Long before shopping malls, reindeer, and red suits, the figure we now call Santa Claus may have emerged from something far stranger ancient ritual, winter survival, and mind-altering tradition. In this episode of Ghosts in the Mountains, we explore the controversial and fascinating theory that Santa's origins may be rooted in psychedelic folklore, shamanic practices, and the symbolic use of sacred mushrooms in northern winter cultures.

From red-and-white imagery hidden in plain sight to chimney legends, flying reindeer, and altered states of consciousness, we trace how ancient ritual and myth may have slowly transformed into the modern Christmas icon. Is Santa a harmless fairy tale… or a cultural echo of humanity's oldest attempts to understand reality itself?

Christmas is often celebrated as a season of joy, warmth, and family — but some holidays carry a chill far colder than winter. In this special episode of Ghosts in the Mountains, we explore eerie and lesser-known paranormal encounters that happened during Christmases of the past and spooky holiday traditions long forgotten.

From phantom opera singing in abandoned ballrooms to spectral visitors appearing beneath twinkling lights, these chilling tales remind us that the veil doesn't always rest during the holidays. Join us by the fire as we uncover ghost stories that lurk beneath the holly, the ribbon, and the glow of the Christmas tree and discover why some spirits revisit this season year after year.

Long before Christmas was candy canes and twinkling lights, the darkest nights of winter belonged to something far more sinister. In this episode of Ghosts in the Mountains, we dive into the chilling European folklore of Krampus the horned enforcer of Yuletide tradition. From ancient Alpine villages to modern parades of demons and chains, Krampus has long served as the other side of Christmas: a creature meant to punish the wicked and drag the truly rotten away into the snow-covered night.

Join us as we explore the historical origins, symbolic meaning, ritual celebrations, and creepy real-world encounters tied to the infamous Christmas devil. This December… you better watch out.

Just outside Geneva, New York, a lonely railroad bridge once spanned a deep ravine, on Thanksgiving Day, something strange was seen there. In 1902, the crew of a passing train reported a ghostly white figure waving frantically near Marsh Bridge, followed by a piercing scream that echoed through the valley. The apparition vanished as quickly as it appeared… but why Thanksgiving?

This chilling encounter has been linked to a devastating 1873 train wreck that claimed multiple lives when the bridge collapsed beneath a speeding locomotive. Some believe the spirit is that of a lost railroad worker returning each year to warn others before tragedy strikes again.

A family in Winston-Salem relocate to a new home but shortly after exploring an old Civil War period cemetery near their home, their son begins mentioning a presence he calls "Gable", someone no one else can see. At first, his parents brush it off as imagination until strange occurrences begin to increase.

Doors burst open on their own, laughter echoes where no one stands, and strange smoke drifts through the halls.

In this episode we look into a strange haunting where an entity not of our realm begins communicating with their son.. before things get much worse.

Are ghosts truly spirits of the dead or something far stranger? In this episode of Ghosts in the Mountains, we dive into one of the most enduring mysteries of the human experience. Joined by researcher and author Micah Hanks, we explore the possibilities of what ghosts might actually be through the lenses of science, psychology, artificial intelligence, and historical studies of the paranormal.

From the early psychical researchers who compiled Phantasms of the Living more than a century ago to the cutting-edge theories of consciousness and quantum reality today, this episode is a deep discussion on the nature of hauntings, the mind, and what it means to exist beyond the physical world as we perceive it.

In Old Fort, North Carolina, there a man-made marvel known as Andrews Geyser. Built to honor fallen railroad workers, this century-old fountain hides more than history in its mist. Locals whisper of ghostly apparitions drifting along the tree line, and oppressive feelings that have left some never wanting to come back. In this episode, we explore the eerie legends surrounding Andrews Geyser, the truth behind its creation, and why visitors claim it's one of the most eerie memorials in the South.

In this chilling episode of Ghosts in the Mountains, we travel to Currie, North Carolina, to revisit a disturbing 2021 encounter that has haunted local lore. A truly disturbing recording of a 911 call reveals a story of an encounter a man had with a strange creature on a dark wooded road one night. In this episode we go over the details of this case and talk with Rusty Martin, host of Carolina Case Files, who initially broke the story.

Was it an alien? A cryptid? Or something entirely new?

Settle in, because tonight… something is watching from the treeline.

In this episode of Ghosts in the Mountains, we delves into one of the most disturbing and controversial exorcism cases in modern history, the story of Anneliese Michel. A devout German teenager plagued by seizures and disturbing behavior, Anneliese would undergo 67 Catholic exorcism rites over the course of ten months, ultimately leading to her tragic death in 1976.

We examine the chilling audio tapes, the psychological theories, the religious and cultural implications, and the aftermath that sparked a worldwide debate about faith, mental health, and demonic possession. Is this a case of spiritual warfare… or a failure of medical science?

This episode of Ghosts in the Mountains delves into three chilling accounts of unexplained phenomena. Caleb recounts a possible encounter with the spirit of serial killer Ted Bundy, a terrifying sighting of a childlike apparition during a thunderstorm, and a the story of a teenage search for an abandoned mansion… but what is found in the house has terrifying implications. From ghostly figures to traces of the occult, Faces of Evil, Vol. 2 explores the darker side of the supernatural mountains of Western North Carolina.