I Want To Believe: Season 7

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**I Want To Believe: Season 7**

The I Want to Believe Podcast is a small corner of the internet where the paranormal can flourish and strange stories take precedence. Hosted by author Nomar Slevik, this series shares unexplained encounters with high production value and engaging narration. Procured stories include alien abductions, the black-eyed kids, Bigfoot, winged creatures, unexplained disappearances, and much more. You can expect a new episode every month.

A Maine Made Podcast | Since 2018 Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/207believe/support

Latest Episodes:

S5 E6 | Monsters in the Sky: Thunderbird Stories Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – S5 E6 – Monsters in the Sky: Thunderbird Stories (Title OK?)

Open Song - Black Snakes (Updated) by Prolific the Rapper & A Tribe Called Red

Close Song - Our Four Sacred Thunderbirds by Lance Crowe

Clips in Episode:

Thunderbirds by All Monsters Go To Space|Living Giant Thunderbirds Flying by Chief AJ/John Huffer

Thunderbird Story by The Media Bank1|Proof of Birdzilla by Monster Quest

Welcome to episode 6, season 5 of the I Want to Believe podcast!

Throughout history, people from all over the world have witnessed various creatures that are now largely discounted by science… yet sightings persist. We’ll tell you about one of those creatures in a moment.

Before we jump into the episode, we wanted to provide the I Want to Believe social media & email links.

My brand-new book, We Only Come Out at Night, is now available for purchase. This book is a collection of short horror stories and can be found online at: SlevikStore.Company.Siteand at theGreen Hand Bookshop.

The thunderbird is a legendary creature in some North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is largely considered a supernatural being of power and strength. It is especially important, and frequently depicted, in the art, songs and oral histories of many Pacific Northwest Coast cultures, but is also found in various forms among some peoples of the American Southwest, the East Coast, Great Lakes, and Great Plains.

In modern times, the thunderbird is reported to be a cryptid, along the likes of Bigfoot, Mothman, and many more. Fairly recent sightings of the creature involve that of a giant bird seen in several parts of the United States.

Check out the entire episode for some thunderbird stories...

Sources: Journal Gazette | Kara B Imle | Science Crypto Journal|Cryptozoology | Live About

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S5 E7 | Devil Fish and the Lumberjack: A Maine Folktale Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – S5 E7 – Devil Fish and the Lumberjack: A Maine Folktale

Open Song - Folk Metaphysics by Milo

Close Song - 99 Luftballons by NENA

Clips in Episode: Mythology & Folklore - What's the Difference? by Mythology & Fiction Explained

Welcome to episode 7, season 5 of the I Want to Believe podcast!

A long time ago, in the 19th century, there was a man named Jack Johnston. He was a lumberjack from the small town of Millinocket, Maine. One Sunday morning while fishing, he found that he was unable to catch anything. He became so distraught that he ended up cursing everything around him. This included the land, God and Satan… After his tirade… he felt a tug on his line… Kyle will fill you in on the whole story in a moment.

Before we jump into the episode, we wanted to provide the I Want to Believe social media & email links.

Play the episode to hear a Maine folktale...

Sources:

Haunted Maine: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Pine Tree State by Charles A. Stansfield Jr.

New England Folklore

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S5 E8 | #CULTure: Fear in Northern Maine Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – S5 E8 – #CULTure: Fear in Northern Maine

Open Song - The Power by SNAP!

Close Song - Cult of Personality by Living Colour

Clips in episode from: What Makes Something a "Cult" by I Am Your Target Demographic

Also contains one clip from Blankenship's Facebook Page

Welcome to episode 8, season 5 of the I Want to Believe podcast!

The word “cult” is typically considered pejorative. And it seems the groups themselves tend to evolve into different archetypes. From destructive to doomsday cults to political and polygamist cults, and more. They all have varying definitions when considering pop culture, academia or whichever lens someone chooses to view a cult through.

During the 1960s, the counterculture movement in America was about peace, love, and happiness. Historians say that freedom of expression was the cornerstone of both the Civil rights and the Vietnam anti-war movements. But by the 1970s, America was filled with violent faiths and deadly cults. Charles Manson, Reverend Jim Jones, and many other cult leaders became common names in American households.

