Body Worlds promised education through wonder, but the story behind it reveals a tangle of science, profit, and unanswered questions about consent. This episode looks at Dr. Gunther von Hagens, the man who turned anatomy into art, and the moral fault lines that form when human bodies become a business.

A “formal donor program” was created in Germany by Institute of Plastination (IfP) where people voluntarily consent to have their bodies plastinated after death. The paperwork exists include a signed donor will, a medical questionnaire, and internal registration files… but none of it is publicly verifiable. The Institute claims more than 20,000 donors, yet no independent audit has ever confirmed that the bodies in exhibitions match those donors. The program provides an ethical framework on paper, but its transparency ends at the Institute’s door.

Before Ouija boards and séance tables, there were three young sisters in Hydesville, New York-- Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox. In 1848, the mysterious “rappings” in their farmhouse would ignite something far bigger than superstition. The Fox sisters became the spark that set the Spiritualism movement ablaze, blurring the line between belief, deception, and a desperate longing to hear from the beyond.

In this episode, we unravel how their fame spread like wildfire across America, how skeptics and believers clashed, and how their story still rings true in the intersection of faith, fraud, and the human need to believe.

Sources:

• Fox Sisters.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_sisters
• “Spiritualism (Movement).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism_(movement)
• Fox Sisters, Kate [Catharine] (1836–1892) and Margaretta (1833–1893).” Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fox-sisters-kate-catharine-1836-1892-and-margaretta-1833-1893

Substance abuse resources:

https://www.samhsa.gov/

CW: Coercive spiritual practices and abuse of religious authority, misuse of cultural healing traditions, non-graphic violence, psychological manipulation, death, and burial practices.

In this episode, we examine the life and actions of Ahmad Suradji, a North Sumatran dukun whose misuse of a traditionally respected role resulted in profound harm. We explore what a dukun is, the cultural and spiritual context that shaped community trust, and the ways gender, belief, and authority intersected to create space for exploitation. Instead of relying on sensational narratives, we look closely at how sacred practices can be distorted and what unfolds when ritual power is weaponized over time.

Sources:

• Inside Indonesia. (2007, July 27). Time-honoured remedies for uncertain times. https://www.insideindonesia.org/time-honoured-remedies-for-uncertain-times
• Murderpedia. (n.d.). Ahmad Suradji. https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/suradji-ahmad.htm
• Pepa, C. O. (2023). Implementation of criminal law provisions against serious killers in Indonesia. Universitas Hasanuddin. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/82b6/3913b4fa2755e4adba3827baf2951361a6c7.pdf
• The Daily Telegraph. (2008, July 11). Black magic killer executed for 42 murders. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/2286216/Black-Magic-Killer-executed-for-42-murders.html
• The Diplomat. (2023, April 14). https://thediplomat.com/2023/04/indonesia-has-another-shaman-serial-killer-and-the-phenomenon-is-more-common-than-you-think/
• Wikipedia. (n.d.). Ahmad Suradji. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Suradji
• Wikipedia. (n.d.). Dukun. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukun
• IndoMetaphysics. (2022). The history and role of dukun in Javanese culture. https://indometaphysics.com/the-history-and-role-of-dukun-in-javanese-culture/

CW: Execution, racism, enslavement, religious extremism, psychological distress. 

On this episode, we travel back to 1692 to a Puritan village gripped by panic, paranoia, and prayer. The Salem Witch Trials have become one of the most infamous moral panics in history, but beneath the surface of hysteria lies a complex story about faith, power, and fear.

We dig into how belief, both sacred and superstitious, collided with social tension, personal vendettas, and the fragile psychology of a community at war with itself. From the first accusations to the final executions, we explore what these trials reveal about human nature, collective guilt, and the dangerous comfort of certainty.

Sources 

• Deposition of Mercy Lewis v. Giles Corey, Salem Witch Trials, 1692. University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law link

• “Martha Corey,” Wikipedia. link

• “Ipswich and the Salem Witchcraft Trials,” Historic Ipswich. Link

• Norton, Mary Beth. In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692. Vintage Books, 2003.

• Mather, Increase. Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits (1692).

• Miller, Perry. The New England Mind: From Colony to Province. Harvard University Press, 1953.

• Boyer, Paul & Nissenbaum, Stephen. Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft. Harvard University Press, 1974.

• Rosenthal, Bernard, ed. Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt. Cambridge University Press, 2009.

• Smithsonian Magazine. “New Research Confirms Site of Salem Witch Hangings.” July 2016.

• Smithsonian Magazine. “Did Fungus Convict the Witches of Salem?” February 2009.

• National Geographic History. “Salem Witch Trials: A Legal Horror Show.” 2021.

• Bible, King James Version. Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10–12.

• Salem Witch Museum. “Myths About the Trials.”

• Colonial Society: “The Influence of Europe on Colonial Massachusetts Medicine”

• National Humanities Center: Health in Becoming American

• Pirates Surgeon Journal: “Tools and Procedures”

• BAUS 17th Century Medicine

Before there was Halloween, there was Samhain... the Celtic fire festival when the veil between worlds was thinnest. In this special October 31st episode, Jeri + Heather trace how a night of honoring ancestors and warding off spirits evolved. From ancient bonfires and soul cakes to Christian rebranding and modern mischief, we explore what still lingers beneath the masks: belief, memory, and the thin veil between the living and the dead.

