Unpacking The Eerie

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In Japan, houses that have seen unnatural or undignified deaths are legally declared Jiko Bukken or "accident properties" (see episode 12: Richard Energy & Legally Haunted Houses!). Homes are also codified as Jiko Bukken if they are built over a well -- what's that about? In this minisode, Shaena explores this question as she tells us about Okiku's Well (located at Himeji Castle), one of Japan's "big three" ghost stories. Here, you'll learn about the origin story as well as the superstitions that have followed it centuries later.

CW: sexual violence, torture

Sources:

1. https://www.artelino.com/articles/ghost_story_okiku.asp
2. http://yokai.com/okiku/
3. http://yokai.com/okikumushi/
4. https://thewillowweb.com/2017/06/21/japanese-ghost-stories-himeji-castle-okiku-well/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banchō_Sarayashiki
6. https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2011/11/traditional-japanese-ghost-story-okiku.html

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Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

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CW: extreme violence, violence against women, sexual violence, suicide

On December 30th, the Miyazawa family was found brutally murdered in the Setagaya neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan. More than twenty years and 12,500 pieces of evidence later, this case remains unsolved to this day. Join us as we unpack this unnerving case and dig into how misogyny and the U.S. military play into this case in addition to learning with us about the phenomenon of jiko bukken and lonely deaths in Japan.

Sources

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

Send us a text

In the depths of national forests/wooded areas all over the world, people report stumbling across mysterious staircases with no destination and the strange circumstances that go along with them. Could it be creepy, unexplained phenomena or is it just popular online fiction?  Decide for yourself in our very first mini-sode! Join us for a quick meander into something light on the unpacking, and heavy on the eerie as we explore this internet urban legend!

Sources: 

1. https://www.historicmysteries.com/mysterious-stairs-forests-legends-history/ 
2. https://www.wanderglobe.org/staircases-in-the-woods-know-more-about-this-mysterious-phenomenon-today/ 
3. https://signalhorizon.com/staircases-in-the-woods-explained-are-there-really-stairs-to-nowhere/ 
4. https://www.reddit.com/r/StairsintheWoods/ 
5. https://newengland.com/today/travel/new-hampshire/madame-sherris-castle-ruins/ 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

DARK HISTORY/TRUE CRIME: Elizabeth Bathory
Content Warning: anti-asian racism, extreme violence, torture

 OMFG it’s episode ten, and in our humble opinion, it’s our most gruesome and also most hilarious episode. This episode we explore the life of another extremely violent woman (throwback to Linda) who inspired Lady Gaga’s character in AHS Hotel and countless death metal band names. Yes, you guessed it, she’s the Guinness Book of World Records Title holder of “Most Prolific Female Murderer,” Elizabeth Báthory. Join us as we dive deep into the murderous life of this noble woman from the Balkans and how classism, incest, witchcraft and WAP (yes, you read that correct), intersect with this wild ass story. 

Sources

Audio file edited & republished 7/7/26

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

DARK HISTORY: The Titanic
Content warning: anti-black racism, anti-asian racism, mentions of suicide, trauma, death

On April 10th, 1912, one of the largest luxury liners ever built departed on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Just 3 days later, more than 1500 of the 2,200 people aboard would be dead, many lost in the ocean forever. You guessed it. This episode is all about the Titanic. Here, we discuss how classism, patriarchal hubris, and white supremacy resulted in the avoidable massive tragedy. Join us for another cocktail for disaster, as we take you on the journey of this fated ship, its aftermath and untold stories in between. 

Sources can be found here.

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

What turns a place into one of the most haunted locations in the world? This week’s tale spans across the globe and includes more than 150 spirits. Come on board this journey with us while we navigate the dark and storied history of one of the world’s most haunted locations, a luxury-liner, a warship, and now a museum and hotel – The Queen Mary. Underneath the ghosts, demons and poltergeists that can be found wandering the hallways and swimming pools of this legendary vessel, we uncover the intricate ways in which racism, the patriarchy and capitalism all play a role in this ship-turned-hotel’s dark past and present.

Content warning: suicide, anti-black racism, brief mentions of childhood sexual violence 

Sources

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

Can you believe that there are multiple serial killers who stayed at the Hotel Cecil? We can’t, but somehow it’s true. Join us as we dig in to the life and crimes of Austrian serial-killer, author and narcissist, Johann “Jack” Unterweger.  In this episode, we explore the movie-like story of Jack and how he got away with murdering sex workers across multiple countries and continents. We will also dig in to misogyny, narcissistic personality disorder, sexual sadism and the pathologizing of BDSM and kink. This segment is part 3 of “A Lethal Location,” a short series we’re putting together highlighting the horrors that are somehow connected by the Cecil Hotel. 

Content warning: child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, violence against sex workers

Click here for sources. 

