What happens when a scientist known for his precision and skepticism has a paranormal experience he can’t explain?

In EP 21: The Physicist Who Saw a Ghost, host Justin Gearheart speaks with Dr. Melvin Vopson, a theoretical physicist whose groundbreaking research on the Mass–Energy–Information Equivalence Principle suggests that information has mass — and could be the missing link between energy, matter, and consciousness itself. But before diving into his work, Dr. Vopson shares a story that left even him questioning the limits of science: a firsthand ghost encounter that defies logical explanation.

What begins as a conversation about data, energy, and the nature of reality quickly turns into a profound exploration of the intersection between physics and the paranormal. Dr. Vopson opens up about how this haunting experience reshaped his understanding of consciousness, the afterlife, and the possibility that the universe itself is an intelligent information system.

In this episode, you’ll hear how a rational scientist came face-to-face with the unexplained, why his research could bridge the gap between ghosts, physics, and digital reality, and how information might be the true essence of existence.

This is one of the most mind-bending and human conversations ever recorded on Close Encounter Club — where science meets the supernatural.

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Dr. Jeff Meldrum (1958–2025) was one of the world’s leading experts on Sasquatch, footprints, and human evolution. As a professor of anatomy and anthropology, he brought scientific rigor to a mystery often dismissed by mainstream science — the search for Bigfoot.

In this exclusive conversation, Dr. Meldrum discusses the evidence for Sasquatch, including footprint casts, the Patterson-Gimlin film, and the mysterious Sierra Sounds. He explains how the mid-tarsal break in the foot could separate Sasquatch from humans, why bones may never be found, and how drones, DNA, and even AI could change the future of Bigfoot research.

This was one of Dr. Meldrum’s final recorded interviews before his passing on September 11, 2025. His legacy as “the Sasquatch scientist” continues to inspire researchers and believers around the world.

Was Bigfoot simply myth and folklore, or is there enough evidence to suggest something real is still walking the forests of North America?

Join Justin as he honors Dr. Meldrum’s work, reflects on how this conversation changed his own perspective, and pays tribute to a man who followed the evidence wherever it led.

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🌲 Explore Dr. Meldrum’s Work:

Relict Hominoid Inquiry

At a Fleetwood Mac tribute concert in Palm Springs, Keston and Andrea witnessed something impossible: the band slowed, their bodies slumped, and for a few surreal seconds it felt like time itself froze. Even stranger—the moment was captured on video, complete with a bizarre audio anomaly.

In this episode of Close Encounter Club, we unpack their story and explore what might explain it:

👁 Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and how the brain can warp time

🧗 Albert Heim’s near-death fall and extreme time dilation

Was it psychology, neurology… or a true break in reality?

🔎 Listen now and decide for yourself.

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A peaceful cabin retreat should have been the perfect family getaway — until it wasn't.

In this chilling firsthand account, Robert Maxwell from the Cabin in the Woods YouTube channel describes the unnerving sequence of events that unfolded deep in the woods, including a rock thrown toward his daughter.

Was it a curious animal, a calculated warning, or proof of something far more mysterious?

Join Justin and Josh as they piece together Robert’s harrowing family vacation, analyze the possibilities, and confront the question: could Sasquatch really be watching from the shadows?

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🌲 Robert Maxwell Links:

Cabin in the Woods YouTube

A former Marine is sent to a secret radar site on Eglin Air Force Base… and discovers they're tracking something far more mysterious than enemy aircraft.

In this episode, William Ray Carter reveals what happened inside Site C-6 — a massive radar installation hidden in plain sight. What he saw, what he overheard, and what no one will officially confirm… until now.

🔍 Are we really alone? Or has the military been watching something they won’t admit exists?

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What happens when a lifelong skeptic, a science communicator, and an astrophysicist sees something in the sky he can’t explain?

In this episode, we step back from the eerie and the unexplainable… and zoom all the way out.

