedly tormented a Tennessee family for years remains shrouded in mystery and debate.IN THIS EPISODE: The tale of the Bell Witch has gone on to become one of the most well known hauntings in American history and an iconic historical horror story, but of course it has left us to debate and speculate on whether any of it is true, and if so just what was the Bell Witch? (The Disturbing Case of the Bell Witch) *** The pentagram is most often seen in film and television as a symbol of Satan, or dark witchcraft – but that is not the reality of pentagram. The symbol has a much wider and richer history than what is portrayed in today’s entertainment mediums. While the practices and beliefs of Wicca, gnostics, and druids use the pentagram in their practices, as do Satanists, the pentagram was (and sometimes still is) used by Christian believers as well – which I’m sure comes as quite a shock to those who don’t know the full history behind this five pointed star. (The Paranormal Pentagram) *** I have told innumerable stories involving the death of someone, be it brutal, mysterious, or even darkly humorous. But it is high time I share a few stories of people who died… but then returned to the living. Not as ghosts, but as regular flesh-and-blood human beings who just happened to survive their own death. (They Survived Their Own Deaths) *** The Lake Bodom murders may well be the most famous unsolved homicide in Scandinavian Criminal History. Occurring in 1960 and claiming 3 victims with 1 injured survivor it is a Finnish zeitgeist that at one time or another had the whole of Finland enraptured. It is now a buzzword for murder and mystery in the small country. (The Lake Bodom Murders) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:00:59.204 = Show Open00:03:41.991 = The Disturbing Case of the Bell Witch00:26:18.524 = ***They Survived Their Own Deaths00:40:39.551 = ***The Paranormal Pentagram00:53:51.534 = ***Murders At Lake Bodom01:03:55.846 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“They Survived Their Own Deaths” by Gary Pullman for List Verse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3cp587jz“The Paranormal Pentagram” by A. Sutherland for Message to Eagle: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2674t2ss, and Alice Cook-Nelson for MYDNYTBLU: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/d234tb8m***BOOK: “Power of the Pendulum” by Tom Lethbridge: https://amzn.to/3cd6Jmr“The Disturbing Case of the Bell Witch” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/du2fbct3“Murders at Lake Bodom” posted at Mystery Confidential: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/356kkx5b=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: March 23, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/BellWitchHauntingABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#BellWitch #TennesseeHaunting #AmericanGhostStories #BellWitchCave #ParanormalHistory #TrueHauntings #HistoricalMysteries #FamousHauntings #SupernaturalLegends #WeirdDarkness

NASA's Perseverance rover just stumbled across something that has scientists scratching their heads – a rock on Mars that has absolutely no business being where it is.READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/mars-rock-anomaly/WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.#WeirdDarkness #MarsDiscovery #NASAMystery #PerseveranceRover #SpaceExploration #MarsRover #UnexplainedMystery #SpaceScience #MarsMeteor #NASANews

Grandma Mimi sends her grandchildren into the woods on a turkey hunt to avenge her beloved dog Bark-Man, but the kids have no idea what kind of turkeys are really waiting for them out there. | “THETURKEY HUNT” by Scott Donnelly Find more family-friendly frights and creepy games to play on our website at http://MicroTerrors.com!Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrorsOther stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaUOther narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com