The Paranormal Podcast

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 episode for a special bonus audiobook chapter from The World’s Most Haunted Places, read by Jeff himself. You can find this all-new, revised edition at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/4qXNP7Y Thanks Jeff! --- NOTE: The topic of suicide was mentioned on this episode. Using the 988 Lifeline is free. When you call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline, your conversation is confidential. The 988 Lifeline provides you judgment-free care. Talking with someone can help save your life. https://988lifeline.org/ CHECK OUT ALL OF JIM’S FREE PODCASTSJim Harold’s Campfire - True paranormal stories from real people. The Paranormal Report - Out weekly paranormal show with Jim & Dar Harold The Paranormal Podcast - The longest running paranormal podcast on the internet. Est. 2005. Jim interviews the greatest minds in the paranormal, UFOs, cryptids and more.Find them all at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, jimharold.com or wherever you get your podcasts!VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ ---SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBGet access to the entire backcatalog of Jim Harold’s Campfire, The Paranormal Podcast & exclusive Plus ONLY shows. That’s over 2,700 episodes. Your membership helps keep our shows going! Thanks to all of our current members! Join today here: ⁠⁠https://jimharold.com/plus EVENTSHope to see you soon at one of Jim’s live events: https://jimharold.com/eventsYOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more! BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to  ⁠https://jimharold.com/plus⁠  and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! EMAIL NEWSLETTER Get Jim's weekly email newsletter here: https://jim-harold.kit.com/campfire-ebook VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUP Join our free community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ YOUTUBE CHANNEL Be sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at:  ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠   MERCH Go to  ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠  to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKS Get all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 how to ask the right questions. You can find Dr. Vallée's most recent book, Forbidden Science 7: Final Report at Amazon: https://amzn.to/4zE4T6K Thanks Dr. Vallée! VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUP Join our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ EVENTS Hope to see you soon at one of Jim’s live events: https://jimharold.com/events YOUTUBE CHANNEL Be sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠  JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUB You can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! MERCH Go to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKS Get all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 book at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3SsqWwz Thanks Larry! --- VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUP Join our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ EVENTS Hope to see you soon at one of Jim’s live events: https://jimharold.com/events YOUTUBE CHANNEL Be sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUB You can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! MERCH Go to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more! BOOKS Get all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! --- VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠EVENTSHope to see you soon at one of Jim’s live events: https://jimharold.com/eventsYOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content!MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more! BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 and other underrepresented voices in the paranormal, and what listeners can expect from her Ghost Bunny podcast. VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUP Join our FREE online community at ⁠⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠⁠ HAUNTED GARAGE SALE & HEARSE CRUISE-IN Hope to see you on Saturday, August 1st! Go to ⁠https://clevelandhauntclub.com⁠ for more info! YOUTUBE CHANNEL Be sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠⁠  JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUB You can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to ⁠https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! MERCH Go to ⁠⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKS Get all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: ⁠https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠  JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 any glorification of the SS. This interview is simply the author’s account of what he believes to be memories of a past life. You can find Goodbye, Fields of Prokhorovka: Past Life Memories of a Waffen-SS Officer at Amazon: https://amzn.to/44qwomf Thank you Benjamin. --- This post contains Amazon affiliate links that benefit Jim Harold Media when you make a qualifying purchase. Thank you for your support! VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content!MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more! BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 affiliate links that benefit Jim Harold Media when you make a qualifying purchase. Thank you for your support! --- VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content!MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more! BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is not a ghost, a UFO, or a cryptid, but it may be one of the strangest and most unsettling mysteries of our time. On this episode of The Paranormal Podcast, Jim talks with A. G. G. Liu, co-author of The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book, about the rise of AI and the big questions it raises about consciousness, control, creativity, and what it means to be human. Could machines ever become truly aware? Are we building tools we can manage, or something that may eventually outthink us? Jim and A. G. G. dig into the promises and dangers of AI, from medicine and scientific breakthroughs to job disruption, cybersecurity threats, AI-generated art, energy demands, and even artificial companions. It is a fascinating, sometimes unnerving conversation about a technology that is no longer science fiction. Whether you use AI every day, avoid it completely, or still are not sure what to make of it, this episode will give you plenty to think about. You can find The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book at Amazon: The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book - https://amzn.to/3T9uy6y Thanks A.G.G. -- VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content! MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Amityville, before the Warrens, and long before famous hauntings became part of pop culture, there was the Wizard Clip haunting. Dr. Stan Williams joins Jim to dig into this strange and deeply historic case from the 1790s, where a farmer named Adam Livingston found himself at the center of unexplained poltergeist activity, mysterious fabrics cut into crescent shapes, and a haunting that shook an entire community. Dr. Williams, author of the Wizard Clip Haunting trilogy, shares how a possible film project turned into years of research through courthouse records, church archives, old accounts, and one surprising discovery about a key priest in the story. It is part ghost story, part historical mystery, and part spiritual battle, centered on what just might be America’s greatest haunting you’ve never heard of. You can find Dr. William's books on Wizard Clip at Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gHmxPY Thanks Dr. Williams! This post contains Amazon affiliate links that benefit Jim Harold Media when you make a qualifying purchase. Thank you for your support! -- VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠ YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more!  BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock and roll has always had a shadow side, and Richard Syrett joins Jim to explore some of its strangest stories from his new book, Tales from the Rock and Roll Twilight Zone. From the roots of blues folklore and Robert Johnson’s legendary crossroads tale to theories about the Beatles, “Paul is Dead,” and the eerie staying power of rock’s greatest mysteries, Richard looks at why music history seems to attract so many strange rumors, unsettling coincidences, and unanswered questions. Jim and Richard also dig into the 27 Club, the tragic plane crash that changed Lynyrd Skynyrd forever, the mysteries surrounding Elvis Presley’s final days, and the suspicious circumstances some have associated with the death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones. It is a wide-ranging conversation about fame, myth, tragedy, conspiracy, and the powerful hold these stories still have on music fans decades later. You can find Richard's book at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Sb8okc Thanks Richard! --- VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE GROUPJoin our FREE online community at ⁠https://virtualcampfiregroup.com⁠YOUTUBE CHANNELBe sure to subscribe to Jim’s YouTube channel at: ⁠https://youtube.com/jimharold⁠ JOIN JIM’S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUBYou can get access to Jim’s entire back catalog of Campfire and a TON of exclusive content with the Spooky Studio Plus Club. Go to https://⁠jimharold.com/plus⁠ and signup to support the show and get access to our MASSIVE library of content!MERCHGo to ⁠https://jimharold.com/merch⁠ to get your Jim Harold T’s, sweatshirts, mugs, hats and more! BOOKSGet all SIX of Jim’s Campfire books here: https://jimharold.com/campfirebooks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices