Some Other Sphere

Episode 120 - Matt Salusbury - Mystery Animals of Suffolk

My guest for this episode is journalist and author Matt Salusbury, who joined me to talk about his latest book, Mystery Animals of Suffolk.
This catalogues a wide range of yet-to-be identified animals reported in the English county, together with folkloric creatures from local tradition in the region.
It opens with an examination of the mythical entities of East Anglian storytelling, including hairy wildmen known as Woodwoses which survive as carved figures in some of Suffolk's churches. There are accounts too of dangerous freshwater mermaids, as well as encounters with baby-snatching fairies, in particular centered around the town of Stowmarket.
The book also includes reported sightings of Black Shuck – Suffolk’s phantom black dogs, which have been reported reported from ancient folklore tight up to the 1970’s.
The mystery animals surveyed then become progressively more plausible, with the final third of the book devoted to an account of over one-hundred and seventy mystery big cat sightings withing Suffolk.
I start off the interview talking with Matt about his background and the county of Suffolk. We then discuss Mystery Animals of Suffolk itself and some of the creatures that are included in its pages, following the structure of the book, beginning with the mythic Woodwoses and concluding with the multitude of big cat sightings in the county.
Further information about Matt's research can be found at https://bigcatsofsuffolk.com/. Mystery Animals of Suffolk is published by Bittern Books and can be purchased at their website - go to https://bitternbooks.co.uk/product/mystery-animals-of-suffolk/ for more details.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast - thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 119 - Thersa Matsuura - Japanese Folklore

My guest for this episode is author and podcaster Thersa Matsuura, who joined me to talk about her new publication, The Book of Japanese Folklore: An Encyclopedia of the Spirits, Monsters, and Yokai of Japanese Myth.
After a childhood living all over the U.S. - as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska and as far south as Jacksonville, Florida, Thersa moved to Japan to study. She would eventually settle there and has now lived over half her life in a fishing town in the country.
Her fluency in Japanese allows her to do research into parts of the culture - legends, folktales, and superstitions - that are little known to western audiences. A lot of what she digs up informs her writing or becomes fodder for her podcast, Uncanny Japan.
Thersa is the author of two short story collections, A Robe of Feathers and Other Stories and The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales, the latter being a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award in 2017. She’s had stories published in various magazines, anthologies and serialized in the Asahi English Newspaper.
I begin the interview by talking with Thersa about the events that initially took her to Japan and what those early experiences of living in a new country were like. We also discuss the cultural history of the country and how that has influenced and is expressed in the relationship between it's people, the natural world and the supernatural.
From there we focus on Thersa's new book itself, exploring some of the beings that are featured in it, which range from mythical versions of historical figures, through to supernatural foxes and wolves, giant spiders and full on Lovecraftian horrors. We round off things talking about ghosts and Thersa shares some of her own uncanny experiences.
You can find out more about Thersa, her writing and podcast at her website https://thersamatsuura.com/.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 118 - Gareth E. Rees - Sunken Lands

My guest for this episode is author Gareth E Rees, who joined me to talk about his latest writing project, Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Lost Kingdoms and Flooded Worlds.
In the book, he explores stories of flooded places from humanity’s past – and those disappearing before our eyes. Sunken Lands peels back the layers of silt, sea and mythology to reveal what the history and tales of such places can tell us about our imminent future as rising sea levels transform our planet once more and reflects upon how these underwater worlds can teach us important lessons about the unavoidability of change, the ebb and flow of Earth’s natural cycles, and the folly of trying to control them.
Gareth himself describes the book as "an anxiety-fuelled trip through enigmatic landscapes that conceal and reveal tales of trauma from the past present and future".
In the interview, I start off by talking with him about what drew him to this subject matter and how that fits with the sort of themes he has previously written about and is expressed through the psychogeographical context that features in his work.
From there we discuss Sunken Lands itself, the ancient origin of flood myths and some of the places and legends that feature in the book, such as Lake Bala and the lowland hundred in Wales, the Fens of Eastern England and of course, Atlantis. Towards the end of the interview, we talk a bit about if and how stories will be told which will preserve the memory of flooding and it’s effect on contemporary society.
Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Lost Kingdoms and Flooded Worlds is published by Elliott & Thompson - details on how to order a copy are available at https://eandtbooks.com/books/sunken-lands/. To find out more about Gareth and his writing go to http://www.unofficialbritain.com/.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 117 - Kingsley Dennis - The Inversion

Joining me for this episode is writer, researcher and publisher Kingsley Dennis. Kingsley has written extensively on social and digital futures, global affairs, and conscious evolution. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books including Breaking the Spell: An Exploration of Human Perception, Unified: Cosmos, Life, Purpose and Hijacking Reality: The Reprogramming & Reorganisation of Human Life. He also serves as Director of Publications for the Laszlo Institute for New Paradigm Research.
 
His latest book - which is the subject of this episode, is The Inversion. This is an exploration of the cultural trends and dominant ideas that seem to influence an increasing level of control in consensus reality and a distortion of the world we perceive around us.  It also examines the historical background of perceiving this manipulation, through schools of thought and occult philosophy such as Gnosticism and Hermeticism, as well as more recent examinations in literature, such as in the work of Philip K Dick.
 
In the interview I talk with Kingsley about his background and interest in these ideas and how his new book is the most recent expression of that. We discuss the premise of ‘The inversion’ itself, the connection to that of concepts such as consensus reality and reality constructs, how it can be seen via the dangers of movements such as transhumanism and unchecked technological progression and how society has expressed those concerns throughout human history through modes of spirituality, philosophy, and popular culture.
 
You can find out more about Kingsley and his writing at https://kingsleydennis.com/.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 116 - Laura Lewis-Barr - Psyche's Cinema

My guest for this episode is Laura Lewis-Barr. Laura is an award winning film-maker, who specialises in the medium of stop-motion to create short movies inspired by myths, fairy tales and the ideas of people such as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. In her films, she uses dolls to portray an eclectic array of characters and does all of the costuming, set design, filming and editing. Her films are part of a larger project called Psyche’s Cinema.
Prior to her film-making, Laura was a graduate student in clinical depth psychology and her interest in Jungian psychology is an important part of her film making projects.
In the interview I stalk by talking with Laura about the origins of the idea for Psyche’s cinema, and what drew her to the medium of stop-motion film-making. We then discuss some of the mythic and psychological themes she has explored in her films, the importance and value of mythic ideas, and how they persist in modern human culture and can help us better understand paranormal phenomena.
You can find out more about Laura and her films at https://psychescinema.com/.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 115 - Sharon Hewitt Rawlette - Coincidence, Synchronicity and Life after Death

My guest for this episode is Sharon Hewitt Rawlette.
Sharon is a philosopher who writes for both popular and scholarly audiences on the topics of consciousness, anomalous experience, ethics, and spirituality. She has a PhD in philosophy from New York University and taught at Brandeis University before launching her career as an independent writer and researcher. She is also the founder and director of the Mind & Meaning Institute, which brings together world-class researchers to explore new philosophical and empirical approaches to the deepest questions raised by human experience.
Soon after leaving academia for a career as an independent writer and researcher, Sharon became interested in the phenomenon of “coincidence” or “synchronicity”: strange, enigmatic experiences that aren’t blatantly paranormal but that seem so improbably meaningful that they make us wonder whether something more than chance lies behind them. Her May 2019 book, The Source and Significance of Coincidences, presents a wealth of evidence concerning the statistical importance of coincidences, their range of possible causes, and how we can best interpret their implications for our lives.
In November 2021, Sharon was named a runner-up in the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies essay contest for her essay “Beyond Death.” This essay summarises and analyses the best evidence for life after death collected over the last 150 years.
I begin the interview by talking about what first interested her in anomalous and strange experiences and how that developed as a student, into academia, and becoming an independent researcher. We then discuss her work on coincidences, before focusing on her essay Beyond Death, exploring some of the Third Person and First Person evidence that she collected for that and how scientific research might progress when it comes to investigating the survival of human consciousness.
Further information on Sharon and her research can be found at https://sharonrawlette.com/.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub', by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 114 - Dr Josh Bullock - Weekday Worldviews

My guest for this episode is Dr Josh Bullock. Josh is a senior lecturer in the Criminology, Politics and Sociology department of Kingston University London and part of the team behind Weekday Worldviews, a sociological project which is investigating the relationships between personal worldviews and psychological well-being amongst those attending public psychic events in the UK.
It is the first project of its kind, and offers a unique look at this grassroots phenomenon using mixed methods (survey, observation, interview, comparison), which will allow the analysis of patterns of belief and their implication for understanding the relationship between science, spirituality, and well-being.
I begin the interview by talking with Josh a little about his background and the type of work he has done prior to Weekday Worldviews. We then discuss how he became involved with the project and the other people involved in it, before moving on to talk about the methods used to gather the necessary data and what will happen once that process has been completed, and the results analysed. I also talk with Josh about his perspective on relationship between studying the paranormal and both its place and perception within academia.
To find out more about the Weekday Worldviews project, and potentially participate go to https://www.weekdayworldviews.com/.
If you are in a position to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 113 - Gary Opit - An Introduction to Australian Cryptozoology

