Speakers 2024

MICHAEL McMILLIAN, BRYCE JOHNSON & RILEY BRAY (BIGFOOT COLLECTORS CLUB)

Is Seeing Believing?

Summary: There’s the old adage that “Seeing is Believing.” But when it comes to High Strangeness… is that true? In a fun roundtable discussion highlighting Bryce’s investigative work on Expedition Bigfoot, the BCC Boys talk about their experiences with “The Phenomenon” and what it takes to make one a believer.

WATCH PRESENTATION HERE

ZELIA EDGAR (AUTHOR, RESEARCHER, CONTENT CREATOR)

Highly Strange UFO Encounters

Summary: Many UFO occupant reports of the mid-20th century are rife with bizarre, frightening, and sometimes humorous aspects, though they all have one thing in common - for the witness, the skies were likely never the same again. Zelia Edgar presents four different retro UFO close encounters, each one laced with whimsical, seemingly nonsensical details that may give insight into the connected nature of all apparently disparate types of paranormal research, as well as the folkloric motifs of the UFO phenomenon.

LESTER NARE (CO-FOUNDER OF STEADWORTH, HUMANIST & CREATOR OF UAP CAUCUS)

Beyond the UAPDA: Shaping the Next Generation of UAP Policy and Governance

Summary: While the UAP Disclosure Act (UAPDA) marked a significant step forward in addressing Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, the complexity and far-reaching implications of UAP demand a more comprehensive approach. This presentation introduces a National UAP Response Plan aimed at developing a holistic framework for UAP policy and governance.

KATIE WEBB (WITCH, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR, AND DIVINATION ENTHUSIAST)

Activating Your Inner Alchemist: Cultivating Relationships with Ghosts

Summary: This presentation will center around cultivating relationships with ghosts through tarot and magic. Featuring footage from her web series, Haunt Me, Katie will reveal how spirits have and can communicate through tarot. She will also dive into the ambitious theory of cryptids actually being ghosts, and how YOU can talk to ghosts right from your very own home!

MITCH HOROWITZ (OCCULTIST, AUTHOR & TELEVISION HOST)

Non-Human Intelligences

Summary: In this presentation, occult scholar and host of Discovery’s Alien Encounters, Mitch Horowitz, considers the vexing questions around the ageless search for supernatural, ultra-terrestrial, and nonlocal beings. He will explore how the NHI query produces surface differences—across myth, archetype, religion, period, and culture—yet reflects the same conversation, both historically and today. If we live in an era of disclosure, the perceptions and revelations aroused by the search for parallel intelligence may upend our sense of human life—and its adjuncts.

JIM PERRY (HOST OF THE EUPHOMET PODCAST)

In Liminal

Summary: In 2023, Euphomet host and network dirctor for Spectrevision Radio, Jim Perry, interviewed Garrett Kelly, co-creator of Liminal Earth, a crowdsourced map of paranormal encounters & other weirdness. In this conversation, Jim and Garrett explore how one can be "living in the liminal" while being a person in the "real world" as well. This is a wide-ranging discussion between two passionate paranormal enthusiasts that you won't soon forget.

CRISTINA GOMEZ (UFO & PARANORMAL RESEARCHER, PODCASTER)

The Congressional UFO Hearing & Whistleblowers: A Timeline

Summary: With the likelihood of another Congressional UFO Hearing, including new whistleblowers, possibly occurring in September, Cristina will take a look at the timeline of events that led to the historic congressional hearing, the players involved, and the challenges facing both congress members and the public when it comes to the UFO mystery and beyond.

MICK WEST (VIDEO GAME PROGRAMMER, AUTHOR, SKEPTICAL INVESTIGATOR)

Video Game Science and UFOs

Summary: What’s a video game programmer doing analyzing UFO videos? And why should people trust what a programmer has to say when people with PhDs in physics disagree with him? In many ways, video game programmers make ideal UFO investigators: the simple math used to make 3D objects move in a virtual setting and the code used to display them can be reversed, used to break down UFO videos and figure out where the object is, how far away it is, and what it’s doing. In this presentation, Mick will give examples on how he does this by showing several UFO videos and analyzing them.

