This episode is about the legendary pigman of Denton, Texas. Kinda. The thing is, I'd never heard of the pigman, so it's really an episode about how urban legends and folklore are spread, what makes one urban legend take off while another lingers in obscurity, and what our urban legends say about us. Though I do also tell the story of the pigman somewhere in there. Highlights include: the "Cowboy Mafia" the WPA Folklore Project Content note: this episode contains a brief mention of sexual assault, stories about violent attacks that lead to disfigurement, quoted language that suggests that f ..read more

Not far from the famed Goatman's Bridge in Denton County, Texas, a courthouse square has its share of spirits. I return once more to North Texas—a place of strange UFO and cryptid encounters, and also where I grew up. This time, I'm looking at Denton Square, a historic spot where urban legends, history, and hauntings intersect. Content note: This episode contains mentions of violence against Black and indigenous people and suicide. Highlights include: an opera house that became a used bookstore a digression about how urban legends spread and develop a ghost horse!! Check out the shownotes ..read more

Continuing my deep dive into nostalgia and the paranormal! Does the way we feel about paranormal investigation tools change their efficacy? How do our emotions (especially nostalgia) interact with the paranormal? Highlights include: My continuing fascination with whether the ghosts of living people can haunt us Looking at nostalgic paranormal investigation tools through the lens of Amanda D. Paulson’s Paranormal Emotive Touchpoint theory Support the New Blood Kickstarter! Please spread the word and—if you’re able to—back the project to help bring two new queer paranormal shows into the ..read more

A look at lore surrounding the legendary Panasonic RR-DR60. How did the late 1990s audio recorder become a device that now sells for $4,000-5,000 USD on eBay? What makes the DR60 so special? Highlights include: plenty o' nostalgia (and skepticism) a digression about hard drives (everyone's favorite) some arguments in favor of using older gear to investigate the paranormal Check out the shownotes for sources and a written version of the episode ..read more

A wild ride through nostalgia about instant photography, the pitfalls of both analog and digital photography, the weirdly zeitgeisty history of the Polaroid Corporation, and the search for images we can "trust." Highlights include: My attempts to doctor Polaroid photos Spirit photography Computational photography Check out the shownotes for sources and a written version of the episode ..read more

A deep dive into nostalgia, liminality, and the paranormal. Are we interested in the paranormal because we feel nostalgic? Could that be why so much paranormal investigation gear is inspired by 1980s and 1990s tech? Highlights include: Could a state of feeling deep nostalgia help with spirit communication? Radio Shack memories Internet aesthetics Attempts to find meaning in a chaotic world Check out the shownotes for sources and a written version of the episode ..read more

In 1897, a series of mysterious airships were sighted all around the United States. This is a look at the flap in general, with a particular focus on some of the North Texas UFO sightings. Highlights include: The Dallas-Fort Worth area as a "window area" with heighted strange activity A glimpse into how Victorian-era people responded to UFOs Lots of bearded aliens Check out the shownotes for sources and a written version ..read more

A look at the Aurora, Texas, UFO crash, one of many sightings during the mystery airship flap of 1897. Highlights include: airships! urban legends and uncertain truths Jacques Vallée Check out buriedsecretspodcast.com for the shownotes ..read more

I really get into it in this one! The stated goal of this episode is to talk about some fascinating takeaways from Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason Miller. However, get ready for many digressions about my own paranormal experiences, several of which I haven't talked about yet on the podcast. Highlights include: a possible doppelganger encounter poltergeist-type activity caused by a living person a terrifying experience in a church in Portugal local spirits and Randonautica churches as especially haunted and magical locations Note: Sorry about the ..read more

Do you ever read a book so interesting that you gotta tell everyone about it? I recently read Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason Miller and was struck by how much great information and advice it contained for paranormal investigators. Though the book is ostensibly geared toward magickal practitioners, it might actually be the most helpful ghost hunting book that I've read so far. So here are the insights and nuggets of wisdom that I found most illuminating from a paranormal investigation perspective. This episode will be focused on advice about how to ..read more