

Astonishing Legends
Astonishing Legends Productions
The world is more mysterious than most people are comfortable imagining. We cross paths with the mystical from time to time and may not even notice it. If we do, we quickly return to our usually mundane daily existence. But what if we not only acknowledged the unknown, we investigated it and spoke with those in the know? That's what co-hosts Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess, and co-executive producer Tess Pfeifle do at Astonishing Legends. Over 100 million downloads and hundreds of thousands of listeners have discovered the thrill of exploring the mysteries of our world, showing that the unknown can be both captivating and intriguing. Welcome to Astonishing Legends!
Episodes
Mentioned books

4 snips
Jul 14, 2024 • 1h 44min
The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction Part 1
A couple encounters a UFO on a road trip, undergoes hypnosis to reveal the truth, and faces eerie experiences leading to their alleged abduction. The podcast explores encounters with aliens, psychic abilities, and hypnosis, delving into the aftermath of the mysterious encounter and discussing skepticism, interracial marriage challenges, and unexplained phenomena.

Jun 30, 2024 • 1h 1min
Live from Monster Fest 2 w/ Scared All The Time
Scott and Forrest are joined by Chris Cullari and Ed Voccola, the hosts of Scared All The Time, for a live show at Monster Fest 2. Featuring live listener stories and EVP’s collected live on site from the Sallie House DR60!
Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
And check out more from our hit network show Scared All The Time!

Jun 23, 2024 • 2h 19min
The Lizard Man of Bishopville with Lyle Blackburn
On June 29, 1988, around 2:30 a.m., Christopher "Chris" Davis drove home after working the night shift at his local McDonald's. Driving along Browntown Road, which cuts through the dense woods of Scape Ore Swamp in South Carolina, Chris hears the pop of a flat tire on his car. As he finishes installing the spare, he notices something large and dark coming out of the trees, moving towards him about 30 yards away and swinging its arms. In an interview with The Item newspaper, Chris described seeing this humanoid creature with glowing red eyes close up, saying it was "green, wetlike, about seven feet tall and had three fingers... a red-eyed devil." Terrified, Davis ran to the driver's door and jumped in. Once inside, this bipedal beast was now right outside his window, where he could see it from the neck down. It then jumped up onto the roof of his car, where he could see its "rough-looking, black-fingernailed hands, sticking down from the windshield." The cryptid deeply grunts as Chris peels out, attempting to escape. As he estimated he was driving about 35-40 mph, this thing had caught up to the car and jumped onto the roof again, banging and clawing at it. The creature finally fell off as he swerved frantically, racing home. This encounter would become the best-known report of this impossible monster emerging from Scape Ore Swamp, but it was not the first, nor would it be the last. At least one verified account tells of a sighting occurring two years prior, and a handful of police reports describe run-ins that happened in the years following Davis's experience. Chris Davis never called it the "Lizard Man," but residents had already labeled some previously seen brute by that description. And when a local reporter printed the nickname, the moniker stuck in the broader public's imagination. Sheriff Liston Truesdale was the one person who vetted all the claims, took reports from witnesses, and investigated their stories. And we're fortunate and grateful to have on our show tonight the one person who spent time interviewing Sheriff Truesdale, questioned locals, visited locations, and wrote a book about it all, our friend and noted cryptozoology researcher and author Lyle Blackburn. Lyle's 2013 book, Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster, is the phenomenon's most comprehensive and detailed history. As the sightings and questions continue, perhaps the most puzzling and troubling thing is whether everyone sees the same being and whether it is reptilian, more Bigfoot-like, or some other horror altogether.
Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.

May 19, 2024 • 1h 29min
Nightmarchers of Hawaii
Explore the chilling folklore of Hawaii's Night Marchers, eerie encounters with spectral entities, and the consequences of breaking ancient taboos. Dive into the spiritual power of Mana, the importance of preserving cultural heritage, and personal experiences with supernatural beings.