SAMANTHA LEE TREASURE (ANTHROPOLOGIST & AUTHOR)

How to Handle Negative Out-of-Body and Sleep Paralysis Experiences: Notes from Medical Anthropology

Summary: These phenomena are often draped in sensationalist and fear-based language, while the medical world focuses on patient populations, framing them as natural effects of illness, disease, sleep-deprivation or substance abuse. On the other hand, the spiritual marketplace commonly sugar-coats these experiences, negative elements often blamed on the experiencer. Samantha will share stories from interviewees and examples of ways to deal with various issues in sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences (OBEs), furthering the destigmatization and empowerment of experiencers, whether they decide to prevent or embrace the experiences.

AYDEN CASTELLANOS (FOLKLORIST & HOST OF THE SUSTO PODCAST)

Susto : Preserving Culture via The Paranormal

Summary: In this presentation, Ayden Castellanos, the creator and host of the Susto podcast will share the terrifying details of a harrowing night in rural Tlaxcala, Mexico. A community shaken to its core by a scary story come to life; a bloodsucking shapeshifter, the Tlahuelpuchi. Following the immersive experience, Castellanos will discuss deeper context behind the story.

RENEE WATT (WRITER, ASTROLOGER, PSYCHIC, WITCH)

Strengthening Your Psychic Senses to Call in and Better Understand Paranormal Activity

Summary: Ask a psychic or witch if they've ever had a strange experience, and they'll likely need a moment to respond, As a career occultist, Renée's experience and belief is that by honing in on your intuition, you can open the creaky, haunted door to more frequent and meaningful paranormal encounters. Doing so will give you the confidence to navigate these situations from a place of curiosity and control, rather than chaos or fear. This will be an overview of the most common psychic gifts, how to recognize them internally, and ways to strengthen them. By understanding what your intuition is telling you, you'll be better equipped to interact and communicate with the unseen realms.

DASH KWIATKOWSKI (WRITER, PODCASTER, AND PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR)

How Synonymous are the Words Queer and Strange?

Summary: Dash sheds light on the deep connection between queerness, transness, and the unknown. If we accept that hauntings are drawn to spaces in flux and the liminal: train stations, schools, bridges and boundaries, then how does the unknown present itself when an investigator's very identity is also liminal? Exploring these questions through texts written by trans activist/scholar, Leslie Feinberg, examinations of classical deity work, considerations of the contemporary queer/trans fixation on the occult, as well as clips from Dash's paranormal investigation show, Liminal, this presentation asks you to consider why so many in the queer community are drawn to the paranormal and why it seems that the paranormal is drawn to them in return.

DARCY STANIFORTH (ACADEMIC, WRITER, PERFORMER & PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR)

Hauntings and Hesitations: Why We Talk About Ghosts, But Not About Death

Summary: When Darcy Staniforth leads haunted historical tours of the Kellogg House in Santa Ana, CA, she not only gets to share information about the past, but also spooky stories about the restless spirits who inhabit the house. She also uses this platform to engage guests in a dialogue about death and grief in American culture. In this presentation, she'll explore how we can use haunted tourism to engage people about death in a death-avoidant culture, while simultaneously educating them and entertaining them. She'll also discuss how haunted spaces can become spaces for the death positivity movement.

PAVEL IBARRA (HOST OF PSICOACTIVO PODCAST, JOURNALIST & MEDIA ANALYST)

The Valleé-Grinberg Connection: A Series of Questions for Dr. Jacques Valleé about Dr. Jacobo Grinberg's Work

Summary: This presentation is sort of an open letter from Pavel to Dr. Jacques Valleé. Alongside other investigators, Pavel has looked closely into the life & work of Dr. Jacobo Grinberg. A Mexican scientist who founded the Institute of Consciousness in his country. There is photographic evidence of Valleé with Griinberg on three separate occasions and we have a few questions for him that will help us complete the puzzle of Grinberg's work, theories, and hopefully his disappearance.