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

NOTE FOR SPOTIFY LISTENERS: Starting 03/01/2026 we will no longer be on Spotify. Not only has Spotify had a poor track record with pay transparency and just compensation for artists, the CEO recently invested $700 million in AI military warfare technology. Articles and alternatives to Spotify for podcasts and more can be found here. 

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

Teleport to the mid-1980s with us as we cover serial killer, Ricardo “Richard” Ramirez a.k.a. The Night Stalker. In this episode, we take a look at the factors that shaped him, and the experiences of the people who survived him. We also touch on the death penalty, and explore the lasting impacts of trauma, & traumatic grief. This segment is part 2 of “A Lethal Location,” a short series we’re putting together highlighting the horrors that are somehow connected by the Cecil Hotel. Take a listen, and learn how it all ties together in A Cocktail for Disaster.

Content warning: graphic violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, substance abuse, child abuse, PTSD

SOURCES: 

Thanksgiving Sources:
Instagrams - @ndn.o , @lilnativeboy, @southrootsofla
https://native-land.ca

Documentaries:
LA Night Stalker | Was Richard Ramirez Born to Kill? - Real Crime

Podcasts:
Lights Out Podcast - 20: Richard Ramirez, Night Stalker 
What Makes a Killer - 4: Richard Ramirez 
Unpopular Culture Podcast - I’m in Love with a Serial Killer 

Articles & Media Sources can be found here. 

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

NOTE FOR SPOTIFY LISTENERS: Starting 03/01/2026 we will no longer be on Spotify. Not only has Spotify had a poor track record with pay transparency and just compensation for artists, the CEO recently invested $700 million in AI military warfare technology. Articles and alternatives to Spotify for podcasts and more can be found here. 

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

TOPIC: Cecil Hotel//Elisa Lam 

This Halloweek, we begin to explore the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, CA and the very mysterious death of Elisa Lam. This disturbing case was deemed an accident, but was it? Unpack the eerie with us this week as we dig deep into the life of Elisa Lam, the suspicious circumstances that surrounded her untimely death in February 2013 and the location where it took place: a site that has seen a shocking number of unnatural deaths since its grand opening in the 1920s. 

This is the first episode in a series about the Cecil Hotel.

Join our Patreon or subscribe on Buzzsprout to access the rest of the series!  

CW: ableism, suicide, sexual, physical and racial violence, mental illness

Sources:

Articles/Blogposts/Websites 

1. https://www.countryliving.com/life/travel/a45235/creepy-history-cecil-hotel-los-angeles/
2. https://allthatsinteresting.com/cecil-hotel-los-angeles
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Hotel_(Los_Angeles)
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deaths_and_violence_at_the_Cecil_Hotel
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongva (Learn more about indigenous LA  here)
6. http://www.laalmanac.com/history/hi06e.hp
7. https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/chinese-massacre-1871
8. https://www.vice.com/en/article/yvezpv/hospitals-are-dumping-mentally-ill-patients-in-los-angeles-skid-row
9. https://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2587-6-morbid-facts-about-people-dying-in-hotel-rooms.html
10. https://medium.com/@jddean/the-serial-killers-who-haunted-the-cecil-hotel-5586e6f7d2d1
11. https://abc13.com/archive/9412802/ | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NwnYRej6o&feature=share
12. https://allthatsinteresting.com/elisa-lam-death 
13. https://www.reddit.com/r/elisalam/
14. https://www.historicmysteries.com/what-happened-to-elisa-lam/ 
15. Her blog: https://etherfields.blogspot.com/ 
16. Her tumblr: https://nouvelle-nouveau.tumblr.com/ 
17. https://www.scarymommy.com/elevator-game/ 
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Elisa_Lam

Podcasts:

1. Hollyweird Paranormal
2. Haunted Places 

Documentaries/Videos

1. Horror at the Cecil Hotel 
2. Elisa: The Documentary, The Paranormal Scholar
3. Student Doctor's Answer to Elisa Lam's Unexplained Death

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

TRUE CRIME/URBAN LEGEND: Slenderman & The Slenderman Stabbing

CW: violence, mental illness, incarceration, forensic hospitalization, brief mentions of domestic violence, systemic racial violence 

“We didn’t want to go, we didn’t want to kill them, but it's persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time.” In this episode, we do a deep dive into how a creepy curiosity turned into real life horror when two 12 year old girls attempted to murder their close friend. Unpack the eerie with us as we uncover the lore behind Slenderman, explore the social/psychological phenomena behind the girls’ motivations, and the problematic nature of our carceral systems. 

*originally uploaded as two separate episodes: Slendy Pt. 1 (A Blood Soaked Limited Too T-Shirt ) & Slendy Pt 2. (Folie a Deux)

Sources can be found here.

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!