May 11, 2024 • 2h 2min
The SS Kamloops and Old Whitey
When most of us think of shipwrecks, images of rough ocean waves and sailing vessels of yore come to mind. But those familiar with the Great Lakes region of the north-central United States and southern Canada know all too well that these massive bodies of fresh water produce devastating storms and treacherous swells to rival any sea. Estimates are that around 6000 vessels and 30,000 lives have fallen victim to their notoriously severe weather and deadly waters. In December 1927, a "raging blizzard" on Lake Superior claimed the steamship SS Kamloops and all 22 souls aboard. But was she really a "Ghost Ship," as the legends often describe? The ship went missing and remained undiscovered until 1977 but is in unusually, reasonably intact condition. So, although the wreck was found, the SS Kamloops is still known for a ghost of its own. At least one crew member remains, still manning his station, who is perhaps both a ghost and a corpse. Some divers on the wreck have claimed that the body of this crewman follows them around as they explore, known as "Old Whitey" because of his appearance. Others have also claimed to see a spirit nicknamed "Grandpa" because of his appearance, still on duty in the icy depths. Are these beings the same, and are their perceived actions the result of fluid dynamics and decompression sickness? Join us as we take a deep dive to get to the bottom of the legend of the SS Kamloops and Old Whitey.
Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.

Apr 27, 2024 • 1h 34min
The Elusive Force: A Powerful Polish Poltergeist Part 2
Clinical therapist Brandon Massullo and psychologist James Houran, Ph.D., discuss the paranormal case of Joasia Gajeweski, highlighting challenges of investigations, deception in parapsychological phenomena, and the enigmatic traits of individuals with unique abilities. They explore rare cases of psychokinetic effects, poltergeist activity, and bioenergy, while also touching on the impact on families and the complexities of belief in paranormal experiences.

Apr 24, 2024 • 50min
The World of Ted Serios
The Astonishing Legends Network presents the third episode of Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf! Listen, and after you love it, find and subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts!
Richard delves into challenging misconceptions held by both skeptics and believers through the lens of Jule Eisenbud's "The World of Ted Serios," which underscores the significance of caution in scientific inquiry while also exploring the debilitating doubt often encountered in paranormal exploration.
“Certainly an attitude of caution and skepticism should be expected of anyone undertaking to test a hypothesis according to conventional cannons of scientific inquiry. But not the kind of gnawing, festering doubt that took possession of me." –The World of Ted Serios by Jule Eisenbud
In this episode of Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf, we’re exploring The World of Ted Serios by Jule Eisenbud. And we’re taking on one of the longest-standing feuds in the world of paranormal exploration: skeptics vs. believers.
In the 1960s, Theodore Judd Serios, a Chicago bellhop, gained fame for producing "thoughtographs.” Ted, it seems, could think images onto film. Polaroid film to be exact. Parapsychologist Jule Eisenbud arranges to meet with him, and over the next three years of wild experiments, Jule goes down a rabbit hole from which he never completely emerged.
As Richard immerses himself in Eisenbud's narrative, he grapples with the dichotomy between skeptics and believers, challenging misconceptions that often plague serious paranormal inquiry. Through insightful commentary, Richard sheds light on the rational pursuit of knowledge among individuals intrigued by the unexplained, contrasting it with the hasty conclusions drawn by both skeptics and true believers.

Apr 16, 2024 • 7min
Vote 80's TV Ladies for a Webby!
Vote for 80’s TV Ladies for Best Indie Podcast at the Webby Awards Now! Voting ends Thursday, April 18th, 2024.
tinyurl.com/vote80tvl

Apr 14, 2024 • 1h 39min
The Elusive Force: A Powerful Polish Poltergeist Part 1
In a small town in Poland, a poltergeist case in 1983 started with a straw mat falling on a man's head and escalated into extreme destruction. The family's 13-year-old daughter was seen as the catalyst for the bizarre happenings. Scientists could study the case due to its consistency and power, attracting national news attention in Poland. The podcast explores psychic abilities, mysterious paranormal events, and the clash between belief and skepticism in supernatural talents.

Mar 27, 2024 • 40min
Ghosts and Specters
A nostalgic journey back to childhood fears and fascination with ghosts through a book titled Ghosts & Specters by Bruce and Nancy Roberts. The power of books to ignite a lifelong obsession with the supernatural. Tales of ghostly apparitions and eerie photographs that blur the lines between reality and fear.