

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Ballen Studios
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories is a true crime and mystery podcast that presents strange, dark and mysterious content delivered in story format. The program is hosted by John Allen a.k.a. MrBallen.
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Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes 7-days early and ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 22, 2023 • 38min
Talking to the Dead (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
On March 22nd, 1994, four people were sitting in a circle inside of a dark hotel room. In front of them was a homemade ouija board, which is something people use to try to communicate with the dead. It's basically a rectangular board or paper with letters and numbers on it, as well as the words “yes” and “no” on it. The four people in the hotel room reached out one finger each and placed that finger on a glass cup that was flipped upside down resting in the middle of the board. After looking around at each other nervously, one of the four people began to speak out loud. They asked the room if there were any spirits with them right now, and nothing happened. The four people started to laugh at themselves for trying this and were about to remove their fingers and go to bed, when suddenly the glass cup began to move. As the four looked at each other incredulously trying to see if someone was moving it on purpose, the glass cup slid all the way to the corner of the board and came to a stop over the word “yes.” This ouija board session, which would continue for several more minutes and would terrify the four people in this room, would not only become one of the most famous ouija board sessions of all time, but also, it would have a dramatic impact on a major criminal case.For 100s more stories like this one, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 18, 2023 • 27min
The Final Descent Vol. II
Today's podcast features 3 "underwater diving" horror stories. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "Devil's Hole" -- 2 divers disappear inside an underwater cave (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8swB7qMU7gk)#2 -- "No Limits" -- An extreme version of an already extreme sport (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVMTWygVl5c)#1 -- "Into the Heart" -- Cave diver makes a critical mistake (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtDAo7jS8Z4)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 15, 2023 • 24min
Bosom Black as Death (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
In January of 1994, two teenagers were sitting in a bedroom in Texas studying for their one of their classes. At some point, one of the teens picked up a copy of Shakespeare's play called "Hamlet," and began reading lines out loud. And at some point, the teen who was reading read aloud a particularly famous section of the play that deals with death. And at this point, the teen who was listening started rocking back and forth before finally starting to sob. The teen who was reading stopped and asked what was going on. And in between sobs, the teen who was now very emotional said that the play had reminded them of a horrible thing that they knew about, but had not told anyone about. and now, after hearing those lines from "Hamlet," the teen said they just had to get this secret off their chest. And so, they would. Months later, the secret that was uttered inside that bedroom between two teenagers would make front page news across the country.For 100s more stories like this one, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 11, 2023 • 30min
In the Grips of Death
Today’s podcast features 2 stories about people who survived seemingly certain death. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#2 -- "Life Line" -- The Earth equivalent of being lost in outer space (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhgBeoviM8Y)#1 -- "The Torngats" -- A group of hikers go into a forbidding wilderness (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6apkM24DhGI)For 100s more stories like this one, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 4, 2023 • 33min
Trespassers Be Warned Vol. II
Today’s podcast features 3 unique stories that all involve trespassers. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "Grad Night" -- A group of teens lose 1 of their friends at an amusement park (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQFYw9sRGzc)#2 -- "Under the Pier" -- They all stood and watched anxiously as it floated by (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6apkM24DhGI)#1 -- "Hide & Seek" -- A family vacation in Mexico takes a horrible turn for the worst (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWzGEIQdChM)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 1, 2023 • 30min
Man on a Mission (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
On the night of June 17th, 1977, Chuck Morgan, the father of four young girls, sped down a dark road outside of Tucson, Arizona, and as he drove, he constantly checked his rearview mirror to make sure no one was following him. Chuck was wearing a bulletproof vest, on his hip was a .357 Magnum revolver, and in his pocket was one of his own teeth, wrapped up in tissue paper. And by the end of that night, Chuck would drive his car way out into the desert, and become part of a mystery that has baffled investigators for almost 50 years.For 100s more stories like this one, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 27, 2023 • 29min
Folie à Deux
Today’s podcast features 3 stories about people with shared delusions. The audio from all three of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel and has been remastered for today's episode.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "The Weird World" -- A girl believes something is “off” about her family (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUOehfFdj1Y)#2 -- "Family Road Trip" -- A bizarre and abrupt exit (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qYqpyVZOH4)#1 -- "Madness" -- Identical twins go crazy on the side of a highway (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoZKJiar_Uc)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 24, 2023 • 40min
The Barn (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
In the early 1990s, a teenager snuck into the barn right outside of his family's property and climbed up into the rafters. Once he was safely tucked away in his secret spot where no one could see him from the floor below, he pulled some rolling papers out of his pocket, along with a bag of marijuana, and rolled a joint. A few minutes later, and he was enjoying a nice high and staring out the nearby window at the moon up above. But as he smoked, he suddenly heard the barn doors opening down below. The teen froze and held the smoke in his lungs, hoping it wasn't his family out looking for him. But when the teen looked down, he could tell right away this was not his family. This was something else, this was something bad. And moments later, it would get much, much worse. For 100s more stories like this one, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 20, 2023 • 28min
The Black Sheep
Today’s podcast features 2 stories about “dysfunctional families.” The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel and has been remastered for today's episode.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#2 -- "Morning Routine" -- One of the most brutal true crime cases ever (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUOehfFdj1Y)#1 -- "Lost Cause" -- 70 year old man makes a SHOCKING confession on Reddit that quickly goes viral (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3e2NQdki-8)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 17, 2023 • 37min
The Forever Home (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
On the night of January 16th, 1984, 9-year-old Annie Swartz woke up suddenly to the sound of voices coming from somewhere outside of her door. When she got out of bed and walked into the hallway, she realized those voices were coming from downstairs, and they weren't people talking, they were people screaming at each other. However, just as quickly as the yelling started, it stopped, and the house went quiet. Annie was still curious what was going on, so she tiptoed her way down the stairs, but when she got to the bottom, she didn't see anyone, and the house was still quiet. Then from somewhere outside the house, she heard a sound. When she turned around to see what it was, what she saw scared her so badly that she instantly sprinted back up stairs, leapt into her bed, and pulled the covers up over her head. Annie would eventually fall asleep after convincing herself that what she had seen was just a bad dream. But as she would learn the next morning, that was no dream, and her real life nightmare was only just beginning.For 100s more stories like this one, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


