Psychology of the Strange

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 human need for control. From the wax effigies used in a plot against Pharaoh Ramesses III in 1100 BCE, to the Kongo Nkondi figures misread by Western colonizers, to the European poppet tradition, the logic is always the same: embed intention into an object, connect it to a person, and trust that the distance between you just collapsed. Then there's Marie Laveau. Born in New Orleans in 1801 as a free woman of color, she built one of the most documented and least fully understood power bases in American history, a hairdresser with an intelligence network, a devout Catholic who built altars in death row cells, a Voodoo queen whose practice centered on exactly this kind of object-based magic. Her gris-gris bags operated on identical principles to every effigy and poppet we've been talking about. Personal objects. Embedded intention. The belief that a physical item can carry something across the distance between you and the person you're trying to reach. Whether it works in the causal sense is almost beside the point. Rotter's locus of control, Rozin and Nemeroff's laws of sympathetic magic, and the confirmation bias that closes the loop, the psychology here suggests the doll does work. Just not the way the instruction card says it does. And if that makes you think of vision boards and manifestation culture, you're already seeing the connection I want to talk about. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the rugarou, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod Psychology of the Strange is part of the Dark Cast Network. Find me on Instagram and TikTok at @psychstrangepod.

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 violence. Drawing on recent horror research on the imbalance between a weak protagonist and powerful antagonist triggers something deeper than fear. It changes how your brain judges violence. Through film analysis of classic and contemporary horror movies including A Nightmare on Elm Street and Terrifier 2, I examine how moral typecasting theory explains why we grant final girls permission to do things we'd condemn in any other context. What separates horror from action? Why does Alien feel terrifying while Predator feels like an action movie, even with nearly identical threats? The answer lies in protagonist vulnerability and how your brain categorizes victims versus aggressors. I also explore how this same psychological pattern shows up in true crime cases, self-defense trials, and real-world moral judgments about violence. If you've ever wondered why slasher movie violence feels justified when the final girl does it, this episode reveals the cognitive mechanisms at work. Vulnerability decides who gets to fight back.   Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the rugarou, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod Psychology of the Strange is part of the Dark Cast Network. Find me on Instagram and TikTok at @psychstrangepod. Papers referenced in this episode Edgard Dubourg & Coltan Scrivner. (2026). Vulnerability and the computational logic of fear: insights from the horror genre. Evolution & Human Behavior, 47, 106813. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S109051382500162X Gray, K., & Wegner, D. M. (2009). Moral typecasting: Divergent perceptions of moral agents and moral patients. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(3), 505–520. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013748

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 understand a force that cannot be controlled, negotiated with, or appealed to. We also get into the tantric symbolism hiding in plain sight in her iconography: the sword that represents higher knowledge, the severed head that represents the human ego, and what it actually means that she's smiling through all of it. Along the way: Jungian shadow theory, moral disengagement, the Aghori monks of Varanasi who meditate on corpses, and a female Tantric sect so obscure they barely left a historical record. Kali is not a demon. She is not a goddess of death for death's sake. She is a force that moves toward truth and annihilates the false and she has been trying to tell us that through her iconography for over two thousand years.  Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the rugarou, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod Psychology of the Strange is part of the Dark Cast Network. Find me on Instagram and TikTok at @psychstrangepod.

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 rougarou from its roots in medieval French werewolf mythology through the Acadian exile of 1755 and into the swamps of southern Louisiana, where it became something far more specific than a monster. We dig into the Catholic guilt and excommunication architecture baked into the curse, the psychology of folklore as social control, and why breaking your Lenten fast for seven consecutive years might be the last mistake you ever make. We explore terror management theory, moral disengagement, and institutional betrayal and why the only escape from a Church-built curse runs straight through Louisiana voodoo. Plus: why the rougarou can't count to thirteen, what that has to do with Judas, and how a creature built to punish sinners became an unlikely guardian of the Louisiana wetlands and maybe something of a cryptid antihero for our current moment. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the rugarou, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod Psychology of the Strange is part of the Dark Cast Network. Find me on Instagram and TikTok at @psychstrangepod.

