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Strange As It Seems

Strange As It Seems 28 Episodes Jul 29, 2026

A podcast series exploring history, occultism, espionage, secret societies, conspiracy theories, and other unusual topics. Hosted by Dr. Richard B. Spence with co-host Stephen Austin.

Episodes

Off the Record: Crowley in Hollywood Jul 29, 2026 2292 In what may become a recurring format, Rick and Stephen dig into the research that didn't make it into our latest episode on Crowley in Hollywood. These aren't scraps — Rick keeps notes — but sometimes a thread gets forgotten until after the record button's already off. Original Episode: https://studio.youtube.com/video/efvUAPmYg18/edit OUR SPONSOR: https://www.trineday.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW: Pa

Aleister Crowley In Hollywood Jul 14, 2026 7653 Rick and Stephen go looking for Aleister Crowley in Hollywood and find him there in November 1915. It has been claimed that the "wickedest man in the world secretly ran Hollywood." But Dr. Spence presents a much stranger and grounded story: a broke magician hunting for a vehicle [a studio, a lodge, a mail-order religion, anyone!] to carry Thelema to the masses. What Crowley found within the raw co

Hanussen: The Nazi Rasputin Jun 16, 2026 9346 Rick and Stephen go inside the case of Erik Jan Hanussen — the most famous mentalist in Weimar Berlin, a Jewish entertainer who passed as Danish nobility. He held séances for senior SA officers, loaned money to the men building the Third Reich, and predicted the Reichstag fire one night before it burned. One month after the fire he seemingly foresaw, his bullet-ridden body was found in a field ou

In Search of the Occult Octopus Apr 27, 2026 9301 Rick and Stephen move beyond Epstein to explore a deeper and more elusive question: is there a hidden structure of power that transcends governments, ideologies? Is there a modern Illuminati? Or something more complex—what is the Occult Octopus? SUPPORT THE SHOW: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/StrangeAsItSeems614 Buymeacoffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Ko-fi: https://

Jeffery Epstein and Hidden Power Feb 23, 2026 8382 In this episode, Rick and Stephen turn their attention to Jeffrey Epstein and the deeper structures of influence surrounding his rise and fall. Was Epstein merely a criminal opportunist? A node in something larger? Or a symptom of structural forces that extend far beyond one man? HELP THE SHOW: Buymeacoffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spot

Ouija Board Secrets Feb 13, 2026 6363 In this special episode, Rick and Stephen explore Dr. Spence’s own teenage experiments with a Ouija board in the late 1960s. What began as harmless curiosity soon yielded a mixture of absurd messages, uncanny hits, and an alleged manifestation that continues to raise questions about what, if anything, was truly encountered. FOLLOW US: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Spo

The Borah Conspiracy Jan 21, 2026 8189 Rick and Stephen unravel the murky story of Soviet influence and Senator William E. Borah, tracing rumors of covert networks, document mills, political subversion, and an alleged conspiracy that placed one of the Gem State’s most celebrated politicians at the center of international intrigue. FOLLOW US: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/s

The Gulf Breeze Six Dec 29, 2025 5107 Rick and Stephen dive into the bizarre case of the “Gulf Breeze Six,” a group of U.S. Army intelligence analysts who deserted their post in Germany in 1990—traveling to Florida in search of divine instructions, secret knowledge, and perhaps the end of the world. FOLLOW US: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr Apple: https://po

Basil Zaharoff: Merchant of Death Nov 26, 2025 7766 Rick and Stephen investigate the life and career of Basil Zaharoff — the “Merchant of Death,” one of the most influential arms dealers of the early twentieth century and a man long rumored to be connected to the secretive Green Dragon Society. FOLLOW US: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us

Order of the Green Dragon Nov 10, 2025 7918 Rick and Stephen explore the murky origins of the so-called “Green Dragon Society,” a rumored occult order said to unite mystics, spies, and power brokers with a singular goal of world domination. FOLLOW US: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Buymeacoffee: Buymeacoffee: https://buym

An Introduction to Witchcraft Oct 27, 2025 8419 It is a Halloween special, so naturally Rick and Stephen discuss Margaret Murry, Montague Summers, and Witchcraft! FOLLOW US: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Buymeacoffee: Buymeacoffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/StrangeAsItSeemsPodcast

