Episode 20: Ed and Lorraine Warren, Part 1: The Couple Who Sold the Supernatural

In 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were murdered inside a house in Amityville, New York. Just over a year later, a new family moved in – and fled after only 28 days, claiming something terrifying was living there with them. What followed became one of the most famous haunting stories in American history, complete with demonic encounters, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, bestselling books, and a Hollywood horror franchise. But how much of The Amityville Horror actually happened? We take a deep dive in this episode and find out!

For more than a century, the Ouija board has fascinated, frightened, and mystified millions. But what if one of the world's most infamous supernatural objects started out as something far less sinister...a clever business opportunity? From the rise of Spiritualism in nineteenth-century America to a mysterious naming session, bitter business rivalries, and a tragic factory accident, the true history of the Ouija board is stranger than you might expect. In this episode of Actually... Forgotten Stories for Curious Minds, we uncover the surprising origins of the talking board, explore the science behind its seemingly mysterious movements, and discover how an ordinary parlor game became a symbol of supernatural terror. And as for the name Ouija? Well, according to legend, the board actually...chose it itself. Say what?? You'll have to tune in for the rest! :)

So how much of what we think we know about the Salem witch trials is actually true? In Part 2, the conclusion of our two-part series, on the Salem Witch Trials, we're heading into the courtrooms of 1692, where invisible evidence could send someone to the gallows, proclaiming your innocence could make things worse, and even a respected grandmother wasn't safe from accusation. We'll uncover the real stories behind some of Salem's most infamous executions, meet the man who refused to enter a plea, and discover why one woman remained imprisoned even after being found not guilty. But the story doesn't end when the executions stop. From judges who refused to apologize to a group of eighth-graders who helped correct a 329-year-old injustice, we'll explore how Massachusetts spent centuries trying to undo what Salem accomplished in a matter of months. And we'll ask one final question: When an entire community participates in an injustice, who is responsible for making it right? Don't forget to listen to Part 1 to get the backstory on how this all started! Show Notes for Part 2: Learn more about the wacky world of "poppets" here: https://www.learnreligions.com/all-about-magical-poppets-2562563

Everyone knows the story of the Salem witch trials. A group of girls behaved strangely, frightened villagers cried witchcraft, and innocent people paid the price. Right? Except…that's not quite how it happened. In Part One of this two-part series, we're going back to 1692 to uncover what really set the Salem witch trials in motion - such as a community divided and under pressure, a controversial minister, an enslaved woman named Tituba, a VERY questionable cake recipe, and a justice system willing to accept invisible evidence as fact. How did a handful of accusations become a deadly conspiracy? And why did questioning the accusers eventually make you a suspect yourself? The truth is far more complicated - and far more disturbing - than the version most of us learned in school. Part Two arrives Thursday...make sure you tune in to both to hear the full story!

In 1897, a young West Virginia woman died suddenly, was buried quickly, and might have been forgotten. The doctor called it natural causes. Her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, wasn’t convinced. Then she made an extraordinary claim: her daughter had returned from the dead – and named her killer. On this episode of Actually, we explore the tale of the Greenbrier Ghost – a haunting story of a suspicious death, a determined mother, a murder case that took an unexpected turn in court, and a story that refused to stay buried.It’s remembered as the case a ghost helped solve. But what happened when that supernatural story met the very earthly business of proving a crime?Tune in to find out this and more...