The Morbid Curiosity Podcast

The Morbid Curiosity Podcast

A history podcast for the morbidly curious. From serial killers to ghosts, ancient remains to obscure medical conditions, let us satisfy your curiosity. (Some episodes may not be appropriate for children. Listener discretion is advised.)

Episodes

July 14, 2025 40 mins

Originally released for Patrons on Sep 26, 2024

In this episode, Hallie dives into the web of social factors that likely drove the Salem Witch trials. The bewitched girls, called the afflicted, were from one faction in town, while the accused were from another. Is this a coincidence? Probably not.

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Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures, but throughout history, it was thought to be caused by demonic possession, angry gods and evil spirits. In this episode we discuss what Epilepsy is, and its medical and social history.

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Originally released for Patrons on Feb 13, 2023.

"Highgate cemetery was one of the first large garden cemeteries built during the industrialization of London. Over the years it's had its ups and downs, from being a sought-after luxury cemetery to an abandoned, overgrown haunt of tramps and adolescents. It was even the scene of a possible vampire sighting. In this episode we discuss the history of Highgate."

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Between the late 18th and early 20th century, the fear of premature burial was intense. This fear was spurred by both real incidents and magnification of the issue by newspapers and public interest groups. Many inventive ideas arose to deal with the issue, one of which was the security coffin. In this episode we discuss where this fear came from and the many devices created to aid the mistakenly buried.

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This episode is part 2 of a 3-part series, originally published on May 18th 2023.

"In this episode, we discuss the evidence from the Jack the Ripper case, including, letters, photos, and personal accounts from the Metropolitan and City of London police. We also dive into the many suspects that have been proposed over the years, which range from escaped asylum inmates to royalty."

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When you need a glimpse of hope in the most dire circumstances, there is Anna Essinger, a school teacher who was able to pull her whole school full of Jewish pupils out of Germany. Essinger taught and cared for hundreds of Jewish refugees, quietly and peacefully resisting the Nazi party throughout World War II.

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April 10, 2025 32 mins

Originally posted on Patreon on July 14, 2023. 

"In this episode, we discuss the archaeological and scientific work that has been done at the RMS Titanic wreck site, from its discovery in 1985 to the more recent and unfortunate expedition undertaken by OceanGate. We strive to remain sensitive and respectful, while also giving the most up-to-date and factual information about these expeditions."

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March 28, 2025 32 mins

Bone-setting was the strength-based art of resetting broken bones, dislocations, and bad backs. In the 1730s, one of the most prolific and effective bonesetters was Sarah Mapp, also known as Crazy Sally.

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Originally published as 'Lost' on Nov 14, 2016, this remastered episode was published on Patreon on June 18th, 2024.

"Before the colony of Jamestown, another colony attempt was made on Roanoke Island. After several years and many unfortunate events, the people and the village seemingly disappeared. The Colony of Roanoke is known as the Lost Colony, and it's not as lost as you might think."

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March 3, 2025 33 mins

Alchemy is an ancient practice combining mysticism with scientific observation in order to explain and manipulate the natural world. Secrecy was a large part of alchemy and the use of codes and ciphers was common. Several substances were especially important to Alchemists, and in this episode, we dive into these legendary ingredients.

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February 12, 2025 38 mins
Originally posted on Patreon on Feb 10, 2024
 
'In t...
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January 21, 2025 32 mins

The Dybbuk is a malevolen...

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January 9, 2025 33 mins
Originally published on Patreon on Oct. 11, 2023

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CW: Death of humans and animals

During the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, Robert Falcon Scott made two attempts to reach the South Pole. His second attempt was his last. In this episode, Hallie tells the story of the 1911 race to the South Pole, the adventure and the tragedy.

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December 12, 2024 28 mins

Originally posted on Patreon on Jan 11, 2024.

In this episode, Hallie explores the many aspects of Dark Tourism - visiting places with macabre and haunting histories - as well as the types of locations this practice encompasses. 

CW: Discussions of enslavement, genocide, incarceration, suicide, and exploitation.

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November 28, 2024 33 mins

A disease associated with pirates and explorers, scurvy was a constant threat to humans without access to fresh fruit and vegetables. In this episode we discuss the symptoms, the long quest to discover the cause, and tales of disasters and recoveries of those who suffered from scurvy.

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November 14, 2024 28 mins

Originally posted on Patreon on March 11, 2024.

As we're exploring tools used by ghost hunters and mediums, let's take a look at the Ouija board, a mass produced version of the talking board, which was born out of the impatience of Spiritualists attending seances in the late 1800s.

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Happy Halloween! In celebration, Hallie is proud to present Perfect Skin, a short horror story, written exclusively for the MCP by author L.J. Stanton.

This audiobook will be free for everyone for two weeks. After that, it will only be accessible to patrons of the MCP.

CW: Body horror, pregnancy horror, birth horror

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October 23, 2024 36 mins

In the beginning of 1692, young women in Salem village began experiencing strange symptoms, which were soon blamed on witchcraft. The girls began accusing neighbours of bewitching them, escalating the situation. More and more young women became afflicted and more townsfolk were accused. 19 people were eventually executed.

In this second instalment, Hallie discusses the criminal trials, the executions, and ...

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In the beginning of 1692, young women in Salem village began experiencing strange symptoms, which were soon blamed on witchcraft. The girls accused three women of bewitching them, but instead of resolving the case, the matter only escalated. More young women were afflicted and more townsfolk were accused, and 19 people were eventually executed.

In this first instalment, Hallie discusses what was going on i...

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