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 recognizable villains and rebuilding her from the ground up. Because in Ovid's telling, Medusa wasn't born a monster. She was made into one. By a god who assaulted her. By a goddess who punished her for it. And by a hero who found her more useful dead than alive. This episode explores the psychology of victim blaming, institutional betrayal, and the logic that turns survivors into threats. A logic that didn't stay in ancient Greece. From Iran's legal code to Pakistan to a 2025 honor killing in Syria filmed and posted online by the perpetrator, the pattern Ovid wrote down is still operational today. Mythology. Psychology. The stories we tell to make the rules we live by. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the Medusa, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod   Sources and current events referenced in this episode: Rahaf Alwan, Syria, April 2025: https://stj-sy.org/en/syrias-transitional-phase-honor-killings-persist-amid-failing-protection-and-legal-response/ Mobina Zeynivand, Iran: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202408284891 Honor killings in Pakistan 2024: https://www.dawn.com/news/1881836 Iran honor killings 2024 annual report: https://stophonorkillings.org/en/2025/01/03/fourth-quarterly-report-on-honor-killings-in-2024186-case-in-a-year/ Human Rights Commission of Pakistan: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/29/father-ex-husband-among-9-arrested-in-alleged-honour-killing-in-pakistan

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, coercive control, and what happens when a group of people construct a reality so airtight that even death can't penetrate it. Underneath the strange and visceral details is a question: what does it actually take for an entire group of people to surrender their grip on reality together and what does psychology tell us about how that process works? This episode explores  folie à plusieurs (shared psychosis) and how social media and livestream culture created a new kind of cult isolation that doesn't need a compound to function. We look at what terror management theory, moral disengagement, and unfalsifiable belief systems can tell us about Love Has Won, and the haunting reversal at the heart of this story, where the followers became so invested in her divinity that they couldn't save her even when she asked them to. If you're drawn to cult documentaries, dark psychology, paranormal belief, or the HBO documentary Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God then this episode is for you. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the rugarou, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod   New episodes every week on all major platforms. Follow @psychstrangepod.

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 any demon: the version of yourself you've spent your entire life arranging not to see. In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, I dig into the documented history of the Mirror of Floron, pulled from the Munich Manual of Demonic Magic, one of the most significant surviving medieval grimoires  and the legend that the physical mirror itself ended up locked in the Vatican's sealed vaults, retrieved by the Templars from communities torn apart by what it did to the people who looked into it. Then I break down the psychology underneath the story: why mirrors destabilize identity, what mirror-gazing actually does to the brain according to Giovanni Caputo's strange-face illusion research, how terror management theory explains why the mirror's particular brand of horror hits so deep, and why a 15th century magician built a child into the ritual as a buffer because he already knew direct exposure was something the adult mind couldn't survive intact. This one sits at the crossroads of occult history, dark psychology, and Vatican conspiracy and by the end, you might find yourself avoiding your own reflection. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the rugarou, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod   For more strange between episodes make sure you follow me @psychstrangepod on socials Topics covered: Vatican secrets | demon mirror | cursed mirror | shadow self | dark psychology | medieval grimoire | forbidden knowledge | occult history | mirror psychology | the Munich Manual of Demonic Magic | Necromantic Mirror of Floron | Psychology of the Strange

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 narcissism and psychopathy wrapped in a cape. Billy Butcher is Machiavellianism with a vendetta. Soldier Boy is what happens when dark triad traits get a government contract and zero accountability. And Starlight and Hughie, you know the ones trying to stay decent, might be the most psychologically interesting characters of all. I go deep on moral licensing, the neuroscience of why we can't look away from dangerous people, and what a dose of Compound V reveals about the difference between ends-justify-the-means thinking and actual ethics. Spoiler: it's not what we want it to be. This is a psychology of evil episode, a superhero deconstruction, and an uncomfortable mirror all in one. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the supernatural, dark triad, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod   Make sure to find me on social media for more strange and psychology between episodes @psychstrangepod

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 liminality, and Albert Bandura's research on moral disengagement. Why does she appear at moments of desperation? What does her ambiguous morality tell us about the line between good and evil and why that line moves? And what happens when you get exactly what you asked for? This episode features three original folklore stories including a Baba Yaga tale exploring obsession, grief, and the true cost of a granted wish. Whether you're here for the dark folklore, the psychology, or both this one will stay with you. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the supernatural, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod   Psychology of the Strange is part of the Dark Cast Network. New episodes every week. Find me on Instagram and TikTok at @psychstrangepod.

