Best Looming Shadows Podcasts (2025)

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CLASSIC: What is "Laying On Hands"? 59:51

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27m ago59:51

59:51

In the ancient days, when medicine and spirituality were inseparable, people often used rituals and invocations to elicit help from divine sources. This practice continues today, through a number of techniques collectively known as faith healing. But what is it, exactly? How does it work? Could mere physical touch from the right person heal otherwi…

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CLASSIC: You're Getting A Vibe: The Strange Science of Auras 53:33

3d ago53:33

53:33

For millennia, people in civilizations across the planet have claimed to perceive intangible energy emanating from people, animals, plants -- and even inanimate objects. And, in recent centuries, scientists and mystics alike have sought to explain this phenomenon. As you might imagine, not everyone agrees on what an aura could be -- or whether it e…

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Tales to Terrify 726 Amanda Cecelia Lang 48:58

4h ago48:58

48:58

Welcome to episode 726 and Happy Holidays! We have one tale for you this week, about a toy who searches for his purpose amidst the whispered secrets and gnashing teeth of a darkened nursery. COMING UP Good Evening: Merry Christmas: 00:01:06 Amanda Cecelia Lang’s The Velveteen Goblin as read by S. H. Cooper: 00:03:49 PERTINENT LINKS Support us on Pa…

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CLASSIC: The Dark Side of the Loom, Chapter II: Pollution, Extinction, and the Fashion Industry 1:06:01

4d ago1:06:01

1:06:01

Everyone loves looking sharp - and saving money in the process. But what if there's a hidden cost to all this fast fashion and these trendy cosmetics? In the second part of this series, the guys return to the underbelly of the worldwide fashion and cosmetic industries, exploring how the global production process affects wildlife and spreads polluti…

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CLASSIC: The Dark Side of the Loom, Chapter I: Hidden Costs of the Fashion Industry 1:07:01

6d ago1:07:01

1:07:01

If you're like the vast majority of people, you wear clothes. Clothing is one of the oldest pieces of human technology, and these days it's also a multi-billion dollar industry. People across the planet use clothing and fashion as a means of expression, a way to make a living, and a way to communicate. But, like any other industry of the size, the …

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CLASSIC: What is 'Antifa?' 1:06:10

6d ago1:06:10

1:06:10

If you've been watching the news, you've probably heard journalists and pundits throwing around the word "antifa," often in relation to protests. The phrase, a portmanteau of "anti-fascist," has been used to describe multiple groups and individuals. It's become the subject of several conspiracy theories as well - but what exactly is "antifa"? Tune …

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CLASSIC: What really sank the Kursk? 56:54

8d ago56:54

56:54

More than 500 feet long and carrying missiles the size of small planes, the giant, nuclear-powered Kursk submarine was an apex predator of the high seas. At least, that is, until it was destroyed in one of the most catastrophic peacetime submarine accidents in history. The entire crew was lost and, decades later, some still believe this 'accident' …

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Introducing "History of the 90s Xmas Movies" 34:45

3d ago34:45

34:45

The 1990s were loaded with great holiday movies. From Home Alone to A Nightmare before Christmas there was something for everyone. In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at five Christmas classics that have stood the test of time. Show Info: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@that90spodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tik Tok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠90s…

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The Elf On The Shelf Is Part of the Surveillance State! 1:17:53

10d ago1:17:53

1:17:53

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Ben, Matt and Noel have a special, spoiler-filled episode just for you, fellow Conspiracy Realists! You see, something strange happened over recent years: Santa, Rudolph and all the usual characters of Christmas have been joined by a new entity... a little Elf, hanging around your house from Thanksgiving…

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Tales to Terrify 725 Adam May 45:50

6d ago45:50

45:50

Welcome to episode 725. We have one tale tonight, about a mysterious chair in the woods that offers a young man escape from the darkness of everyday life. COMING UP Good Evening: Special Submissions Period, Thank-you: 00:01:06 Adam May’s The Chair as read by Joel Simler: 00:04:22 PERTINENT LINKS Support us on Patreon! Spread the darkness. Shop Tale…

