GHOSTS: October 2023 podcast playlist

What is it about ghost stories that keeps us coming back for more? Is it our desperate desire to know what happens after death? Is it the thrill and the adrenaline that rushes through us when we’re scared while also knowing we’re safe? Is it the sense of wonder we get when we think about the afterlife? This playlist explores all things ghost-related….so make sure you listen when you’re at home alone and it’s dark outside (or, if you’re like me, make sure you’re in a crowded area in the middle of the day)!

This playlist was curated by Andrea Klunder, a member of the Chicago chapter. Andrea is also and founder & producer of The Creative Impostor Studios, an award-nominated podcast production agency for mission-driven organizations and entrepreneurs. She is the host of Podcast Envy and facilitates an after-school high school podcasting program that produces Power Your Story.

When I asked Andrea why she wanted to curate a playlist on the theme of ghosts, she said, “Obviously it’s Halloween month! Beyond that, I’ve always loved gathering around a crackling campfire in a darkened wood to share ghost stories. Or freaking each other at a 5th grade slumber party by telling creepy tales with a flashlight held at the most unflattering angle just under your chin. Or lying awake at night because I just listened to a spooky ghost podcast and now I hear EVERY SOUND in my apartment. Also, I will never buy a home with laundry in the basement. Ever.”

Podcast Playlist on GHOSTS

Get the full playlist on your podcast player of choice using these platforms:

Stories with Sapphire: “Unexpected Visitors: Stories of surprise encounters with ghosts, spirits, and entities” (September 2023, 37 min)
Real stories from people who were visited by something they were not planning to see – from the sweet to the downright creepy. First, the tale of a family who was haunted by an inappropriate little boy in their condo. Then, Kaelyn Moore tells us about the haunted piano she used to own.
Margins of Error: “How The Paranormal Became, Well, Pretty Normal” (September 2021, 22 min)
Do you believe in ghosts? Turns out a lot of people do in this country … more than 45% of us. That’s up almost 400% in the last 40 years! So what happened? Harry Enten digs into the numbers behind the paranormal and whether the uptick has anything to do with a certain 1980s hit movie.
Homespun Haints: “I Am Talking to this Motherf*ing Ghost” (April 2021, 49 min)
This episode features a man who has been seeing paranormal entities his whole life, and he’s developed methods to, well, live with them.
Richard Wiseman’s On Your Mind: “S1 Ep4: Ghosts” (February 2023, 30 min)
Are humans psychologically primed to believe in ghosts? What links some of the UK’s most ‘haunted’ locations? And can Richard Wiseman explain the reality behind one Rockstar’s ghostly experience?
Criminal: “Episode 175: Ghost Racket Crusade” (October 2021, 43 min)
The story of two famous friends — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini — and the disagreement that ended their friendship: can we speak to the dead?
Bonus podcast episodes:

• Spirits: “334: Conspiracy, Ghost Hunting, and Graverobbing (with Colin Dickey)” (May 2023, 52 min)
  Writer and academic, Colin Dickey, discusses hot takes of ghost hunting shows as reality TV, the banality of evil, and how haunted architecture reflects what society is most afraid of.
• Uncanny Japan: “Yuurei: Japanese Ghosts from Protective to Wrathful (Ep. 62)” (October 2020, 23 min)
  Yuurei are Japanese ghosts and they come in quite a few varieties, from the protecting shugorei to the vengeful and very dangerous onryou.
• Encounter Culture: “What Have the Trees Seen? New Mexico Folklore at Los Luceros Historic Site with Carly Stewart and Rebecca Ward” (October 2022, 32 min)
  Learn about the epic history of New Mexico’s newest historic site and take a “spirited” trip around Los Luceros’ atmospheric acreage. Otherworldly encounters at Los Luceros include heavy windows mysteriously opening on their own and broken clocks suddenly ticking the time.
• American Hysteria: “On Haunted Houses with Carmen Maria Machado” (April 2021, 58 min)
  A discussion about haunted house motifs in American horror movies, the emotional core of these stories, and our personal experiences with various kinds of ghosts, both the scary and the beautiful.
• The Ghost In My Room: “Episode 6 Gettysburg/Double Day Inn” (October 2019, 34 min)
  Learn the history of Gettysburg, the historic civil war town and battlefield. The Double Day Inn provides access to Iverson’s Pits and an intelligent haunt.

Conversation Starter Questions:

1. Why do you think there is a growing belief in ghosts, spirits, and paranormal experiences?
2. Have you ever had a ghostly experience? Did you think right away that something paranormal was happening, or did you try to explain it in other ways?
3. What factors lead to a paranormal experience?
4. What are the ethical considerations when monetizing ghosts for profit? Is there a difference between entertainment (i.e. ghost hunting shows) and channeling (i.e. seances & mediumship readings)?
5. What, if anything, is our responsibility to the spirit world?