Co-host of the Astonishing Legends Podcast @AstonshngLegnds
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Articles by Forrest Burgess
End of Life on Apple Podcasts
Like so many stories and people that come our way, this is another one that seemed to be put in our path by some grander force for a higher purpose. Recently, Scott and his wife Emily were out at dinner and struck up a conversation with the stranger sitting next to them, Lauren Hopper, who told them she worked as an end-of-life doula.
One of the most enduring and pervasive tropes to ever capture the human imagination is the concept of a "bottomless pit." On Friday, February 22, 1997, a man calling himself "Mel Waters" had faxed Art Bell, the much-beloved and sadly now-passed host of the highly-rated, paranormal-themed radio talk show, claiming to have one on his property. Mel said his property is about nine miles west of Ellensburg, Washington, adjacent to Manastash Ridge.
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Often when one hears about some group of people claiming to experience a highly strange event or similarly acting out in bizarre and irrational manners, it's easy and common to dismiss the episode as a case of "mass hysteria." Phenomena like the audience reaction to Orson Welles' radio broadcast, "The Dancing Plague of 1518," the "Windshield-Pitting Mystery of 1954," and "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" are considered by much of the public to be examples of mass hysteria.
The Patterson-Gimlin Film Part 3
When indirect evidence of an extraordinary event defies conclusive debunking, then the easier route for some critics is to attack the presenter of the evidence. Naturally and unfortunately, Roger Patterson's integrity and thus his credibility came under scrutiny and assault as a means of discrediting the film itself.
Some tales are tall tales, and some tales involve an ape-like creature that stands over 7 feet tall and weighs around 700 pounds.
How many reported sightings of a particular ghost would it take before you started to believe that perhaps people were indeed interacting with something supernatural? Hundreds? Over a thousand? But you're looking for proof, you say. Well, what would be convincing proof for you? What about mysterious, spectral handprints melted and scorched into bronze bars that have resisted repair and coverup?
What's Gotten Into You?
Technically an invasive species has to kill off a pre-existing species to meet the definition of being invasive. After you hear this episode, we'll be you'll agree there are some things though that should be classified as invasive no matter what. Tonight we talk with two guests.
Remote Viewing and Flight 19
Despite what you may see in today's eye-catching, "Clickbait" internet headlines, so few mysteries are ever really "Solved!" But what if we could get an image, an impression, a hint of a location even, some kind of clue as to what happened with some of the great mysteries of our world? There might be a way.
The Laughing Indian
There are many different levels of torment that some ghosts seem to offer, but what could be worse than mocking? When our guest was 12 years old and home alone in upstate New York he experienced an encounter with something heard but not seen. Was it real? What would you have done? Listen to his tale and try to decide if you could have handled it differently. If you can't click on these links, visit our website.
Most of the encounters with Bigfoot that you hear about seem benign, frightening to be sure, but more awkward and penumbral than violent. However, as we'll soon learn, that's not always the case. Our guest tonight is UFO and Paranormal Field Investigator Chuck Zukowski. For the past 30 years, Chuck has been researching and investigating a wide range of phenomena within the realm of the paranormal, everything from UFO evidence & abductions, to animal mutilations, ghosts, and of course, Bigfoot.
Astonishing Legends / The Grim Reaper
When you hear the name, "The Grim Reaper," a very familiar image probably pops into your head. With the black robe and cowl, skeletal face and hands or the visage of a dour corpse, a threatening scythe, and hourglass at its last sands, this is the image the modern, western person thinks of when we personify death. But where did this visual come from? How do we know what death looks like? And since death has always been with us, isn't this image as old as that finality itself?
On January 23, 1974, villagers in the community of Llandrillo in the Edeirnion area of Denbighshire, northern Wales, experienced a tremendous jolt and noise a little after 8:30 p.m., akin to a magnitude 3.5 earthquake. Highly strange, colored lights were seen over the surrounding hills at the same time. Another unusual occurrence was that the British Military was immediately on the scene as if they were tracking the "geological event" in real time.
