It All Started in the Basement
Hosted by: Adam Berry
Runtime: ~45 minutes

Episode Summary:
In the debut episode of This Haunted Life, paranormal investigator Adam Berry takes us deep underground — both literally and emotionally. What begins with personal stories from his haunted childhood home evolves into something much larger: a chilling paranormal case involving possible human remains, and a real-life listener story that will stay with you long after the episode ends. From unexplained footsteps to recurring dreams that blur the line between reality and nightmare, this episode explores what happens when the basement becomes a true crime drama for the unknown.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Adam’s first brushes with the paranormal in his childhood basement
• The symbolic, psychological, and spiritual weight of basements in horror
• A real investigation involving a ghostly EVP, a cadaver dog, and ground-penetrating radar
• A terrifying listener story from North Dakota with dreams so intense they left a man forever changed
• The recurring theme of entrapment — physical, emotional, and supernatural
• Why the scariest part of the house might be the part we least want to explore

Key Segments:

Act 1: It All Started in the Basement
Adam’s earliest memories of fear — and curiosity — unfold in the Bluff Street basement, a space that seemed to call to him even as a child.

Act 2: Fear Below the Surface
A dive into why basements stir such primal fear. From horror movie tropes to buried trauma, we unpack the layers of dread.

Act 3: The Real Ghosts in the Basement
A haunted antique shop, a ghost whispering “I was left down here,” and real-world evidence of buried human remains— Adam recounts one of the most shocking cases of his career.

Act 4: A Listener’s Real — and Really Terrifying — Haunted Basement Experience
Listener Grady Hughes shares a horrifying ordeal: uneasiness, shadowy figures, and a recurring nightmare featuring a entity that was part Hollywood horror and part worst fear. Grady was trapped in more ways than one — until he escaped. Then… well, you will have to take a listen.

Act 5: The Basement as the End… and the Beginning
A return to Bluff Street. Adam recounts one final chilling memory — being locked in the basement. Or was he? Fear and imagination meet… and that's where horror begins.

Memorable Quotes & Moments:

“I was left down here.” — EVP from a haunted Masonic basement
“I was not myself… I acted differently… I’ve often wondered if it was something oppressive.” — Grady Hughes
“Why do people in horror movies run to the basement when they know damn well there isn’t an exit down there?” — Adam Berry

Listener Challenge:
Do you have a haunted basement story? We want to hear it! Tag #ThisHauntedLife or email your story to [email protected] — it might be featured on a future episode.

Support the Show:
Join our Haunted Life Patreon www.patreon.com/adamberry to get behind-the-scenes content, exclusive Q&As, and connect with fellow Haunt-ees.

PLUS first access to “This After-Life” - a companion YouTube podcast where we explore each episode in more detail with special guests and have all the fun to be had! 

If you enjoyed the episode, share it with friends (or enemies — we don’t judge). Rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Connect with Adam:

Haunted Life Patreon - www.patreon.com/adamberry

Instagram www.instagram.com/adamberry

Twitter www.twitter.com/adamjberry

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@theadamberry?lang=en&is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=mobile&sender_web_id=7496753372930983454

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AdamBerryJ

Podcast Website www.HauntedLifePodcast.com

Adam’s Website www.adam-berry.com

Production Credits:

• Host/Producer: Adam Berry
• Co-Producer: Chad Rossi Provincetown Recording Studio
• Writer and Co- Producer: Julie Tremaine
• Music: Chad Rossi
• Artwork: Laura Lineberry
• Special Guests: Grady Hughes 

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Bluff Street (Florence, AL)
• Psychological Fear
• Cadaver dog investigations
• Tricky doorknobs… maybe??
• EMFs and paranormal effects
• Dream symbolism and recurring nightmare phenomena