SaltWire Connects

We have seen exorcisms in mainstream media with chanting priests, violent contortion of the body, and demonic screams from the victim.

There have also been several debates about the validity of exorcisms as an archaic practice, but many people still turn to exorcism as a solution to their problems.

There is even an International Association of Exorcists founded by the Roman Catholic church in 2014, with over 200 members and a bi-annual meeting in Rome.

Regardless of what you think about exorcisms, we are still fascinated by the practice, and it remains a popular horror theme in pop culture today.

SaltWire host, Sarah Poko, spoke with Neil MacCarthy, the Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Toronto, about what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to exorcisms.

Lights, camera, scream!

Haunted houses have been part of the Halloween season for a long time - including, fake ones.

For a small fee, you can experience the joys and horrors of a haunted house with ambient sounds, simulations and actors to get you into the Halloween spirit.

But what is so appealing about being scared senseless so much that we would pay for it?

SaltWire host, Sarah Poko, spoke to co-owner of Phantom's FreakShow Haunted House, Aaron Peerless, to find out why.

When we think of witches, we think of an old, unattractive woman (sometimes green skinned) with a pointy hat, a cauldron and a broomstick. But their history is a bit sadder and more tragic, with some of the most famous stories stemming from the Salem witch trials in the 17th century. In this Spooktober special of Poko Ponders, SaltWire host Sarah Poko invites Beth Terry back to talk about the history of witches in Canada and how they have evolved from devilish beings to Halloween must-haves.

Jesters have inspired comedians, writers and even stuntmen who copy their occasional acrobatics. But how exactly did jesters come to be, how did they transition to the royal court and what do they look like today? SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke to Christine Hoffmann, an associate professor of English at West Virginia University, and author of the book Stupid Humanism: Folly as Competence in Early Modern and Twenty-First-Century Culture, to discuss the past and future of jesters.

Adam Staple discusses his seven-song E.P. called SuperAntiHero, the first solo offering of original material from the St. John's born musician who's been playing for three decades.

SaltWire host Sarah Poko is back with Dr. Marjorie Taylor to discuss how we create imaginary friends.

n this episode, they explore the impact of imaginary friends on adulthood, imaginary friends as hallucinations and what the future of imaginary friends could look at.

Join Mark for an interesting conversation with "Teetotaler Wines" founder Danijela Kovac.

Also, in Mark's online article at SaltWire.com, he chats with Danijela and other experts about no alcohol wines and wine proxies including the Benjamin Bridge foray into the zero alcohol wine-substitute space.

Presented by the SaltWire Network

Mark DeWolf chats with winemaker Laurent Delaunay. Laurent is the proprietor of Maison Edouard Delaunay.

This federal election could have been about how the Canadian government could meet the challenges of the climate crisis.

t wasn't. Three climate experts weigh in about their thoughts on the climate emergency, the federal election, and how Atlantic regions need to adapt to runaway warming.