This week, SMiles Lewis joins AP for a wide-ranging discussion about fringe and conspiracy narratives and the ways in which many of these ideas have mutated as they have made their way into mainstream culture. SMiles is the founder of Anomaly Archives, a Texas-based collection of over 7000 titles related to UFOs, parapsychology, and other unexplained phenomena. He is a longtime researcher, writer, and podcaster with a valuable perspective on the topic at hand. In 2023, he was featured in a New York Times Op Ed by Dr. Annie Kelly, which analyzed the rise of QAnon and the prominence of conspiracy theories in public discourse. Times being as they are, it seemed a fruitful line of inquiry to revisit the topic and discuss how this has progressed in the few short years since Dr. Kelly wrote her article.

In conversation here, SMiles discusses his history with fringe topics and various turning points in the last few decades that have helped formerly fringe ideas proliferate. They manage to find room for levity in what might seem a dark topic, as they discuss everything from 9 / 11 truthers to Bohemian Grove and more. Also discussed is the balancing act of remaining simultaneously critical and open to ideas, and the importance of preserving one's sanity when diving into rabbit holes.

Check out SMiles' work at Anomaly Archives here: https://anomalyarchives.org/ , and consider joining the Patreon for it to help support a tremendous lending library in need!

This week's show is a fun and fascinating discussion with author and journalist Aaron Smith about his book, Natural Born! Circus, Sideshow, and the Art of Being Human. In the book, he interviews and profiles working performers in the world of sideshow that would have once been called "freaks"- now largely preferring the term "Natural Born"- about their experiences, lives, philosophies, and ambitions. Before he began his career in journalism, Aaron had worked for the circus as a cotton candy vendor and a roustabout, giving him a unique insider perspective and credential that leads to enlightening conversations with those profiled about humanity and finding one's place in the world. In conversation here, Smith explains the inspiration for the book and the methods he undertook to find these performers, providing a snapshot of the modern version of a sideshow- something many would assume is a thing of the past.

He and AP talk about several of the performers featured in the book, such as Jackie the Human Tripod, Short E. Dangerously, The Bendable Girl Camille Zamboni, and many more. Actor and natural Mat Fraser, aka Seal Boy, comes up frequently both in the book and discussion; he was among the stars of the TV series American Horror Story in the Freak Show season, which leads to talk of media representation and common perspectives about people who are born differently. This provides a through line for the history of the subject, from the early days and the ever presents specter of exploitation, which makes the points of view of these modern day performers all the more valuable.

Check out Aaron Smith's book from Outside Talker Press here: https://outsidetalkerpress.bigcartel.com/product/natural-born-circus-sideshow-and-the-art-of-being-human

On this week's episode, Rachel Nelson joins AP for an in-depth and thoughtful discussion about the merry old land of Oz and the many ways the mythic realm has impacted our culture since L. Frank Baum first created it. Rachel is a researcher, a poet, and a presenter of the strange over at Ufo Sunset, a multimedia project she works on with Jeff Knox. In this conversation, Rachel discusses what ultimately led her to the UFO subject through a variety of other strange interests, where her interest in Oz began, and how these two interests often overlap. More than that, though, they discuss how ubiquitous the Oz narratives are which inform us all in some way or another.

The discussion covers a bit about Baum and his life, and his influences which include his mother-in-law, the activist Matilda Joslyn Gage. The 1985 movie Return to Oz is also discussed, with a focus on the character of Princess Ozma. The freewheeling conversation frequently alludes to concepts in the field of anomalies such as the Oz Effect, and attempts to contact ET civilizations, while also dipping into the almost subliminal qualities of tropes and narratives within the Oz cannon in the cultural subconscious. Further, there's discussions about semiotics, David Lynch, and finally, Rachel's current efforts with a large scale poetry project. Of course there's also lions and tigers and bears along the way!

Check out the awesome videos by Ufo Sunset at https://www.youtube.com/@UfoSunset1947

This week's episode is an exploration of the occult underpinnings of our modern technological age, as guest Shira Chess discusses her recent book The Unseen Internet: Conjuring the Occult in Digital Discourse. Shira is an Associate Professor of Entertainment and Media Studies at the University of Georgia, and she brings scholarly rigor to topics that don't often get such careful attention- especially in examples that seem so strange from an outside perspective. The book covers a wide variety of modern occult and magical traditions that informed the creators and early users of the internet, providing a through-line to the types of weirdness we see online and offline today.