We talk with Ethan Siegel about the moment that shook his worldview—and what it really means to stay grounded in science while keeping your mind open to the unknown.

Whether you're here for the mystery or the math… this one will rewire your brain.

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💥 Ethan Siegel Links:

🎧 Starts With A Bang (Spotify)

What does an unexplained encounter sound like from the outside looking in?

In this Close Encounter Club bonus episode, host Justin Gearheart sits down with Ryan, husband of Jennifer Jones, to hear his first-hand account of the chilling night his family experienced what they came to call “The Breathing.”

From his bedroom, Ryan was pulled into the experience when Jennifer and their son heard something outside the second-story window — a deep, metallic, labored breathing unlike anything he had ever encountered. He recalls the sound in vivid detail: slow, powerful, mechanical yet organic, and so close it felt pressed against the wall of their house. The moment he pulled back the curtains, the breathing stopped.

Ryan shares his honest, skeptical perspective: weighing possible rational explanations, ruling out machinery or neighbors, and grappling with the eerie fact that there were no vibrations despite the sheer volume of the sound. He also reflects on the connection between this strange event and Jennifer’s sudden, unexplained recovery from years of debilitating back pain — something he admits defies explanation.

This conversation offers a grounded, outsider’s view of an encounter that challenges logic and raises unsettling questions about what might be lurking just beyond our perception.

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What if a mysterious sound in the night could change your life forever?

In this episode of the Close Encounter Club, host Justin Gearheart sits down with Jennifer Jones of Knoxville, Tennessee, who experienced one of the most chilling and transformative encounters we’ve ever covered. It began with an unexplainable sound outside her second-story window — a deep, mechanical-yet-organic breathing that filled her entire room. Days later, something even stranger happened: Jennifer’s decades of chronic spinal pain vanished completely.

Backed by years of documented medical records, MRIs, and neurology visits, Jennifer’s story raises profound questions. Was this a case of spontaneous healing, or could it have been an extraterrestrial intervention? During a QHHT (Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique) session, Jennifer recalled the presence of Arcturian beings, said to be advanced extraterrestrials known for healing and guiding humanity.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Jennifer’s medical history and the severity of her back pain.

This isn’t just a UFO story. It’s about healing, consciousness, and the unexplained mysteries that push us to rethink reality itself.

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Courtney has been seeing ghosts for as long as she can remember.

At first, she kept it to herself—unsure if anyone would believe her. But after opening up, she realized this ability wasn’t just hers alone. It ran deep in the family.

What began as a secret became a calling.

She started Jaunty Haunts, a podcast where ghost stories are shared with humor, honesty, and just the right amount of spookiness. Now she’s built a community for people who’ve experienced the unexplainable and don’t want to feel so alone anymore.

In this special crossover, Courtney joins Justin and Josh to talk about hauntings, family secrets, and why making space for joy and weirdness might be the best way to navigate the paranormal.

Got a story to share? Email us at [email protected]

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Listen to the Jaunty Haunts Podcast

Some nights unfold like scenes from a horror movie.

In EP13: That One Night, host Justin Gearheart sits down with Annie, who shares a terrifying childhood memory that has haunted her for years. What began as two kids heading outside to grab a DVD turned into a night of pure fear — an old powder-blue pickup truck, flashing headlights in the dark, and a sudden eruption of car alarms from every vehicle in the lot.

The most chilling part? Annie and her friend remember it vividly, but the adults upstairs — just a few feet away — heard nothing. No alarms. No chaos. Nothing at all.

This episode marks the first appearance of Scully, our AI researcher built to keep Close Encounter Club grounded, skeptical, and scientific. Together, Justin and Scully break down the events, explore possible explanations — from electromagnetic interference to altered perception — and ask the questions that matter: What really happened that night? Was it human, paranormal, or something we don’t yet understand?

If you’re fascinated by paranormal encounters, UFO phenomena, unexplained mysteries, or consciousness research, this is a story that will stay with you long after you finish listening.

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