In honor of October being Filipino American History Month (FAHM) and everyone getting into the haunting season, Marisa and Siho talk about some spooky stuff going on in the Philippines as a result of WWII. As a proud Fil-Am, Marisa goes into the history of how many Filipinos actually got their U.S. citizenship because of WWII. The war left a lasting impression all over the islands. They cover the hauntings all over Baguio City, including Siho diving into the strange happenings at the The Diplomat Hotel. Marisa takes us over to the paranormal scars left on “the second most bombed place in the world” Corregidor Island. 

Show Notes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomat_Hotel

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/haunted-diplomat-hotel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguio

https://www.nomadicexperiences.com/2021/03/the-haunting-at-old-diplomat-hotel.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamashita%27s_gold

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/20/tales-of-wwii-era-japanese-ghosts-persist-in-philippines

https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/7179/Malinta-Tunnel.htm#:~:text=During%20the%20re%2Dtaking%20of,tunnel%20complex%20is%20a%20museum.

https://amyscrypt.com/corregidor-island-haunted-philippines/

https://www.wattpad.com/587156903-philippine-mythology-mythical-creatures/page/5#:~:text=Pasatsat%20are%20ghosts%20of%20people,that%20era%20of%20extreme%20poverty.

In celebration of Marisa becoming a pet owner to kittens, this episode is all about our furry friends! Marisa heads to Mexico to cover the myth behind the beloved Xoloitzcuintle, our dog guide in the afterlife! Then Siho brings us closer to home to cover her amazing Buddy, her beloved kitty cat that still came to visit after he had passed. She also dips into the lore behind all the adorable cat statues of Japan! ( ;p]\\\n…my cat just wrote this so decided to keep it in)

Show Notes

Xoloitzcuintle

https://vivalacalavera.com.au/blogs/news/xoloitzcuintle-the-hairless-wonder-of-mexico-and-spiritual-sidekick?srsltid=AfmBOoqPV97YRMRdbttxkVtd6KyfiSt2-yxY82334vruoiDKuu3Mkxhj

https://www.xolosramirez.com/2021/04/15/the-legend-of-crossing-the-river-to-reach-the-mictlan-and-the-butterfly-xoloitzcuintli/

https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/Xoloitzcuintli-the-Hairless-Dog

https://slate.com/culture/2017/11/alebrijes-ofrendas-and-more-mexican-cultural-traditions-in-coco-explained.html

Bakeneko

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakeneko

The girls are back!!! Siho and Marisa took a little summer break, but are back to bring you more paranormal fun times. Do you believe “the truth is out there” -  well so do all the people at these amazing Alien Festivals around the globe! Siho heads to Thailand to talk about the not so culty cult of the Khao Kala Hill and the first “Believers” festival that came about. Off to Argentina, Marisa climbs another hill, the Uritorco where sightings of “intelligent lights” have sparked another fantastic celebration of the extraterrestrial. 

Show Notes

Siho’s Story - Khao Kala Hill

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/asias-area-51-been-trying-32346024

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/thailand-ufo-buddhist-aliens/index.html

https://www.vice.com/en/article/pa7qdn/meet-the-thai-ufo-group-convinced-that-aliens-will-save-us-from-armageddon/

Marisa’s Story - Uritorco Hill

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/02/06/argentinas-annual-alien-festival-kicks-off-international-ufo-site/79882948/

https://buenosairesherald.com/culture-ideas/film-series/netflix-film-about-argentine-paranormal-reporter-to-compete-in-san-sebastian

Trigger Warning: This week’s episode includes talk about suicide. If you or someone you know is in need of help, please dial or text 988.

We try our very best to bring light to some very dark topics and places. Siho covers the eerie history and mystery surrounding the Aokigahara forest in Japan that is unfortunately more colloquially known as “The Suicide Forest.” Marisa heads over to Indonesia to dive into the dark history that created the hauntings at Lawang Sewu “A Thousand Doors.” While the place didn’t literally have a thousand doors, it did have plenty of messed up stuff that went on.

Show Notes

Aokigahara

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/73288/15-eerie-things-about-japans-suicide-forest

https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/japans-forest-ghosts-aokigahara

https://www.tsunagujapan.com/aokigahara-the-suicide-forest-in-japan/

Lawang Sewu

https://www.javaheritagetour.com/lawang-sewu-a-haunted-building-of-history-and-heroes/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawang_Sewu

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Semarang

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Semarang

https://www.insideindonesia.org/archive/articles/haunted-house-haunted-history

https://eyeinthemiddle.com/2022/10/19/blood-runs-everywhere-echoes-of-atrocity-in-lawang-sewu/

On a very special podcast–Siho visits Marisa in Portland, OR. Join us for this in-person recording where we venture into the world of creatures that suck…blood! Marisa takes us to India to learn more about the strange habits of the Brahmaparusha. This blood and brian sucking creature has some strange rituals you won’t want to miss hearing about. Then Siho takes us over to Tinidad and Tobago for the shapeshifting Lagahoo. This creature can do it all, because the area was sadly conquered by all!

Show Notes

Brahmaparusha

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/how-do-vampires-differ-around-the-world

https://www.vampires.com/brahmaparusha-brain-eating-vampire-of-india/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmarakshasa

https://vampire_mythology.en-academic.com/130/Brahmaparush

https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/hunt-vampires-around-the-world

Lagahoo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagahoo

https://chloemaraj68104874.wordpress.com/home-3/page-1/men-in-folklore/lagahoo/

https://raquelbahadoorsingh.wordpress.com/lagahou/

https://web.archive.org/web/20101122082307/http:/www.nalis.gov.tt/Folklore/folkcharacters.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20080522181132/http:/www.meppublishers.com/online/crb/issues/index.php%3Fpid=1017

Let’s go to possession town! Siho covers possessions of the shape shifting and the elusive Jinn in Islamic culture. Not your Disney’s genie! Then we head over to the Philippines for the infamous possession and exorcism of Clarita Villanueva who was being terrorized by double demons infamously called “The Thing”. Listen as we come to the conclusion that humans are the problem…it’s me. I’m the problem, it's me.