Sources:

“Samhain.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samhain

“The Truth About Halloween Candy Myths.” Snopes. https://www.snopes.com

CW: This episode contains discussion of death, sorcery, and zombification within the context of Haitian Vodou and folklore. Listener discretion is advised.

This week, Heather leads Jeri on an exploration of Makaya, one of the most secretive and feared branches of Haitian Vodou. From its Kongo roots and powerful bokors to its infamous link with zombification, Makaya has fueled both mystery and fear. We’ll look at the spirits, stories, and the case of Clairvius Narcisse to uncover where folklore ends and reality begins.

Sources:

• Wade Davis . The Serpent and the Rainbow (1985) & Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie (1988). Classic works linking zombification to pharmacology and Haitian sorcery traditions.

• “Vodun.” MIT Pagan Resources . Overview of Vodou rites and divisions, including Makaya. MIT.edu

• “Sosyete Makaya.” Scanned document outlining Makaya traditions, secrecy, and practices. Scribd

• “Haitian Vodou Revealed.” Article on the structure of Vodou rites and societies, including Makaya’s reputation for sorcery. VisitHaiti.com

• Rock of Eye Tumblr. Q&A on Simbi Makaya and his role as a powerful sorcerer spirit in Haitian Vodou. Tumblr

• “alt.religion.orisha Google Group Discussion”. Conversations on Vodou lineages and the place of Makaya rites. Google Groups

CW: Spiritual and psychological manipulation, sexual relationships involving power imbalance and underage individuals, cult dynamics, and coercive control.

In the early 1970s, The Source Restaurant began as a popular health food restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, founded by Jim Baker, later known as Father Yod, whose vision helped introduce organic and vegetarian eating to the mainstream. Regulars included John Lennon, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, and Joni Mitchell, who were drawn to its raw food menu and holistic philosophy. From that success emerged The Source Family, a communal group that combined elements of Christianity, Eastern spirituality, and Western esotericism in pursuit of higher consciousness and intentional living. Over time, as Father Yod’s interest in Egyptian mysticism and personal divinity grew, the group’s structure and practices became more hierarchical and centered around his leadership. The story of The Source Family reflects both the optimism of the 1970s counterculture and the complex ways spiritual idealism can evolve within communal movements.

Sources: 

• The Source Family (2012). Directed by Jodi Wille & Maria Demopoulos. Available on Prime Video.

• Aquarian, Isis & Electricity Aquarian (with Erik Davis, Introduction). The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and The Source Family. Process / Feral House, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9760822-9-3.

• How L.A. cult the Source Family became hot content in 2023, Los Angeles Times (Erin Osmon), April 12, 2023 Los Angeles Times
  
• The Source Family Rises Again, Vice (Liz Armstrong), March 16, 2012 VICE

• Inside 1970s Hollywood cult The Source Family: ‘We were daring. We were beautiful’, The Independent, June 6, 2022

CW: Contains discussion of colonial racism, religious trauma, and descriptions of alleged possession phenomena

In 1906, a 16-year-old orphan in South Africa shocked missionaries with violent fits, inhuman cries, and even a confession of a pact with the devil. Known as the possession of Clara Germana Cele, her story includes levitation, exorcism, and colonial propaganda about “dark Africa.” Was she truly possessed, or was her trauma misread through a supernatural lens?

Resource List:

• Haunted Minds: The Psychology of Possession– Journal of Religion & Health
• Michael Cuneo– American Exorcism (2001).
• Brian Levack– The Devil Within: Possession & Exorcism in the Christian West (2013). Parallels to Salem and colonial Africa.
• Historical records from Marianhill Mission, Natal (South Africa, 1906).
• Case overview: Clara Germana Cele entries on Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology and The Possession Files.
• Wikipedia.
• Medium: The Haunting Case of Clara Germana Cele: A Tale of Demonic Possession.

CW: Suicidality, domestic violence, and non-graphic animal abuse specific to snakes. 

Jeri explores the dangerous world of Appalachian snake-handling churches and the case of Darlene Summerford, a pastor’s wife who survived a near-fatal rattlesnake bite under suspicious circumstances. Through the lens of faith, fear, and control, we examine the origins of snake-handling traditions, the laws that sought to outlaw the practice, and the blurred line between religious devotion and criminal intent. Also, what the hell does strychnine have to do with God? 

Sources: 

CW: This episode contains retelling of violence and murder, as well as talks about schizophrenia. Listener discretion is advised. 

Santa Cruz in the early 1970s was dubbed “Murderville, USA” home to two active serial killers at the same time. One of them, Ed Kemper, became a media obsession. The other, Herbert Mullen, was nearly erased from public memory. Convinced he was preventing deadly earthquakes through human sacrifice, Mullen’s story was shaped by paranoia, untreated schizophrenia, and convictions of divine command. In this episode, we explore the silence that followed his crimes and what it reveals about how the media chooses its “monsters,” mental illness, and whose stories get told.

Sources:

• • A&E Real Crime. Herbert Mullin: The Serial Killer Who Believed He Was Saving California From Earthquakes. Read here
  • Wikipedia. Herbert Mullin. Read here