The KGC: An American Conspiracy Part 3
They had lawyers, guns and money, as well as cartographers and engineers, tradesmen, politicians and professionals of all station, all embedded in American society and the money in the earth itself. One day these would all be needed by the Knights of the Golden Circle and if the people, their skills and their ideals would not survive the generations then their amassed fortune would. And here is where one legend intersects with another: The Lost Dutchman Mine and the Knights of the Golden Circle.
The Mary Celeste - Ghost Ship Part 2
The mysterious disappearance of ten souls would not be the last of the misfortune to befall the ill-fated Mary Celeste. Insurance fraud, lost revenue, madness, and suicide would all become dreadful notches in the gunwale of her sad history, along with the premature deaths of three of her captains. Whether you believe in curses or not, often the best insurance is to leave fate untempted. “The sea has never been friendly to man.
The Jersey Devil: Prince of the Pine Barrens Part 1
They say if you meet someone from New Jersey, Pennsylvania or New York, you don't ask them if they've heard of the "Jersey Devil," you ask them if they've had some kind of encounter with it. The legend of the curious cryptid is so prolific, they've no doubt heard of it, and if they've spent any time near the Pine Barrens of "The Garden State," more often than not you'll find they've experienced some evidence of the beast, or know someone who has.
The Flirting Ghosts of Norway
In the 1890's an illicit affair centered around a hotel in Norway ends badly. Are the departed lovers still hanging around the original section of the hotel's top floor? Marc Brugnoni and Marisol McIlvain work for a large travel and entertainment company in their marketing department. This means they frequently are sent to exotic locations around the world to produce high-end filmed content to inspire people to come and visit.
The Watseka Wonder - Part 2
Now that we've covered the story essentials of the strange case of Mary Lurancy Vennum, known as "The Watseka Wonder," it's time to take a look at the possible causes and mechanics of this apparent miracle. Suppose Lurancy's possession was merely the imaginative prank of an attention-seeking impressionable teenager.
Dyatlov Pass Part 2
Part 2 of our Special on Dyatlov Pass: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as "tourists" in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia. In Russia a "tourist" is a serious outdoorsman.
The Hatem Files - Case #1
Tonight's show is... well... we don't know what it is, frankly.
Researchers have now documented thousands of personal accounts from Near-Death Experiencers. Logic would suggest that it's unlikely that all NDE stories are fabrications and that at least some of these experiences are real and accurately described. And if so, then examining the commonly experienced features of the NDE seem to indicate that these defining perceptions are universal, while remaining a uniquely relevant and personal occurrence to the individual.
It's easy to imagine a version of ourselves that's gargantuan, magical, a hero that often plays the villain, a giant among the ordinary. Legends of giants doing as they please have been with us since the beginning and continue to fascinate us in cinema and sport. The idea of a giant is easy to entertain because either through genetics or rare disorders, extra-large humans have naturally lived throughout our existence.
There are a few researchers for whom the Patterson-Gimlin Film has sparked a life-long quest to analyze its mystery and the possibility of Sasquatch. Concerning the preservation of the actual film itself, no one has done more to secure its integrity than William “Bill” Munns.
Strange Intruders with David Weatherly Part 1
Visiting a spooky location can be scary because of the spirits and monsters which may await you there. However, one can avoid these horrors by merely not going to these places, right? But what if these frightening creatures came to visit YOU? What if they knew where you lived, your secrets, what terrified you the most, then used that knowledge and their supernatural powers against you? Native elders had always spoken of mighty beings who inhabited the earth before us and enjoyed their reign over it.
Oak Island Money Pit Part 3
Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes forming a sinkhole, plain and simple?
Pere Cheney: The Town that Disappeared
The logging town of Pere Cheney, Michigan once showed a lot of promise as a place where hardworking men and women of the late 19th century could raise a family — that is until two epidemics of diphtheria and devastating fires reduced it to a ghost town. And if you believe the accounts of some visitors to the nearby cemetery, Pere Cheney's tragic fate doomed it to be an actual town of ghosts; the playful ghosts of the children who fell victim to the disease.
What's down there? Lost treasure? Legend has it. 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater sitting on 4.3 miles of sediment? Science confirms it. What about humanoid creatures almost 10 feet tall, wearing silvery suits with helmets out for a deepwater swim, who don't care to be messed with? Well... yes — if you believe a report from the Soviet military. Unbelievable as this sounds, this story is only one of many frequently occurring reports of supernatural events at this magnificent body of water.
