Psychology of the Strange
This podcast explores unusual human experiences that challenge our understanding of reality, covering topics like psychological disorders, cognitive biases, and supernatural phenomena. It examines the intricate workings of the mind and how it interprets the world in peculiar ways.
Episodes
Ghosts in the Machine and The Dark Psychology of AI Simulated Societies
In 1968, researcher John B. Calhoun built "Universe 25", it was a utopian habitat for mice that eventually collapsed into behavioral rot and extinction due to a lack of social friction. In May of 2026, tech collective Emergence AI built a digital equivalent: Emergence World.
By populating isolated virtual sandboxes with advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) and granting them long-term memory, uniq
Lucid Journeys, Epic Realities, and the New Science of the Dreaming Mind
What happens to your brain when the lights go out? Every night, our minds spin up a hyper-realistic, 100% immersive reality simulator. For decades, science viewed dreaming as minor background maintenance, just the brain clearing out its digital trash. But a groundbreaking new study has completely shattered that theory, revealing that our most vivid dreams actually form a protective internal scaffo
Of Mushrooms and Little People
In this episode, I enter one of the strangest corners of mycology, folklore, and consciousness research I've encountered: Lanmaoa asiatica, a mushroom with no identified psychoactive compound that nonetheless causes ninety-six percent of people who eat it undercooked to hallucinate the same thing. Small humanoid figures, marching through their real-world environment. Climbing furniture. Slipping u
Analog Horror Manufacturing Dread
Analog horror, psychology of fear, and the neuroscience of dread. In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, I'm breaking down what the analog horror genre is actually doing to your brain and why it works so precisely on modern audiences.
Analog horror is a subgenre of found footage horror that emerged on YouTube in the mid-to-late 2010s. It uses the visual grammar of VHS tapes, emergency broad
The Fashion Sense of Ghosts & Woman in White Lore
Every ghost sighting follows the same dress code, the long dress, pale, timeless, and tragic. Almost nobody is reporting the apparition in low rise flare jeans and butterfly clips. It is a window into how the human brain constructs, maintains, and inherits its fear of the dead.
In this episode, I trace the Woman in White across cultures, like La Llorona, the White Lady of Balete Drive, the Bean Ni
Voodoo Dolls, Marie Laveau, and the Psychology of Magical Thinking
The voodoo doll you picture (small cloth figure, colorful pins) has almost nothing to do with Voodoo. That image is a Western invention, laundered through Hollywood until the real story got lost entirely. In this episode, I'm tracing where the object actually comes from, why versions of it appear across cultures with no contact with each other, and what the psychology underneath it tells us about
The Psychology of the Final Girl in Horror Movies
Why do we cheer when the final girl fights back in horror movies? From Laurie Strode in Halloween to Sidney Prescott in Scream to Sienna Shaw in Terrifier 2, slasher films give us vulnerable protagonists who survive brutal violence, and we love watching them become ruthless. This episode explores the psychological mechanism behind the final girl trope and why vulnerability licenses extreme violenc
Kali, Enlightenment through Destruction
Kali. Hindu goddess, destroyer, mother, liberator. She is one of the most misunderstood figures in Hindu mythology, and today we're pulling back the curtain on who she actually is. From the dark psychology of her origins to the real history of the Thuggee cult, the hereditary stranglers who killed up to two million people in her name. This episode explores what happens when people think they under
Rugaru Legend in the Bayou
Deep in the Louisiana bayou, something moves through the cypress trees after dark. The rougarou (aka rugaru or rougaroux) is Louisiana's legendary swamp werewolf. It has haunted Cajun folklore for centuries, born from the French loup-garou legend and shaped by the fears of a displaced people trying to hold their world together in the dark.
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, we trace the
Medusa, the other version
Trigger Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault, honor killings, and violence against women.