During parts of 2019 and 2020, the people of the small northern Maine town of Saint Agatha were concerned that a cult had started to take root in their quiet and safe hamlet. We’ll tell you more in a sec…

Before we jump into the episode, we wanted to provide the I Want to Believe social media & email links.

Play the episode to hear what the fear in northern Maine was all about.

Sources: Sun Journal 1 | Sun Journal 2

Bangor Daily News 1 | Bangor Daily News 2

Fiddlehead Focus | WGME | Reddit

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S5 E9 | The Yuba County 5 Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – S5 E9 – The Yuba County 5: California’s Dyatlov Pass Incident

Welcome to episode 9, season 5 of the I Want to Believe podcast!

Open Song - I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Taylor Swift & ZAYN

Close Song - Don't You (Forget About Me)

Clip in episode from - Searching for the Five by Nexpo

In 1978, five men mysteriously disappeared on a mountain in California. Tragically, a month later, most of their bodies were discovered. Kyle and I actually covered this story in season one… but we were just novices at podcasting, not that we’re professionals at this point, but our audio quality has gotten better and we thought it would be good to revisit this unsolved case.

The strange circumstances surrounding their deaths have since been referred to as the American Dyatlov Pass Incident. The mystery, heartbreak, twists and turns, and the numerous unanswered questions likens this case to a group of 9 Russian hikers that were found dead under mysterious circumstances in the Ural Mountains in 1959. There have been countless television shows, movies, and podcasts about that case. In fact, there’s a recent documentary called, “An Unknown Compelling Force” available on Amazon Prime. With all the information available about that incident, we will not be covering it here. We will, however, share what is known about the Yuba county 5 story in just a moment.

Before we jump into the episode, we wanted to provide the I Want to Believe social media & email links.

Play the episode to hear the mystery surrounding the Yuba County 5.

Sources: Washington Post

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S5 E10 | There's Something in the Road Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – S5 E10 – There’s Something in the Road

Open Song - Crazy (Cover) by Violent Femmes

Close Song - Alien Abduction Story by Hyperaptive

Clips throughout episode - In Search Of... S1 E21uploaded by Missing Information

Welcome to episode 10, season 5 of the I Want to Believe podcast!

We made it through another season! We successfully changed platforms by moving to Anchor (at one point I thought I had deleted every episode of every season, thankfully, I did not). We tried out a format change where Kyle hosted by himself (UFOs & Marconi Scientists from S4). If you’ll indulge me for a brief moment, I’d like to say that I think we were able to pull off a successful season 5. I’m sure we’ll do some more bonus episodes throughout the year, but until then, thanks so much for the support and for listening.

Before we jump into the episode, we wanted to provide the I Want to Believe social media & email links.

Ok... we have one more story to tell.

Over the course of March 14 & 15, 1975, members of the Baker family encountered a series of unexplained events. It all began in Wisconsin’s Ashland County in the town of Mellen. The area is known for its hiking trails, natural waterfalls, and pristine nature. But like most areas in the Midwest, and, might I add, the Northeast… there is much more to the small town than meets the eye. “…within its borders a rich history of strange and unusual legends, bizarre encounters with unknown creatures, and peculiar sightings of unexplained things both in the sky and on the ground. Mellen, as you will soon find out, proves without a doubt that appearances can be deceiving and that just below a location’s Mayberry surface typically rests a plethora of X-Files cases just ripe for the picking.”

Play the episode to find out what was in the road...

Sources: Pine Barrens Institute

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S4 Holiday 2021 Special | The Warminster Thing Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

I Want to Believe Podcast – Holiday 2021 – The Warminster Thing

Opening song: UFO by Sneaky Sound System|Closing song: UFO Christmas by Byron & the Smith Cousins

Song Clip: Valerie by Steve Winwood

Clips used throughout the episode:

A Christmas Carol | Warminster Mystery Documentary 1990 (Beamsinvestigation1)

What Was the Warminster Thing? (Swamp Dweller) | Warminster Skywatch 1967 (Earthvisitor3)

Warminster Thing Photo

Welcome to a special Holiday episode of the I Want to Believe podcast! In early 1965, odd rumors began to circulate through the small English town of Warminster. Bizarre sounds had been heard on the morning of Christmas 1964, which would be followed by a long period of strange sightings. Soon, Warminster was swarmed by UFO enthusiasts, all wanting to learn about “The Thing.”