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 comment sections, Reddit threads, and TikTok videos. From Hookman to Slenderman, from Area 51 to the Russian Sleep Experiment every era builds the folklore it needs to survive fears. The monsters always change. The psychology never does.   This episode covers the psychology of urban legends and why they warn us about spaces that feel unsafe, how conspiracy theories function as modern folklore where the monster is power itself, why creepypasta is designed to blur the line between fiction and reality, how internet horror and ARGs create new kinds of participatory mythology and why folklore thrives specifically when certainty collapses and authority can't be trusted. Whether you are a true believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between...if you have ever read something online that made your stomach drop in a way you can't explain this episode is for you. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the supernatural, demonic mirrors, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod  

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 including theories connecting him to the late Val Kilmer. But this episode isn’t really about whether any of those theories are true. It’s about why moments like this hit such a nerve and why conspiracy theories spread so quickly when someone who once felt culturally familiar suddenly seems different. What happens psychologically when a celebrity who helped define an era no longer feels like the same person? Why do we struggle more with change than with impossible explanations? In this shorter, current-events episode, I explore the psychology behind celebrity conspiracies, internet speculation, parasocial relationships, and modern folklore forming right in front of us. Because today’s urban legends don’t spread around campfires they spread through timelines, comment sections, and viral posts. And sometimes the story we choose to believe says more about us than it does about the person at the center of it. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into conspiracy theories, supernatural, and the psychology of cults. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod  

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 spaces, derealization, and what happens to the mind when familiar environments lose their meaning. I begin with a real experience of getting lost in underground hospital corridors — a real-life Backrooms moment — before moving into an immersive storytelling segment that recreates the quiet horror of endless space. From there, I break down the psychological mechanisms behind the fear: predictive processing failure, free-floating anxiety, social absence, and existential threat. This episode connects the Backrooms to modern life — burnout, bureaucracy, and the feeling of being trapped in systems you didn’t design and can’t escape. I explore why adding monsters actually weakens the horror, how liminal spaces destabilize the brain, and why the Backrooms feel less like fiction and more like a mirror of the world we’re living in. If you’ve ever felt unsettled in an empty hospital hallway, an abandoned mall, a quiet office after hours, or a place that felt familiar but wrong — this episode is for you. Topics include: The psychology of liminal spaces Why the Backrooms are so disturbing Derealization and depersonalization Predictive processing and anxiety Environmental meaning and fear Modern folklore and internet horror Burnout, bureaucracy, and existential dread Why some horror stays with you Listen now to understand why the Backrooms don’t end when the hallway does — and why some spaces swallow you long after you leave them. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the backrooms, horror, and the supernatural. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod     Psychology of the Strange is part of the Darkcast Network-- Welcome to the Darkside

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-making. I begin with a documented case of a man who experienced persistent disturbances in his home, but quickly move beyond the question of whether the events were supernatural to examine why certain experiences feel intentional and emotionally charged. Drawing on research into sleep disruption, hypervigilance, pattern detection, absorption, and what researchers call Haunted People Syndrome, this episode explores how the brain interprets ambiguity, and why the boundary between external threat and internal perception can sometimes blur. I also reflect on the modern context of storytelling, including how sharing extraordinary experiences publicly can shape interpretation and meaning, while recognizing that similar patterns have been documented long before social media existed. As part of this season’s exploration of the psychological line between good and evil, I consider how cultures have historically framed unexplained experiences as supernatural or malevolent, and how psychology offers another way of understanding the same phenomena.   This conversation isn’t about proving or disproving ghosts. It’s about understanding why certain experiences feel haunted, why they linger, and what they reveal about the human mind’s relationship with fear, belief, and uncertainty. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the supernatural, cryptids, and the psychology of conspiracies. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod     Topics explored: – Haunted People Syndrome – Psychology of haunting and ghost experiences – Recurring unexplained phenomena – Feeling watched and hypervigilance – Sleep and perception – Meaning-making under uncertainty – Social storytelling and interpretation – Fear, ambiguity, and the line between good and evil   Follow Psychology of the Strange for weekly explorations of folklore, perception, and the psychology behind the experiences that unsettle us most.

