We explore the glamorous and enterprising heyday of hot healing water resorts in Texas — from Mineral Wells to Marlin. Many of these places were built (late 1800s-early1900s) around natural, mineral imbued springs that were said to have a wide variety of benefits. The attracted everyone from Hollywood elites, grifters, miracle workers, and magnetic healers. Many of them have fallen to ruin.

Plus, we sit down with our friend Professor Jonathan Paul De Vierville, who may be the world's leading living expert on Hot Wells in San Antonio. We also learn he knew Steve Pollock in the 70s... everything is connected.

Other topics include: Mesmer, balneology, hysterical women finding solutions, Jung, the state of "healing" today, modern elixirs, the spiritual and physical health benefits of a good soak, and more. This is our season finale, thanks for listening to TO.

Reading:

"Crazy Water, The Story of Mineral Wells and Other Texas Health Resorts" by Gene Fowler

In this special episode of Texas Overture, we break traditional narrative form to enact an eerie dream Faith had one fateful night. Armed with our metal detector and a reservoir of "summer feeling" we explore the rich and colorful scent pathways and silent forces of various outdoor locations in our local environment.

Listen for: Jonathan Richmond, dispatches from the dreamworld, memory mapping, summer field recordings, droning cicadas, Barry Hannah & Texas Overture fragrance line research.

We discuss the phenomenology of psychedelics and the global ascent and local downfall of legendary Texas mycologist Dr. Steven Pollock — a pioneering psilocybin researcher and neighborhood "Dr. Feelgood" who met a strange and early death at his home in San Antonio in February of 1981.

Zoyd Wheeler (@ShakenJack) joins us in the East Texas wilderness to discuss the Archives of the Impossible conference, inter-dimensional love, Husserlian phenomenology, the perils of tragic romance with orbs of light, Medieval mystics Hildegard of Bingen and Margery Kempe, near death experiences, UFOs & the Nation of Islam, disinformation campaigns, Raymond Carver, small town legends, and more.

Plus, we reconnect with the Mystic of Matagorda - Forrest Bess.

A special bonus episode of Texas Overture... We break down our upcoming road trip to the big Archives of the Impossible Conference at Rice University.

We attempt to investigate theories surrounding Charles Dellschau, the German-Texan outsider artist/secret flight club draftsman for the mythic mid 1800s "Sonora Aero Club." Other topics include The Great Airship Mystery of the 1890s, the universal pull of flight, the joys of tinkering, supreme alien knowledge, impossible ciphers and more...

We discuss the state of cryptozoology in Texas, industrial dance music, Texas Bigfoot, time slips, science, and "The Big Bird" with local cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard.

We discuss train-hopping hobo culture, crust punks, mythological monikers, and get off-track with the Texas filmmaker and photographer behind Who is Bozo Texino? Plus, a special interview with our train-hopping friend, "Kenny Chesney."

Watch Bill Daniel's Who is Bozo Texino? :https://youtu.be/gSqMAADNKA8

Hobo Shoetring's Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/E7H9gH5_Qs4

Hobo Stobe's Youtube channel (R.I.P): https://youtu.be/hPu11tJp8Nc

We dive into alchemy, the unconscious, and the strange visionary life of Forrest Bess — the East Texas shrimp fisherman, outsider artist, and mystic.

We explore mysteries surrounding the Olmos Basin in San Antonio, Whitley Strieber and his secret school, aliens, strange nun-like figures, baby poetry from a Texas Poet Laureate, and the headwaters of the San Antonio River as a source of "energy."