The Paranormal Podcast

Jason Offutt returns to The Paranormal Podcast to take us around the world in search of strange creatures, cryptids, and legends from his new book, Chasing the World's Monsters. We dig into something especially fascinating: why remarkably similar monster traditions turn up in widely separated cultures and across thousands of years. From Bigfoot-like creatures and mysterious little people to Thunderbirds and dragons, some of these parallels are awfully hard to dismiss as simple coincidence. We also get into the big question of where folklore ends and something potentially real begins. Jason shares why he thinks the supposedly extinct thylacine could still be out there, we talk about Thunderbirds and reports of creatures that seem downright prehistoric, and we explore why eyewitness accounts from people who genuinely know the wilderness deserve more consideration than they sometimes get. If you love strange creatures, unexplained encounters, and stories that make you wonder what might still be hiding out…

What happens when the people reporting UFO encounters are trained observers whose careers depend on getting the details right? British police inspector Roy Teague joins me to discuss his book Close Encounters of the Police Kind and the remarkable accounts he has collected from hundreds of police officers. We talk about why serving officers are often reluctant to come forward, the stigma that still surrounds the subject, and why Roy believes law enforcement witnesses can bring a uniquely valuable perspective to the UAP mystery. Roy also shares several extraordinary cases, including police helicopter crews encountering unexplained craft over London, officers reporting missing time after a massive triangular object passed overhead, and a bizarre glowing object that appeared to follow a police car before interfering with its radios. We get into alleged abductions, the so-called hitchhiker effect, encounters that seemed strangely aware of the witnesses, and how years of interviewing officers transformed Roy from…

Can anyone develop psychic ability, or is it something you’re simply born with? Professional tarot reader, deck creator and author Kerry Ward returns to The Paranormal Podcast to talk about her new book, This Book Will Make You Psychic, and her belief that psychic ability may be far more common than we realize. Kerry explains the idea of a personal “psychic fingerprint,” why our intuitive abilities may not look like the classic clairvoyant experience, and how practice, curiosity and a willingness to get past your inner skeptic can help you discover what works for you. We also explore tarot as a tool for developing intuition, crystals, unusual psychic experiences and why paying attention to patterns can help us make sense of things we might otherwise dismiss. The conversation takes a more personal turn as Jim shares an experience that felt like a message from his mother, while Kerry talks about messages she believes she has received from her late father and the remarkable ghostly encounters experienced by her…

What if UFOs are about something much stranger than visitors flying here in advanced spacecraft? Dr. Jonathan Kendall, physician and author of The Metaphysics of UFOs, joins me to explore the possibility that the UFO phenomenon may have a spiritual or metaphysical side that challenges the usual nuts-and-bolts explanation. We get into alien abduction reports, the difficulty of separating genuine mysteries from more ordinary explanations, and what Jonathan calls the “5% that shouldn’t exist,” those stubborn cases that remain after the easy answers are stripped away. We also look at the curious way UFOs sometimes seem to overlap with other strange phenomena, from Mothman and Men in Black to poltergeist activity and apparitions. Could these seemingly separate mysteries somehow be connected? Jonathan shares his thoughts on that possibility, along with the changing conversation around UAPs, government documents, the Nimitz case, and how far the subject has come in just the last several years. It’s a thoughtful…

Jeff Belanger returns to The Paranormal Podcast to talk about the newly revised and updated edition of his classic book, The World’s Most Haunted Places. Jeff shares how more than two decades of investigating hauntings have changed the way he thinks about ghosts, from something he once believed he could define fairly neatly to a mystery that now seems far more complicated. We explore what makes a place truly haunted, the difference between residual and interactive hauntings, and why locations marked by tragedy and history seem to generate stories that endure for generations. We also visit some remarkable haunted locations around the world, including the White House and its enduring Abraham Lincoln stories, Alaska’s historic Alaskan Hotel, Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in Tombstone, the Tower of London, and more. Jeff also discusses how different cultures view ghosts and haunted places, and why the stories themselves may matter even when we cannot explain what is actually happening. Plus, stay through the end of the…

Jim talks with Julie McFadden, RN, known to millions as Hospice Nurse Julie, about death in a honest, open, and surprisingly comforting chat. Drawing on her years in hospice care, Julie shares what people experience at end of life, why talking openly about dying can actually bring relief, and how acknowledging our mortality can help us live with more clarity and purpose. Her insights come from being at the bedside with patients and families during their most vulnerable moments, and they carry the calm assurance of someone who has seen this up close many times. The conversation also moves into compelling paranormal territory, touching on "visioning," deathbed experiences, and moments that don’t fit neatly into medical explanations. Julie recounts stories of patients seeing deceased loved ones and feeling a sense of comfort or presence near the end, including one experience that continues she'll never forget. -- JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUB You can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and…

John Seer joins Jim to share the unusual experiences that he says have shaped his life and changed the way he understands reality. From encounters he still struggles to explain to messages he believes come from a consciousness greater than our own, his story raises some very big questions. What is consciousness? Are we more connected than we realize? And could some of the strange things people experience be pointing toward something larger? Seer shares his perspective on spirituality, UFOs, humanity’s future, and the mysterious source of the insights he says have followed him for decades. His book, Told: Messages From A Greater Conscious Or The Ramblings Of A Madman, explores those experiences and the ideas that came from them. You can find John’s book at Amazon: https://amzn.to/4yeYxth Thanks John! VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ EVENTSHope to see you soon at one of Jim’s live events: https://jimharold.com/events YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe…