Before we jump into the episode, here are the I Want to Believe social media & email links. My brand-new book, We Only Come Out at Night, is now available for purchase. This book is a collection of short horror stories and can be found online at: SlevikStore.Company.Siteand at theGreen Hand Bookshop. Valerie’s Tangled Web of Friends book series can be found on Amazon.

Michael Whelan wrote, “Odd sightings and sounds were reported irregularly in Warminster, dating back to as early as the 1930's - incidents that predate the second World War, as well as the advent of the modern science fiction genre. However few and far in-between, bizarre encounters around Warminster seem to pre-date the rest of the world's UFO craze by several decades.”

The early reports mainly consisted of odd sounds described as "crackling & scratch-like". The reports of bizarre sounds continued through the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. However, it wouldn’t be until December of 1964 when rumors of something otherworldly may be taking place in the small hamlet. A local journalist’s article about the bizarre encounter was published in the Warminster Journal in January of 1965. The article actually became the newspaper’s most popular story ever published in its history... listen to the episode for the rest of the story.

Sources: Unresolved | Mental Floss | BBC | UFO Warminster

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S4 Thanksgiving 2021 Special | Dogman Stories of the Northeast Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – Thanksgiving 2021 – Dogman Stories of the Northeast

Music at the top of the episode: Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival

Music at the end contains a portion of Meatloaf's You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth

and Benjamin Franklin Music by Grand Buffet

Clips in episode from Kaayall - What Are Dogmen? And MonsterQuest.

Welcome to a special Thanksgiving episode of the I Want to Believe podcast.

The dogman, a creature described as a 6 to 8-foot tall with a humanoid style body, covered in fur or hair, and with a head resembling a wolf or a bear. It is purported to have been seen moving as both a quadruped and a biped, and some reports describe it more closely to resembling a traditional werewolf or Bigfoot. It is often reported as a nefarious creature, leaving witnesses terrified after their encounter.

Kyle and I covered a previous dogman report in Season 2 Episode 8, check it out if you want.

Before we jump into the episode, I did want to give a reminder that ALL of our I Want to Believe social media & email are listed below. My brand-new book, We Only Come Out at Night, is now available for purchase. This book is a collection of short horror stories and can be found online at: SlevikStore.Company.Site. Valerie’s Tangled Web of Friends book series can be found on Amazon.

Sources: Cryptomundo | Dogman Encounters 1 | Phantoms & Monsters | Dogman Encounters 2 |

Social Media & Email: Insta | Email

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S4 Halloween 2021 Special #2 | Haunted: The Old Narrow Gauge Trail Oct 30, 2021

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – Halloween 2021 Special #2 | Haunted: The Old Narrow Gauge Trail

Music at the top of the episode: Bicycle Race by Queen

Music at close of episode: Spooky Scary Skeletons by CG5

Clips from the Haunt ME Episode “Old Narrow Gauge Trail” S5 E3

Welcome to a second, surprise Halloween episode of the I Want to Believe podcast!

The state of Maine has approximately 17.5 million acres of forested land. And the number of living trees is estimated to be 24.4 billion. We’ve got a lot of woods, and within those woods, is a lot of history. An entire podcast series could be dedicated to the history of Maine’s forests and its inhabitants.

But for tonight, I’ll be sharing the creepier side to one of Maine’s smallest forests. And, was a murder/suicide that occurred adjacent to a trail in those woods become the catalyst to a haunting?

Before we jump into the episode, I did want to give a reminder that ALL of our I Want to Believe social media & email are in the show notes. And my brand new book, We Only Come Out at Night, is available for purchase. This book is a collection of short horror stories and can be found online at: SlevikStore.Company.Site or at the Green Hand Bookshop.

