Every exorcism and possession case is unique in its own right, but one thing that can always be agreed on is that the possessed individual always suffers. These people are never willing participants in the attacking of their souls. But what if they were? What if someone welcomed the possession? That is what our special Halloween original story is about.
Scary Stories for the Soul Presents: The Four Door Experiment
Sitting in the Bel-Nor neighborhood of St.Louis, Missouri is a house with a dark history. Its brick exterior and white shutters makes it just as average and innocuous as the homes that surround it, but this was once the home of Roland Doe - the boy who would go on to inspire William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel “The Exorcist,”and subsequently William Friedkin’s film of the same name.
At this point, we have all witnessed exorcisms taking place. Fictional ones, of course, but nonetheless, horror fans, and those poor souls that we have dragged to the movies with us, have all witnessed a young priest and an old priest, reciting the Rites of Exorcism over a writhing, spitting, tormented man, woman, or child. We’re scared but we know it's not real. We know they are playing characters in a movie. But how would you react if you were watching a real person go through it all? Well in April of 1991, ABC viewers were faced with that very question when “20/20” aired the live exorcism of a teenager known only as “Gina.”
The thought of a minister or a reverend or a nun becoming possessed feels wrong on so many levels, but demons get brownie points for possessing and inhabiting the bodies and souls of those who have given themselves fully to God. However, the overtly religious are taught that evil can wear many faces. If you’re expecting evil to be lurking in every dark corner, anything can seem like a sign from the Devil. And that’s where the lines start to blur - that’s where the waters get murky with paranoia. And that's where Sister Maricica Irina Cornici found herself trapped between paranoia and doctrine.
There is a line in Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible, that reads, “What victory would the Devil have to win a soul already bad? It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister?”
When we think of demonic possession, we think of random, wrong-place-wrong-time, bad luck of the draw happenstance. We don't think of the religiously devout, but maybe Arthur Miller was right - what better trophy for a demon than one of God's favorites.
Which leads us to our first episode to kick off our Halloween season, the case that inspired the 2005 film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the Possession of Annaliese Michel.
Halloween is here! Well, for the chronically obsessed it’s BEEN here, but now it’s officially official. Listen to this exclusive trailer to learn more about our special Halloween episodes. The topic this year: infamous cases of demonic possession!
Listen to The Legend of La Llorona, narrated in Spanish by published poet, Sandra Cortes
To celebrate the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are releasing a remastered version of Episode 3: La Llorona! The legend of La Llorona is one that every Hispanic and Latin child has heard before. Children are warned never to be alone at night because La Llorona will take them away, and the legend changes from person to person and region to region.
Hungry Ghost Day is the one day of the year where all of the ghosts and spirits that have been dwelling in the Lower Realm can leave the Underworld and walk amongst the living. But the ghosts that walk the earth during the Hungry Ghost Festival are not those of our beloved dead ancestors who just popped in to say hello, or to tell us that they miss us. No, these spirits are angry and lonely.
The United States boasts an abnormal amount of haunted lighthouses, none of which hold a candle to Cape Romain Lighthouse on Lighthouse Island, in McClellanville, South Carolina.
Cape Romain Lighthouse has seen murder and insanity, as has the lighthouse keeper of our original ghost story. When Daniel Merriwether is instructed with the care of a haunted lighthouse, he must do anything he can to survive!
Lighthouses are strange things. By definition and functionality, they are symbols of good, symbols of light. And yet there is something about them that also projects loneliness, isolation, and fear. There is a reason why lighthouses were very rarely entrusted in the hands of one person alone, but sometimes, even with someone there with you, things could still go horribly wrong. And that is exactly what happened off the coast of Scotland one strange December day.
Let’s dive into the Flannan Isle Lighthouse Mystery.
Laughter is contagious. In 1962, a small village near the border of Uganda became the prime example for just how wildly contagious laughter could be. There are still a lot of questions surrounding this particular incident that need to be answered but the most important one is really the simplest: What caused the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962?
Dancing is one of those things that we almost have no control over. But what if you really couldn't help it? What if one day you woke up, walked out into the middle of town, started dancing, and just never stopped? It wouldn't be so fun then, would it?
That is exactly what happened to the people of Strasbourg when the Dancing Plague of 1518 hit.
If you study the religions and cultures from around the world that acknowledge possession as a universal experience, you’ll see that there is no specific criteria for who is more likely to become possessed over others. But that doesn’t explain what happened in 1634 to a specific group of people in Loudun, France. It doesn’t explain why of all the people in the world, a group of nuns found themselves at the center of demonic activity.
Special Re-Release Episode 79: Josephine and the Flying Dutchman
Originally heard in Episode 32, Josephine and the Flying Dutchman covers the lore and origins of famed ghost the Flying Dutchman, as well as the story of a young woman determined to concur her fear of the ocean and the ghosts that lurk its waters.
Houska Castle is an impressive gothic structure famous for its beautiful religious frescoes, romantic architecture, and a supposed literal gateway to Hell. How did it get there? What lives within? Let’s find out.
Fear of El Cucuy derives from the fear of the unknown. So let’s shine some light on what we do know about this amorphous, nightmare-inducing creature, and see if it helps dissipate that fear just a little.
New Jersey is known for many things – Atlantic City, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and the Jersey Devil. This demon cryptid is the last thing you want to see during your nighttime stroll through the woods. But what is the Jersey Devil? Where did it come from? And will you be its next victim?
To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are releasing a newly remastered version of our episode on Lilith, the Mother of Demons. Explore the history of Lilith and why she is revered as a powerful, feminist icon.
Warning: This episode mentions domestic violence and assault. Listener discretion is advised.
DISCLAIMER: THIS EPISODE MENTIONS THE SUBJECT OF SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Aokigahara Forest is situated at the base of Mount Fuji, 2 hours west of Tokyo. But despite its beautiful scenery, and serene nature walks, that is unfortunately not what it is most known for.