Alien Abductions: You’ve Been Walking in Your Sleep

Of all the absurd stories humanity clings to, few are more impressively self-indulgent than alien abductions. Apparently, creatures capable of interstellar travel — who have cracked faster-than-light propulsion, quantum physics, and advanced medicine — are also deeply interested in kidnapping random Americans, probing them awkwardly, wiping their memories with the finesse of a bad stage … Read more

Ancient Astronauts, Modern Myths

There’s nothing quite as inspiring — or insulting — as the ancient astronaut theory: the belief that early civilizations could not possibly have built pyramids, temples, or intricate road systems without the intervention of extraterrestrial babysitters. The premise, for those unfamiliar: aliens visited Earth thousands of years ago, uplifted our ancestors, taught them how to … Read more

Remote Viewing: The Spy Who Scammed Me

Remote viewing is what happens when you take the ancient art of guessing and slap a government grant on it. It’s the mystical claim that certain gifted individuals can see distant locations, hidden objects, or secret events simply by concentrating really, really hard. In other words: psychic tourism, without leaving the couch. At its peak, … Read more

Dream On, Lucid Dreamers

Lucid dreaming — the art of realizing you’re dreaming and allegedly controlling the action — is one of those concepts that sounds profound until you realize it mainly involves a lot of yelling “Fly!” and waking up disappointed. Naturally, it’s been monetized. Welcome to lucid dreaming retreats — weekend getaways where you pay hundreds of … Read more

The Haunted Soda Fountain Stool of Stillwater Bluff, Mississippi

Somewhere between the greeting cards and the off-brand aspirin, the Stillwater Bluff Pharmacy hides its claim to fame: the “Haunted Soda Fountain Stool.” According to the laminated sign taped to the counter with yellowing Scotch tape, this particular red vinyl seat has been “the site of unexplained movements” since 1957. Unexplained movements, mind you, that … Read more

Miss Cleo: The Real Deal

Look, I know what you’re expecting. You’re expecting me to mock Miss Cleo. You’re expecting me to tear apart the late-night infomercials, the cartoon Jamaican accent, the psychic hotline scandal, the lawsuits, the whole gloriously ridiculous circus of it. But you’re wrong. Dead wrong. Because I believe Miss Cleo was the real deal. And no, … Read more