Alright, let’s enter the Old Narrow Gauge Trail… (play the episode to hear the whole story)

Pictures from the trail

Screenshot from Haunt ME episode

Social Media & Email: Insta | Email

Sources: Anomalous Events | Haunted Places

BDN | Sun Journal | Maine Trail Finder

Maine Encyclopedia | Randolph | Rails to Trails

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/207believe/support

S4 Halloween 2021 Special | The Exorcism of Roland Hunkeler Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

I Want to Believe Podcast – Halloween 2021 – The Exorcism of Roland Hunkeler

Music at the top of the episode: Space and Time by Hannah Harleen

Voice & Lyrics by Hannah Harleen | Produced by Steve Bops | Hannah's Link Tree

Music at the bottom of the episode: The Exorcist Theme by Starfighter (Re-Work)

Documentary clips throughout the episode: The Exorcism of Roland Doe on Discovery+

On December 26, 1973, The Exorcist was unleashed upon the American public. Some people were sickened by the film’s imagery and violent scenes. Some claimed to have fainted, vomited, suffered heart attacks, and more. Despite all the chaos, most movie goers loved the movie and it was the highest grossing, R rated horror movie until the 2017 release of IT.

Years before “Based on” or “Inspired by a true story” would ever be seen on the screens of countless horror movies, the general public, at that time, were mostly unaware of the origins of William Peter Blatty’s book and screenplay. Those origins transpired about 24 years prior to the film’s release.

In 1949, Blatty was attending Georgetown University when he read an article in The Washington Post titled, Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil's Grip. It was written by Post Reporter Bill Brinkley, and according to Blatty, it inspired him to write his 1971 novel, The Exorcist. It was a relatively short article, approximately 500 words, and read in part, “In what is perhaps one of the most remarkable experiences of its kind in recent religious history, a 14-year-old Mount Rainier boy has been freed by a Catholic priest of possession by the devil, Catholic sources reported yesterday."

Listen to the episode to hear the whole, reportedly true story about how Roland Hunkeler became possessed and eventually exorcised.

Sources: Washington Post | Diabolical Confusions | Alex Matsuo | TFP.org | River Front Times

Social Media & Email: Insta | Email

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S4 Bonus Episode | The Mysterious Deaths of the Marconi Scientists Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

I Want to Believe the Podcast – S4 Bonus Episode | The Mysterious Deaths of the Marconi Scientists

Content warning: This particular episode contains depictions of disturbing deaths, suicides and traumatic events. We completely understand and encourage you to skip this episode if this type of content will affect you negatively. Listener discretion is advised.

Music clip at top of episode: The Scientist (cover) by Willie Nelson

Music at the bottom of the episode: Mission Impossible (Beatbox & Recorder) by Rudi Rock ft. Eero Saunamaki

___

Between 1982 and 1990, around two dozen British-based scientists and engineers died under mysterious circumstances. The scientists involved were either tangentially attached or worked on various projects related to the United States Strategic Defense Initiative, otherwise known as Star Wars. Some of the deaths were so bizarre, that it left coroners unable to determine their cause. Others were judged to be suicides and accidents despite strong evidence to the contrary...

Before we get to the episode, a quick reminder that ALL of our I Want to Believe social media & email links are below. Nomar's brand new book of horror fiction, "We Only Come Out At Night" is NOW AVAILABLE for PRE-ORDER! Visit the online store at Slevikstore.Company.Site The first 50 copies come with 2 free stickers and a bookmark. All copies will be signed.

Alright… let’s talk about the mysterious deaths of the Marconi Scientists… (psst, press play)

Social Media & Email

I Want to Believe Instagram

Send us an Email(suggest an episode topic, tell us how awesome or dumb we are… whatever you want!)

Slevik Media Links

Links to ALL my works

Otherworldly Amor Documentary on Amazon Prime

Nomar Slevik Store (DVDs, Books & more)

Slevik Facebook

Direct Link to Podcast

Sources:

AP News 1 | AP News 2