This episode is about the legendary pigman of Denton, Texas. Kinda. The thing is, I'd never heard of the pigman, so it's really an episode about how urban legends and folklore are spread, what makes one urban legend take off while another lin

Outlaw ghosts and a haunted bookstore (Haunted Denton Square)

Jun 30th, 2023 39m 23s

Not far from the famed Goatman's Bridge in Denton County, Texas, a courthouse square has its share of spirits. I return once more to North Texas—a place of strange UFO and cryptid encounters, and also where I grew up. This time, I'm looking a

Feelin' nostalgic: emotions and analog paranormal investigation tools

Jun 16th, 2023 42m 43s

Continuing my deep dive into nostalgia and the paranormal! Does the way we feel about paranormal investigation tools change their efficacy? How do our emotions (especially nostalgia) interact with the paranormal? Highlights include: My conti

The hype around the Panasonic RR-DR60

Jun 2nd, 2023 34m 47s

A look at lore surrounding the legendary Panasonic RR-DR60. How did the late 1990s audio recorder become a device that now sells for $4,000-5,000 USD on eBay? What makes the DR60 so special? Highlights include: plenty o' nostalgia (and skeptic

Instant photography, nostalgia, and the paranormal

May 19th, 2023 48m 14s

A wild ride through nostalgia about instant photography, the pitfalls of both analog and digital photography, the weirdly zeitgeisty history of the Polaroid Corporation, and the search for images we can "trust." Highlights include: My attemp

Spirit boxes and paranormal nostalgia

May 5th, 2023 31m 49s

A deep dive into nostalgia, liminality, and the paranormal. Are we interested in the paranormal because we feel nostalgic? Could that be why so much paranormal investigation gear is inspired by 1980s and 1990s tech? Highlights include: Could

The 1897 UFO Flap in North Texas

Apr 14th, 2023 31m 4s

In 1897, a series of mysterious airships were sighted all around the United States. This is a look at the flap in general, with a particular focus on some of the North Texas UFO sightings. Highlights include: The Dallas-Fort Worth area as a

The UFO crash in Aurora, Texas

Mar 31st, 2023 40m 42s

A look at the Aurora, Texas, UFO crash, one of many sightings during the mystery airship flap of 1897. Highlights include: airships! urban legends and uncertain truths Jacques Vallée Check out buriedsecretspodcast.com for the shownotes.

Local spirits, ghosts of the living, and haunted churches

Feb 24th, 2023 54m 49s

I really get into it in this one! The stated goal of this episode is to talk about some fascinating takeaways from Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason Miller. However, get ready for many digressions a

Doubt and the paranormal

Feb 10th, 2023 37m 51s

Do you ever read a book so interesting that you gotta tell everyone about it? I recently read Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason Miller and was struck by how much great information and advice it contai

Phantom footsteps in the woods (Paranormal Investigation of Eno River State Park and William B. Umstead State Park)

Jan 27th, 2023 54m 26s

I’ve been told that if I were in a horror movie, I would die first. But can I help it if I'm curious, chaotic, and solitary? Anyway, here's a look at some solo paranormal investigations I did around Halloween 2021 in two North Carolina state pa

Ghosts among the ruins

Jan 13th, 2023 40m 42s

A look at a place full of cemeteries, ruins, and ghosts of the past. Also actual ghosts. Those too. Eno River State Park, in Durham, North Carolina, is said to have its fair share of hauntings. I dive into the history of the park, especially th

The Hidden History of a State Park

Dec 16th, 2022 30m 12s

When we go to "spend time in nature," we like to think that the parks that we visit are separate from the bustling cities that we live in. But in reality, parks are as human-made and full of history as any landmarked building. You just have t

The Exorcist Statue and Other Scranton Hauntings (Haunted Scranton)

Dec 2nd, 2022 43m 7s

What if, after you died, a close friend of yours made a bust commemorating you, spending years trying to make the piece of art capture your very essence? What if some of your ashes were put into said statue, which was then displayed in a promin

Ghosts in the Museum (Haunted Scranton)

Nov 18th, 2022 37m 47s

Stories of a haunted museum, a former hotel, a historic home, and a pub in Scranton, PA. Plus a couple cool urban legends about a stone couch and a lady in black. Highlights include: - a nun psychopomp - a child who followed a ghost into the ba

Ghosts of Nay Aug Park and the Lackawanna Station Hotel (Haunted Scranton)

Nov 4th, 2022 48m 25s

A dive into some of Scranton's haunted locations, including the Lackawanna Station Hotel and Nay Aug Park. Plus, a haunted real estate listing. Highlights include: two defunct amusement parks ghosts that love to haunt minor league baseball pl

Sleep Paralysis in Scranton (Haunted Scranton)

Oct 21st, 2022 36m 13s

I tell the story of a weird paranormal experience I had during a recent trip to Scranton, PA. Highlights include: - my first sleep paralysis experience - a strange roadside creek - my thoughts about Scranton

On Mylar Balloons and Forgotten Futures

Oct 7th, 2022 46m 55s

Some thoughts about mylar balloons, what they represent in the paranormal, and what else they might mean in terms of our world and our future. Highlights include: - mylar balloons' history in the paranormal and position as garbage - the idea of

Folk News and the Haunted Old Alton Bridge (Goatman's Bridge Series)

Aug 26th, 2022 31m 46s

A look at what urban legends, especially the Goatman's Bridge urban legends, do in society, including urban legends as "folk news." Plus, some possible debunkings of some of the Old Alton Bridge phenomena. Content note: This episode contains di

Rewriting Urban Legends (Goatman's Bridge Series)

Aug 12th, 2022 45m 28s

An attempt to trace the current tales of the Goatman's Bridge to their source: a 2008 YouTube video that contained seemingly new information about the urban legend, including some information that linked the story to the Mothman legends. Highli

Satanic Rituals at the Bridge (Goatman’s Bridge Series)

Jul 29th, 2022 30m 25s

Satanic Rituals at the Bridge: A look at the urban legends claiming that cultish activity has occurred at Texas’ famously haunted Old Alton Bridge, or Goatman’s Bridge. Content note: This episode contains discussions of white supremacist hate g

“I Seen the Devil” (Goatman’s Bridge Series)

Jul 15th, 2022 36m 19s

A deep dive into strangeness associated with the Goatman’s Bridge, featuring weird stories that I found on forums and comment sections, including a devil sighting, a ghost driver, lights turning red, terrifying laughter, Bigfoot-type phenomena,

Who are the Goatmen? (Goatman’s Bridge Series)

Jul 1st, 2022 36m 12s

North Texas has four different Goatman legends, including the Old Alton Bridge Goatman. Here’s a look at those stories, as well as other urban legends about goatmen around the world. As I continue my series on the Old Alton Bridge, or Goatman’s

Death at the Goatman’s Bridge (Goatman’s Bridge Series)

Jun 17th, 2022 34m

A look at one legend behind the Goatman’s Bridge, the period of history that inspired it, and a suspicious recent death at the bridge. Highlights include: The Texas Troubles Attempts to bury history Mass hysteria and bloodthirsty vigilantes So

This Way to the Goatman (Goatman’s Bridge Series)

Jun 13th, 2022 39m 32s

Update: Looks like there was a technical glitch when I initially published this episode. It should be fixed now, but let me know if not! One of the most famous urban legends about the Goatman’s Bridge (aka the Old Alton Bridge) has roots in a h