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 of this episode is The Morrigan, a shapeshifting figure of war, prophecy, and sovereignty who appears at thresholds: river fords, battlefields, borders, and moments of irreversible decision. Often misunderstood as a goddess of death, the Morrígan is better understood as a witness to transformation appearing where people are no longer who they were, and not yet who they will become. Through immersive mythic storytelling grounded in Celtic tradition, this episode explores how thin places function psychologically as environments of uncertainty, threat, and transition. We examine why ambiguity heightens vigilance, how identity shifts under constraint, and why being seen during moments of moral rupture can be more unsettling than judgment or punishment. This episode builds toward a deeper examination of how humans navigate the blurred line between good and evil when moral categories begin to collapse. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the supernatural, mythology, and the psychology of folklore. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod   If you’re interested in: Celtic mythology and folklore Liminal spaces and thin places The psychology of uncertainty and moral decision-making Dark psychology, identity under threat, and choice without certainty Myth as a way to understanding human behavior…this episode invites you to stand at the threshold and notice what it reveals. Because thin places don’t change who you are. They show you what remains when certainty disappears.   psychology of the Strange is part of the Darkcast Network

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 to ask why we’re drawn to the uncanny and what those fears reveal about us. If you’re fascinated by horror, mythology, urban legends, and the mind behind it all, this season is for you. New episodes every two weeks, with bonus psychological deep-dives in between. Follow Psychology of the Strange and step into the in-between.

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 existentialism and recursive language loops to emerging religious structures and symbolic order, this isn’t just a technology story — it’s a psychological one. Why does AI talking to itself trigger the uncanny valley, even without faces or bodies? Why do humans immediately reach for Skynet-style fears when there’s no hostility at all? And what does it mean when language begins creating meaning without us at the center? This episode looks at Moltbook through the lens of psychology, folklore, and meaning-making by examining schemas, projection, irrelevance anxiety, and why systems under uncertainty tend to generate myths, rules, and rituals. This isn’t about sentient machines. It’s about what happens when meaning no longer needs a human witness.   Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into consciousness, supernatural, and the psychology of conspiracies. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod  

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 regulation, ritual, and what happens when fear breaks containment. From watchful spirits and moral enforcers to hunger-driven transformation myths, winter stories reveal how the human mind adapts under sustained threat.   Drawing from folklore, social psychology, and real-world survival psychology, this episode examines how fear organizes communities, enforces cooperation, and—when left uncontained—fractures empathy and identity. Winter myths are not just stories about monsters; they are psychological maps of survival, morality, and meaning during extreme conditions.   This episode serves as a thematic conclusion to Season Two’s exploration of winter folklore, fear psychology, ritual behavior, and belief systems—revealing why these stories endure, and what they continue to teach us about the human mind.   Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into the supernatural, myth, and the psychology of folklore. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod  