My guest for this episode is Gary Opit. Gary is an Australian zoologist, cryptozoologist, and author. He also hosts a wildlife talkback radio show on ABC North Coast NSW Local Radio and between 1997 and 2015 conducted a citizen science project, collecting data based on the phone calls and emails he received during that time from people seeking assistance identifying wildlife they had encountered.
Often these would be turn out to be examples of rare known and existing species of animal, but a significant amount were not and indicated the survival of animals previously thought long extinct on the Australian mainland, such as the Thylacine and Marsupial Lion, as well as completely unknown species, including ape and hominid like creatures, commonly referred to in Australia as the ”Yowie”.
Gary has had an incredibly varied career, working as a State Park Ranger, as well as at a number of schools and universities, teaching subjects such as Anthropology, Ecology, Zoology and Botany. His knowledge of the wildlife of Australia is extensive as is that of the history of cryptid sightings in the country.
As you might imagine, our conversation in this episode is a wide ranging one. I talk with Gary about how his interest in Australian cryptids started, the fossil record of wildlife in Australia and the range of habitats that could potentially allow the survival of some of those species into the modern day. Gary talks about some of his own experiences as well as encounters that other people have had with an impressive array of unusual creatures.
Further details on Gary and his research are available on his Facebook page 'Australian Cryptozoology Gary Opit', which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/doolagarl/ and a Kindle version of his book 'Australian Cryptozoology' can be purchased via Amazon here.
If you would like to support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn. 
 

Episode 112 - Dr Richard Sugg - Ghosts, Fairies and Wonder Dogs

Joining me for this episode is author and historian Dr Richard Sugg. Richard has written both fiction and non-fiction on a wide range of unusual subjects - from John Donne in 2007, through to Mummies, Cannibals and Vampires in 2011, Fairies: A Dangerous History in 2018, and more recently: A History of Disgust from Jesus Christ to Boris Johnson in 2023.
His research has featured in popular magazines and press, and Richard has appeared on international television and radio, in addition to guesting on various podcasts. He has been published with institutions such as BBC History, The Guardian, The Lancet, Der Spiegel, and the New Yorker.
He has also published three edited collections of historic stories with a Fortean twist: A Century of Supernatural Stories, A Century of Ghost Stories and A Singing Mouse at Buckingham Palace.
These books come together in recent research Richard has done on animal homing instincts, perhaps most famously exemplified by Bobbie the Wonder Dog, who returned to his family home in Oregon after a six month, three thousand mile journey in February 1924.
In the first half of the interview I talk with Richard about some of the subjects he has written on and how his interest in weirder topics progressed during that time, which has seen his attitude to the paranormal change accordingly.  We talk about some of the ghostly encounters that have been reported to him and the validity of anecdotal evidence, which for many paranormal phenomena is extensive.
After that we focus on Richard’s current research into the remarkable homing abilities of animals such as Bobbie the Wonder Dog, along with other examples such as Railway Jack, Lampo, and an Irish Terrier called Prince.
You can find out more about Richard and his writing at https://doctorrichardsugg.com/ and his recent article for The Guardian is available here.
If you would like to make a donation to support the podcast you can do so via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.
 

Episode 111 - Charis Cotter - Ghost Stories from Newfoundland

My guest for this episode is Charis Cotter. Charis is an award-winning author who specialises in writing ghost stories, many of which are influenced by the history, folklore and landscape of Newfoundland where she lives.
Alongside her writing, Charis has worked in schools and libraries across Canada, using drama and storytelling to bring her books to life. She has also encouraged Newfoundland children to collect traditional ghost stories from their communities as part of a project which has seen two books of these tales published, written and illustrated by the students.
I begin the interview by talking with Charis about how her interest in ghosts started from an early age, and how moving to Newfoundland has influenced her passion for writing stories about them. We discuss the relationship between ghosts, storytelling and people and how the importance of that can be seen in the history of Newfoundland as well as in the present day with the projects she has worked on with local school children. We also debate how stories about ghostly encounters may offer an insight into the true nature of what might be happening when people have these experiences and how that can offer a better way to frame a discussion on the paranormal outside of believing or not believing.
Charis also provides some accounts of local ghostly encounters that have been reported to her, which are great examples of why these types of stories fascinate us so much.
Information about Charis and her books can be found at her website https://www.chariscotter.com/.
You can support the upkeep of Some Other Sphere with a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!
 
The podcast theme is provided by Purple Planet Music - 'Hubbub' by Geoff Harvey and Chris Martyn.