The Gist The Ghost Lab — Bigfoot, Ghosts, and Government Distrust in the Granite State
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Jun 10, 2025 Matt Hongoltz-Hetling, author of 'The Ghost Lab' and 'A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear', dives into New Hampshire's quirky paranormal scene. He shares insights on a ghost-hunting team featuring a psychic medium and a Bigfoot believer, exploring how these eccentric interests illuminate deeper societal issues. The discussion takes a humorous turn, highlighting America’s diminishing trust in institutions, with more belief in the supernatural than democracy itself. The conversation also touches on how local unrest ties into broader themes of governance and community.
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New Hampshire's Deep Distrust Insight
- New Hampshire ranks as a national leader in distrust with many believing in extremist government conspiracies.
- This low trust reflects a broader decline in institutional trust nationwide, mirroring New Hampshire’s cultural trends.
Paranormal Team Diverse Beliefs
- The paranormal team includes a psychic medium, a paranormal paralegal, and a Bigfoot believer and alien abductee.
- Each embodies key paranormal community strains, highlighting diverse fringe beliefs in New Hampshire.
Supernatural Beliefs as Coping
- Distrust in institutions often arises when people feel unstable or lacking control.
- In such states, they turn to supernatural beliefs as coping mechanisms.
