Arcane Answers

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This episode of *Arcane Answers*, titled "The Corpse Trade," explores the dark history and modern reality of human remains brokering, starting with the catastrophic cadaver deficit of the **19th century** that led to black market grave robbing and the calculated **homicides of William Burke and William Hare** in Edinburgh, Scotland. Their infamous "**burking**" method, which left bodies desirable for dissection by figures like Doctor Robert Knox, ultimately spurred the **British Anatomy Act of 1832**. The discussion then shifts to America, where serial killer **H.H. Holmes** profited from selling victims' articulated skeletons to medical institutions, embodying a horrifying shift to commercializing finished anatomical specimens. Finally, the hosts examine the current era of **body brokering**, which is meant to be based on consent under acts like the **Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1968**, but is plagued by massive loopholes, a lack of oversight, and modern horror stories involving companies like International Biological Incorporation and Biological Resource Center. The episode closes by discussing historical "**corpse medicine**," including the practice of medical cannibalism and the use of mummy remnants for various ailments.

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Gruesome Brew Coffee, run by Lord Gruesome (James Gillis) and Lady Gruesome (Jenny Gillis), who are small-batch, veteran-owned gourmet coffee roasters based in New Hampshire near Lake Winnipesaukee,

The couple started the business after leaving their post office jobs and spending a long time perfecting their flavors, often using customers as "guinea pigs". Their coffee is known for its themed lines, including **Cryptid**, **Alien**, **Myths and Monsters**, and **True Crime**, with flavors like the unflavored Mothman Mocha and Bigfoot Maple. They emphasize selling the freshest coffee possible, roasting daily and only grinding to order, which they did on-site at their first convention, the Maine Paranormal and Horror Convention. The couple travels to locations associated with their themes, such as planning a trip to Germany and Austria for the Krampus Run to get insight for their Krampus coffee, and they are also looking to expand their offerings into teas and themed candies like hot chocolate and chocolate-covered espresso beans.

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In an episode of the podcast "Arcane Answers," the hosts Lare, Amanda, and Sarah, discuss the enduring human fascination with sea monsters. They explore various mythological sea creatures from different cultures and time periods, starting with ancient sea serpents like the **Leviathan**, which was a powerful symbol for God's power or a cosmic chaos.

The conversation then shifts to **Greek mythology**, covering creatures like the six-headed **Scylla** and the whirlpool **Charybdis**, which were seen as personifications of navigational hazards. The hosts also delve into the evolution of the **siren**, noting that while initially depicted as a half-woman, half-bird creature, they later transformed into the more familiar **mermaid** figure during the Middle Ages. They theorize that the alluring but deadly nature of sirens, along with other female-coded sea creatures, might stem from the superstition that women on ships were bad luck.

The podcast also covers real-world sightings and folklore, such as the 1848 sighting of a sea serpent by the HMS Daedalus, later believed to be a fish or whale, and the **Kraken**, which may have been a giant squid. They discuss the **Ogo Pogo**, a lake monster in British Columbia, which has a popular folk song and was once the subject of a one-million-dollar bounty funded by Lloyd's of London. The hosts highlight that while initially a fearsome monster to be feared by First Nations people, it is now a protected prehistoric creature under the B.C. Wildlife Act.

The hosts also touch on other mythological beings, including merfolk from various cultures. They mention the Slavic **Rusalka**, the spirit of a young woman who drowned and who will lure men to their deaths. They discuss the **Selkies** of Celtic and Norse mythology—shapeshifters who can transform from a seal to a human by shedding their skin. The podcast also brings up a sighting of three mermaids by **Christopher Columbus** in 1493, who wrote in his journal that they were "not half as beautiful as they are painted".

Finally, the hosts explore monsters from the Southern Hemisphere, including:

* The **Taniwha** from Maori tradition in New Zealand, a shapeshifting water creature that can be either a protector or a menace.

* The **Omar Mlambo** from South African Zulu mythology, described as a horse-headed, snake-necked, fish-bodied river monster.

* The ghost ship **El Caleuche** from Chile, which lures victims with beautiful music and is crewed by either witches and demons or drowned sailors.

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On this episode of Arcane Answers, the hosts delve into the fascinating and frightening world of demons, demonic possession, and familiars. The episode traces the evolution of these beliefs from the 16th and 17th centuries to the present day.

In the early modern period, demonology was considered a serious academic field, combining theology and medicine. Symptoms of possession, such as convulsions, uttering blasphemies, and speaking in unknown languages, were believed to be a true invasion of a person's will. The hosts note that the symptoms exhibited by a "demoniac" were shaped by their religion; for instance, a Catholic would react to the Eucharist, while a Protestant would react to the Bible. This era's cases of possession were often linked to accusations of witchcraft and the subsequent witch trials.