Topics covered include meme magick, reality shifting, the Back Rooms, Mandela Effects, and the gamification of reality. In discussing such phenomena the conversation weaves in traditional occult themes such as Theosophical ideas and Solomonic Magic, and much more modern Chaos Magick and Discordian practices. In talking about all of these themes, questions are raised about the malleability of consensus reality, our perception of it, and what can be done with it.

Check out Shira's fascinating book at https://mitpress.mit.edu/author/shira-chess-2026/
And follow her on Substack at https://substack.com/@unseeninternet

This week, author and musician Mike Fiorito returns to the show to discuss his latest book, The Innerspace of Outerspace: Exploring Other Worlds Through Music. In the book, he explores UFO and UFO adjacent themes as well as his personal stories and interactions with music as a gateway to expanded consciousness. Covering an array of popular music and artists, he pulls on threads that uncover the varied ways music is inspired by, and enhances, esoteric states. In conversation here, he and AP talk about Sun Ra's life and works, Pink Floyd and the legacy of Syd Barrett, bands such as Yes and Boston, as well as the channeled origins of New Age music through Steve Halpern. They also share personal anecdotes about discovering music, and the various ways that songs can carry meaning.

The book serves as an exploration of the realms music can inhabit, and how it can help us traverse various states of being- as something visionary, transformative, and communicative of truths that language alone can't convey. Check out The Innerspace of Outerspace here (where you can also find Mike's other books): https://mikefiorito.com/mikes-bio-and-books-1

On this week's show, we're celebrating International Women's Day with paranormal writer and ghost tour entrepreneur Allison Jornlin! Allison's excellent website, https://paranormalwomen.com/ , shines a spotlight on women throughout history who have contributed to the knowledge and study of all things paranormal. In this conversation, she and AP get into a little about her background, what drew her to the women she writes about, and the increasing importance of promoting and preserving such history especially in times as fraught as these.

There are plenty of entries on her website, and this conversation barely scratched the surface. In it you will hear about Catherine Crowe, Eleanor Sidgwick, Louisa Rhine, Alexandra David-Neel, Lahe'ena'e Gay, Rose Mackenberg, and more! Discussed also is Linda Godfrey, and Allison's personal reminiscence of her as a writer, friend, and influence.

Be sure to check out Allison's writings on these incredible women, and her work with American Ghost Walks as well!
https://www.americanghostwalks.com/about-us

This week, Dr. Cinzia Yates joins AP for a discussion about her independent efforts to investigate one of the most puzzling and strange cases in all of paranormal history- that of the Dodleston Messages. Dr. Yates brings a unique perspective to the case, both from her academic background in ethnomusicology, history, and folklore as well as her oddly personal connections that brought the story to her attention originally. In the show, she and AP discuss the case in detail- a story of apparently time-traveling messages on an early computer, poltergeist activity, and much more!

Listeners may be familiar with the messages from the Ken Webster book, The Vertical Plane, which until recently was out of print- but renewed interest in the events described in the book as well as efforts from some of those originally involved in the story have made it more widely available. Cinzia's phenomenological approach to digging into the evidence stands out as a particularly interesting angle on what is already a highly weird case- and in discussion here, she lays out a lot of great questions and insights!

Check out the work she's doing at https://dodlestonmessages.wordpress.com/
And follow along on bluesky at @dodlestonresearch.bsky.social

This week, AP talks with Jack Brewer about Expanding Frontiers Research, a non-profit organization he founded along with Erica Lukes which is dedicated to responsible reporting and education around sourcing information on the topic of UFOs. Jack is a longtime UFO researcher and the author of such books as The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community and Wayward Sons: NICAP and the IC. In this episode, he and AP discuss some recent work featured on the Expanding Frontiers blog regarding the FBI's interest in contactees and UFO groups such as The New York Saucer Information Bureau- which includes surprising insights about figures such as Ivan T. Sanderson. Along the way, attention is brought to standards of evidence and what can be concluded about various mystery figures within private UFO organizations, as well as the motivations of law enforcement at the time and some of the trickier aspects of filing FOIA requests.
This leads to a broader conversation about critical thinking and how to avoid jumping to conclusions, particularly with something as nebulous as UFO research. Also discussed are Jack's personal thoughts on the Phenomenon, the do's and don't's of talking to spooks, and some revelations uncovered about the Ramtha UFO cult.

Check out Expanding Frontiers here: https://www.expandingfrontiersresearch.org/
And check out Jack's books, available on Amazon!