Spies, Lies, and Hidden History Oct 6, 2025 9145 Rick and Stephen dive into the murky world of espionage and disinformation to uncover the hidden truths behind three elusive spies—Sidney Reilly, Kurt Jahnke, and Arthur Adams. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Bohemian Grove, Bilderberg, and Beyond Sep 8, 2025 10284 Rick and Stephen delve into the shadowy world of elite secret societies—from the rituals of Bohemian Grove to the exclusivity of the Bilderberg meetings, Council on Foreign Relations, and the imperial ambitions of Cecil Rhodes. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

How To Invent The Future Aug 25, 2025 11554 Rick and Stephen explore how suppressed or imagined technologies, from Mesmer’s animal magnetism to Tesla’s free energy and Russian Cosmism, illustrate humanity’s recurring drive to uncover secret forces. The discussion ties these examples to Nick Land’s concept of hyperstition, showing how myths and speculative technologies can loop back into reality. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.co

Who Are The Illuminati? Aug 8, 2025 8612 Rick explores the historical origins of the Illuminati, tracing the rise of Adam Weishaupt’s secret society in 18th-century Bavaria. Along the way, we investigates the Illuminati’s strategies, ideology, and influence—both real and imagined. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Who Wrote the Protocols? Jul 25, 2025 6772 Rick examines the origins and evolution of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, exploring its fabrication, dissemination, and enduring influence as one of history's most destructive pieces of propaganda. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Lost Continents and Subterranean Realms Jun 20, 2025 6759 Rick delves into the origins of the legend of Atlantis, tracing its evolution over centuries into a symbol of lost wisdom, advanced civilizations, and hidden realms. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Occult Hitler May 23, 2025 8188 Rick and Stephen examine the origins of Nazi occultism, tracing the ideas, figures, and organizations that influenced Adolf Hitler. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Who Killed the Romanovs? Apr 17, 2025 8923 Rick delves into the dark mystery of the Romanov murders. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Ghost in the Machine: The Techno-Occult Mar 27, 2025 7601 From brazen heads to influencing machines, Rick and Stephen explore the eerie convergence of techne and the occult. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

Flying Saucers and Secret Agents Mar 13, 2025 8280 Rick and Stephen explore the possible links between the UFO phenomenon, espionage and psyops. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pr... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

An Introduction to Occult Politics Feb 28, 2025 8900 "Rick delves into the realm of occult politics by exploring the bizarre story of Clotilde Bersone, French Synarchy and the American "Business Plot." FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pryV4bnp8svmiQc4O Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strange-as-it-seems/id1777455156 Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean.com/

The Occult Life of Jack Parsons Feb 10, 2025 7476 Rick recounts the shadowy life of visionary rocketeer and devoted occultist, Jack W. Parsons. More importantly, he reveals Parsons’ ties to espionage—connections that may have ultimately sealed his fate. FOLLOW US: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7loq8pryV4bnp8svmiQc4O Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strange-as-it-seems/id1777455156 Podbean: https://strangeasitseems.podbean

The Mysteries of Fred L. Crisman Jan 25, 2025 8953 Rick introduces Stephen to Fred L. Crisman.

Weaponized Magic: Aleister Crowley to MK Ultra Dec 6, 2024 10815 Rick gives a brief history of the connection between occult knowledge, psychic research, and intelligence agencies.

Death in the Adirondacks Nov 13, 2024 7801 Rick walks Stephen through a story of political intrigue in the Adirondack Mountains. Original Publication: Spence, Richard B. "Death in the Adirondacks: Amtorg, Intrigue, and the Dubious Demise of Isaiya Khurgin and Efraim Sklyansky, August 1925." American Communist History, vol. 14, no. 2 (Aug. 2015), pp. 135–158.

An Introduction to James Shelby Downard Nov 6, 2024 9179 Rick introduces Stephen to the strange life of James Shelby Downard.

Lights in the sky: The Utah Airship Mystery Oct 31, 2024 6946 In this inaugural (demo) episode of Strange As It Seems, Rick covers his 2017 article "LIGHTS IN THE SKY: A True Tale of Mystery Airships, Spies, and Secret Cults in WWI Utah," while Stephen tries to keep up.

Strange As It Seems

Episodes

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