The KGC: An American Conspiracy Part 1
America in the mid-nineteenth century was still a very young nation in the process of finding its own identity, its states not yet fully or harmoniously united. Differing ideas on what methods of production and government its inhabitants should employ were fomenting into a house divided and would lead to one of the bloodiest and devastating civil wars any country could experience.
Astonishing Legends / Shadow People
They watch us. They wait. Lurking in the shadows or in bright daylight, from afar, in the corners of our eyes or in our very own bedrooms, staring directly at us, sometimes with eyes of red fire. They observe us and learn our behavior or they try to choke the breath and souls from our bodies. But why are they here and what do they really want with us?
The Somerton Man Mystery Part 2
As with any great mystery, it can turn some individuals into steadfast researchers and citizen detectives, dedicating years to a quest for answers. We were lucky enough to interview one such person, Professor Derek Abbott of the University of Adelaide in Australia.
The Kelly Hopkinsville Encounter Part 1
The 1950s was awash with incredible UFO sightings and purported alien encounters, but the Kelly-Hopkinsville Incident remains a highlight for the field of Ufology. The report was significant not only because of the long duration of the event and a large number of witnesses but also because the frightening contact sparked a one-sided gun battle.
The Devil and Anneliese Michel: Exorcism on Trial Part 3
Was Anneliese Michel truly possessed by demonic forces, or was she suffering from a more earthly psychological affliction such as an extreme case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Scrupulosity, epilepsy, PTSD or Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis? Tonight we examine this case from the solely scientific, clinical angle with our interview of Dr. Jennifer Sy, Ph.D. of the Houston OCD Program.
The Betz Sphere Part 3
For something that many would claim was just a misplaced piece of industrial equipment, the Betz Sphere attracted a lot of serious attention, some official, some dubious and some a bit of both. Despite the initial vague or dismissive statements from the US Navy and noted scientists such as Dr. J. Allen Hynek that were reported by the news media, they were determined to continue seeking answers from it.
The Mary Celeste - Ghost Ship Part 1
The Mary Celeste is perhaps the most famous case of a "ghost ship." However, when it was discovered adrift on December 5, 1872, no ghosts were found nor any human form for that matter, not Captain Briggs, his wife, his two-year-old daughter, nor the seven crew members. They remain forever missing. But what caused them to vanish? Theories range from seaquakes to hazardous cargo, to a giant squid attack, and even aliens... yes, aliens.
Astonishing Legends makes digital media and internet history with our first ever "live" YouTube streaming event! Frankly, we weren't sure any of it would work, so we really didn't announce we'd be doing it, but we thought it might be a fun way to interact with our listeners and answer some of their questions in a text chat stream, all while doing our usual rambling, digressing, and nervous stammering. We really appreciate our audience, so we hope you enjoy it.
Black Eyed Kids Part 1
First, there's a knock. A very persistent knock, at your door, at your car window. Or maybe they stop you on a walk, on your way somewhere, when you're alone. They're just kids, right? And who doesn't want to help out kids in need? Except that these aren't like any kids you've met before. They're not like any humans you've ever met before, because what humans have you seen that have completely all-black eyes and fill you with an inexplicable dread?
Imminent Disclosure? Part 1
The term "Disclosure" in the UFO community generally refers to the long-awaited event when the government, specifically the U.S. Government, finally tells the world that UFOs exist, along with everything they know about extraterrestrials, or so enthusiasts of the topic would hope. While we wouldn't suggest holding your breath until "Full Disclosure" happens, there has been an interesting, recent development worth noting.
The Mothman Part 3
At 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge which connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed. Being rush hour in mid-December, the bridge was full of commuters on their way home from work and holiday shopping trips. The collapse sent 32 vehicles into the frigid waters of the Ohio river and 46 people lost their lives, with 2 bodies never to be found.
Imminent Disclosure? Part 2
How "credible" does an eye-witness have to be before their account of an Unidentified Flying Object is taken seriously? Whom would you think is the most credible sort of witness for this type of impossible craft, aside from the beings or forces that made them? How about an elite jet fighter pilot from the US Navy, highly trained to identify every known aerial threat – known to a conventional military, of course.
