Can a psychological illness become contagious? Many experts believe that in rare cases a phenomenon known as a "mass psychogenic illness" can break out in a population. Can this strange quirk of group psychology help us understand the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692? The community had been stressed by local factionalism, regional political turmoil, and a global c ... Show More
Nov 18
Episode #239 - Did a Welsh Prince Beat Columbus to the New World?
<p>There's a story that in the year 1170 a Prince from Wales, named Madoc, led a group of Welsh colonists over the Atlantic to North America. This group allegedly mingled with the local indigenous people and eventually assimilated into their culture. However, they left behind the ... Show More
1h 20m
Oct 2023
Episode #187- What Bewitched Salem? (Part I)
In 1692 in the town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two young girls started acting very strangely. The girls suffered from uncontrollable fits, bouts of incoherence, and odd outbursts including barking and choking sounds. A physician summoned to examine them concluded that the o ... Show More
1h 14m
Oct 2024
anatomy of evil: the salem witch trials (puritan paranoia, mass hysteria, and social scapegoating) [preview]
<p>In this episode of "Anatomy of Evil," I peel back the curtain on the infamous Salem Witch Trials, diving deep into the murky waters of human fear and legal injustice that define one of America's most haunting historical moments. Forget the dry recounting of events—you're in fo ... Show More
49m 15s
Nov 2018
SALEM Ep. 7 | Interview: Rachel Christ
Rachel Christ is the Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum. We met at the museum for a great discussion about the history of witchcraft, the Salem crisis in context with the witch hunts in Europe, and modern witch hunts, as well as many other things. For more details, p ... Show More
36 m