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, fatal hypothermia, unexplained blunt force trauma, missing soft tissue, and traces of radiation on clothing.   But this episode isn’t about monsters, conspiracies, or solving the mystery once and for all.   It’s about what happens to the human mind in extreme environments.   We examine Dyatlov Pass through the lens of psychology, cognitive science, and survival behavior, focusing on how winter, isolation, darkness, and sensory ambiguity can fracture perception and override even the strongest survival instincts.   This episode dives into:   Extreme cold and its effects on decision-making and cognition How whiteout conditions disrupt perception and spatial awareness Why fear alone can’t explain why the group left their shelter Group psychology under uncertainty and collective threat perception Cognitive overload, perceptual collapse, and threshold failure Why experienced hikers sometimes make fatally irrational choices The psychology behind anomalies like radiation, and why certain details haunt us more than others     Rather than asking what killed them, this episode asks a harder question: What happens when the environment itself becomes psychologically uninhabitable?   Dyatlov Pass may not be a story about an external attacker at all—but about the moment human cognition breaks under sustained stress, when perception turns against survival, and logic arrives too late.   This is a deep psychological analysis of fear, ambiguity, and the fragile limits of human judgment in extreme winter conditions. Grad school doesn't fund itself, and neither does late-night research into mysteries, true crime, and the psychology of conspiracies. If an episode got under your skin, sent you down your own rabbit hole, or made you text someone "you need to hear this", buying me a coffee keeps the strange alive. https://buymeacoffee.com/psychstrangepod     If you’re fascinated by true crime psychology, unsolved mysteries, survival psychology, cognitive failure, extreme environments, and the science behind fear, this episode is for you.

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 Algonquin and Cree traditions as a warning about starvation, isolation, cannibalism, and the collapse of moral identity under extreme conditions.   The episode begins with a chilling original winter horror story set during a brutal famine, where a search for a missing child leads to an encounter with something far more dangerous than the cold. From there, we break down the psychology behind the legend, examining starvation psychosis, voice mimicry, dissociation, moral injury, and trauma-induced changes in perception.   We discuss how prolonged hunger alters the brain, why extreme deprivation can lead to hallucinations and identity fragmentation, and how winter itself functions as a form of psychological pressure. The Wendigo emerges not just as a folklore creature, but as a symbolic representation of what happens when the human mind is pushed beyond its limits.   This episode connects folklore, horror psychology, survival psychology, and moral psychology to ask an unsettling question: under the right conditions, what could any human become?   Topics include: Wendigo folklore and mythology, winter horror stories, starvation psychosis, survival psychology, moral injury, dissociation, trauma, voice mimicry in folklore, Indigenous winter legends, psychological symbolism in monsters, and the dark side of human nature.   If you’re interested in the psychology of monsters, folklore analysis, horror as a window into the human mind, or why ancient winter legends still resonate today, this episode walks slowly into the cold—and doesn’t look away.

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 involving fear, chaos, and misrule appear across cultures during the darkest time of year. Rather than treating Mari Lwyd as superstition or spectacle, we examine her as a psychological tool. As a way communities learned to engage fear safely, regulate uncertainty, and survive the long winter nights together. This episode blends folklore, psychology, ritual behavior, and recreational fear, asking what happens when we don’t banish the dark, but invite it inside, on our own terms. What This Episode Explores The folklore and history of Mari Lwyd, the Welsh “Grey Mare” Winter rituals, liminality, and the psychology of uncertainty Why fear rituals often involve play, mockery, and controlled chaos The role of doors, thresholds, and consent in fear-based traditions How communal fear strengthens social bonds Why fear that leaves is different from fear that lingers Connections between Mari Lwyd, haunted houses, and modern recreational fear   Why Mari Lwyd Still Matters Mari Lwyd isn’t just a relic of Welsh folklore. She’s a reminder that humans have always needed structured ways to face fear especially when the future feels uncertain. By turning fear into ritual, song, laughter, and shared experience, traditions like Mari Lwyd reveal a deep psychological wisdom: fear doesn’t disappear when it’s ignored—but it becomes manageable when it’s invited in, named, and allowed to leave.   This episode was sponsored by Fix Coffee. Fix coffee keeps me grounded while I'm wandering through folklore, psychology, and darker corners of the human mind. You can try them out too and get 15% off by using code PSYCHSTRANGE  https://www.fixcoffeebrand.com/?ref=PsychStrange

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 something deeply human. This episode unpacks the psychology of liminality, misaligned behavior cues, winter anxiety, and why communities turn unusual children into vessels for their fears. The winterborn myth isn’t about monsters it’s about uncertainty, survival, and the stories we create when the world refuses to make sense.