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CLASSIC: The True Cost of Gasoline 1:01:30

12d ago1:01:30

1:01:30

For most of modern history, the world has run on oil. In the US and abroad, the price of gasoline is often the subject of intense concern, and prices at the pump vary widely. The difference of a few dollars per gallon can incite widespread unrest. But there's a question rarely asked: How much should gas actually cost? They don't want you to read ou…

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Save The World and Screw The Sun: Weather Modification, 2025 1:03:00

12d ago1:03:00

1:03:00

Remember when chatting about the weather used to be nothing more than small talk? Those days are long gone. As the climate becomes increasingly chaotic, powerful interests have returned to the controversial -- at times, conspiratorial -- concept of weather modification. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive deep into the bizarre, outlandish…

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CLASSIC: Interview: Who Killed JFK? with Rob Reiner 1:14:16

13d ago1:14:16

1:14:16

In the wake of the death of Rob Reiner and his spouse Michele, Ben, Matt and Noel share some of their memories working with Rob and return to their classic interview with him, from 2023: Sixty years ago this week, US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. In tonight's conversation, Ben,…

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Strange News: Your Gut Predicts the Future; Quesadilla versus Flat Earth Theory, Wanted: Boomerang! And So Much More 59:48

14d ago59:48

59:48

In this week's strange news segment, Ben, Noel and Dylan explore how a human gut biome may predict linear future. Conversations about social media ephemera. Ben cops to his "missing: boomerang" posters, shouts out The Daily Zeitgeist, and asks Noel to explain "6-7." Dylan shares a weird story about returning to the United States as the U.S. asks to…

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The Briars Resort 35:39

10d ago35:39

35:39

Whispers echo through the halls of this 1840 resort and not every footstep belongs to the living. The Briars Resort and Spa in Georgina, Ontario is a beautiful location for a Christmas getaway and a perfect place to savour what the season has to offer. It is also a fabulous go-to destination if you wish to experience unexplained phenomena or to per…

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We Finally Did It: The Nibiru Episode. 58:09

17d ago58:09

58:09

Tonight's episode: Ben, Matt, Noel and Dylan ask: How many planets exist? According to current astronomical research, a lot of speculation and tons of conspiracy theories, there may be more to the solar system. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for priva…

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Tales to Terrify 724 Ann O’Mara Heyward & Sabine Baring-Gould 58:34

13d ago58:34

58:34

Welcome to episode 724. We have two tales for you this week. First, a young woman faces the horrifying choice of what to do when all hope is gone. Then, a mother, fueled by grief, curses the man who murdered her son – with unexpected consequences. COMING UP Good Evening: 00:01:06 Ann O’Mara Heyward’s The Kitchen Window as read by Kelli Tager: 00:03…

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A political year in review with Melissa Clarke and Michael Read 26:16

13d ago26:16

26:16

In our final episode for 2025, political editor Tom McIlroy speaks with Melissa Clarke from ABC RN Breakfast and Michael Read from the Australian Financial Review. The press gallery colleagues discuss the prime minister’s performance and his seemingly mild ambition for bold reform, and assess the government’s diplomatic balancing act of maintaining…

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CLASSIC: The Hidden History of Africville 40:31

19d ago40:31

40:31

If you're not from Nova Scotia, you may have never heard of Africville -- it was a small community in Halifax. The larger government of Halifax seemed content to pretend Africville simply didn't exist. After the infamous Halifax Explosion of the early 1900s, the government changed their tactic, and aggressively conspired to erase Africville from hi…

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Guardian Essential report: One Nation support soars - podcast 23:26

