Dr. Michele Hanks, an anthropologist who does ethnographic work with paranormal investigation groups, joins Matt to discuss the role of doubt in paranormal investigation.
Category Archives: GhostPod
50. Unlikely Gateways to Hell (US)
In this episode, Matt wraps up the last Ghosthropology episode of 2022 by telling the audience how they can go to Hell, if they feel so inclined. We’re talking gateways to damnation, and they are in the unlikeliest of places. This episode is a bit light on analysis, but heavy on fun. However, remember, most of these locations are either unsafe or on private land, so feel free to talk about them, but don’t try to visit.
49. Dudleytown
Dudleytown is often described as one of the strangest and most haunted places in North America. In this episode, Matt tells the tale, then is a total killjoy and destroys the tale, and then discusses how the folklore surrounding Dudleytown came to be.
48. Spirits of Colonial Williamsburg
In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Alena Pirok about her recently published book The Spirit of Colonial Williamsburg, which covers the intersection of belief in ghosts, public perception of history, and ghost tourism.
47: The Exorcist (Crossover Episode w/ Pages and Popcorn)
In this special crossover episode, Kaylia (Pages and Popcorn) and Matt (Ghosthropology) talk about that 1970s classic: The Exorcist. We discuss the “true story” that inspired the novel, the novel that inspired the movie, and the movie that has inspired fear for almost 50 years.
46. Themes of the Podcast Part 1. What is a Ghost Story and Ghost Stories As Entertainment and Functional Tales
In this episode, Matt begins by defining the term “ghost story”, which is more slippery than you might think, and then talks about ghost stories as entertainment and as stories that serve a social function.
45: The Crying Boy – A Cursed Painting
If you have spent much time on the web looking into paranormal lore, you likely have heard of the Curse of the Crying Boy Painting. In this episode, Matt discusses how the story developed and what we can learn about both folklore and our own beliefs from studying the tale.
44. Talking About Exorcisms (With James Tyner)
In this episode, James Tyner returns to speak with Matt about his time as a monk and, more specifically, about an exorcism that he witnessed, group sleep paralysis at the monastery, and a few other strange things worth talking about.
43. The Madera Man
Women driving on the back roads of Madera County, near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California, have reported seeing a strange specter – a man who appears on the roads and who requires that drivers take care to avoid hitting him, but then he vanishes. In this episode, Matt discusses the uncertain origin and possible meaning of this particular ghost story.
42. The Slender Man
ne of the most frightening modern ghost stories, the Slender Man is a known work of fiction…except to those who believe in him… which may be nobody…or not. In this episode, Matt discusses the line between fiction vs folklore and the difficulty in telling people’s real beliefs from stories told for fun.
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