Most of our life is spent looking for things. Companionship, security, even our lost keys. But above all of that is our search for answers, and the way human beings have tried to find them has lead to all manner of frightening situations.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Sam Alberty, and music by Chad Lawson.
If you flip through the pages of history long enough, you’ll eventually run into stories about life out of balance, and how something—fate or chance or something otherworldly—has stepped in to make it right. In fact, some of those stories have become a part of our modern popular culture—all despite the deadly stories at their center.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Carl Nellis, and music by Chad Lawson.
Some places in our world have a dark legacy. Prior failures. Shameful acts. Painful tragedy. Even though it all took place long before we arrived there, we can still feel the tremors of that darkness—and the stories about their source are deeply chilling.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.
Everyone longs for someone. That special partner who can enter their life and make is something better, something more. And while dating has taken many forms over the years, nothing is like a good, old fashioned personal ad—or the people who took advantage of them.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Michelle Muto, and music by Chad Lawson.
Everyone wants to look good. And while there’s nothing wrong with beauty, sometimes people have made sacrifices—both willing and unaware—in the pursuit of it. After looking through the pages of history, though, that hasn’t always been a good thing.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.
Home might very well be what you make it, but it’s not always about beautiful decorations and comfortable furnishings. Sometimes the places we live take on elements of our own personality. Even after we’ve moved on, those pieces remain behind, like echoes of another time—echoes that can still be felt today.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Robin Miniter, and music by Chad Lawson.
Human nature has a number of powerful, universal characteristics. Our need for community. Our love of storytelling. Our seemingly infinite capacity to adapt and thrive. But some of the most terrifying events in history find their root in one other: our will to survive.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.
Some threats to our safety and well-being are obvious and easy to spot from a mile away. Over the course of history, people have become very skilled at looking for danger and avoiding it. But some threats are more difficult to spot—and once they strike, the results can be deadly.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Carl Nellis , and music by Chad Lawson.
Human ambition has led us to some amazing achievements, and taken us to unexplored places. But it has also lured us into places where there is a lot more fear and danger than we are used to, and the stories that have grown out of that world have left the world a richer—and more frightening—place.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Sam Alberty , and music by Chad Lawson.
Some stories have been around for a very long time, and others are fairly new. One thing is certain, though: the tales we tell have a way of changing over time. But that doesn’t make them any less powerful—or any less frightening.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.
Some people have a fire inside them that drives them to do great things. New discoveries, breakthrough inventions, or astonishing accomplishments. But some have harnessed that passion for something darker, and they’re actions have left a painful mark on history.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
Everything is built upon something else. Whether it is a mighty fortress, a simple home, or the very lives of the people around us, there’s a foundation beneath everything. But don’t let that strong, smooth layer fool you. There’s darkness down there, if you know where to look.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
No one likes to be sick, and yet it is one of the most dependable things in life. We will all, at some point, become ill, and when we do, the most important thing in our world will be recovery and wellness. Many simply wait for nature to take its course, but history is full of takes of those who have taken it a bit too far.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Robin Miniter, and music by Chad Lawson.
The way we explain the world around us is determined by the lens we view it through, especially when events sit outside the realm of the believable. And no better moment in time can illustrate that idea better than the perfect storm of fear and paranoia that descended on a New England village a handful of centuries ago.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Robin Miniter, and music by Chad Lawson.
Most locations have an isolated history that is unique to them and only them. But some places have served as the entry point for a bigger idea and a larger impact on history as a whole. Sadly, that sort of significance always seems to come at a price, and it’s a cost that’s difficult to forget.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research assistance from Carl Nellis, and music by Chad Lawson.
Throughout history, cultures around the world have explored the world of medicine in search of tools that can heal our bodies. We’ve used plants and minerals, of course, but the most powerful tool might also be the most taboo—and it’s been right in front of us the entire time.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research assistance from Sam Alberty, and music by Chad Lawson.
Of all the parts of life that we can depend on, one of the darkest parts is loss. That’s the trouble with being surrounded by mortal, fragile human beings; at some point, the people we love won’t be here anymore. Which is why the mourning process is the playground for all sorts of powerful bits of folklore.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research assistance from Marcet Crockett, and music by Chad Lawson.
The deepest mysteries come from the places we haven’t fully explored, or where we lack the control that makes us feel safe. And yet one of the most universally mysterious places of all is closer than you might believe. It’s the best kept secret everyone has been sleeping through.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research assistance from Sam Alberty and music by Chad Lawson.
Not everything can be perfect. Even when there’s a clean slate and we’re given the resources and tools to make something great, humans have a way of building their flaws into it. And while there are many examples of locations built on a crooked foundation, few have the haunting historical tales to back it up.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research assistance from Robin Miniter, and music by Chad Lawson.
There’s a lot in life we can count on. Death, taxes, the sunrise, and political turmoil—these are all guaranteed, safe bets. But outside that, everything else is an assumption. And sometimes we get it tragically, horribly wrong.
Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research assistance from Taylor Hagerdorn, and music by Chad Lawson.