ROCKETTE FOX (KOREAN-AMERICAN PERFORMER, ARTIST, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR, WITCH)

Mindful Storytelling: Honoring Your Story

Summary: Storytelling is not only one of the oldest communal art forms, but also the means by which we are able to connect through the sharing of experiences. When everyone’s story is given equal place at the table, we are able to better understand not only each other and the world around us, but ourselves and how we fit into a bigger picture. Rockette Fox covers the exploration of one's experience when looked at through a storytelling lens. We will cover approaching one's tale in a mindful and self-love driven way, think about ways to structure the story, as well as performance craft with the goal to empower everyone to find their own voice.

ALEKSANDAR PETAKOV (FILMMAKER, OUTDOORSMAN & ADVENTURER)

What Makes a Place So Strange?: An Examination of Strange Places

Summary: Aleksandar's presentation will cover the topic of "Strange Places", which is the name of a documentary series he has been working on for Small Town Monsters. He will be dissecting what makes many of the locations he has covered so unusual. Themes of urban exploration, apocalyptic abandonment, urban legend, subterranean realms, cryptids, UFO's & more will all be focused on.

HEATHER MOSER (PROFESSOR, PODCAST HOST & PRODUCER FOR SMALL TOWN MONSTERS)

Cursed Objects: Letters and Community

Summary: Would you believe that studying letters associated with cursed or haunted objects shows evidence of a community that exists amongst individuals who don't know one another? This presentation will examine these cursed objects, the letters that accompany them, and the community that is formed from the combination of the two. The authors of these letters show us that universal interests and emotions transcend cultural and geographic locations. We'll also delve into the power of suggestion and folklore to influence and infiltrate one’s reality when life becomes difficult.

ALLEN GREENFIELD (UFO RESEARCHER, AUTHOR, AND OCCULTIST)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Joining an Occult Lodge (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Summary: Occult organizations can be difficult to understand from an outside perspective, as they are by definition secretive. For those wishing to know more about them, Allen Greenfield draws on his wealth of knowledge and decades of experience to explain some of the inner workings of lodges and groups. Assisted by writer A. P. Strange, he will attempt to guide the seeker of knowledge in practical and conceptual ways through initiatory systems- how they work, what to watch out for, and whether such methods are right for you. Using a conversational approach, and a bit of humor, you'll be rewarded with insights about Occult hierarchies- the strengths and weaknesses of such systems and a bit of the history behind them.

COURTNEY BLOCK (AUTHOR, LIBRARIAN & PARANORMAL RESEARCHER)

Inside the Archives: Traveling through the Parapsychology Archives at Duke University

Summary: In this presentation, librarian and author Courtney Block guides you through a series of photos and documents she accessed during her multiple trips to Duke University Library and Archives. Researching the former Duke Parapsychology Laboratory, you’ll see primary sources from the history of that lab and learn how to access your own spooky research!

BRIAN J. COREY (MUSICIAN AND HOST OF NECRONOMICAST PODCAST)

The Song Remains The Same: The Interconnectedness of Music and the Paranormal

Summary: Brian J. Corey will explore the concept of human interconnectedness through the creation, expression, and reception of musical expression. The use of music as a tool and focal point of paranormal investigation being a means of communication and perhaps connection to the unknown will be discussed. Can we bridge the span of time and space with music, the soul healer of the undetected emotions of humanity?

AMY MURPHY & TONYA STEINBORN (CO-FOUNDERS OF SOUL SEEKERS PARANORMAL)

Feel Good Paranormal Investigations with Soul Seekers Paranormal

Summary: Soul Seekers Paranormal will present their unique feel-good investigation style, showcasing clips of evidence gathered during their paranormal investigations. Through these investigations, Amy and Tonya uncover fascinating stories and evidence, making every event not only thrilling but also heartwarming and memorable. You'll get the inside look at how their investigations are conducted and how positivity can be the best way to communicate with spirits.

