Paranormia

An ordinary wooden chair hanging in a museum in North Yorkshire is said to carry a deadly curse. In this episode, Elizabeth explores the legend of the Busby Stoop Chair, tracing its origins back to a brutal murder in 1702 and following the stories of those who allegedly paid the price for sitting in it. She uncovers how a real historical crime became a lasting piece of local legend and paranormal folklore. Elizabeth also shares a new horror book she’s picked up...

If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at paranormia@alwaystruecrime.com

Paranormia is an Audio Always production.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth takes us into the remote mining country of northern Ontario, where a neuroscientist named Michael Persinger has spent decades trying to understand how the brain constructs some of our most powerful experiences. At the centre of his work is a modified motorcycle helmet, fitted with coils that deliver weak, patterned magnetic fields to the temporal lobes. The idea is unsettlingly simple… could the feeling of a presence in the room, even something interpreted as God, be triggered by subtle changes in brain activity? As one journalist sits inside Persinger’s lab and undergoes the experiment himself, the line between neuroscience and the supernatural begins to blur in unexpected ways. Plus Elizabeth shares a little about the release of her new book.

If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at paranormia@alwaystruecrime.com

Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth takes us to the wooded outskirts of Florence, where between 1968 and 1985 a killer known as the “Monster of Florence” stalked young couples parked in secluded cars. Sixteen people were murdered across eight attacks in rural lovers’ lanes. But as the investigation dragged on for decades, suspects multiplied, confessions unraveled, and the truth only became more elusive. So was this a single, methodical killer moving through the Tuscan darkness, or a case where fear and flawed policing helped create the monster? Plus Elizabeth shares a little about her recent trip to a spider convention!

This story was provided by a Paranormia listener. If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at paranormia@alwaystruecrime.com

Paranormia is an Audio Always production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paranormia is back for season two! In this episode Elizabeth takes us to the remote Alaskan village where former Marine and actor Teddy Kyle Smith claimed he was being followed through the wilderness by the Inukins, mysterious little people from Inuit folklore said to live beyond the edges of civilisation. Days later, two brothers on a hunting trip stumbled across Smith hiding in an isolated cabin deep in the tundra… only one of them would escape uninjured. So what really happened in the frozen wilderness outside Kiana? A psychological break shaped by isolation and folklore, or something far stranger?

Plus, throughout season two, Elizabeth wants to share a bit more of her life outside of Paranormia… the strange stories, rabbit holes and weird moments that catch her attention during the week. From talks about alien encounters and the people who genuinely believe them, to internet deep dives sparked by a chaotic Dev Patel lookalike contest in London, this season also explores the strange things that stick with us, both on and off the podcast.

If you have a story where crime and the otherworldly intertwine, something strange, unexplained or just plain haunted, get in touch at paranormia@alwaystruecrime.com

Paranormia is an Audio Always production.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth checks in as Paranormia wraps its first season, with a quick look back at CrimeCon Birmingham and a glimpse into what’s coming next… From the science that might explain ghosts, including a device that can trigger the feeling of a presence in the room, to unsettling encounters linked to a real life plane crash where crew members reported sightings of those who didn’t survive… and a court case so strange it saw “demonic possession” used as a legal defence.

Plus, a reminder that if you’ve got a story you think Elizabeth should dig into, she wants to hear from you: paranormia@alwaystruecrime.com

Paranormia will be back in a couple of weeks.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.