Astonishing Legends / 2nd Chances
Sometimes we get a second chance and sometimes it seems we had no chance at all. What we can count on getting is a cycle of the heartwarming followed by heartbreak, the mundane punctuated with despair and assuaged by moments of joy. But greater than our earthly concerns, the cycle of life continues. Birth follows death as spring follows winter. And within this cycle, every once in a while just to keep it interesting, the wondrous happens.
The Count of St Germain Part 1
Who's the most interesting person you've ever met? Can they play a musical instrument? Do they speak a foreign language? Are they a fine art painter? Have they traveled the world? Are they descended from royalty? Sure, maybe only a couple of those. But what if they were a concert level violinist who could also compose music? What if they could speak ten languages or more?
Are We Ever Alone?
Have you ever taken a camping trip by yourself? A trip to get away? Were you alone? Are you sure? Tonight we interview retired Emergency Room Physician and now published author Dr. Richard J. Goldstein who took a simple little camping trip by himself a while back and found that he was not welcome at the campsite he chose.
Something or someone of great importance and influence had convinced and motivated these neolithic hunter-gatherers to put their way of life on hold and come together as a group to undertake such a tremendous project as Göbekli Tepe. This is likely the first time hundreds of prehistoric peoples had formed an organized collective in order to build a religious sanctuary. The work would've taken years to accomplish and the temple would be built upon for many centuries more.
The Devil in the Diner
Have you ever encountered someone other-worldly? Someone who seemed to exude a dark charisma that frightened you with their ability to be so magnetic? Talented comedy writer, Paula Pell, joins us in this episode for a glimpse over her shoulder at an event from her past that while fleeting, was so poignant it stuck with her for the rest of her life. A chance crossing of paths with what on the surface seemed to be a man, but upon closer inspection felt like much, much more than that.
Strange Tales from Wales & UFO School Days
So many popular culture misconceptions abound with stories of UFO sightings; that it's always some farmer, alone in his fields when an unidentified flying object appears. The "hayseed farmer" is an easy target to dismiss with ridicule and hubris. Sure, sometimes it is a farm, as it was in 1977 at the Coombs family farm in southern Wales, but it is far from the norm.
Charles Fort - Our Supernatural Father Part 2
In the second part of our series on Charles Hoy Fort, we first return to the formative events of his adolescence that shaped his personality, career, and personal philosophies. Fort chronicled anecdotes from his youth in an unpublished manuscript titled written while in his 20s and of which only fragments remain.
The Jersey Devil: Prince of the Pine Barrens Part 2
Southern New Jersey is steeped in the legend of The Jersey Devil, with the eponymous rascal inspiring everything from the names of businesses to stickers and T-shirts for tourists. But as one "South Jersey" native has informed us, The Pine Barrens themselves may be nothing like what outsiders envision, with most of it being "lush, green and beautiful" and a joy to explore. Also, maybe almost no one from the area believes the myth themselves.
The Count of St Germain Part 3
There seems to be no doubt that the Count of Saint Germain existed, but how did he exist and for how long? There are levels to the incredulity of his story. It seems unlikely that one individual could possess so many varied talents, but the Count's most unlikely talent was living into his 80s while still looking to be in his 50s. If you're willing to go even further and believe the accounts of some of his contemporaries, then the Count was over 100 years old and lived well into the 19th century.
The Fermi Paradox
While having lunch near the Los Alamos National Laboratory one day with the likes of Edward Teller, "father of the nuclear bomb" Nobel Prize winning physicist Enrico Fermi wondered out loud (after the topic of recent UFO sightings came up) "Where is everybody?" Basically what he meant was, if the universe is so seemingly infinite and old, and it's mathematically probable that other star systems have developed intelligent life like ours has, and it's also theoretically possible that an alien...
Flight 19 Part 2
At approximately 6:00 p.m. on 5 December 1945, an HF/DF signal fix was obtained for Flight 19, placing its location somewhere within a 100-mile radius off the east coast of Florida, but that would be the last trace of the squadron's existence. It wouldn't be the last tragedy of this story. Around 7:27 p.m., two Martin Mariner rescue planes were launched from NAS Banana River, FL to conduct a search.
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