Astonishing Legends

By Astonishing Legends ProductionsSociety & Culture History

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Astonishing Legends episodes

February 10 S2 Ep5: Kids Can be Creepy, Especially your own
In tonight’s dead letter… we explore the unsettling possibility that our children are not the blank slates conventional psychology suggests. Listener, Tim, recounts the evening his toddler, Mason, claimed he "wasn't always" his kid before describing a past life that ended in a tragic house fire. It is a quiet reflection on the "old soul" phenomenon and whether our children bring a bit of luggage with them when they enter this world.
Reference Links
The University of Virginia: Division of Perceptual Studies
The Work of Dr. Ian Stevenson
Monarch Butterfly Migration and Genetics - National Geographic
Altered States (1980) - IMDB
Defending Your Life (1991) - IMDB
PLAINTEXT
The University of Virginia: Division of Perceptual Studies: https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/
The Work of Dr. Ian Stevenson:
https://a.co/d/0fMu7zrx
Monarch Butterfly Migration and Genetics - National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/monarch-butterfly/
Altered States (1980) - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080360/
Defending Your Life (1991) - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101694/
We're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to [email protected]!
44 min
February 08The Scole Experiment Part 1: The Norfolk Protocol
In a quiet Norfolk village, in the early 1990s, a seventeenth-century farmhouse became the setting for one of the most controversial paranormal investigations ever conducted. In the cellar of Street Farmhouse in Scole, a small group known as the Scole Experimental Group claimed they weren’t just contacting spirits — they were working with them. Over five years, under strict controls, they reported blue lights with apparent intelligence, physical phenomena, voices broadcast through powerless devices, and even photographic images appearing on sealed film, all allegedly guided by a collective of discarnate scientists calling themselves “The Team of Many Minds.” This episode kicks off a three-part deep dive into the Scole Experiment, beginning with the Norfolk Protocol and the impossible technology said to be designed from beyond the grave.

Bibliography

Books & Reports
Foy, Robin P. Witnessing the Impossible: The Diary of the Scole Experiment. Diss: Campion Books, 2008.
Keen, Montague, Arthur Ellison, and David Fontana. "The Scole Report: An Account of an Investigation into the Genuineness of a Range of Physical Phenomena Associated with a Mediumistic Group in Norfolk, England." Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 58, no. 220 (November 1999): 147–455.
Solomon, Grant, and Jane Solomon. The Scole Experiment: Scientific Evidence for Life After Death. Diss: Campion Books, 1999 (Updated 2006).
Multimedia

Drasin, Dan. "SCOLE: THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT." YouTube video of Original Documentary. Uploaded by Dan Drasin.
Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
1 hr 56 min
February 03 S2 Ep4: Something's Watching
In tonight’s dead letter… Scott and Forrest explore the intersection of the safety of the suburbs and the primeval woods of the greater Akron area. Long before "Ohio" became modern slang for the weird, it was already earning that reputation through sightings of glowing red eyes that radiated their own light, but if you listen to Astonishing Legends, you already know that. Michael’s account details a terrifying standoff where when he was only 5 years old, he and his sister found themselves locked in the sanctuary of a childhood bedroom with something peering at them from outside.
Reference Links
Small Town Monsters
Village of Mogador - Official History
Minerva Monster - Encyclopedia Arctica
The Ohio Valley UFO Flap of 1973
Mogador, Ohio - Wikipedia

We're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to [email protected]!
48 min
January 27 S2 Ep3: The Maltese Phantom
In tonight’s dead letter, a simple move to a quiet farmhouse turns into a bit of an accidental science experiment between two roommates who didn't want to sound "crazy" to each other. They both lived with the same unsettling experiences for months in total silence until a conversation on their final day changed everything. It’s a fascinating look at how our surroundings—and even the very ground beneath us—might be playing tricks on our senses, either organically or spiritually.

Reference Links

Recommended Reading & Resources

Ancient Aliens: The Alien Frequency (Season 12, Episode 8)
The Maltese Falcon (1941) - IMDB
Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar
NASA Technical Reports: Human Response to Vibration
Vic Tandy: The Ghost in the Machine
Geographic Landmarks

Ggantija Temples, Gozo
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
Tarxien Temples
Gozo Island
Send your Dead Letter to [email protected]!
43 min
January 20S2 Ep2: Ask and you Might Receive
In tonight’s dead letter, listener Chris and his wife venture to the highest point east of the Rockies for a night of stargazing under the Milky Way. While lying on the summit of Black Elk Peak, Chris decides to put out a silent, mental invitation to the universe to see if anything might respond. The atmosphere shifts dramatically during their descent, leading to an incident in the dark woods that leaves the couple questioning the nature of the "entities" Chris had called upon. Scott and Forrest discuss the spiritual history of this sacred Lakota location and whether Chris unintentionally followed a protocol that opened a door to the unexplained.
Reference Links
Black Elk Speaks: The Complete Edition
BFRO - Bigfoot Legends
UFO Reality by Jenny Randalls
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen
CE5 Protocols
The Oz Factor
Thunderheart (1992 Film)
The Age of Disclosure
38 min
January 18 The Shag Harbor Incident
This week, we revisit one of the most compelling and unsettling UFO cases on record: the Shag Harbor Incident. Often called Canada’s Roswell, but with one crucial difference — the government openly admitted it didn’t know what happened. On October 4, 1967, airline crews, fishermen, and first responders all witnessed a strange craft descend into the waters off Nova Scotia, leaving behind no wreckage, no survivors, but a thick, sulfur-smelling foam that defied explanation. Every aircraft was accounted for, and the Royal Canadian Air Force officially classified the event as a “UFO Report,” not a meteor or misidentified plane. But the mystery deepens when decades of research uncover a buried military history tied to underwater encounters and secret NATO exercises. With fresh context from our recent USO investigation, and groundbreaking research by eyewitness and investigator Chris Styles, this episode explores the possibility that Shag Harbor wasn’t just a crash, but a coordinated recovery involving technology not of this world.
Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
1 hr 59 min
January 13 S2 Ep1: The Boy on 2600
In tonight’s dead letter… listener Kevin, an overnight security officer at the time, faces an unsettling experience in the silent, abandoned wing of a psychiatric hospital. He encounters an entity that isn't misty or formless, but a shimmering, blue-lit figure. The encounter takes a turn when the presence seems to pause, acknowledge him, and continue its inexplicable journey. This is not your typical haunting.
Episode References & Further Reading:
Waverly Hills Sanatorium:
Official Site: Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Wikipedia: Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Wikipedia