14d ago23:26

23:26

After the furore over Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt and Barnaby Joyce’s defection to One Nation, the latest Guardian Essential Poll shows a surge in the party’s primary vote. Essential Media’s executive director, Peter Lewis and Guardian Australia political reporters Josh Butler and Krishani Dhanji unpack whether or not the Joyce factor played a par…

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Rapa Nui: The Mystery of Easter Island 54:04

19d ago54:04

54:04

Located in the eastern Pacific ocean, thousands of miles from other civilizations, Rapa Nui is home to an enduring mystery: hundreds of giant, stone sculptures called maoi. For centuries, outsiders had no idea how these were built, when, why or -- most importantly -- what happened to make the construction stop. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and N…

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CLASSIC: A Cosmic Murder Mystery: The Star That Simply Vanished 48:16

20d ago48:16

48:16

How can a star disappear? As Ben, Matt and Noel learn in this evening's Classic episode, there's more than a bit of weirdness involved: a few years back, an enterprising group of astronomers and astrophysicists found themselves transformed into full-on space detectives when a cursory observation of a luminous blue variable star located in the Kinma…

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Strange News: Animal Heists, Curious Attacks, the Age of Disclosure, Radioactive Fun Guys, and So Much More 1:09:13

21d ago1:09:13

1:09:13

It's almost the end of the year -- Disclosure looms, raccoons and humans alike pull heists, folks are housing Faberge eggs, fungi evolves in Chernobyl and pretty much everyone is trying to survive. Ben, Matt and Dylan want to tell you a joke at the beginning of this week's strange news segment. Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes inspired by this …

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Rime of the Frostmaiden - Session 4 - Securing the haul. 1:21:09

18d ago1:21:09

1:21:09

The haul has been secured, but how will they get it back to Bryn Shander? And what of the goblins?By Reagan Morris

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Le Château Frontenac 24:05

17d ago24:05

24:05

The Château Frontenac offers splendid views of the river and being inside feels like stepping back in time. But ever since it was built in 1893, there have been reports of reporting paranormal sightings. Some guests have even woken up to spectral visitors in the middle of the night, while others have seen the 17th-century Governor General wandering…

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The Horrifying Mysteries of Chicago's Ripper Crew 1:24:47

24d ago1:24:47

1:24:47

Warning: This episode contains graphic, accurate descriptions of unclean actions, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. In 1981 and 1982, an horrific series of murders and mutilation gripped Chicago. Ultimately, investigators found four men guilty of the crimes: Edward Spreitzer, brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis, and the alleged ringle…

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Tales to Terrify 723 Derek Alan Jones 53:02

20d ago53:02

53:02

Welcome to episode 723. We have one longer tale for you this evening, about a team of Antiquarians tasked with uncovering the origin of a mysterious artifact. COMING UP Good Evening: 00:01:06 Derek Alan Jones’ Antiquity as read by Douglas Gwilym: 00:02:32 PERTINENT LINKS Support us on Patreon! Spread the darkness. Shop Tales to Terrify Merch Derek …

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Penny Wong on Trump, Putin and reshaping foreign policy 20:36

20d ago20:36

20:36

This week Labor committed additional military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia as part of a Nato-led initiative. The government also announced new sanctions on Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, which are a source of revenue for Moscow. Amid these announcements and in the last week of Senate estimates, foreign affairs mini…

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Listener Mail: Underground Bumps in the Night, Hidden Missiles, Selling Your Soul and More 1:00:44

25d ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Hidalgo, Jimothy and Pure prompt Ben, Matt and Dylan to dive even deeper into the bizarre world of hidden structures underground -- including bunkers and top-secret missile siloes, just waiting for that launch command. Pastor Banks reaches out with a deep conversation about the nature of the soul, and Calamity Chris confirms the ancient folklore of…

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The Mysterious Story of Russia's "Shadow Fleet" 1:08:47

