What do a Tesla car, an Xbox peripheral, and a smartphone have in common? All of them have been used to detect ghosts in various ways. In this episode, Matt explains what is actually going on, how these devices work, and why even knowing all that may not stop us from thinking our tech is detecting the spirits of the departed.
Tag Archives: protestant
121. Pursuing Demons and Spectral Hounds
In this episode, Matt discusses two settings where Christians have told him tales of strange encounters. In one, there is pressure to see even mundane events as demonic activity, and in the other, there is room for ambiguity. Through this, we see how the same religion can produce very different ways of looking at the world.
97. “Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night” Part 2
In this episode, Matt concludes his discussion of Ludwig Lavatar’s 16th-century book on Protestant Demonology, Of Ghostes and Spirites Walking by Night. In this part, we learn that ghosts are actually demons, that Medieval and late Roman sorcerers got up to some freaky stuff, and that Bulgaria was once ruled by a werewolf. We also find that Lavatar has a rather upsetting yet mundane explanation as to why God allows evil spirits to torment people.
96. “Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night” Part 1
In this, the first of two episodes, Matt discusses the first part of Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night, a book in which a 16th-century theologian tried to explain why, in a world that he believed to be ruled by a Christian God, people saw ghosts. This book provides fascinating insights into Renaissance folklore, beliefs about the afterlife, and theology. And there’s a lot of smack talk.
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.