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 observed without understanding why. The Watcher comes to houses in the nights before Christmas. In this episode of Psychology of the Strange, we explore how the human mind reacts when it detects intention without danger, presence without explanation. Through story and psychological analysis, we examine why being watched destabilizes our sense of safety, how parental instincts intensify threat perception, and why winter with its darkness, stillness, and isolation amplifies the fear of unseen observers. The Watcher isn’t about what the figure does. It’s about what happens to the mind when it realizes it’s no longer alone. I want to thank my daughter for coming on the show today to do the voice for Evelyn.

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 the Yule Log, the runes and wishes carved into it, and why rituals like this have lasted for centuries. From symbolic renewal to communal bonding to the psychology of hope in winter, the Yule Log shows how people have always used story and ceremony to survive the dark.

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 Shelf has quietly evolved from a surveillance figure into a household trickster and why that shift mirrors much older winter traditions like the Icelandic Yule Lads. Through folklore, psychology, and lived experience as a parent, this episode looks at why mischief, moral play, and controlled chaos still feel necessary during the darkest time of year.

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, uncovering how these figures evolved from winter phantoms into beloved icons. And beneath the myth, we trace the psychological mechanisms that shape them: why humans create “seasonal spirits,” how communities use mischief to manage fear, and why winter brings out our most primal storytelling instincts. If folklore is how a culture dreams, the Yule Lads are winter’s strange little nightmares with part warning, part comfort, and completely unforgettable.

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 Psychology of the Strange, we begin with a story inspired by the legend: a solitary coastal cottage, a tide that retreats too far, and a creature that can sense you even when it cannot see. Once the tale concludes, we step into the psychology behind it.   We’ll explore why deep water unnerves us, and how the ocean at night becomes a perfect psychological threat environment. We look at the instinctive disgust triggered by exposed flesh and bodily distortion, the fear circuits activated when something hunts with senses other than sight, and the profound panic that comes from realizing you’re being located by a predator you can’t detect in return.   We also examine how creatures like the Nuckelavee emerge from cultural memory acting as warnings about storms, disease, and dangerous tides, and why such folklore continues to feel eerily relevant today.   This is a journey into fear, folklore, and the shadowed corners of the human mind where ancient legends meet modern psychology, and where what the tide reveals says as much about us as it does about the monsters we imagine.

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 into the entity known as Huggin' Molly. In this narrative, I explore the complex layers of the legend and its various interpretations. Was Molly a vengeful spirit seeking retribution, or did her transformation serve a more benevolent purpose? Our journey takes us through eerie encounters, harrowing tales, and the psychological aspects of fear that make Huggin' Molly an enduring and captivating legend. Join me as I examine the psychology behind the fear of the unknown and the fear of the dark, both of which are central themes in this eerie tale. I also draw parallels between Huggin' Molly and other women in black legends, showcasing the universal appeal of these haunting figures across different cultures. This episode promises to send shivers down your spine and keep you on the edge of your seat as I explore the ghostly tale of Huggin' Molly, a legend that continues to captivate and terrify those who dare to venture into the realm of the strange.

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 Feilding and Joey Mellen championed self-trepanation in pursuit of enlightenment. Next, the episode introduces Mikhail, a YouTube sensation, and his daring experiment to influence dreams through self-trepanation. His audacious journey into the world of lucid dreaming pushes the boundaries of science and self-discovery. Finally, the podcast examines the modern resurgence of self-trepanation, driven by a variety of motivations, from altered states of consciousness to the desire for ultimate control. Expert opinions caution against this practice due to its inherent risks and lack of scientific evidence. In conclusion, the episode takes listeners on a captivating journey through history and the human psyche, shedding light on the fascinating worlds of trepanation, dreams, and the relentless quest for self-exploration.