The podcast then explores the modern view, where many of the same symptoms are now explained by psychology and medicine, with conditions like dissociative identity disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, and epilepsy replacing demonic possession as the diagnosis. However, the hosts point out that the belief in demonic possession has not completely disappeared. They discuss contemporary figures like Bob Larson, an American exorcist who claims to have performed thousands of exorcisms and believes that addiction is proof of possession.

The episode also covers a variety of European and Eastern demons. These include:

Krampus: A half-goat, half-demon figure from Germanic folklore, Krampus is said to swat, threaten, or kidnap misbehaving children during the Christmas season.

ALP: A shapeshifting demon of nightmares from the Germanic region. It is said to sit on a sleeping person's chest, causing suffocation, paralysis, and horrible nightmares.

Ala: A class of destructive demons from Slavic countries, often depicted as a dragon, snake, or a "dark void in the wind". They are believed to cause hailstorms that destroy crops and to try to eat the sun or moon during eclipses due to their insatiable hunger.

Rakshasas: A powerful race of demons from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. They are described as monstrous beings with fangs and claws who can shapeshift and are known for their magical abilities.

Nine-Tailed Fox: A fox demon prevalent in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese traditions. This demon is known for taking the form of imperial concubines and causing the downfall of empires. The hosts mention a specific tale where a nine-tailed fox's spirit was sealed in a stone that reportedly cracked in 2022.

Join the hosts as they explore these figures and more, from ancient lore to modern-day beliefs.

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This episode of Arcane Answers, hosted by Larry and Sarah, explores "The Third Man Factor," or sensed presence experiences, where individuals in life-threatening situations report a benevolent, unseen presence providing guidance or comfort. This phenomenon is consistently reported as helpful, distinguishing it from random hallucinations. While often perceived as an unknown male presence, some accounts describe a known loved one or a female figure. The concept gained prominence with Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1916 Antarctic expedition, inspiring T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland," and was further popularized by John Geiger's 2009 book, *The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible*. The hosts also discuss scientific theories, including the idea that these experiences are hallucinations or coping mechanisms generated by the brain in response to extreme stress, isolation, fatigue, or sensory deprivation, and the "body mapping hypothesis," which suggests disruptions to the brain's internal body map project parts of it externally. The episode concludes with listener stories, including accounts from a solo sailor, a child abduction attempt, and a car accident survivor, highlighting the consistent, benevolent nature of the sensed presence.

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This episode of Arcane Answers discusses various cursed objects and their origins, including the Annabelle doll, the petrified witch of Wookey Hole, the Dybbuk box, Robert the Doll, and "The Crying Boy" painting. The hosts explore how objects become cursed, ranging from malevolent spirits and magic to misfortune, and touch upon different belief systems regarding such items. They also share methods for dispelling curses, such as using salt, hyssop, smoke cleansing, and specific rituals for objects like Ouija boards, emphasizing that burning cursed objects is generally not advised as it can release negative energy.

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Welcome to Arcane Answers, where we delve into the enigmatic corners of the human experience. In this episode, we unlock the secrets of our slumber, exploring the profound world of dreams and the unsettling realm of sleep paralysis.

We begin by uncovering the nature of dreams during REM sleep, discussing theories on their role in processing emotions and even fostering empathy through shared experiences.

Then, we brave the chilling phenomenon of sleep paralysis—that terrifying moment you're awake but utterly frozen. Discover the three main types of spectral visitors that often accompany this state:

The Incubus, a crushing pressure on the chest.

The Intruder, shadowy figures like the infamous "Hat Man."

And Vestibular Motor hallucinations, sensations of falling or flying.

We'll explore why researchers believe these "demons" are your brain's attempt to make sense of the inexplicable, and what factors might increase your chances of encountering them.

Could dreams and hallucinations be shared? We dive into the intriguing concept of dream telepathy and shared hallucinations, examining how common figures like the Hat Man appear across independent accounts globally, challenging notions of mere coincidence.

Next, we journey into dream interpretation, unraveling the hidden meanings behind common anxious dreams like being chased, losing teeth, or facing a car crash. Learn what your subconscious might be trying to tell you about protection, emotional exhaustion, or profound personal change.

Our exploration continues with waking dream states, specifically the powerful psychedelic DMT, found naturally in the body and plants like ayahuasca. We discuss its potential as a depression treatment and whether these substances could offer a form of "brain cleaning" akin to sleep.

Finally, we guide you through the fascinating practice of lucid dreaming—the art of controlling your dreams. We reveal practical tips like reality testing, dream journaling, and the "Wake Back to Bed" technique. But beware, the path to dream mastery comes with its own warnings about sleep disruption and increased susceptibility to sleep paralysis.

