Haunted Talks

Over 700 people were hanged in Canada before capital punishment was abolished in 1976. Of those, less than 2% were women. We examine the rare occasions when women were executed and the circumstances surrounding those cases. The stories range from acts of senseless violence to domestic disputes to gross miscarriages of justice to botched executions. We delve into this dark and often overlooked aspe...

While a minor outlaw during his lifetime, the story of Elmer J. McCurdy really begins after his death in 1911. For 60 years, his mortal remains were intentionally, and at times accidentally, displayed for public amusement and profit. Events culminated in 1976 when a TV show thought they had found the perfect prop in an old carnival dark ride. Only to realize what they had discovered was not a recr...

It has been called the most haunted object in the world, but is it really one of the biggest paranormal hoaxes in recent memory? The Dybbuk Box has terrified people for nearly two decades, but last year the original spreader of the tale (and a few accomplices) admitted that the entire thing was made up. We dig into the facts, the fiction, and the bizarre stories of those who continue to come into...

The strange disappearance of pilot Fredrick Valentich in 1978, is one of aviation's greatest unsolved mysteries. In the episode, we examine the mystery, including the bizarre radio transmissions from Valentich, which include the chilling line, " …it's not an aircraft. " Was it a tragic accident, a hoax gone wrong, or a close encounter with a UFO? Could it be something else completely unexpected? J...

In part two of our special interview with the  British Museum's  Dr. Irving Finkel, he shares more from his book,  The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies , including a discussion of  the earliest drawing of a ghost , the intricate role of exorcists in Mesopotamian societies, and how the dead would often be rudely called up from the underworld to answer pressing personal questions from the livi...

What is the oldest recorded mention of a ghost? Dr. Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper of Ancient Mesopotamian script, languages and cultures in the Department of the Middle East at the  British Museum , joins us to talk about his recent book  The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies . He shares how living with ghosts and other restless spirits has been part of the human experience from the earlies...

While not a traditional ghost story, the tale of the wrecked iron scow that sits atop Niagara Falls is a haunting cliffhanger. It unfolds on the threatening edge of one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders in the world. Its wreckage is a secret hiding in plain sight. For over 100 years it has stood as a sentinel to the passage of time. Earlier this month, major news broke about the fate of th...

A cluster of rental homes near Manchester, England, requires new tenants to sign a waiver acknowledging that they will be living in a haunted house. As part of our discussion of this strange scenario and the frightening incidents that took place in these homes, we are joined by  Paige Oldfield , the reporter from the Manchester Evening News  who broke the story . Join us for the latest episode of...

For the first time ever, scientists have recorded the brain activity of a patient in the moments right before and immediately following death. The results may be the first scientific evidence of the often reported "seeing your life flashing before your eyes" during a near-death experience. We are joined by Dr. Kate Einarson , a behavioural scientist and knowledge translator, to discuss the finding...

Robert Service's  The Cremation of Sam McGee  is a beloved Canadian ghost story set in the unforgiving North. Many can identify it with just the first few lines. Themes of survival, obligation and brutal relentless cold, unexpectedly culminate in a surprise twist ending. We share a reading of the iconic poem and explore its strange history and the urban legends that surround this masterpiece.

Can we be haunted by our own thoughts? Or use them to haunt others? Few ideas produce the fear and existential dread that  Roko's Basilisk  provides. This unique thought experiment was considered so potentially disturbing, that the original website to which it was published quickly banned the topic. We break down this strange collision of urban legend, artificial intelligence and philosophy. Liste...

We are going to be talking about death, but not in the usual ways we do on this podcast. There will be little discussion of the paranormal, and no mention of grizzly murders, unsolved or otherwise. Instead, we will be looking into the lives and businesses of those who spend the most time with the dead – Undertakers. Joining us will be a historical researcher and author, Marion Roes, to talk about...

