Stories of the Paranormal, Supernatural, Legends, Lore, Mysterious Macabre, Unsolved and Unexplained
Throughout history there have been those mysterious, misunderstood individuals who have left bafflement, oddities, and enigmas in their wake. They seem to come from nowhere to puzzle and amaze, only to disappear into the depths of history, to be forever ciphers beyond our understanding. One such strange individual called New Orleans his home in the early 1900s, and by some accounts was more than merely an eccentric, but also an immortal vampire.
There is probably no cryptid out there that is as sighted, talked about, and as well-known as Bigfoot. It is the rock star of cryptids, the one that even people with no interest at all in cryptozoology have heard of, right up there with the Loch Ness Monster. Ask most people what they think these creatures are and you will more likely than not get the answer that they are some sort of massive undiscovered ape-like animal that lurks in remote areas of the world. Yet, what if Bigfoot is, at least in some cases, no animal at all, or at least not like any known by us? What if these creatures are something from not only beyond our understanding, but from beyond our very reality?
Following an anonymous tip, police enter a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, an exclusive suburb of San Diego, California, and discover 39 victims of a mass suicide. The deceased–21 women and 18 men of varying ages–were all found lying peaceably in matching dark clothes and Nike sneakers and had no noticeable signs of blood or trauma. It was later revealed that the men and women were members of the “Heaven’s Gate” religious cult, whose leaders preached that suicide would allow them to leave their bodily “containers” and enter an alien spacecraft hidden behind the Hale-Bopp comet.
A Tulpa is a thoughtform, or being created from the collective thoughts of separate individuals. The concept of Tulpas is theoretical in nature and originates from Tibetan Buddhism mythology, where Tulpas are described as extra bodies that were created from one person’s mind in order to travel to spiritual realms. The Tulpa Effect is the name given to the unintentional creation of a Tulpa based on collective belief of a being with similar traits. One example is that of Slenderman, with numerous stories and online forums and boards devoted to people talking about what they believe Slenderman is, if he exists or not, etc. The Tulpa Effect is that all of these thoughts and devoted attention to the myth has in a way created the reality – a living, breathing creature who may or may not exist in our own dimension as the Slenderman. Many people believe that the Tulpa Effect may have some serious real-life repercussions. Slenderman was invented as a creepypasta story in 2009 – originally pure fiction. If it’s possible that something so recent could be created through the Tulpa Effect – what about something more ancient, such as UFOs and extraterrestrials? Could it be that our fascination with them for so many years has, in effect, created the real thing?
150 years ago Jacob Cooley ordered his African American slave Hosea to build a chest for his first child. Hosea set to work, crafting a wooden chest of some remark. For some unknown reason his master was displeased with his efforts and beat his slave to a pulp, killing him. Cooley’s other slaves vowed to avenge the death of their friend and sprinkled the dried blood of an owl in the chest and had a ‘conjure man’ curse the chest. As if by magic, Cooley’s first born died in infancy and over the forthcoming years a total of seventeen deaths were attributed to the chest.
Most people believe in some form of Heaven and Hell. They believe that if they are good people, they will go to Heaven. If they are sinners, they will go to Hell. Others believe that Heaven and Hell are just stories, told on television and in movies. Some people honestly admit they simply just don’t know if Heaven and Hell exist. Regardless of your beliefs, there are real places on Earth that look as though they could be the entrance to fiery pits of Purgatory. Some people who have explored these various places on Earth believe they have found secret entrances that lead to the underworld.
The devil has always been a source of fascination in Judeo-Christian belief. He is seen as an all powerful entity, second only to God. Even Jesus, in the Gospels, refers to him as “prince of this world”. In fact, according to scripture Jesus himself was offered the greatest bargain by the devil when he fasted in the desert. The devil stated that he could give to Jesus “all their [man’s] authority and splendor”, proclaiming that “it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.” If Jesus agreed to “worship” the devil, it would all be his. “If you worship me, it will all be yours” came from the Devil’s lips. Jesus refused to be tempted and said no. However, it is claimed that many others after him have said yes, and have made deals with Satan himself.
IN THIS EPISODE: (Dark Archives episode from February 19, 2019) *** The author of Frankenstein always saw love and death as connected. She visited the cemetery to commune with her dead mother. And with her lover. (Mary Shelley’s Obsession With The Cemetery) *** A girl moves into a new apartment and discovers that a haunting doesn’t necessarily have to be frightening. (Ghostly Happenings In My Old Apartment) *** The July 1886 murder at the Shawmut Avenue laundry was so shrouded in mystery that even the victim’s name was uncertain. (The Wash-House Murder) *** Ghosts, high strangeness, and even Bigfoot – it appears they may all have something in common, and that would be forest fires. (Forest Fires and the Paranormal) *** How do you explain an experienced lookout reporting a blazing forest fire, only for it to disappear less than an hour later – leaving no trace? (Phantom Flames)
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb should never have been friends, they were too different from on another. But they did have one thing in common – they both agreed to create the perfect murder – and a mundane pair of eyeglasses would be their undoing.
IN THIS EPISODE: I’ll share a disturbing creepypasta by Rehn Writer called “Fertilizer”. But first, I’ll share a chapter from the upcoming audiobook, “Suffer the Children: American Horrors, Homicides and Hauntings” by Troy Taylor. The chapter is entitled “1921: Murder at Kluxen’s Woods” – a murder that has yet to be officially solved, although many hundreds of people in the area feel they know exactly who got away with murder. A murder that resulted in a haunting.
Forget Annabelle – haunted dolls have been around for ages, and few are as terrifying as Robert the Doll. The history of Robert the Doll is fascinating, encompassing an eccentric artist, a curse, and an ever-growing list of people who claim their lives have been affected by him. Though Robert did get a movie in his name in 2015, his story is creepy enough without all the Hollywood embellishment. Though there’s been some inconsistencies among the facts about Robert the Doll, the facts of this Key West institution’s mythos are as fascinating as the fiction.
One slave, terrified of punishment from Delphine, threw himself out of a third-story window, preferring death over torture. The third story window was then cemented shut, and remains so to this day. The other report was regarding a twelve year old slave girl named Lia. Lia was brushing Delphine’s hair, and pulled just a little too hard. Delphine flew into a rage and whipped the girl. To escape further punishment, the girl climbed out and onto the roof, where she leapt to her death. Delphine was witnessed burying Lia’s corpse, and police were forced to fine her $300, and made her sell nine of her slaves. However, mistreatment of slaves by the wealthy and socially connected was not a matter for the police at the time, so they didn’t flinch when she bought her nine slaves back.