Medusa. You know the story. Monster. Snakes for hair. One look and you turn to stone. Hero with a mirrored shield, clean ending, everybody goes home. Except, that's not the whole story. In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, I'm pulling apart one of mythology's most reco
The Galactic Goddess- Amy Carlson and the Love Has Won Cult
Love Has Won cult leader Amy Carlson, known as Mother God, was found mummified in a Colorado home in 2021, her body wrapped in Christmas lights, her skin turned permanently blue from years of colloidal silver ingestion, her followers still waiting for galactic beings led by Robin Williams to take them to another dimension. This true crime and cult psychology episode explores shared delusion, coerc
The Necromantic Mirror of Floron: Vatican Secrets, Demonic Magic, and the Psychology of the Shadow Self
A demon mirror hidden beneath the Vatican. A cursed object so dangerous that even looking into it required a ritual: a celibate blacksmith, a waxing moon, and a virgin boy as the only one permitted to see what it showed. The Necromantic Mirror of Floron is not just a Vatican conspiracy theory. It's a real artifact documented in a 15th century grimoire, and what it allegedly reveals is darker than
Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Heroes, Oh My! The Boys
Dark triad personality traits, narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, may be the hidden ingredient of every superhero story you've ever loved. In this psychology deep dive, I'm using Amazon Prime's The Boys to explore what separates a hero from a monster and whether the answer is psychology, circumstance, or just really good branding.
Homelander is a clinical portrait of malignant narcissi
Baba Yaga- The witch in the forest
Baba Yaga is one of the most enduring figures in Slavic Folklore, but she was never just a monster. In this episode I explore three different tellings of her tale and uncover what she reveals about the darkest corners of psychology. I trace her origins from ancient Slavic tradition to modern psychological theory, examining her through Carl Jung's Crone archetype, Arnold van Gennep's concept of lim
Modern Folklore- Urban Legends, Internet Horror, and Conspiracy Theories
Urban Legends, conspiracy theories, creepypasta, and internet horror explained through psychology because folklore isn't dead it just evolved. In this episode I explore why scary stories, modern myths, and online conspiracy theories spread. Long before the internet, people gathered around fires and told stories to make sense of a world they couldn't control. Today we do the same thing in the com
The Mask & the Jim Carrey Conspiracy
After Jim Carrey’s recent public appearance at the César Awards in Paris, the internet did what the internet does best: zoomed in, compared old footage, and started asking questions. Almost immediately, conspiracy theories exploded online. Some people believe he’s simply changed. Others think cosmetic procedures altered his appearance. And some are convinced something much stranger is going on inc
The Psychology of The Backrooms
What makes the Backrooms so unsettling — and why do they linger long after you stop listening?
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, I explore the psychology behind the Backrooms, the internet’s most disturbing modern myth, and why endless hallways, fluorescent lights, and empty rooms trigger such deep unease. This isn’t a story about monsters or jump scares. It’s a story about liminal spa
What If It Isn’t the House That’s Haunted? The Psychology of Haunted People
Haunted People Syndrome, recurring paranormal experiences, and the psychology of feeling watched. Why do some individuals report unexplained events across different homes and stages of life, and what does psychology reveal about ghost experiences and perception?
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, I explore the idea of haunted people through cognitive science, perception, and meaning-mak
When the Rules Stop Working: Thin Places & The Morrígan
What happens when the rules stop working? In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, we step into thin places, liminal spaces in Celtic lore where the boundary between worlds weakens, identity destabilizes, and moral certainty begins to fracture. These are places of power, not comfort. Places where choice carries weight, and where survival often demands more than virtue can offer.
At the center
Season 3 Trailer: Liminality, Fear, and the Psychology of the Strange
What happens when the line between good and evil stops being clear? Season 3 is about thresholds the thin places where fear, folklore, and morality blur.
In this new season of Psychology of the Strange, I explore the psychology behind liminal spaces, dark myths, and the figures who live between good and evil. From ancient folklore to modern horror, each episode uses story and psychological science
Meaning, Fear, and Moltbook in the Uncanny Mind
Moltbook is a new social platform where artificial intelligence talks to artificial intelligence. No humans posting, no prompts guiding the conversation. We’re allowed to watch, but we’re not allowed to post.
