Ghosthropology

In this episode, Matt discusses three different ghost stories associated with three different water sources: Isla De Las Munecas in Mexico, Okiku’s Well at Himeji Castle in Japan, and the ghost of the Central Park Canal in Bakersfield, California. The stories are quite different from each other but should provide some chills to listeners. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ghosthropology Or on Inst...

Are you afraid of encountering human skeletons where they should not be? Are you afraid of deep water, sharks, and crushing pressures? Well, this episode is for you. Come with Matt as he discusses Chuuk Lagoon, a haunted naval battleground in the Pacific Ocean. Previous episodes, sources, show notes, and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-podcast Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ghosthro...

Shadow people are an enigmatic paranormal phenomenon, possibly an indication that beings from some alternate dimension are attempting to intrude into our world… or they’re just odd tricks of human perception that people have made a lot of assumptions about. In this episode, Matt discusses the history of shadow people as a phenomenon and what they may tell us about the development of folklore in an...

If you spend much time reading academic research on ghost stories and ghost tourism, you will inevitably come across the term “Hauntology” which, despite its name, is more related to politics than ghosts. However, the term is useful in understanding the social meaning and purpose of many ghost stories. In this episode, Matt explains the concept and discusses its applicability to supernatural belie...

In this episode, Matt speaks with archaeologist Dr. April Beisaw about the connection between archaeology and ghost hunting, as well as what academics might learn from ghost hunters in terms of communicating with the public. Dr. April M. Beisaw is a professor of anthropology at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. There she teaches courses on archaeology, museum ethics, forensic anthropology, and h...

In honor of the tradition of sharing spooky stories during midwinter, Matt revisits four scary stories. Commentary can be found in their previous episodes (49: Dudleytown, 35: Poveglia Island, 55: Shanghai Tunnels, 18: Himuro Mansion) Until 2024...

La Llorona is a story that many of us have heard, but it has a history and a meaning that goes beyond the surface. In this episode, Matthew gets into the politics, art, and history of the weeping white lady looking for her children. Previous episodes, sources, show notes, and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-podcast Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ghosthropology This podcast is a part...

In this episode, Matt speaks with folklorist Trevor Blank about digital folklore, including creepypasta, and its role in shaping how creepy subjects are discussed. Matt and Trevor also discuss why folklorists were slow to accept that online folklore is, in fact, folklore. Along the way, there are detours into prison folklore, Slender Man, and Bloody Mary. Previous episodes, sources, show notes, an...

The Myrtles Plantation, claimed by many to be one of the most haunted places in the United States, is famed primarily for the ghost of a young enslaved woman named Chloe. In this episode, Matt provides a few different perspectives on how the ghost stories of the Myrtles developed and what they mean to visitors. Previous episodes, sources, show notes, and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology...

In this episode, Kaylia joins Matt to discuss something more ghost-adjacent than ghostly: the vampire. Much of what is generally thought of as vampire folklore is actually the result of 19th-century fiction, but Matt and Kaylia get into even earlier actual folklore from Europe. Previous episodes, sources, show notes, and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-podcast Find us on Facebook: face...

Matt and his old friend Liberty Stanavage talk about the ghosts rumored to haunt their alma mater, the University of California Santa Cruz. Along the way, they discuss how these ghost stories reflect both student life on campus and the way that the faculty and student body of the university view themselves. Previous episodes, sources, show notes, and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-pod...

In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Justin Sledge, an expert on esoteric and occult traditions in philosophy and religion. They discuss the transition from priests to necromancers in Medieval Europe as well as the influence of the Protestant Reformation on beliefs about ghosts. Esoterica: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/about Previous episodes, sources, show notes, and more: kmmamedi...

The Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains is both a large resort hotel and a local haunted house. In this episode, Matt shares the local lore, talks with two people who had eerie encounters at the Brookdale Lodge, and shares his own experiences there. He also discusses the inherently social nature of the stories that surround this place and how they inspire people to come and look for the gh...