26d ago1:08:47

1:08:47

As Russia and the West escalate their tensions, the world enacts sanctions meant to cripple the Russian economy -- "you can't sell oil," says the West. Ordinarily, a sanctioned country would have no recourse. Yet, as Ben, Dylan, Matt and Noel discover in tonight's episode, Russia took a different route: a secret navy of ragtag vessels sailing under…

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CLASSIC: The Deepcut Suicides 59:04

28d ago59:04

59:04

Located in Surrey, the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut (more often known as the Deepcut Barracks) was once the headquarters of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corp. On paper, Deepcut seemed to be a successful military installation -- yet it had a dark side. Young trainees were routinely bullied and abused, with little high-level oversight. A ser…

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Strange News: Do you recall ice cream? AI Religion, Campbell's Soup, New Pesticides and More. 1:13:51

28d ago1:13:51

1:13:51

Recent changes in social media reveal a vast network of trolls, prompting Ben to ask the gang, once again, about the dilemma of anonymity. The FDA folds on new pesticides. As predicted, AI launches a religion. There's this whole thing about Campbell's soup. All this and more in this week's Strange News segment. If you dig this weekly segment, check…

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Commanda Museum 25:05

24d ago25:05

25:05

In the late 1800's, the community of Commanda sprang up as a way station along the Old Nipissing Road, one of the last routes built to entice immigrants to Ontario's near north. In 1885 by James and Elizabeth Arthurs, built a store strategically located on the Rosseau-Nipissing Road. During the boom years of settlement in the Southern Canadian Shie…

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Uncontacted Tribes: Fact and Fiction 1:00:15

1M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt at Noel separate fact from the fiction surrounding uncontacted peoples: Who's the most off-grid person you know? Have you ever fantasized about clocking out of the modern rat race, heading for the boonies, and living off the land with your loved ones? While 'uncontacted' communities are a huge part of film and fictio…

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Tales to Terrify 722 Sam Logan & E. F. Benson 46:02

1M ago46:02

46:02

Welcome to episode 722. We have two tales for you this week. First, we develop an unfortunate aversion to fingernails. Then, a wife, tired of her husband’s illness, soon regrets taking matters into her own hands. COMING UP Good Evening: 00:01:06 [Trigger] Sam Logan’s They All Must Go as read by Summer Brooks: 00:03:02 [Trigger] E. F. Benson’s Chris…

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Sussan Ley is 'still up for the job' of opposition leader 24:55

28d ago24:55

24:55

Ever since she was elected opposition leader, Sussan Ley has faced strong criticisms from within her party and across the parliament. Some commentators even predicted she’d be out of the job already. But she has made it to the last sitting week of parliament for the year. On the other side of the aisle, the Albanese government managed to meet their…

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CLASSIC: Happy Thanksgiving! Also -- when did humans reach the Americas? 43:39

1M ago43:39

43:39

Did human beings first reach the continents we call North and South America by traversing a land bride across what's now known as the Bering Strait? That's been the most prominent theory about early human migration, and it's the one many children learn about in school -- but what if there's more to the story? Join the guys as they dive into the sto…

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The National Debt Conspiracy 1:11:35

1M ago1:11:35

1:11:35

Oof -- debt. People have it, companies have it, and a lot of countries do, too. In the US, the national debt becomes a hot-button issue every time elections roll around. But how does debt work when the country that owes the debt literally makes the rules around finance? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the dizzying (and sometimes te…

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Guardian Essential report: Climate doom and AI anxiety 26:03

30d ago26:03

26:03

Just over half of voters say that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. The same number of voters had the same response more than 15 years ago, so Essential Media’s executive director, Peter Lewis, and political reporter Josh Butler unpack the difference between the science and…

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CLASSIC: How Rigging Elections Works: Mexico, 1988 1:02:01

1M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

While democracy isn't always predictable, one thing's for sure -- no matter who wins an election, for any party, in any country, some part of the population will claim the game is rigged. That's what happened in Mexico in 1988, when Carlos Salinas de Gortari became president in a hotly-disputed election. For years rumors circulated about the illega…