Tune into Arcane Answers to illuminate the mysterious landscape of the sleeping mind!

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The "Arcane Answers" podcast hosts discussed two voicemails from listeners, both coincidentally themed around dreams. The first caller suggested topics like dreams or guardian angels, specifically mentioning a phenomenon like "second man syndrome". The hosts acknowledged the guardian angel idea but were particularly interested in the "second man syndrome" as one of them had a first-hand experience with it.

The second voicemail was from a caller named Chelsea, who described a "synchronicity" related to a dream she had about a high school friend. In the dream, they reconnected through TikTok, and her friend had gotten married and had a child. Chelsea vividly remembered the friend's TikTok username, which she found strange since it's usually hard to read in dreams. Upon waking, she searched for the username and found an inactive account, dismissing it as a coincidence, especially since her friend never wanted kids. However, a few months later, she reconnected with the friend who got a job at the same place, and the friend revealed she was expecting her first child, making the dream a surprising coincidence.

The hosts decided that dreams would be the topic of their next episode due to the themed voicemails. They also encouraged listeners to call in with their own dream voicemails for the "Dream Episode helpline". Chelsea's story reminded them of a "glitch in the matrix," a term from the 1999 film "The Matrix" depicting errors in a simulated reality, which has become a widely recognized term for inexplicable everyday occurrences. The hosts noted that Reddit has vibrant communities dedicated to sharing such "glitch in the matrix" stories.

One host shared a "glitch in the matrix" story from Reddit where a parent predicted a pedestrian's actions at a crosswalk, and the pedestrian reacted as if they heard the prediction, despite the car windows being up. Another short story involved a 1902 dime falling from the sky and hitting someone's head, to which a common reply was "Do you feed crows?".

The discussion then moved to theories behind "glitches in the matrix," with the most common being the "simulation theory," suggesting humans are avatars in a higher-level reality. This theory could explain phenomena like seeing identical people or objects appearing/disappearing. A Reddit user shared a story of finding a pack of German macaroni, never purchased or seen before, in their Canadian home, despite ordering groceries online and living alone. The user, low on groceries, cooked and ate the mysterious pasta.

The hosts also discussed the Mandela Effect, described as a widespread misremembering of something, giving examples like the Berenstain Bears being remembered as "Berenstein Bears" and C-3PO's silver leg. They questioned if this is false memory or a collective gaslighting. Another theory shared from a physics teacher was that every time a person dies in one parallel universe, they enter a new one where they are alive, which could explain glitches and the Mandela Effect. The hosts also mused about shared reality, noting that individuals, like those who are colorblind, experience the world differently. They also touched on the idea of a collective consciousness and parallel thinking, citing inventions appearing in multiple locations independently.

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"Arcane Answers" hosts Lare, Amanda, and Sara delve into the darker side of fairy folklore, moving beyond modern benevolent portrayals. The episode opens with a listener's unique "soul slipping" experience, sparking a brief paranormal investigation.

The hosts explore historical beliefs, noting how fairies once explained unexplainable misfortunes, and discuss the famous 1917 Cottingley Fairies hoax that even fooled Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Sara details the Scottish fairy courts: the benevolent Seelie Court (brownies, pixies, hobgoblins) who aid humans, and the malicious Unseelie Court (kelpies, banshees, Bogarts) known for harming humans and stealing children due to their inability to reproduce.

Protection against fairies includes plant-based remedies, food offerings, and especially iron and steel, considered their "Kryptonite."

Amanda then covers the traumatic history of changelings, where fairies swapped human children for various reasons, including prestige or servitude. Parents, identifying changelings by sickness or behavioral changes, often resorted to abusive "tests" to force the return of their "real" child, a practice linked to Christian demonic lore.

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This episode of Arcane Answers, with Lara, Amanda, and Sarah, explores the profound mysteries of the soul, focusing on reincarnation and "walk-ins."

The hosts delve into the concept of "walk-ins," where a new soul is believed to enter a physical body after the original soul departs, often following traumatic experiences or NDEs. This phenomenon is often linked to a "higher mission" for the new soul. The discussion traces this idea to the New Age movement, referencing authors like Ruth Montgomery and Dolores Cannon.

The episode then introduces James "Jim" Matlock's "processional soul theory," which suggests disincarnated consciousness can interact with the living through psychic abilities, leading to shared memories or even influencing pregnant individuals' cravings. A captivating historical case from 1877 involving Mary Roff and Mary Lawrence is presented as an example of "temporary possession."

Finally, the discussion touches on the scientific study of reincarnation at the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies, founded by Ian Stevenson. This research focuses on children who recall past lives, often with corroborating details and even birthmarks matching violent deaths, highlighting the ongoing scientific inquiry into these spiritual phenomena.