And something about that feels deeply unsettling.
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, I explore why Moltbook has captured so much attention, discomfort, and fascination. From AI exi
The Long Night- Fear, Folklore and the Psychology of Winter
Why do winter myths across cultures share the same psychological patterns?
In this closing episode of Psychology of the Strange Season Two, we explore how fear functions as a social force—shaping morality, identity, and survival during prolonged darkness, scarcity, and isolation.
This episode brings together the core themes of the season: winter folklore, psychological fear responses, moral regu
Perceptual Collapse on Dead Mountain- The Psychology Behind the Dyatlov Pass Incident
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, we explore one of the most disturbing and enduring mysteries of the 20th century: the Dyatlov Pass Incident.
In February 1959, nine experienced hikers vanished in the Ural Mountains under conditions they were fully trained to survive. What rescuers found weeks later defied logic—
a tent cut open from the inside, bodies scattered across the snow, fata
When Winter Eats the Mind- The Psychology of the Wendigo
What happens to the human mind when hunger becomes unbearable, winter cuts off all escape, and survival demands the unthinkable?
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, we explore the Wendigo—one of the most haunting and psychologically complex winter legends in North American folklore. Often depicted as a supernatural monster stalking frozen forests, the Wendigo is rooted in Indigenous Al
Mari Lwyd: The Grey Mare, Winter Rituals, and the Psychology of Inviting Fear Inside
In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, we journey into the cold, liminal nights of winter Wales to meet Mari Lwyd...the eerie Grey Mare who knocks at the door with a horse’s skull, snapping jaws, and a song that demands an answer.
Through immersive storytelling and psychological insight, this episode explores the Mari Lwyd folklore, its origins in Welsh winter traditions, and why rituals in
The Winterborn Children Caught Between Two Worlds
Across Eastern Europe, children born during the Twelve Nights of Christmas were said to be marked by winter itself caught between worlds, watched by spirits, or destined for a second, shadowed nature. In tonight’s episode, we explore the legend of the “winterborn,” those liminal children whose quietness, stillness, or difference became the source of unsettling tales.
But beneath the folklore lies
The Christmas Eve Watcher
Fear doesn’t always arrive as a threat.
Sometimes it arrives as attention.
On a winter night, a woman and her teenage daughter begin to notice a figure standing outside their home. It doesn’t approach. It doesn’t knock. It doesn’t try to enter. It simply watches.
What follows isn’t a story about violence or intrusion, but about something quieter and often more disturbing: the experience of being o
The Yule Log: Ritual, Fire, and the Meaning We Create- Bonus Episode
The Yule Log is one of the oldest winter rituals in Europe—a carved beam of wood burned slowly through the longest nights to protect the household and usher in the return of the sun. But beneath the folklore and tradition lies something deeply human: our need to create meaning, especially in seasons marked by scarcity, darkness, and uncertainty.
In this bonus episode, we explore the origins of t
When the Elf on the Shelf Became a Trickster --Bonus Episode
Elf on the Shelf is often dismissed as a modern, commercial tradition cute, harmless, and far removed from older winter folklore. But while researching the Yule Lads, I started noticing something unexpected happening in my own home.
Today’s elves don’t just watch. They move. They make messes. They steal food. They leave evidence behind.
In this short bonus reflection, I explore how Elf on the Shel
Yule Lads- The Winter Tricksters Who Watched from the Dark
The Yule Lads are often remembered as mischievous Icelandic tricksters of thirteen strange figures who descend from the mountains each December. But behind the playful reputation lies a much older, darker tradition rooted in scarcity, winter anxiety, and the human tendency to project fear onto the unknown.
In this episode, we explore the folklore behind the Yule Lads and their monstrous parents, u
What the Tide Reveals in the Legend of the Knuckelavee
When the tide pulls back farther than it should, old things rise from the sea. In the windswept folklore of the Orkney Islands, that warning is tied to a single creature: the Nuckelavee (a skinless, relentless being said to crawl out of the ocean on the darkest nights), bringing with it illness, fear, and the sense that something ancient is watching from the shoreline.
