The course of history never follows a straight line. These are the epic stories that have shaped the world we now live in. From Ballen Studios, join us - for the most heart pounding podcast in history. 

New episodes every Wednesday.

Listen now: ⁠https://ballen.lnk.to/atwistofhistory

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For decades, paranormal researchers have heard tales of a strange anomaly in the hills of central Washington - a hole so deep that it devours everything thrown into it, and which seems to possess supernatural powers. In the late 1990s, a man named Mel Waters came forward, claiming to own the land upon which the bottomless pit resides. But after going public, he found himself at the centre of a conspiracy involving top branches of the US government that ultimately led to his disappearance. Was it all a hoax, or is there more to the curious case of Mel’s Hole?

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In August 1993, a group of kayakers from Ukraine travelled to Irkutsk in Southern Siberia. Whilst enjoying the river and scenery south of Lake Baikal, they came across something haunting: a 17-year-old girl, covered in blood and mumbling incoherently about a tragedy that had befallen her and her friends. Her name was Valentina Utochenko, and the terror she survived still baffles experts, who refer to the event simply as the Khamar-Daban Mountain Deaths.

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Plenty of towns have disappeared over the years. In most cases, the explanations range from economic problems to government initiatives to resources drying up. But what about the towns that truly and quite literally vanished without a trace? It’s not as rare a phenomenon as some people might think. And for thousands of people in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, it’s a perplexing reality. Given the presence of so many vivid memories, how can we possibly explain the vanishing of Doveland?

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Story One – The Manchester Pusher

Over the past decade, close to a hundred people have lost their lives in the canal network of one northern English city. In this chapter, we examine evidence, which suggests that a significant number of these deaths were the work of one person, the Manchester Pusher.

Story Two – The Uniondale Hitchhiker

The N9 is one of South Africa’s longest roads, running from the golden shores of the Southern Coast, right up into the heart of the Northern Cape Province. It is also home to one of the country’s most famous ghostly apparitions. Listen, as we take a ride with the Uniondale Hitchhiker.

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During the closing stages of 2009, a family residing in Oklahoma vanished under suspicious circumstances, leaving little clue as to what had happened to them. When evidence of their tragic fate did eventually surface five years later, it only prompted further questions as to what exactly had transpired, rather than providing any useful answers. Join us as we attempt to unravel what really happened to the Jamison family.

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Story One – Drawn by Conflict

When the movie Predator released in 1987, audiences were captivated as they watched an unseen, extra-terrestrial interloper stalk and kill a highly trained team of US special forces. Little did we know that during the Vietnam war, the militaries on both sides had been attacked by something just as frightening and just as bizarre, a true to life enemy unknown which seemed to be drawn by conflict.

Story Two – The Burning Man of Brazil

The men and women who devote their lives to working in hospitals across the world quickly become accustomed to treating the worst injuries that a human being can sustain. But every so often, a case comes along that is so gruesome, that it succeeds in shocking even the most hardened of medical professionals. In this story, we look at the haunting tale of the Burning Man of Brazil.

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Story One – There is Something in the Forest

Abandoned towns can be found scattered across the globe and are usually the epilogue of natural disaster or ever-changing economic factors. But every so often, an established settlement can turn into a ghost town for much more sinister reasons. The one featured in this story was allegedly abandoned because of something in the forest.

Story Two – There is Something in the Mountains

For more than a century, a steady stream of treasure hunters and thrill-seekers have lost their lives under mysterious circumstances whilst searching for a legendary cache of gold, hidden away somewhere in Central Arizona. The headless bodies of those who have eventually been located have made it clear that there is something in the mountains.

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The ocean has always captured mankind's imagination. But where some saw endless potential for travel, trade, and exploration, others could only imagine what untold terrors might be lurking in its depths. Ask any sailor, modern or ancient, and they’ll tell you that the sea is not only a natural force but a supernatural one. As more people begin to confront the thousands of firsthand accounts of mysterious terror of the deep, it becomes clear that there are things above and below the waves that may never be explained.

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Scotland’s Highlands are among the most beautiful and remote places in the world. But to many, this stunning landscape of mountains, lakes, and coastal villages also bears a notable air of mystery and foreboding. Even today, these ancient lands remain steeped in folklore and supernatural tales. Once one begins to dig into the stories of High Strangeness in the Scottish Highlands, it becomes clear why it is often considered one of the most haunted places on earth.

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