In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence in society swept across North America.
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Jul 13
Hellish Nell, the Last Witch of Scotland
To some, Helen Duncan is a powerful medium who bridges the realms of the living and the dead. To others, she's a dangerous con artist blending deception and stolen top-secret information to prey on the grieving and the gullible. Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE at https://ziprecruiter.c ... Show More
29m 19s
Jul 6
The Dread Pirate Roberts and the Silk Road: Anatomy of a Darknet Killer
A libertarian idealist known only as “The Dread Pirate Roberts” builds the Silk Road—an anonymous online black market that explodes into a billion-dollar empire—until the digital kingpin is unmasked, revealing how one man’s dream of radical freedom spiraled into crime, paranoia, ... Show More
42m 8s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 1: Origins
In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence ... Show More
45m 56s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 2: Serial Killers
In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence ... Show More
43m 13s
Oct 2022
60: Dungeons, Dragons, and Satan Worship
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. What scares parents more than anything else? It’s the Devil, of course. And it wasn’t too long ago where this fear turned into a nationwide craze. In today’s episode we’ll talk about how Satan invaded our board games, music, even our classroom ... Show More
39m 31s
Oct 2025
Introducing: The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall
<p>Listen now to the first episode of Sarah's new 8-part series with CBC Podcasts, The Devil You Know.</p><p>In the 1980s and 90s, Satan and his followers were accused of brainwashing children, sacrificing babies, and infiltrating North American society on a massive scale — ... Show More
41m 10s
Oct 2021
New England versus Vampires, Part One: The Brutal, Terrifying Life of Early Colonists
<p>While historians continue to explore the details of the infamous Salem witch trials, another, earlier panic swept through New England -- something modern historians often refer to as the "Vampire Panic." In part one of this two-part series, Ben is joined again with guest host ... Show More
37m 21s
Jan 2025
CLASSIC: Church Burning, Metal, and Scandinavian ‘Satanists’
In the 1990s international media was captivated by a bizarre epidemic of church arsons in Norway, often attributing these crimes to so-called Satanic groups and individuals in Norway's black metal scene. This was wrapped up in the larger phenomenon of "Satanic Panic", a widesprea ... Show More
43m 48s
Mar 2020
Quarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 1)
<p>Sarah describes the spark that ignited the Satanic Panic. Our setting is a therapist’s office in 1976 Victoria, B.C., and our digressions include Sybil, scary paperbacks from the 80s and shouting "Fire!" on a crowded theater. This episode describes child abuse.<br/>< ... Show More
48m 27s