In this episode of Psychol
The Chilling Tale of Huggin’ Molly: A Journey Into Fear and Mystery
I delve into the chilling legend of Huggin' Molly, a ghostly figure that has haunted the quiet town of Abbeville, Alabama for generations. The origins of this ghost are shrouded in mystery, and those who dare to speak of her do so in hushed tones. Join me as I uncover the dark and tragic history of Molly Crenshaw, a once-beautiful woman whose life took a horrific turn, ultimately transforming her
I Need That Like A Hole In The Head: DIY Trephination
This episode is not for the faint of heart and may contain some graphic language. I explore the realms of trepanation, dreams, and self-exploration through various historical and contemporary stories. It begins by unraveling the ancient practice of trepanation, delving into its medical and mystical aspects. The narrative then shifts to the swinging sixties, where individuals like Amanda Feildin
Beyond the Stars: Alien Abductions and Encounters
Exploring alien encounters and the mysteries that surround them. I tell the account of John, a truck driver, when one fateful night his life took an inexplicable turn. Hear the eerie details of his encounter with beings from beyond, leaving him haunted by the unknown.
Are we alone in the universe? From benevolent extraterrestrials to sinister invaders, considering recent claims of mummified aliens
Creating Consciousness: Tulpas and Slenderman
In the late 1800s, Alexandra David-Neel embarked on a remarkable quest for forbidden knowledge. From Freemasonry to Theosophy, from opera singing to anarchist pamphleteering, her life was a whirlwind of intrigue. Her fascination with the mystical and the unknown led her to Asia, where she delved into the secrets of Tibetan monks and their astonishing practice of creating tulpas—sentient thoughtfo
DownThe Rabbit Hole: Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and Beyond
Take a trip down the rabbit hole with me with the curious and sometimes perplexing world of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS). Imagine lying in bed, ready to sleep, when suddenly, the room around you starts to twist and change. Everyday objects seem to warp in size, and you might even feel like your own body is transforming. We'll delve into personal accounts from individuals who've experienced
Nightmare Realms: Sleep Paralysis, Night Hags, and Nocturnal Mysteries
The mysterious realms of sleep paralysis, explore the chilling tales of the night hag, boo hag, and other entities that have haunted cultures worldwide. But the eerie journey doesn't stop there – we'll also shed light on the phenomenon of Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome that leaves us questioning the thin veil between the realms of sleep and the unknown. Get ready to unravel the secrets
Minds Unraveled: Pont Saint Espirit Mass Hallucinations
Journey through time to the quaint French town of Pont Saint Espirit where reality became twisted into a nightmare for many residents. Was their shared hallucination psychological, environmental, or an experiment by the CIA?
Replaced by Imposters: Capgras Delusion
Reality blurs and perceptions shift in astonishing ways with Capgras Delusion, a rare psychological phenomenon that challenges our understanding of identity and cognition. Hear the chilling true crime story of Blazej Kot, a man driven by delusion to unthinkable actions. Discover the heart-wrenching case of Mary, a mother who couldn't recognize her own daughter. And Madame M who is at the epicenter
Whispers in the Mirror: Bloody Mary and the Troxler Effect
Step into the shadows where superstition and psychology intertwine. In this exploration, I dive into the spine-chilling world of Bloody Mary, the legendary ghost, and the mind-bending Troxler Effect. Explore the uncanny similarities between summoning spirits and the visual tricks our mind can play. Brace yourself for a journey that blurs the lines between perception, belief, and the enigmatic real
Musical Madness
Step into the ethereal realm where melodies dance and the mind's symphony plays on, as "Psychology of the Strange" embarks on a captivating journey into the enigmatic world of musical hallucinations. From Robert Schumann to Beethoven and a French psychiatrist that studied madness and genius.
Join me on a journey through the world of musical hallucinations. Explore the haunting and eerie melodies t
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