Katarina and Diandra, co-hosts of the German paranormal podcast, Geistergeflüster , join us for a paranormal cultural exchange. In addition to sharing some of their favourite German ghost stories, which include the origins of Sleepy Hollow's headless horseman and a spirit who is very concerned about eating lunch, we also discuss the surprising way Germans think about the supernatural.

Each year around this time, we share a fictional Christmas-themed ghost story. The kind of which used to be more commonly shared between friends and family while huddling around a fire on a blustery December night. This year's story " The Crown Derby Plate " was written by Marjorie Bowen and was first published in 1931. What we really like about  The Crown Derby Plate , besides it being set during...

December 5th is Krampusnacht! In this special episode we share our recent live Virtual Haunted Campfire on Krampus. Who is he and where does this bizarre tradition come from? What's the connection between a demon and Santa Claus? Join us as we kick off the Haunted Holiday Season with Krampus and share some seasonal ghost stories! Featuring: KRAMPUS!, Glen Shackleton, Jim Dean, Rowena Brook, and Ma...

A very Happy Halloween to all Haunted Talks listeners! Here is one last treat for your Halloween night. 🖤

  Being a Storyteller for The Haunted Walk is Never Dull. When you spend a lot of time in and around haunted locations – things are bound to happen. Whether you want them to or not! In this special episode, we are joined by several of our talented tour guides who share the bizarre, eerie, and downright terrifying events that they have witnessed or experienced in the line of duty. Come behind the s...

Incredible hoax or one of the most witnessed cases of supernatural activity? The Enfield Poltergeist is a case that must give the most ardent skeptics pause. The story is not only terrifying, but spanning 2 years, it is also one of the most well-documented hauntings in history. There were many firsthand witnesses and hundreds of hours of audio recordings from inside the haunted house. All of which...

When the Mary Celeste was found off the Azores in 1872, it was immediately clear that something was wrong. The ship was deserted. What happened? Did the crew stage a mutiny? Were they attacked by pirates? Caught in a storm or some other freak weather event? Stories of this "Ghost Ship" quickly began to spread around the world, as did the fanciful stories of her fate. Join us as we set sail to expl...

Some of the creepiest paranormal stories are related to specific items. We explore several strange objects that were innocently purchased, only to bring something dark into the homes of the unsuspecting buyers. We examine mass-produced art prints that were so feared 2,500 of them were burned, a bunk bed that brought disembodied voices, a cursed painting connected to a series of deaths, a haunted d...

One of the world's great mysteries is on the verge of being solved. For over 70 years, investigators have sought to identify the unknown man found dead on an Australian beach in 1948. There were no signs of foul play and an examination of the victim's stylish clothing strangely revealed that all of the labels had been removed. In his pocket was found a passage from a rare book that eerily translat...

Of all of the professional sports, baseball seems to be the one most closely associated with the paranormal. There are famously haunted ballparks that connect current-day players and fans with the legends of the past. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, has had so many strange encounters that it has been featured on shows like Ghost Hunters. Baseball players themselves are a very s...

Historically in the horror genre, women have often been relegated to playing innocent victims who suffer terrible violence in movies most often watched by young men. Dr. Amy Jane Vosper  believes horror movies are changing and has written  a Ph. D. dissertation to prove it . Women are now making horror, writing about horror, watching horror, and communicating with one another about horror. We disc...

In 1861, the town of Kendal, England was the site of a chilling ghost story that captured imaginations and made headlines around the world. Late one night while gathered around a fireplace, a group of people suddenly experience a series of forceful knocks that shake the building. The residents search the structure in an attempt to determine the cause of the disturbance. Their ghost hunt culminates...

The strange but true story of how child movie star and "America's Sweetheart", Shirley Temple, survived a brush with death on Christmas Eve in 1939 during a live radio show. We share Temple's own account of the terrifying and bizarre incident, as well as key parts of the original radio broadcast. Was it a clandestine operation by a foreign government? Someone jealous of Temple's success within the...