In this interview with photographer and Spiritualism archivist Shannon Taggart, we discuss her incredible book, SÉANCE and the long, buried history of America's innovative Spiritualist tradition. Topics covered include the intertwined histories of photography and Spiritualism, the Burned-Over District of New York, the connection between the explosion of American New Religions and the creation of the Erie canal, the power of synchronicity, photographing Loch Ness, hoaxing and fraud as invocation practices, an exploding cabinet, and much more. 

Shannon Taggart

https://www.shannontaggart.com/

Regular exclusive episodes, written content, full archive and more

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Intro music by Treatment

https://treatmentforu.bandcamp.com/album/pond-life

It’s the witching hour! In this long-form Patreon exclusive, and a companion to our previous episode on the vampire, we discuss some of the many forms the witch has taken over the centuries. From shamanic to persecuted to modern Wiccan, this often ambiguous figure raises question after question, some of which we attempt to answer here.  Cathars, Templars, sorceresses and sorcerers, ceremonial magicians , nudists, the inquisition, and more! Grab a black cat, a cauldron, a broomstick, and settle in.

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Bwah! In this episode we chat about the folklore, fiction, and cultural power of the figure of the vampire. Hammer horror, the Romantic era shift to a gentlemanly vampire, magical energy vampires, the navigation of death and the cost of averting it, Mark Fisher's take on the subject, and much more packed into this discussion. Plus, we start off with a discussion of Arthur Machen's classic weird fiction tale "The Great God Pan"— a vampire story? Perhaps... 

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In this interview with comics artist and musician Christopher Forgues (C.F., Kites, Universal Cell Unlock, Daily Life etc.), we talk the cross-media creative process, music as ritual, the 00s noise scene, CB radio culture, occult theories of electronics and perfomance, tales of hauntings, the logic of the comic page, and more. A great conversation covering themes old and new to the CU universe.

PLUS: a Patreon exclusive bonus  episode on recent events in the UFO circus, like Mexico's alien mummy extravaganza and the mind-numbing/blowing new Grusch interview, as well as some discussion of certain obscure occult documents on vortex opening rituals! ... 

https://www.patreon.com/consensusunreality

cover image features 2 scans of C.F. comics

Music and sounds featured in the middle parts of this episode are from upcoming releases from C.F. as Universal Cell Unlock on No Rent Records and Psychic Sounds.. be on the lookout for those

We're back in the interview game! A great conversation with documentary filmmaker Brad Abrahams, known for Love and Saucers, Do You See What I See,  and others, leads us down some of the many corridors of contemporary  fringe culture.  We talk about his experience of working with and  filming controversial personalities like artist David Dees, as well as  his nuanced portrait of contactee-artist David Huggins. Other topics include the possibility of parapsychological phenomena, the new age convention circuit and its many delights, the hoaxer/grifter tradition, the age of the benevolent (?) trickster like Gray Barker vs our more dire contemporary figures, the need for a Krishnamurti biopic, and much more.

Plus: tune in for a bonus Patreon follow up on a variety of things we've both been up to: the hand as the Grail; Gray Barker doc Shades of Gray, medium-as-message speculations, and more!

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Here is our recent long-form interview with Dan Dutton. Originally presented on patreon.com/consensusunreality where consistent episodes are regularly posted these days. If you enjoyed this interview check us out there... Dark Dan cometh! In this interview with repeat guest, composer, artist, musician, and myth-weaver Dan Dutton, we cover a wide range of subjects, focusing mainly on artistic practice and the nature of the creative acts (as DD has experienced them). We dive deep into Dutton's musical composition styles, his approach to painting, and several stories of the artist's role in and path through the world. Interspersed throughout are excerpts from Dutton's music, and some of his art is featured here in this post.