Conspiracy Theories

Candy Jones had an impressive résumé: Miss Atlantic City, Model of the Year, highest-paid cover model of the 1940s, entrepreneur, radio personality, author…and an unwitting undercover CIA agent, brainwashed by the government. Or, so she claimed. To find out more, we’re digging into Candy’s story and speaking with author and historian John Lisle. Check out his new book, Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKULTRA, available now! Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@theconspiracypod⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1940, MI6 launched a covert operation to sway American opinion towards WWII involvement. They recruited Bill Stevenson to infiltrate U.S. power circles and orchestrate propaganda efforts. Street clashes were staged with activist groups to manipulate public sentiment. MI6 also produced fake news and forged documents, including a misleading map that influenced President Roosevelt’s views. Speculation arises about whether U.S. leaders, aware of impending danger, let Pearl Harbor happen. The discussion connects these historical tactics to current issues of misinformation.

Most of what we know about Helena Blavatsky’s life seems improbable. In her 59 years on Earth, she was a young Russian aristocrat. A Parisian circus performer. A concert pianist in England. A clairvoyant. A medium. A telepath. An author. A missionary. A descendant of a Rosicrucian Freemason. And some would say: a chain-smoking degenerate liar…possibly even a serial killer. What’s the truth? That’s a great question. Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@theconspiracypod⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Driving through the remote Utah desert on the way back to his military base, 23-year-old Private Gerry Irwin witnessed what he thought was a plane crash. He pulled over and ran off into the darkness to help the survivors… and woke up in the hospital 24 hours later with no memory of what happened next. According to the sheriff, he had to be mistaken—there was no evidence of a plane crash. No one had any idea what Gerry saw or what happened to him that night. Was it a mental breakdown? A UFO abduction? A CIA mind control experiment? Over 65 years later, and there are still more questions than answers… Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠ Instagram: ⁠@theconspiracypod⁠ TikTok: ⁠@conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1973, Jack and Janet Smurl move into a modest duplex in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, hoping for a fresh start. What follows is more than a decade of escalating disturbances: strange smells, disembodied voices, levitations, physical assaults, and eventually, a demonic entity said to stalk the family even outside their home. With no help from the Catholic Church, the Smurls turn to controversial paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who declare their house the site of one of the most terrifying hauntings they’ve ever encountered. But was it really a case of supernatural torment—or something else entirely? This is the true story that inspired The Conjuring: Last Rites, in theaters 2025. Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠ Instagram: ⁠@theconspiracypod⁠ TikTok: ⁠@conspiracy.pod⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba’s dictator in 1959, the Communist leader and provocateur quickly became a threat to the U.S. government. The CIA has been proven responsible for at least eight plots against Castro’s life. Despite the creativity of their attempts—including everything from an exploding cigar to a mafia hit—they were ultimately unsuccessful. But if there were reportedly over 600 attempts on Castro’s life during his reign, just how many were the CIA actually responsible for? Keep up with Conspiracy Theories!YouTube: @ConspiracyTheoriesPodcastInstagram: @theconspiracypodTikTok: @conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On July 17th, 1996, about 13 minutes into a direct flight from New York to Paris, TWA Flight 800 exploded in mid-air, killing all 230 people on board. An extensive investigation concluded that the most likely culprit was a mechanical issue. But the official story didn’t stop rumors that a missile brought down the airliner – and that the government was covering up the truth. Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠ Instagram: ⁠@theconspiracypod⁠ TikTok: ⁠@conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, they said Pine Gap was for space research. Then, it was a weather station. It’s now called a defense base, but Australians often refer to it as their country’s Area 51. Some suspect the facility is housing alien life and giant UFOs that have crash landed on earth. Others say its satellites and surveillance technology are part of a global war machine. What’s really going on at the top-secret military base located in Australia’s desert? You could ask the hundreds of people who work there, but they probably won’t tell you. Loose-lipped employees have apparently disappeared in the past. Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠ Instagram: ⁠@theconspiracypod⁠ TikTok: ⁠@conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Explore the legend of Henry Every, the so-called 'Pirate King,' who vanished after a daring heist. Discover his wild journey from Navy sailor to notorious pirate, rife with mutiny and treasure hunts. Delve into theories about his mysterious fate and a shocking connection to espionage. Did the King of England hire him as a spy? Unravel the intrigue of 17th-century piracy, legal battles, and the captivating folklore surrounding this elusive figure.

Imagine you wake up tomorrow and the person you depend upon most in this world is gone. No trace, no goodbyes, just vanished. Then, you find out they planned their disappearance — and have no intention of returning. In Japan, this phenomenon has a name: Johatsu, or “evaporated people.” Is it a silent escape from societal pressures or something more sinister? From clandestine "night-moving" services to whispers of a hidden underworld, we dive into the intriguing, and sometimes unsettling, world of Japan's missing. Keep up with Conspiracy Theories! YouTube: ⁠@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast⁠ Instagram: ⁠@theconspiracypod⁠ TikTok: ⁠@conspiracy.pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices