(Note: The legendary parapolitics researcher/the hardest working man in podcasting, Jimmy Falun Gong, has recently had to go into hiding after his comrades at the RAF started being arrested after a Bellingcat investigation. As such, he kindly allowed me to release the episodes of Programmed to Chill that I was a guest on for the lovely subscribers at Getting Spooked. We all wish Jimmy the absolute best in his future endeavors. His podcast will remain one of the best of its genre long after its end and I am still grateful he had me on as a guest. Above all, he is a great friend and top of the line human being.)
Jimmy’s original description:
Today I'm joined by a very special guest, Fortean expert Tanner Boyle (@TannerFBoyle1) to discuss some early high strangeness, and particularly a lot of the incredibly underdiscussed parapolitical angles to said phenomenon. We discuss the weird figures around the Mothman thing, the factories around Point Pleasant, the backgrounds of people like John Keel, Woodrow Derenberger, and Indrid Cold, and the Lanulos abduction story.
We talk Bosco Nedelcovic, Union Carbide, COINTELPRO, men in black, the Hopkinsville goblins, the Flatwoods Monster, the recurring theme of weird connections between cryptozoology and espionage, and the alien abduction concept. We discuss certain salient aspects of the Betty and Barney Hill abduction, and the truly insane stories of several hypnosis experts. At the end, we contemplate what's left of these stories and their possible utility as psychological operations.
Links:
https://twitter.com/TannerFBoyle1
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-fortean-influence-on-science-fiction/
Songs:
I Got Abducted by a UFO - the Lillingtons
Hardcore UFOs - Guided By Voices
When You See Those Flying Saucers by the Buchanan Brothers
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - Klaatu
Correction: In the episode, I say I heard that Kenneth Arnold might have been Mormon—I was misremembering the truth, pointed out later on:
Thank you for subscribing to Getting Spooked. If you like this kind of content, let me know in the comments or via email as I have been considering a paid subscriber-only feed of audio material. As always, consider becoming a regular subscriber to get posts like these directly to your inbox. Become a paid subscriber to read over a dozen archived posts and support the continuation of this publication. I also started a referral program that rewards archive access to those who share the newsletter with others, so be sure to tell any friends who might find this work interesting. The leaderboard tab is now public if you want the bragging rights of your referral numbers. Email me at gettingspooked@protonmail.com with any questions, comments, recommendations, leads, or paranormal stories. You can find me on Twitter at @TannerFBoyle1, on Bluesky at @tannerfboyle.bsky.social, or on Instagram at @gettingspooked. Until next time, stay spooked.
Programmed to Chill - Premium Episode 26: "Why is everything just two steps removed from Jonestown?"