When news broke yesterday (July 15th, ’25) that Dan Rivera, one of the caretakers touring the infamous “Annabelle” doll, had died unexpectedly, it didn’t take long for the usual whispers to start. Was it the curse? Did he anger the doll? Had he “disrespected the spirit”? You could practically hear the content wheels turning. There’s a particular kind of internet buzz that surrounds this kind of tragedy. Not just the usual shock and mourning, but something else. Something hungry. When someone associated with a haunted object or location dies, the mythology grows teeth… and fast. And here’s the thing that’s hard to say out loud without sounding cold: Dan Rivera didn’t die because of a haunted doll, but the story will say he did. That says more about us than it does about Annabelle. The Myth Always Wants More The Annabelle doll is a Raggedy Ann doll said to be…
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Can We Still Trust Paranormal Evidence in the Age of AI?
When someone says they’ve seen a ghost or encountered Bigfoot, the response from most people is almost automatic: “Pics or it didn’t happen.” In an age where nearly everyone has a camera in their pocket, the assumption is that if something truly extraordinary occurred, there should be some visual evidence…
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The Spooky Science of Jeremy Renner’s Brush With Death
Jeremy Renner’s My Next Breath is a fascinating and often moving memoir, and also a striking example of how humans build stories to survive the chaos of life. In the book, Renner recounts the shocking details of his near-fatal 2023 snowplow accident, from the crushing physical damage to the harrowing…
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It’s My Birthday. It’s Also Friday the 13th. Should I Be Worried?
It’s my birthday today, which would be entirely unremarkable – except that it falls on Friday the 13th. Cue the ominous music! As someone who investigates paranormal claims and writes critically about spooky beliefs, I’ve developed a soft spot for dates like this. Not because I believe in cosmic misfortune,…
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Should We Have Seen The Telepathy Tapes Coming?
The concept of telepathy has long captivated human imagination and is a subject of cultural fascination. Imagine if humans could communicate through the power of our minds alone! We don’t have to imagine too hard thanks to telepathic characters in popular media ranging from the Marvel Universe to Anne Rice’s…
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The Worst Ghosts of 2024!
It’s that time of the year once again where I present to you, the unsuspecting public, the 5 worst ghosts caught on camera which made headlines during the past year. Fear not. These apparitions are not labelled as the ‘worst’ because they’re fearsome, terrifying, and probably going to eat your…
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Skeptics on the Spectrum
Earlier this year, I was diagnosed as autistic. Shortly after my diagnosis results came through, I travelled to Manchester to attend QEDcon where I would be seeing many friends for the first time in years. It seemed that this QEDcon was the first one that many people were attending after…
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ASSAP Has Gone to the (Misogynistic) Dogs
Today, it has come to light that Claire Davy, the ex-secretary of the Association for Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena stood down against her own wishes. Davy was the 10th trustee (of 13) to leave since June 2024. Only 3 remain: Steve Parsons, Norie Miles, and Bill Eyre. Screenshots have…
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Loremen Live! Ghosts of the Road
I stepped into the role of Deputy Loreperson when The Loremen were LIVE at the QEDcon in Manchester! In this episode, we meet roadside ghosts and road-adjacent spectres from across the UK (and beyond). Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker? No, neither have we. And these modern legends might…
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All The Terrible Things
I was recently interviewed by stand up comedian, Jane Postlethwaite, for her Paranormal Queer Comedy podcast All The Terrible Things. I think it was hands down one of the most enjoyable podcast interviews I’ve ever done and this evident in the fact that we spoke for so long that the…
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YouTube Debunkers Risk Spreading Misinformation If They Don’t Fact-Check Themselves
YouTube is filled with low-quality videos of ghost hunters claiming to capture paranormal activity, often relying on poorly filmed or faked footage. As this trend has grown over the years, it has been accompanied by the rise of YouTube Debunkers, offering alternative explanations and debunking the so-called evidence presented by these…
