There’s something about tattoos that provokes a strong reaction. Sometimes that reaction is admiration, for the pain tolerance of its wearer. Other times its aberration, disgust that anyone would taint their bodies in such a way. But for indigenous Filipinos, receiving batok (a traditional tattoo) was a spiritual event; a ceremony. In this episode, I want to ... Show More
Nov 19
Something's wrong with the nanny; What I see when I sleep; The grinch gremlin
In this week’s episode, you’ll hear true stories from real people - like the nanny in the Philippines who morphed into something unrecognizable, the whistling heard at night that lead to more horrifying apparitions, and the grey goblin that followed a woman throughout the stress ... Show More
37m 26s
Nov 5
Stories from a Cheese Fortune Teller (with Jennifer Billock)
I had a delightful time talking with Jennifer - journalist, author, and world's only professional cheese fortune teller - about the arguing shadow people she witnessed, her visit to the Lizzie Borden house, and so much more. If you have any paranormal stories you’d like to share ... Show More
34m 6s
Jul 2024
Orientalism and Cultures of Death
<p>John, Jim, Brian, and Paul discuss how Japan reversed western notions of orientalism, particularly in psychology, so as to create a unified national identity dealing in death in both inward self-identity and outward colonialism. Japan is a case in point of how cultures reify d ... Show More
1h 2m
Mar 2023
John Miller, "The Philosophy of Tattoos" (British Library, 2021)
The Philosophy of Tattoos (British Library, 2021) by Dr. John Miller presents an impressively broad yet personal account, exploring tattooing as a unique expression of individual, cultural and national identity.
Dr. Miller explores tattooing as an innate human impulse throughout ... Show More
52m 25s
Nov 2024
'I Am Happy That She Lived Her Short Life to the Fullest'
Ricarda Louk, the mother of Shani, a tattoo artist who became one of the most iconic victims of the Nova festival massacre, talks to us upon the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack. This episode is made possible by the Israel office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, which pro ... Show More
28m 44s