Ghost stories are often associated with campfires, and common perception is that Scout camps are a prime place to learn ghost stories. But the logistics of camp, and of the counselor's need to keep control over campers, makes that situation a bit more complicated. In this episode, Matt is joined by his old friend, and former Girl Scout camp counselor, Dawn Burley to talk about ghost stories in the...

Colleges and universities attract spooky stories like nobody's business. The sharing of creepy tales and urban legends is a common part of student life on many campuses. But New York University is somewhat unusual in that it seems to obtain its creepy folklore as part of real estate transactions. In this episode, NYU faculty member Dr. Michele Hanks speaks with Matt about the stories associated wi...

In this episode, Matt revisits the story of Robert Johnson and his supposed deal with the Devil at the crossroads. Along the way we discuss the history of Blues music, Jim Crow-era racism, and how the culture of the 1980s led to the story of the bluesman who sold his soul becoming permanently affixed to Johnson. Previous episodes, sources, show notes and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology...

You have likely heard, especially if you have ever been a pre-teen girl, that if you stand in front of a mirror in a dark room and perform a specific ritual, you will summon a ghost, or demon, or witch or some other such being. It’s dangerous, thrilling, and, for many, a rite of passage. In this episode, Matt discusses one of the most widespread ghost stories on earth - Bloody Mary. Previous episo...

The Cannon Beach and Seaside areas of Oregon’s coast are home to an unusual spirit - the Bandage Man. Part ghost, part mummy, part reanimated corpse, this creature is the central character of a local urban legend and serves as something of a local mascot. Join Matt for a discussion of this weirdly delightful story. Previous episodes, sources, show notes and more: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropol...

No, Matt is not going to turn this into a podcast on gnomes and other fairy folk…but there are more connections between fairies, gnomes, and ghosts than one might think. In this episode, Matt talks about a scary gnome that might be a demon, as well as a man who died and came back as a ghost that appears to resemble a gnome or brownie. Previous episodes, sources, show notes and more: kmmamedia.com/...

Mission La Purisima in California’s Santa Barbara County is one of the few remaining structures that attest to the Spanish colonization of California. While it is no surprise that these places are said to be haunted, the ghost stories about the Mission, both in what they include and what they surprisingly exclude, tell us quite a bit about how modern Californians think about their state’s past. Pr...

In this special episode, Matt talks with his Good Lady Wife / Producer and their Daughter about the spooky and not-so-spooky happenings in their home... and beyond! Previous episodes: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-podcast Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ghosthropology Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ghosthropology This podcast is a part of the KMMA Media Network. To find out more visi...

If you have an interest in the history of Portland, Oregon, the odds are that you have heard of the Shanghai Tunnels. If you are interested in the paranormal, then odds are that you have heard they are haunted. In this episode, Matt talks about how commerce, tall tales, and xenophobia collide with notions of innocence and victimization in developing the folklore concerning these subterranean featu...

Perched on a tree-covered riverbank in the coastal town of Capitola, California there is a once-glorious mansion. Built by Henry Rispin, this “haunted house” has been abandoned for decades and now lurks in the shade just outside of easy view. In this episode, Matt discusses the history of the mansion, the ghosts who are said to haunt it, and its role in Santa Cruz County folklore. Full sources, sh...

In this episode, the second in an occasional series on what has been learned writing this podcast, Matt pontificates on the relationship between ghost stories and history. He discusses how ghost stories both enhance and warp our understanding of the past. The relationship between historic understanding and the paranormal is complex and fascinating, and Matt tries to give a bit of insight. Full sou...

Using an Ouija board may put you in contact with all manner of spirits and other entities. You may gain occult knowledge, you may learn entertaining facts, or you may have your life destroyed and your soul endangered by an encounter with a demon known as Zozo. Assuming, of course, that Zozo is real. Full sources, show notes, and previous episodes: www.kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-podcast...