Jacques Vallée joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about where UFO and UAP research stands today, and why he believes the subject demands far more than simple answers about visitors from another planet. We talk about his new book, Forbidden Science 7: Final Report, the growing willingness of scientists and universities to take the phenomenon seriously, and the challenge of studying something that may be intelligent, responsive, and far more complex than the ET model suggests. We also dig into government secrecy, the limits of congressional hearings, the complications surrounding classified information, and why Dr. Vallée believes science may need new ways of thinking to properly approach the mystery. Along the way, he reflects on consciousness, human perception, the limits of our own intelligence, and the value of studying older cases instead of chasing every new light in the sky. After nearly seven decades of research, Dr. Vallée says one of the most important things in investigating UAPs is learning…

What happens when a veteran criminal investigator turns his attention to the paranormal? Lawrence Lawson joins me to talk about the experiences that took him from a long career in law enforcement into serious paranormal research, beginning with a full-bodied apparition he witnessed as a young correctional officer in Miami. We get into how his detective background shapes the way he approaches strange claims, why he looks for ordinary explanations first, and why investigating the unexplained requires both an open mind and a willingness to follow the evidence wherever it leads. We also explore some bigger questions about what these experiences might actually represent, from ghosts and reincarnation to time slips, parallel dimensions and the still-mysterious capabilities of the human mind. Lawrence shares stories connected to his book, Haunted Indian River County. It’s a fascinating conversation about evidence, belief, history and mysteries that refuse to fit neatly into any one explanation. You can find Larry's…

Paranormal investigator, television personality, podcaster and bestselling author Amy Bruni returns to The Paranormal Podcast to discuss her new book, Cuisine to Kill For: Recipes and True Crime Stories from the World’s Most Haunted Places. Amy explains how the success of Food to Die For led to this follow-up, which features 60 recipes connected to haunted locations with true crime histories, including destinations outside the United States. Amy takes us inside the Paris Catacombs, the Tower of London, the site of H.H. Holmes’ Murder Castle, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and other locations featured in the book. We also discuss Amy’s theories about why tragedy may leave an imprint on a place, why she tries to remember victims for how they lived rather than how they died, and some of the recipes that surprised her most, including Shrimp Wiggle, Edgar Allan Poe’s beloved eggnog and baked cod from Boston’s Omni Parker House. You can find Amy's new book at Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bvSNCx Thanks Amy! ---…

For the 21st anniversary of The Paranormal Podcast, Jim welcomes Bridget Marquardt, host of Ghost Bunny and longtime paranormal aficionado, for a special conversation recorded at Spotify Studios. Bridget traces her fascination with the unexplained back to a frightening childhood experience with the supernatural. She also shares stories from her time at the Playboy Mansion, including the apparition of a woman she recognized, and recalls a terrifying night at Louisiana’s Myrtles Plantation filled with pounding footsteps, unseen activity, and more. Bridget and Jim explore how their understanding of the paranormal has expanded beyond the traditional idea that every ghost is simply a deceased person. They discuss possible connections among spirits, UFOs, cryptids, time slips, elemental beings, reincarnation, near-death experiences, and a larger universal consciousness. Bridget also explains why helping people feel less alone in their experiences remains central to her work, her commitment to highlighting women…

What happens when neuroscience, psychology, and the paranormal meet? Dr. Melissa Maffeo, author of Science of the Supernatural: Critical Thinking for the Mind and Brain, joins Jim to explore how fear, expectation, sleep paralysis, infrasound, and the quirks of human memory can shape experiences that feel unmistakably supernatural. They also dig into near-death experiences, alien abductions, psychic readings, false memories, and the limits of paranormal investigation. Jim and Dr. Maffeo do not agree on everything, which makes for a lively and thoughtful conversation about skepticism, belief, and whether science can explain the unexplained without dismissing the people who experience it. You can find Dr. Maffeo's book at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/4ftXJsK Thanks Dr. Maffeo! VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ EVENTSHope to see you soon at one of Jim’s live events: https://jimharold.com/events YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel…

What would it mean to believe you had lived a past life connected to one of history’s darkest chapters? Author Benjamin Carraud shares the story behind Goodbye, Fields of Prokhorovka: Past Life Memories of a Waffen-SS Officer, including the spontaneous memories that began while he was living in China, his efforts to rule out conventional explanations, and the research that eventually led him to the family of the man he believes he once was. Benjamin discusses the emotional weight of those memories, how the experience changed his views on reincarnation, and why he does not consider himself the same person as the officer. Instead, he believes there may be a continuity of consciousness connecting the two lives. NOTE: This episode discusses an alleged past-life experience involving a Waffen-SS officer. Examination of an individual perpetrator’s psychology does not minimize the Waffen-SS’s participation in the Holocaust and other war crimes, nor diminish the suffering of its victims. Both the guest and I reject…

Was Roswell really the first major American UFO crash story? Author Paul Blake Smith joins Jim to discuss a case he believes deserves far more attention than it gets: the reported 1941 crash near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His book, The UFO Bombshell Before Roswell: Missouri’s 1941 Crash and Cover-Up, explores claims of a downed craft, strange bodies, military involvement, and a local minister allegedly called to the scene under extraordinary circumstances. Jim and Paul dig into the witness accounts, the historical setting of pre-war America, and why a case like this may have stayed buried for so long. Along the way, they discuss possible links to government secrecy, earlier European crash claims, recovered technology, and the larger question of whether the UFO story began long before most people think. It is a fascinating look at an overlooked case that challenges the usual timeline of UFO history. You can find Paul's new book at Amazon at https://amzn.to/4vVWDNm Thanks Paul! -- This post contains Amazon…