Show Notes

The Jinn

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1181833/

https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/blog/p/a-thai-spirit/105

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_possession_and_exorcism_in_Islam

Possession of Clarita Villanueva

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_of_Clarita_Villanueva

https://opinion.inquirer.net/143757/the-thing

https://republicasiamedia.com/the-exorcism-of-clarita-villanueva/

https://www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom/news-releases/2019/7/5/the-mystery-in-asias-first-demonic-possession-in?lang=en

There are just some places in the world with a lot of unexplainable and paranormal sh!t going on. Marisa heads to her backyard to cover the strange happenings of the Great Pacific Northwest. From Native American wisdom about the power of this highly spiritual mountainous region to indigenous people suffering at the hands of usurpers, we honor their stories and the injustice they endured that has marked this land. For a bit more levity, Siho takes us over to the Pacific Ocean to see all the mysterious things going on Devil’s Triangle also known as the Dragon’s Triangle (you know it’s Asian ‘cuz they put the word Dragon in it). This place has everything–disappearing ships, sea creatures, and so much more!Show Notes

Paranormal in the PNW from the Native American Diaspora

http://www.ghostsandcritters.com/nativeamericanghosts.html

https://www.hauntedrooms.com/oregon/haunted-places

https://visitrainier.com/get-spooked/

https://www.portlandpf.org/land-acknowledgement

https://www.ranker.com/list/pacific-northwest-myths-and-legends/justin-andress

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/us/mount-st-helens-facts-eruption-trnd/index.html#

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/1/3/unmarked-graves-discovered-at-chemawa-indian-school

http://www.oregonvortex.com/history.htm

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-american-indian/2021/10/28/native-ghosts-and-the-supernatural/

https://theclio.com/entry/82217

https://www.willametteheritage.org/haunted-salem/

The Dragon/Devils Triangle

https://www.marineinsight.com/maritime-history/unexplained-mystery-the-devils-sea-the-dragons-triangle/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/dragons-triangle-devils-sea

https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/japans-dragons-triangle

https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/devils-triangle-been-swallowing-up-ships-for-centuries.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Sea

Since the only thing guaranteed in life is death and taxes, why not celebrate the unavoidable! Siho explains the wonderful tradition in Ghana of creating extraordinary, detailed and sometimes bizarre coffins that they call “Fantastic Afterlife Vehicles”. Let us continue celebrating the dead, Marisa heads over to Haiti for Fête Gede the “Festival of the Dead.” This holiday is one raucous party to celebrate those who have passed and daddy death himself, Baron Samendi.

Ghana Fantasy Coffins

https://www.monstrous.com/chinese-hungry-ghost-festival/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival

https://theworld.org/stories/2022/02/18/ghana-s-fantasy-coffins-fulfilling-burial-dreams-one-coffin-time

https://www.nmfh.org/portfolio-item/a-life-well-lived-fantasy-coffins-from-ghana/

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/29/africa/ghana-fantasy-coffin/index.html

https://www.brandeis.edu/mortimer-hays/pdf/proposals/ghanaian.pdf

Festival of the Dead

https://medium.com/@lunionsuite/10-things-we-learned-about-fet-gede-haitian-day-of-the-dead-4a9f3b36c4a3

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-halloween/beyond-halloween-8-holidays-spirits-love.htm

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/baron-samedi-0016698

https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2014/10/09/when-baron-samedi-comes-death-jean-claude-duvalier/

Come sail away…come sail away…come sail away with ghost boats! Siho and Marisa take to the waters with some strange tales of paranormal boats. Over in Chile, Marisa covers the strange myth of El Caleuche, a ship crewed possibly by lost souls at sea and so much more. While Siho heads over to New Zealand to tell the tale of the Phantom Waka, a spectral canoe that was not only witnessed but served as a warning of devastation to come.

Show Notes

El Caleuche

https://www.vayaadventures.com/blog/el-caleuche-the-ghost-ship-of-chiloe/

https://secretislandsalmon.com/6-island-secrets-chiloe/

https://evil.fandom.com/wiki/Caleuche

https://www.nightwatchparanormal.com/the-caleuche.html

https://folkrealmstudies.weebly.com/el-caleuche-the-ghost-ship-of-chilote-folklore.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caleuche#:~:text=The%20Caleuche%20(from%20the%20Mapudungun,Chilote%20mythology%20in%20southern%20Chile.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080321115822/http://www.rotoruanz.com/rotorua/history/maori_legends.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1886_eruption_of_Mount_Tarawera

https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/tarawera-phantom-canoe

https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2h37/hinerangi-sophia

Have you ever seen that 90s show California Dreams…well think of the theme song and just replace California with Paranormal. Or listen to this episode where Marisa sings it for you. Let’s get creepy about your sleep. Having terrible nightmares? Siho tells you about the Baku, just your typical Japanese monster that eats your nightmares, but may also be equally terrifying. Then we head over to China to get into the phenomenon of Mèngyǎn, ghost oppression. You thought ghosts were scary when you were awake, how about the ones that can haunt your dreams and stop you from breathing!

Show Notes:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_(mythology)#:~:text=Legend%20has%20it%20that%20a,go%20back%20to%20sleep%20peacefully.

https://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/10/20/baku-the-dream-eater/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ofJx2LUT4

https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-paralysis-unable-to-move/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7846458/

https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/sleep-paralysis-a-brain-glitch-or-an-evil-spirit-40943