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum:
Official Site: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Wikipedia: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum - Wikipedia

Kecksburg UFO Incident:
Wikipedia: Kecksburg UFO incident - Wikipedia
The Backrooms:
Know Your Meme: Know Your Memes: The Back Rooms

Corpse Candles:
Wikipedia: Corpse road - Wikipedia

Will-o'-the-wisps:
Wikipedia: Will-o'-the-wisp - Wikipedia
Fata Morgana (Mirage):
Wikipedia: Fata Morgana - Wikipedia
Wikipedia (General Mirages): Mirage - Wikipedia

"Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" by George Knapp and Colm Kelleher:
Amazon Link: George Knapp & Colm Kelleher: Skinwalkers at the Pentagon (Amazon)
Astonishing Legends Episode
Synesthesia:
Wikipedia: Synesthesia - Wikipedia

Jim Harold's Campfire Podcast:
Official Site: Jim Harold's Campfire

Color Symbolism in Esotericism (regarding light colors):
Wikipedia: Color symbolism - Wikipedia

38 min
January 12 They’re Already Here
Humans have always scanned the skies for the unknown, from Galileo’s first telescopic observations to modern instruments peering 13 billion years into the past, always assuming that if contact ever came, it would come from space. Yet while we obsess over the heavens, we largely ignore the vast, uncharted world covering 71% of our own planet. The deep ocean, less mapped than Mars, and hostile to human exploration, has long inspired reports from sailors of strange lights and massive, fast-moving shapes beneath the waters. Today, advanced sensors, radar, and military testimony describe objects that plunge from the sky into the sea without impact, maneuver underwater at extreme speeds, and defy conventional explanation. Known as Unidentified Submerged Objects (USOs), or “Fast Movers,” these verified encounters challenge our assumptions, raising an unsettling possibility: while we search the cosmos for visitors, something unknown may have been here all along.
Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
2 hr 24 min
January 06 S1 Ep52: The Little Old Man
In tonight’s dead letter, we head to Athens, Ohio, home of the Astonishing Legends Merch headquarters — Athens is a town steeped in history and according to some accounts, one of the most haunted places in America. When an anthropology student moves into an apartment inside a renovated church, mysterious knocks soon give way to the sighting of a bizarre, tiny entity that refuses to leave. This one is outside the paranormal box, and with the benefit of history, it would appear that whatever was there…refuses to leave.
LINKS:
The Athens Lunatic Asylum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Lunatic_Asylum
The Ridges - Ohio University History & Architecture
https://www.ohio.edu/ridges
Articles detailing the tragic story of Margaret Schilling and the stain she left behind, which Scott and Forrest discussed in detail.
https://2020.soulofathens.com/lore-of-appalachia/stain.html
https://factschology.com/mmm-podcast-articles/lost-lady-athens-asylum-ohio
Wilson Hall & Room 428: Information on the infamous "sealed" dorm room that the university supposedly closed off due to paranormal activity.
https://shopathensohio.com/blog/wilson-hall-and-room-428/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ohiouniversity/comments/11ntl8b/haunted_wilson_hall_room_428_ohio_university/
The Athens Pentagram Theory: A look at the theory mentioned by Scott regarding the five cemeteries that supposedly form a pentagram around the city (with Wilson Hall at the center).
https://www.athensnews.com/news/pentagram-theory-conjures-up-haunted-athens/article_f0c189c8-728e-11ee-bf6c-dbb66e699980.html
The Koons Spirit Room: Context on the historical spiritualism connection near Athens (Mt. Nebo) that Scott brought up.
https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/koons
Kirkbride Buildings History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkbride_Plan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Story_Kirkbride
38 min
December 29, 2025 SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf - They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers

“The Saucers don’t interest me anymore. When Barker asked is that because you found out they were too ordinary to be interesting? Or because what you discovered about them is too painful for you to think about?”—They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers by Gray Barker

Listen: https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/

Support RHPB on Patreon here! https://patreon.com/RichardHatem?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Get RHPB merch here! https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/?
59 min

About Astonishing Legends

From the publisher's feed

The world is more mysterious than most people are comfortable imagining. We cross paths with the mystical from time to time and may not even notice it. If we do, we quickly return to our usually…