ASH ELLIS (UFO AND PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR AND PODCAST HOST)

UK UFO Sightings and Data: 2020-2024

Summary: What is being seen in the UK? This presentation will be a deep dive into the statistics and data from the past five years of UFO sightings reported in the United Kingdom. Ellis will also include some of the more interesting cases that he has personally investigated throughout the years.

VICTORIA JAYE (DEMON FOLKLORIST, AUTHOR & PODCAST HOST)

Demons, Shadow People, & Skinwalkers: Differentiation Through Classification

Summary: In the paranormal field, there has been a continual problem of people not being able to tell negative supernatural entities apart alongside the erroneous assumption that everything negative is automatically a demon. Victoria presents her data-based classification research that explores the crossover between demons, shadow people, and skinwalkers while also explaining how classification shines a light on how to tell these entities apart.

JASON HEWLETT & ELI WATSON (PARANORMAL RESEARCHERS, AUTHORS & FILMMAKERS)

The Legend of Ogopogo

Summary: In this presentation, cryptid hunter & paranormal investigator, Jason Hewlett, and writer & director, Eli Watson, will discuss the differences between the Western and traditional Indigenous views of Ogopogo, the monster of Lake Okanagan, and how its legend has unfolded. They will also touch on their recent documentary, Cursed Waters: Creature of Lake Okanagan produced by Small Town Monsters.

SHANNON LEGRO & AARON DEESE (PODCAST HOSTS, AUTHORS & FILMMAKERS)

Chasing Werewolves: The Modern Dogman Phenomenon

Summary: Join Shannon LeGro of Into the Fray and Aaron Deese of Small Town Monsters for an exploration of the modern Dogman phenomenon, tracing its roots through history and into the present day. Amidst an ever mounting pool of eyewitness reports, many are now asking one important question: are werewolves real?

RICHARD W. McCARTY, PH.D. (PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES AND AUTHOR)

Beyond the Veil: Exploring the Intersections of Religion and the Paranormal

Summary: In this presentation, Professor of Religious Studies, Rich McCarty, highlights how contemporary paranormal reports—such as monster encounters, UFO/UAP experiences, and spirit visitations—have the power to reshape conventional religious beliefs. Drawing on comparative religious studies, demographic data, and engagement with people’s reports of paranormal encounters, McCarty suggests that there is a dynamic interplay of paranormal and religious beliefs, which can (and do) influence and transform each other. McCarty further suggests that this interplay of beliefs may result in a Copernican shift of religious worldviews, which might forever change how people talk about theology and ethics.

JESSI AND JOE DOYLE (APPALACHIANS PARANORMAL FIELD INVESTIGATORS)

Older and Fouler Things: Hunting High Strangeness in Southern Appalachia

Summary: In this presentation, Jessi and Joe from Hellbent Holler will delve into the unique qualities and history that make the Appalachian region a hotspot for the unexplained. From witch lights and Cherokee spirits to sightings of Bigfoot and the Dogman, the Appalachians teem with accounts of the supernatural and the bizarre. Join us as we explore the rich tapestry of Indigenous lore, settler superstitions, contemporary legends, and personal experiences that contribute to the region's eerie reputation.

WATCH PRESENTATION HERE

NOMAR SLEVIK (AUTHOR, RESEARCHER, AND INVESTIGATOR)

New England Encounters

Summary: New England has a long history of high strangeness, from hauntings and sea serpents, to unknown creatures and extraterrestrials. This area of the United States harbors numerous stories of the unknown. With his presentation, Nomar Slevik will share a number of those encounters, introducing you to the varied peculiarities of the Northeast.

MATTHEW SCHANG (AUTHOR, CRYPTID RESEARCHER, AND CO-HOST OF THE MOTHBOYS PODCAST)

A Study On Cryptozoology through the Lens of Astrobiology

Summary: This presentation will be a speculative biology piece about The Flatwoods Monster, covering everything from its hypothetical home world’s habitat, its evolution, the creature's biology, and the species' distribution of life. This work will be taken from a chapter of my latest book Wonders Of The Void which was officially released on August 17th, 2024 at Cryptid Bash in Pittsburgh, PA.