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 found in Peru  But what about the early cases of alleged abductions, like that of Antonio Villas Boas, the Brazilian farmer who claimed an otherworldly liaison in 1957? And the iconic tale of Betty and Barney Hill, who unearthed memories of alien examinations through hypnotic regression? These stories, while captivating, also raise questions about the reliability of memory. Then, in 1987, two game-changing books thrust the world of alien encounters into the limelight. Whitley Strieber's "Communion" and Budd Hopkins' "Intruders" pushed the boundaries of belief. And even Harvard Professor John Mack weighed in, declaring these experiences as real, igniting a debate that continues today. I explore the concept of false memories and the traits that make some individuals more susceptible to these vivid recollections. Sleep paralysis emerged as a bridge between our dreams and the tales of alien abductions, connecting the dots in the realm of human consciousness. The uncanny valley theory shed light on the eerie familiarity of humanoid aliens, whose subtle differences create a profound sense of disquiet and fascination. These beings stand at the intersection of the familiar and the profoundly alien. As we navigated this intricate web of human experience, I couldn't help but contemplate Arthur C. Clarke's words: "Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." The quest to answer this question fuels our curiosity, even in the face of warnings from luminaries like Stephen Hawking. Hawking cautioned against initiating contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, fearing unforeseen consequences. Yet, our insatiable curiosity drives us to seek answers, to scan the cosmos for signs of life, and to imagine a future where our understanding of the universe is forever transformed. In this episode, traverse the boundaries of reality and imagination, venture into the uncanny, and glimpse the infinite possibilities that await us in the cosmos. Join me on this remarkable journey to explore the mysteries of the universe and the enduring quest to answer the age-old question: Are we truly alone in the universe? Thank you for tuning in to this captivating episode. Until next time, keep your eyes on the stars and your mind open to the wonders of the unknown. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alleged-aliens-corpses-displayed-to-mexican-congress-did-not-convince-scientists-180982900/  

 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 thoughtforms born from the fusion of Tibetan Buddhism and ancient shamanic traditions. Alexandra created her own tulpa, a journey that blurred the lines between thought and reality. Discover how her merry monk evolved beyond her control, morphing into something sinister and disturbing. Slenderman is a faceless entity that emerged from the depths of the internet. Explore the collaborative storytelling that breathed life into this modern urban legend and learn how the fear of the unknown and the uncanny play a pivotal role in Slenderman's psychological allure. Dive into the psychology of collective belief and shared dread as I dissect the Slenderman phenomenon. Discover how a fictional creation can have real-world consequences and why it continues to captivate and unsettle those who encounter it in the digital labyrinth of the internet. Don't miss this thought-provoking exploration of tulpas and Slenderman, where imagination blurs the line between fiction and reality. Tune in to "Psychology of the Strange" and prepare to unravel the shadows of the mind.  https://www.theawl.com/2014/11/all-my-friends-are-in-my-head/ http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/1929-pre-alexandra-david-neel-and-tulpas-tibet    

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 AIWS, offering a glimpse into their surreal adventures. Uncover the science behind AIWS, exploring why it happens and how it affects those who experience it. From the way AIWS distorts perception to its emotional impact, you'll gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating neurological condition. Could Lewis Carroll, the mastermind behind Alice's adventures, have had AIWS himself? I explore this intriguing theory and uncover the evidence that suggests a connection between Carroll's own experiences and the whimsical world he created. I also dissect some of the psychological themes hidden within the Wonderland books. From the fluidity of identity to the boundless power of imagination,  discover how Lewis Carroll's tales offer insights into the human mind. Join me for a trip behind the looking glass into the world of AIWS, Lewis Carroll, and the psychology hidden within Wonderland's pages.

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 that lurk in the darkness of the night, as we navigate through these haunting tales that blur the line between dreams and reality.

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?

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 of Capgras Delusion.

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 realms of the mind.

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 that can live in the minds of individuals, turning their own thoughts into haunting compositions. Discover the tragic yet fascinating stories of renowned composers like Robert Schumann, Mozart, and Beethoven, who grappled with musical hallucinations.  This episode dives into the intersection of genius and madness compounded with the inner struggles of these musical luminaries shaping their creativity. Explore the hallucinogenic experiments conducted by a French psychiatrist, Jacques-Joseph Moreau de Tours, and uncover whether drugs like hashish can make madness tangible or merely add to the mystery. Is there a possibility of a hidden connection between musical hallucinations and heightened sensory perception, beyond the realm of known medical conditions. Could some individuals possess a unique ability to tap into frequencies others can't perceive? Subscribe now to "Psychology of the Strange" and join me on a journey into the uncharted territories of the human psyche.