Podcast

Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf

Comedy, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

“Go inside the mind of one of television and movies’ wildest storytellers…” Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf is a podcast that feels like discovering a secret diary. Every episode unravels the mysteries of a book from Richard's bookshelf and a story from Richard’s life, weaving together the excitement of the supernatural and the warmth of personal storytelling.

Personal Journals chart
#136
Episodes
73
Releases
Every two weeks
Typical length
1 hr 9 min
On air since
2024
Latest episode
1 week ago

Episodes

73 episodes, newest first

  1. S4: The Omen Trilogy – and Beyond! With Bryan Edward Hill Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    This week I’m joined by my old Titans friend Bryan Edward Hill as we break down the three films comprising the Omen Trilogy – all of which ask the haunting question: “What if the Anti-Christ was real -- and living among us right now?” The Omen, starring Lee Remick and Gregory Peck, was released in 1976 to massive critical and box office success. It is now considered a masterpiece of modern horror. It spawned two feature film sequels, a TV-movie, a 2006 remake, a 2015 TV series, and most recently, a “pre-quel” which is somewhat confusingly titled The First Omen even though chronologically it could be considered the fourth, fifth or even sixth Omen (depending on how you count your Omens). Bryan and I focus the first three films, and then we get into the short-lived A&E series Damien, primarily because I worked on the show and wrote one of the episodes. We talk about everything from the incredible casting of all three films to the academy award nominated score, to various ways the story can (and should) continue today. And along the way we answer the questions: where did the idea for David Seltzer’s original screenplay come from? How did they film the iconic “Baboon Attack” sequence? What famous political family was the Thorns based on? And would you trust a guy named Bugenhagen if he told you that the only way to save the world was to murder your own child with the Seven Sacred Daggers of Megiddo?

    St. Louis native Bryan Edward Hill is a director, screenwriter and comic book author whose television work includes Ash vs. The Evil Dead and HBO Max’s Titans. His comic book work includes American Carnage, Kilmonger, Blade, Fallen Angels and Ultimate Black Panther.

    PLUS – A PATREON EXCLUSIVE! “OMEN EXTRAS” – for Patreon members at the Obsessed Fan Level, get an additional 30 minutes of conversation where Bryan and I discuss the rarely seen Omen IV: The Awakening; the 2006 remake of the original -- and the surprisingly great 2024 release The First Omen.

    LINKS:

    Support RHPB on Patreon and get extra AUDIO and VIDEO content here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/

    1 hr 36 min
  2. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE! Forrest Burgess Explains It All For You Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    Astonishing Legends co-host Forrest Burgess makes his RHPB debut to kick off the Halloween Season and reveal his “Top 5 Favorite Paranormal Books”!

    Of course, first we have to argue about the format of the episode, whether or not I explained it to him clearly, and how is he even supposed to narrow it down to five?!? But rest assured, we “count ‘em down!” – just like Casey Kasem and “America’s Top Forty”! And along the way we talk about everything from “Summer-ween” to Alien Pool Parties to The Odessa File to Tarot Cards to Silence of the Lambs, astral travel, Scott Philbrook, Mike Tyson, the Lizard Man, Spooky Action at a Distance – and all of Forrest’s Girlfriends! If you know Forrest, you know it’s gonna get weird. And if you don’t, well… you have been warned.

    PLUS: BONUS PATREON CONTENT! For Patreon members at the Obsessed Fan Level -- Forrest Burgess joins me to reveal and discuss his FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME! Only on Patreon!

    LINKS:

    Listen to Astonishing Legends here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astonishing-legends/id923527373

    To buy all of the books Forrest recommends, please go tohttps://bookshop.org/
    Visit the Raymond Restaurant and have your own Alien Pool Party!https://theraymond1886.com/
    Support RHPB on Patreon and get extra AUDIO and VIDEO content here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/

    1 hr 32 min
  3. S4: The Light in the Dark Tour 2026 – Wrap Up with Susan Lambert Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    Richard is back from the Light in the Dark Tour 2026! Join Richard and his wife (and RHPB executive producer) Susan Lambert as they discuss everything from Richard’s yearlong scheme to finally appear on “Woo-Woo with Rachel Dratch”, to the last minute decision to embark on the tour alone, to Scott Philbrook’s shocking news about getting COVID which basically made Richard certain that he had COVID too just by talking about it, to all the performances of RHPB and all the beautiful, kind and amazing fans we met along the way!

    LINKS:

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26

    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/

    1 hr 49 min
  4. Welcome New Listeners! Revisit Episode 1: Ghosts & Specters

    Season 4, Episode 11

    Show notes

    Welcome New Listeners! Revisit Episode 1: Ghosts & Specters

    Show Description: Hey Everybody! I just had the pleasure of appearing on “Woo-Woo with Rachel Dratch”! So, I’m re-broadcasting the very first episode of RHPB (“Ghosts & Specters”) for new listeners and anyone who wants to hear it again. (And don’t worry, the episodes don’t run in chronological order, so you can actually start anywhere…) If you’re new here -- welcome aboard! I’m so thrilled to have you here!

    LINKS:

    Listen to me on “Woo-Woo with Rachel Dratch” here:
    Spotify • Apple Podcasts

    Woo Woo website

    Get tickets to Richard Hatem’s “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” LIVE!:https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/events

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/

    44 min
  5. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE! Holy Ghosts with Peter Laws

    Season 4

    Show notes

    “I love the idea that if the house up the road is haunted, then I literally have a cosmic doorway to another way of being. And that just turns all the colors up in life.” – Peter Laws

    My friend Peter Laws grew up like a lot of us. As a kid he was obsessed with ghost stories, horror movies and all aspects of the paranormal. In fact, his interest in the “big questions” was so great that he became an ordained minister. But his interest in the macabre never went away. So he returned to the creepier side of life by authoring a series of novels featuring Matt Hunter, an ex-church minister who’s lost his faith, dropped out, and now assists the police in solving religiously motivated crimes. And now, Peter has an insanely popular YouTube channel called “Into the Fog” where he investigates and documents reports of the unexplained. These are real, never before heard cases -- and he talks to the people who lived through them. Peter is the guy I want to be when I grow up.

    In today’s show, Peter and I talk about everything from our favorite horror films to Ouija boards to Peter’s own supernatural encounters. And along the way we grapple with the pressing questions: is there an afterlife? Which religion believes in ghosts the most? Should you take your grandfather to see “Friday the 13th: Part 4”? Is Taylor Swift a witch? Is E.T. a demon? And just what does Peter mean when he says that his books are literally flying off the shelves?

    LINKS:

    Check out Peter’s YouTube Channel “Into The Fog” herehttps://www.youtube.com/@IntoTheFog
    Get tickets to Richard Hatem’s “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” LIVE!:https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/events
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/

    1 hr 13 min
  6. S4: The Return of the Light in the Dark Tour with Scott Philbrook Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    Astonishing Legends co-host Scott Philbrook returns to chat with Richard about his upcoming “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” -- as well as answer such never-before-asked questions as: What scares our dogs? Where will Scott & Forrest be appearing live in September? Did Abbott & Costello get along? Can anyone find Scott’s legendary “lost” appearance on “Portlandia”? Did Richard schedule too many shows on this tour -- and will Susan ever forgive him?? Find out the answers to these and many more questions on today’s episode!

    LINKS:

    Get tickets to Richard Hatem’s “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” LIVE!:https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/events
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/
    Notes:
    Get the answer to ALL of your Abbott & Costello questions here:
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/abbott-and-costello-meet-the-podcast/id1729032545
    Is your dog afraid of hiccups, just like Luna? Learn about your dog’s weird fears here:https://www.redpointydog.com/post/understanding-your-dog-s-fear-what-to-look-for-and-how-to-help-them

    52 min
  7. Return to Life

    Season 4, Episode 10

    Show notes

    “It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.” –- Voltaire

    An entire branch of paranormal research involves documenting cases of children who claim to remember past lives. Almost as soon as they can speak, these children ask desperately about their “other family”, their “other home” -- and will cry for months (sometimes years) begging to be reunited with people their parents have never met or even heard of. And sometimes those people turn out to be 100% real. Imagining the child’s pain is one thing -- but what about the parents? The ones who brought their child into the world thinking they were at the very beginning of something special and beautiful and unique… Only to realize they’re entering at the middle of an ongoing story as their child mourns a life they know nothing about. Jim B. Tucker’s book “Return to Life” is filled with such stories. Becoming a parent is hard enough. What do you do when your child is convinced they’re not even yours?

    Richard became a father for the first time on June 21st, 1996. And while Owen never claimed to have a past life, he claimed this one as all babies do – by screaming and crying and testing the very last nerve of both his parents. As Richard struggles through those first few months of fatherhood, he asks the questions every young parent does: who is this person? Who will they become? Is he giving them what they need to have the life they want? And over the years, did he somehow begin mistaking their dreams for his own?

    LINKS:

    See Richard Hatem’s “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” LIVE! Get tickets here:https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/events
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/
    Want to know more about near death experiences? Attend the largest NDE gathering in the world! Get tickets for IANDS 2026 Conference herehttps://iands.org/events/conference/

    1 hr 7 min
  8. The Paranormal Ranger

    Season 4, Episode 9

    Show notes

    “That’s what was different about paranormal cases as opposed to my usual ones. These cases made me wonder ‘What If?’ I wondered if Bigfoot had supernatural abilities. Could it pass through dimensions the way we pass through air? Could it make itself invisible? Is that why it was so rarely seen? Is that why I could smell it now –– but not see it?”
    -- Stanley Milford, Jr., The Paranormal Ranger

    In late 2002, Navajo Ranger Stanley Milford and his partner Jonathan Dover receive a strange and completely unprecedented assignment: they will be in charge of all reported cases involving UFOs, witches, Bigfoot, ghosts and any other paranormal activity. They will be “The Paranormal Rangers.” What starts out as a public relations maneuver soon evolves into a full-time, full-blown investigation into everything that people fear the most: the unknown. And as Stanley Milford learns, you don’t take on an assignment like this and come out the other side unscathed – or unchanged. Stanley prides himself on being able to live a life that straddles reality; with “a foot in two worlds”. But what do you do when one world begins to pull you in deeper and deeper -- against your will –- and you start to lose your balance?

    Meanwhile, it’s 1979. Richard is in 8th grade and he’s on the verge of becoming a man. That’s right: he’s about to enter the world of organized sports. With it comes an entré into a world he’s never been allowed into: male bonding with the sports guys. Sure, he’d rather be at home eating mini-pizzas and watching “The Rockford Files”. But when Sean Delgado – the most popular guy in school – allows you to hang out with him, what are you supposed to do? So what if he punches you so hard you have permanent bruises – it’s worth it, right? Hanging with the sports guys offers privileges Richard has never dreamed of. But there are hidden dangers, too. When the road gets rough, even Richard must decide which of his “two worlds” he really belongs in.

    Links:
    Buy a copy of Stanley Milford’s “The Paranormal Ranger” HERE
    Support RHPB on Patreon HERE!
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!
    https://www.richardhatem.com/
    Want to know more about near death experiences? Attend the largest NDE gathering in the world! Get tickets for IANDS 2026 Conference HERE.

    1 hr 22 min
  9. The Omega Project

    Season 4, Episode 8

    Show notes

    “Please answer True or False to the following statements: ‘As a child, a lot of my time was spent in a world of self-created fantasy.’ ‘As a child, I felt that I had a guardian angel.’ ‘When I was a child, I was very psychic.’ ‘When I was a child, I nearly died’.”
    -- Questions from Dr. Kenneth Ring’s Omega Project Childhood Experience Inventory

    Listeners of this podcast know: near-death experiences are awesome -- and alien abductions suck. One is rapturous; the other nightmarish. But what if, at their core, they aren’t so different? What if only certain kinds of people have these experiences? And what if, behind their wildly different theatrical trappings, both experiences are imparting the same message: the earth is drifting toward doom, and there’s only so much time left to course-correct before everything goes up in flames?

    Dr. Kenneth Ring’s ground-breaking 1992 work The Omega Project dives straight into these questions. For the first time ever, a study is conducted to determine if there is an “experiencer type” – and an attempt is made to define who is prone to having these kinds of encounters. And in true 1990’s fashion, the book anticipates the coming millennium with a mixture of chilling dread and paper-thin hope. Thirty-four years later, we’re still here. But does that mean the angels and aliens are wrong and we’re safe? Or are they just working on a far longer timeline?

    It’s January 1997, and Richard has been sent to Baltimore, Maryland with one task: convince Richard Gere to star in The Mothman Prophecies. Writing the script was one thing -- but wooing a Hollywood star? That’s not really in his wheelhouse. How much say do you ever have in your own success – or failure? And how do you know what moves to make when the result could make or break your career -- and the future remains stubbornly unclear?

    Notes & Links

    Buy The Omega Project by Kennth Ring, PhD HERE.

    Support RHPB on Patreon HERE!
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frichardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com%2Fpromo%2FRHPB26&data=05%7C02%7C%7C755b740adc8a48cb623f08de5d3303dd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639050670923110655%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fWGKym81PNtYW9Yn1V%2F1stfS8qJPXFOleNZjbLf5l94%3D&reserved=0
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/

    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/

    1 hr 10 min
  10. This House is Haunted

    Season 4, Episode 7

    Show notes

    “It appeared that in a single day Janet had levitated, traveled out of her physical body, made a book go through the wall from one room to another and caused a heavy cushion to travel from a closed room onto the roof. It did not sound possible, but five different people were certain it had all happened.” – Guy Lyon Playfair, This House Is Haunted

    How can a thing be true and false at the same time? Frightening and funny? Scary and dull? Real and unreal? How can something be itself -- and its own opposite? Easy: it’s a poltergeist.

    For over two years the Hodgson family in Enfield, England were plagued with a poltergeist that simultaneously played by – and broke – all the rules of poltergeistery. As usual, there were cries of fraud from the very beginning. And as usual, there were dozens of witnesses to phenomena that could have no earthly explanation. Psychic investigators Guy Lyon Playfair and Maurice Grosse spent hundreds of hours living with the Hodgson’s and documented everything that went on in their house. But what happens when an avalanche of evidence breeds nothing but more skepticism? And what do you do when the very word “poltergeist” seems suddenly too small to describe a display of supernatural effects so vast that the case has been called the greatest haunting in history?

    In 2009, Richard, his wife Susan, and their three children moved into a house in Pasadena, California that promises to be the culmination of all of Richard’s dreams. But that’s not exactly how it works out. They say haunted houses are fueled by the stress and anxiety of the families who live inside them. But if that’s true, isn’t every house a haunted house? For Richard, beyond the dark charm of the bookshelf lined office, the eternal glow of the private wet-bar – and the strange melancholy allure of the swimming pool hidden behind the black, vine-covered fence… lies the truth of every house, every family and every dream that stays hauntingly just out of reach.

    Buy This House Is Haunted By Guy Lyon Playfair from http://Bookshop.org HERE.

    Support RHPB on Patreon HERE!

    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!

    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/

    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER! https://www.thecuminclub.com/

    1 hr 17 min
  11. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE – Rob Kristoffersen and The End of It All Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    “This is not going to be edited. It's just me and a microphone talking about my journey with this (UFO) topic and where I'm at. There are many of you who have asked: ‘When's the show coming back?’ I just kind of want this to be the end of it all. This podcast is never coming back.” –- Rob Kristoffersen, on the final episode of “Our Strange Skies”

    On February 28th, 2026, UFO expert Rob Kristoffersen abruptly ended his extremely popular podcast “Our Strange Skies.” In a candid, intimate and largely improvised 21-minute monologue, he explains why. When I heard it, I was so blown away I knew I had to talk to him – and then I decided to bring all of you in on the conversation.

    Most podcasts don’t end – they just stop. But Rob decided to address his reasons for leaving podcasting by talking frankly about the rarely discussed challenges and demands of the medium. For anyone who has ever tried podcasting, you’ll hear your own story here. For those of you who are podcast fans, you’ll get a rare and surprising look behind the curtain at what makes podcasting so alluring –– and so heartbreaking.

    In our conversation, Rob and I discuss “paranormal fatigue”; how COVID changed podcasting for the better -- and worse; the end of the “little guy podcast” and the rise of celebrity-casts; paranormal “comfort food” podcasts – and the biggest question facing podcasters: are we all just “Patreon whores”? Finally, Rob gives us a peek at what he’s up to now and what’s next for him in terms of exploring even newer avenues for creative expression.

    NOTES & LINKS

    Follow rob on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/yerguyrob/

    Check out Rob’s Substack “Foolology” here
    https://foolology.substack.com/

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem

    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26

    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/

    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!
    https://promocode.to/the-cumin-club/rhpb-92t

    1 hr 6 min
  12. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE: Terrifying Encounters with Lyle Blackburn

    Season 4

    Show notes

    “This huge thing was standing in the road. It had to be at least seven or 8 feet tall, and the arms were so long they were down to its knees. You couldn’t see the face because there was hair all over it. It was actually running toward our car. It was awful.” – from Terrifying Encounters by Lyle Blackburn

    No one knows more about the strange creatures that lurk the backroads, swamps and forests of America than Lyle Blackburn. You probably know him from his appearances on “Astonishing Legends”, “Finding Bigfoot” and “The UnXplained with William Shatner”. Ever since seeing The Legend of Boggy Creek as a small child, Lyle has been obsessed with unknown creatures -- and he grew up to be the world’s foremost expert on the Fouke Monster, the beast featured in the movie.

    Lyle has written numerous books about monsters in America and “Terrifying Encounters” is his latest. It’s the first in a series and it features fascinating and truly terrifying first-hand accounts of encounters with creatures that shouldn’t exist -- but somehow do.

    Our conversation covers everything from Dogmen to Goatmen, to the differences between a Devil Monkey and an Anomalous Ape, to his own terrifying encounter in the backwoods of Arkansas -- to whether Bigfoot will ever finally be captured.

    Notes & Links:

    Buy Terrifying Encounters and all of Lyle Blackburn’s books here http://www.lyleblackburn.com/bio.htm

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem

    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26

    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/

    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!

    • https://promocode.to/the-cumin-club/rhpb-92t

    1 hr 20 min
  13. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE: Strange Days with Dan Zetterstrom

    Season 4

    Show notes

    “Ghost hunting is fun – until the ghosts show up.” -- Dan Zetterstrom, podcast host, What It Means To Be Human

    A lot of strange things happen to Dan Zetterstrom. And lucky for us, they almost always have something to do with a book featured on our show! First, he underwent spiritual healing with Michael Chapman, the son of George Chapman, who was featured in the RHPB episode Surgeon From Another World (S2, EP6). And today he shares a weird, wonderful, creepy and heart-warming story about an after-death communication he experienced while practicing self-administered EMDR – a method that was featured on our recent episode Induced After Death Communication (S4, EP1). Meanwhile, he and his wife Alaina are criss-crossing the country in what they call their “Mobile UFO Hunting Unit” – and Dan is producing his own podcast, What It Means To Be Human. The guy keeps busy.

    In today’s conversation we talk about the astounding results of his spiritual healing, his experiments with astral projection, his meditation experiences using a “Muse 2” headband to track his brainwaves – and what happens when you reach into the dark… and something licks your hand.

    Dan Zetterstrom is a passionate researcher of the anomalous, artist, storyteller and host of the podcast What It Means to Be Human. Known for his work as co-host and producer of That UFO Podcast, creator of the viral Tom Was Right campaign from To The Stars, and guest star on Ancient Aliens and Phenomenology, Dan brings a thoughtful and curious approach to exploring humanity, consciousness and the anomalous. With a talent for uncovering profound insights through engaging conversations, Dan invites listeners to journey into the mysteries that connect us all.

    Notes & Links:

    Listen to Dan’s podcast What It Means To Be Human herehttps://www.tobehumanshow.com/
    Discover more about the “Muse 2 Headband” herehttps://choosemuse.com/products/muse-2?srsltid=AfmBOopdcPbVjwWbRHlhMQH8k2oc00caozp0LNbeoIkJ9_QI4dEp20Qy
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/
    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/

    1 hr 10 min
  14. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE: Chris McKinnell on Growing Up With Ed & Lorraine Warren Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    “My grandfather always taught me that 3:00 AM was the Devil’s hour. At 3:15 Liz started screaming that her face was on fire. My grandfather turned his flashlight on her face and, as we all watched, three claw marks raked down her cheek and blood dripped onto her chest.” – Chris McKinnell, The Warren Legacy

    What would it be like to have grandparents that were also world-famous ghost hunters? Author Chris McKinnell (The Warren Legacy) knows because he is the grandson of Ed & Lorraine Warren, two of the most controversial paranormal investigators in history. In fact, they often referred to themselves as “demonologists”.

    In this wide-ranging interview, Richard and Chris discuss the Warren’s early cases, how their approach was shaped by their religious beliefs, his terrifying first night as a “ghost hunter” – and the contact he has had with his grandparents following their deaths.

    Chris McKinnell grew up inside the cases that inspired The Conjuring universe. He was the first investigator on the ground in the Smurl haunting, which became the basis for Conjuring: Last Rites. He lived in the haunted funeral home featured in The Haunting in Connecticut. He is the only living witness to some of the most famous cases Ed and Lorraine Warren ever worked.

    Chris began his own unique journey of investigating the unknown at just sixteen, assisting his grandfather on a violent poltergeist case. Since then, he has worked on over 10,000 cases across six continents, helping families and communities confront the unexplained.

    Notes & Links:

    Buy The Warren Legacy by Chris McKinnell herehttps://www.chrismckinnell.com/book/
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/

    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/

    54 min
  15. Hello From Heaven!

    Season 4, Episode 6

    Show notes

    “The strangest thing just happened. Your mother came through the wall of my apartment and said, ‘I have always loved you and I always will.’ Then she left.” No one had told Rose that my mother had just died. This encounter happened before she received any news of my mom’s death.” – from Hello From Heaven!

    In 1988, Bill & Judy Guggenheim began collecting thousands of first-hand reports from people who experienced spontaneous visits from their deceased loved ones. Hello From Heaven! is jam-packed with over 300 stories – everything from phantom odors to mysterious voices to full body apparitions. After the first 200 reports you no longer question that something real is happening, and by the end you begin to wonder why it isn’t happening to everybody. It’s the perfect book for spring and the Easter season. Hello From Heaven! is a manifesto of hope.

    For Richard, hope has always been a little hard to come by. But for a magical 10-month period in 2010/2011, it seems like hope is a given more than something strived for. As he shepherds a TV pilot (called “Heavenly”, if you must know) from pitch to script to set, it seems like all the angels are on his side. But how long can hope live in your heart? And in the cut-throat world of show business, do the angels ever really stand a chance?

    Notes & Links:

    Support RHPB on Patreon here! https://patreon.com/RichardHatem

    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied! https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26

    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/

    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER! https://www.thecuminclub.com/

    Buy “Hello From Heaven” here https://bookshop.org/p/books/hello-from-heaven-a-new-field-of-research-after-death-communication-confirms-that-life-and-love-are-eternal-bill-guggenheim/476bce0083dd4c62?ean=9780553576344&next=t

    Listen to Christopher Wynn’s podcast “Strange” here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strange/id1107060442

    1 hr 17 min
  16. Jadoo

    Season 4, Episode 5

    Show notes

    “I am a professional cliffhanger. Peddling adventure is my business, and at times it’s a mighty lean one. But the leanness is a part of it. Going hungry and thirsty and weird places that aren’t even marked on the map is part of it. My specialty is magic, the forbidden arts. Jadoo is my stock in trade.” – John A. Keel, Jadoo

    Long before ‘The Mothman Prophecies’ there was ‘Jadoo’. Barely out of his teens, John Keel set out across the world in search of magic: both fake -- and real. He traveled alone through Egypt, Iraq and India, fighting off bandits, breaking bread with mystical holy men and dodging deadly cobras. He was Indiana Jones before there was an Indiana Jones. But instead of a whip, his iconic sidearm was his portable typewriter. All of his adventuring was in service of his one true dream – becoming a writer.

    Richard shares this dream. And in the summer of 1987, he too sets off on an adventure – armed only with a tattered copy of ‘Lonesome Dove’ and a cassette tape of the Sex Pistols. He’s on the run – but whether it’s toward something or away, he’s not quite sure. And after a life-changing weekend in Chicago, he wonders if the road he’s been on his whole life might be about to change forever.

    Links:
    Buy Jadoo by John A. Keel herehttps://bookshop.org/p/books/jadoo-john-a-keel/3523f4b3dba9e0a9?ean=9781933665733&next=t
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/
    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/

    1 hr 12 min
  17. S4: SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE: WEIRDUMENTARY with Gary D. Rhodes Bonus

    Season 4

    Show notes

    Remember In Search of Noah’s Ark? Chariots of the Gods? The Mysterious Monters? The Outer Space Connection? In the mid-1970s, these odd movies from Sunn Classic or American International Pictures would suddenly appear in your neighborhood theater – and it usually meant that your next Saturday afternoon was spoken for. Bigfoot, psychic powers, UFOS – finally there were films devoted to the scientific study of the things I cared about. Were they scientific? As it turns out, not so much. But were they entertaining? Oh, hell yes. I’d see these things with my cousins or school friends, and we would all get completely freaked out and terrified. In other words, a perfect day at the movies.

    Author and film historian Gary D. Rhodes remembers these films as fondly as I do and he’s written a beautiful book about them called Weirdumentary. In our conversation we cover everything from the Bermuda Triangle to William Shatner to the Loch Ness Monster to Orson Wells to the iconography of the Patterson-Gimlin film to the legendary “Office of Knowledge”!

    SEE dramatic recreations of Bigfoot attacks! HEAR bizarre synthesizer music! LEARN questionable “facts”! SMELL buttered popcorn and Red Vines! Now sit back and get ready for your… WEIRDUMENTARY!

    LINKS:
    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Get the BRAND-SPANKING NEW “RHPB SPIRAL BOUND NOTEBOOK JOURNAL!” Plus all our other stuff. Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/
    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/
    Buy Weirdumentary herehttps://feralhouse.com/weirdumentary-book/

    1 hr 35 min
  18. RHPB 2nd Anniversary: MIRACLES MEGA-MIX!

    Show notes

    For our 2nd anniversary, we bring you the “Miracles MEGA-MIX!” We’ve combined all 3-parts of the Season 1 Miracles series into one easy-to-play episode. Perfect listening for long road trips, recovering from knee surgery and endless lines at the DMV! Now YOU don’t have to decide if you want to hear “Part 2’s” anymore – we’ve decided for you! You’re going to! You’re welcome! And Happy Anniversary!

    LINKS:

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Get the ALL NEW RHPB Spiral Bound Notebook Journal! Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/
    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/
    Buy Miracles by D. Scott Rogo herehttps://bookshop.org/p/books/miracles-a-parascientific-inquiry-into-wondrous-phenomena-d-scott-rogo/96cfee5389668dd9?ean=9781933665092&next=t

    2 hr 2 min
  19. Lily Dale

    Season 4, Episode 4

    Show notes

    “Compared to most people in Lily Dale, I was a raging skeptic. Compared to most of my journalistic colleagues, I was a soft-headed sap. I didn’t believe Lily Dale’s people could chat with the dead, but I was willing to concede that I might be wrong. I never intended for any of it to change me. But it did.” – Christine Wicker, Lily Dale

    Lily Dale is a small community of spiritualists in upstate New York. It is known as “The town that talks to the dead”. People come here from all over the world hoping to connect with loved ones who have passed on. Everyone who comes here thinks they will find “the truth” -- and know it when they see it. Up or down, true or false, real or fake. They’ll know. Christine Wicker, religion reporter for the Dallas Morning News, comes to Lily Dale convinced she’ll find out the “truth”. But the longer she stays, the harder it is to find…

    In the summer of 2009, Richard and Susan find themselves on opposite sides of an issue for which there can be no compromise: having a second child. All Richard wants is another TV show. A year later he’s in Shreveport, Louisiana producing ABC’s summer series The Gates. But the dream job is rapidly turning into a nightmare. What happens when the thing you thought would save you turns into something you can barely survive? And what if embracing the thing you’re most afraid of might be the only path to happiness?

    Links:

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB!https://www.richardhatem.com/
    The Cumin Club – delicious, easy, authentic Indian cuisine delivered right to your door. Use offer code RHPB to get 30% off on EVERY ORDER!https://www.thecuminclub.com/
    Buy Lily Dale by Christine Wicker herehttps://bookshop.org/p/books/lily-dale-the-town-that-talks-to-the-dead-christine-wicker/40f0955a03d76fe0?ean=9780061153747&next=t
    Learn more about the real town of Lily Dale, NY herehttps://www.lilydaleassembly.org/

    1 hr 6 min
  20. Sasquatch

    Season 4, Episode 3

    Show notes

    “SOMETHING is making those goddamn footprints and I’m going to find out what it is!” – René Dahinden, Sasquatch

    The 1970’s were prime “flesh-and-blood” Sasquatch years. It seemed like everyone who was looking for Bigfoot was sure they were gonna find him (or her) any minute now. Don Hunter and René Dahinden were no different. After all, if something exists in the real world, it’s just a matter of time before you’re holding it in your arms – right?

    In 1977 Richard was in search of a girl he barely knew. She drifted through his school, his neighborhood, his dreams – always glimpsed in motion, in the corner of his eye -- but when would she become real? As Don Hunter and René Dahinden scour the Pacific Northwest in their search for Sasquatch, will Richard’s hunt bring him any closer to his mystery girl?

    Links:

    Support RHPB on Patreon here!https://patreon.com/RichardHatem
    Celebrate 2026 with 26% off all RHPB merch with offer code RHPB26! CLICK HERE and the discount is pre-applied!https://richardhatem-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/RHPB26
    Need help with your personal writing projects? Richard is here to help! Get 20% off when you mention RHPB! https://www.richardhatem.com/
    Buy Sasquatch by Don Hunter and René Dahinden herehttps://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=don%20hunter&ch_sort=t&cm_sp=sort-_-SRP-_-Results&ds=30&dym=on&rollup=on&sortby=1&tn=sasquatch
    Buy Joshua Cutchins and Timothy Renner’s book Where The Footprints End, Volumes 1 & 2 here:https://bookshop.org/p/books/where-the-footprints-end-high-strangeness-and-the-bigfoot-phenomenon-volume-i-folklore-joshua-cutchin/09962a8798ca581c?ean=9798634992617&next=t

    1 hr 1 min