MICHAEL AVON OEMING (COMIC BOOK CREATOR, WRITER, ARTIST & TELEVISION PRODUCER)

Project Blue Book: There and Back Again

Summary: As the artist of "BLUE BOOK" from Dark Horse Comics, written by James Tynion, our series delves into UFO history by retelling the stories as accurate and straight forward as possible. Much like the original Project Blue Book, contemporary efforts and programs show similar patterns of a few steps towards disclosure, followed by several steps back. This cycle seems driven more by money, information control, and egos within the government rather than a genuine pursuit of truth. To navigate this maze of potential disinformation and obfuscation, it's crucial to study UFO history. The more we understand the past, the better equipped we'll be to comprehend the present.

MARCUS LOWTH (UFO RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR)

The Crossover of UFOs, Aliens, Ghosts, And Cryptids: They Are All Connected

Summary: To many people, UFOs, ghosts, and cryptids, are different areas of study. The fact is, though, many researchers have arrived at the conclusion that most aspects of the paranormal are not just connected, but may prove to be different manifestations from the same source. Not only would this change how we view these mysteries, but it would also change how we view the nature of our collective reality. We just might find that as we start to form a fuller picture of one area of the paranormal, it not only shines a light on another, but also raises further questions that we didn’t even know required asking.

DR. JOHN FINDURA (EDUCATOR, AUTHOR & PSYCHOTHERAPIST)

The Stories We Tell: The Importance of Witnesses and Qualitative Data in Research, UAP or Otherwise

Summary: In actual UFO research, there is not always a physical object to hold and study. A great deal of research actually involves qualitative data, that is, legitimate data that captures the thoughts, perceptions, and feelings of humans. When it comes to anomalous phenomena, this legitimate stream of data is often thrown off to the side. This presentation will speak to how qualitative data such as the actual witness stories from Lonnie Zamora at Socorro, Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker in Pascagoula, and most heavily Dr. John Mack’s work with the Ariel School students, give actual credence to events without tangible material that can be placed under a microscope.

PRESETON DENNETT (AUTHOR, UFO & PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR)

Elf or Alien?

Summary: One puzzling enigma of the UFO phenomenon is the huge variation of reported humanoids. Grays, Mantids, Tall Whites, Nordics, Blue Beings…the list is endless. Complicating this is the fact that cultures across the world report many supernatural entities. Fairies, elves, gnomes…little people of all kinds. Could some of these little people be aliens? Or vice-versa, could some of the aliens be little people? There doesn’t appear to be any easy answer. But the fact remains, there are many reports like this, and it's still going on today! This video presents ten cases of people who have encountered little people which might be either an elf or alien!

TODD PURSE (CARTOONIST & ILLUSTRATOR)

Inquisitive Understanding: Make Your Own Weirdo Mini-Zine!

Summary: We all start our life making stuff compulsively. But many of us seem to lose interest in these imaginative activities as we get older. What if we didn’t? Could anomalous or paranormal experiences be part of a large work of cosmic art? And how can weirdness and art remind us that we live in an enchanted world? This presentation will have a participatory "make your own" mini-zine portion to offer a little creative exercise, while talking about the importance of the imagination and fun, weird stories of fictional breaches. Let’s get weird!

JASON F. PARSLEY (AUTHOR, WRITER & MUSICIAN)

The Ecstatic Theater Network

Summary: How do you build an organization that helps folks pursue their passions?Build the Ecstatic Theater Network! Is consciousness primary to being? Is the purpose of being human to balance life across multiple dimensions in a way that results in the most good for all? IDK. Let's ponder a theory of consciousness called ecstatic memetics! Then let’s play the Game of Resonance and create life-affirming cultural artifacts that build the Network. The Game of Resonance “tests” the theories of ecstatic memetics while financially and socially supporting the Network. And, now, let us play!

SERIAH AZKATH (PODCAST HOST AND PARANORMAL RESEARCHER)

Perceiving the Paranormal

Summary: Seriah will be discussing the intricacies of how our brains process what we know as reality, and how that effects what we call the paranormal. This also brings us new questions and perspectives.