93. Ghosts of Penn State (With Sharon Hill)

Sharon A Hill returns to discuss the ghosts at Penn State and the rise of ghost hunters associated with this prestigious university. (Her previous episode was ep 85: The Stone Tape Theory.) Enjoy!

92. Built on an “Indian Burial Ground”

We have all heard it – some locations are haunted because they were “built on an Indian burial ground.” What is the truth to such claims? What does it really mean when someone invokes this type of claim? In this episode, Matt does a deep dive into the question of Native American cemeteries and the hauntings said to happen there.

66. Ghosts of UC Santa Cruz (With Dr. Liberty Stanavage)

Matt and his old friend Liberty Stanavage talk about the ghosts rumored to haunt their alma mater, the University of California Santa Cruz. Along the way, they discuss how these ghost stories reflect both student life on campus and the way that the faculty and student body of the university view themselves.

65. Necromancers, Priests, and Protestants (With Dr. Justin Sledge)

In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Justin Sledge, an expert on esoteric and occult traditions in philosophy and religion. They discuss the transition from priests to necromancers in Medieval Europe as well as the influence of the Protestant Reformation on beliefs about ghosts.

64. The Brookdale Lodge

The Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains is both a large resort hotel and a local haunted house. In this episode, Matt shares the local lore, talks with two people who had eerie encounters at the Brookdale Lodge, and shares his own experiences there.

60. Bloody Mary

You have likely heard, especially if you have ever been a pre-teen girl, that if you stand in front of a mirror in a dark room and perform a specific ritual, you will summon a ghost, or demon, or witch or some other such being. It’s dangerous, thrilling, and, for many, a rite of passage. In this episode, Matt discusses one of the most widespread ghost stories on earth – Bloody Mary. 

59. The Bandage Man of Cannon Beach

The Cannon Beach and Seaside areas of Oregon’s coast are home to an unusual spirit – the Bandage Man. Part ghost, part mummy, part reanimated corpse, this creature is the central character of a local urban legend and serves as something of a local mascot. Join Matt for a discussion of this weirdly delightful story.

58. Gnomes and Ghosts

No, Matt is not going to turn this into a podcast on gnomes and other fairy folk…but there are more connections between fairies, gnomes, and ghosts than one might think. In this episode, Matt talks about a scary gnome that might be a demon, as well as a man who died and came back as a ghost that appears to resemble a gnome or brownie.

57. Mission La Purisima Concepcion, California

The ghost stories about the La Purisima Mission, what they include and what they surprisingly don’t, tell us a lot about how Californians think about their state’s past.