In tonight’s dead letter, a routine hike along a converted railroad bed transforms into a standoff with the inexplicable for Patron and Listener Zed. Standing in an open clearing along the path is a solitary, towering object that seems to possibly be a tree, but for some reason it’s hard to tell. When Zed and his hiking partner attempt to rationalize the sight, they are met not with answers, but with a wave of paralyzing dread and the distinct impression that the object is aware of them.

Reference Links
Wadhams to Avoca Trail | Michigan Trails
The Van Meter Monster - Astonishing Legends
Mantis Men - Astonishing Legends
Indrid Cold (The Smiling Man) - Cryptid Wiki
Communion (1989) - IMDb

We're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com

This week, we return to the pitch-black depths of the Scole Experiment, where a sealed room in rural Norfolk became the testing ground for an impossible claim: that voices from beyond could speak through a crude, powerless device that shouldn’t have worked at all. What began as a strange experiment in energy and communication quickly drew the attention of the Society for Psychical Research — seasoned skeptics, scientists, and even magicians determined to expose any trickery. Instead, they found themselves confronting an event that challenged physics, belief, and their own assumptions. Was this the realization of a long-dreamed-of “spirit phone,” or a masterclass in deception?

Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.

In tonight’s dead letter… we explore the unsettling possibility that our children are not the blank slates conventional psychology suggests. Listener, Tim, recounts the evening his toddler, Mason, claimed he "wasn't always" his kid before describing a past life that ended in a tragic house fire. It is a quiet reflection on the "old soul" phenomenon and whether our children bring a bit of luggage with them when they enter this world.

Reference Links
The University of Virginia: Division of Perceptual Studies
The Work of Dr. Ian Stevenson
Monarch Butterfly Migration and Genetics - National Geographic
Altered States (1980) - IMDB
Defending Your Life (1991) - IMDB

PLAINTEXT

The University of Virginia: Division of Perceptual Studies: https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/

The Work of Dr. Ian Stevenson:
https://a.co/d/0fMu7zrx

Monarch Butterfly Migration and Genetics - National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/monarch-butterfly/

Altered States (1980) - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080360/

Defending Your Life (1991) - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101694/

We're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com!

• Foy, Robin P. Witnessing the Impossible: The Diary of the Scole Experiment. Diss: Campion Books, 2008.

• Keen, Montague, Arthur Ellison, and David Fontana. "The Scole Report: An Account of an Investigation into the Genuineness of a Range of Physical Phenomena Associated with a Mediumistic Group in Norfolk, England." Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 58, no. 220 (November 1999): 147–455.

• Solomon, Grant, and Jane Solomon. The Scole Experiment: Scientific Evidence for Life After Death. Diss: Campion Books, 1999 (Updated 2006).

• Drasin, Dan. "SCOLE: THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT." YouTube video of Original Documentary. Uploaded by Dan Drasin.

In tonight’s dead letter… Scott and Forrest explore the intersection of the safety of the suburbs and the primeval woods of the greater Akron area. Long before "Ohio" became modern slang for the weird, it was already earning that reputation through sightings of glowing red eyes that radiated their own light, but if you listen to Astonishing Legends, you already know that. Michael’s account details a terrifying standoff where when he was only 5 years old, he and his sister found themselves locked in the sanctuary of a childhood bedroom with something peering at them from outside.

Reference Links
Small Town Monsters
Village of Mogador - Official History
Minerva Monster - Encyclopedia Arctica
The Ohio Valley UFO Flap of 1973
Mogador, Ohio - Wikipedia

We're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com!

In tonight’s dead letter, a simple move to a quiet farmhouse turns into a bit of an accidental science experiment between two roommates who didn't want to sound "crazy" to each other. They both lived with the same unsettling experiences for months in total silence until a conversation on their final day changed everything. It’s a fascinating look at how our surroundings—and even the very ground beneath us—might be playing tricks on our senses, either organically or spiritually.

Reference Links

Recommended Reading & Resources

Ancient Aliens: The Alien Frequency (Season 12, Episode 8)
The Maltese Falcon (1941) - IMDB
Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar
NASA Technical Reports: Human Response to Vibration
Vic Tandy: The Ghost in the Machine

Geographic Landmarks

Ggantija Temples, Gozo
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
Tarxien Temples
Gozo Island

Send your Dead Letter to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com!

In tonight’s dead letter, listener Chris and his wife venture to the highest point east of the Rockies for a night of stargazing under the Milky Way. While lying on the summit of Black Elk Peak, Chris decides to put out a silent, mental invitation to the universe to see if anything might respond. The atmosphere shifts dramatically during their descent, leading to an incident in the dark woods that leaves the couple questioning the nature of the "entities" Chris had called upon. Scott and Forrest discuss the spiritual history of this sacred Lakota location and whether Chris unintentionally followed a protocol that opened a door to the unexplained.

Reference Links

• Black Elk Speaks: The Complete Edition
• BFRO - Bigfoot Legends
• UFO Reality by Jenny Randalls
• In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen
• CE5 Protocols
• The Oz Factor
• Thunderheart (1992 Film)
• The Age of Disclosure

This week, we revisit one of the most compelling and unsettling UFO cases on record: the Shag Harbor Incident. Often called Canada’s Roswell, but with one crucial difference — the government openly admitted it didn’t know what happened. On October 4, 1967, airline crews, fishermen, and first responders all witnessed a strange craft descend into the waters off Nova Scotia, leaving behind no wreckage, no survivors, but a thick, sulfur-smelling foam that defied explanation. Every aircraft was accounted for, and the Royal Canadian Air Force officially classified the event as a “UFO Report,” not a meteor or misidentified plane. But the mystery deepens when decades of research uncover a buried military history tied to underwater encounters and secret NATO exercises. With fresh context from our recent USO investigation, and groundbreaking research by eyewitness and investigator Chris Styles, this episode explores the possibility that Shag Harbor wasn’t just a crash, but a coordinated recovery involving technology not of this world.

Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.