Beyond the Human

What happened in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in April 1941 more than six years before the infamous Roswell incident?

On this special episode of Beyond the Human, we’re joined by author Paul Blake Smith, whose new book The UFO Bombshell Before Roswell: Missouri’s 1941 Crash and Coverup explores one of the lesser-known alleged UFO crash stories in American history.

Smith takes us through the crash, the evidence he uncovered w...

What can years of systematic field research actually tell us about Sasquatch?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we’re joined by Michael Mayes, author of Valley of the Apes: The Search for Sasquatch in Area X and Shadow Cats: The Black Panthers of North America, and former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the North American Wood Ape Conservancy (NAWAC).

As the second interview in our cryptohominid series, Mayes takes us...

What happens when researchers try to bring scientific rigor to one of the most controversial areas of paranormal research?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we’re joined by James Waldo, a member of the North American Wood Ape Conservancy (NAWAC) and a podcaster with Seven Ages Research Associates, for an in-depth conversation about the search for Sasquatch and other cryptohominids.

Waldo discusses how he first became interes...

Could reports of Bigfoot, Yeti, orang pendek, and other humanlike creatures represent something more than folklore?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we begin a multi-part investigation into cryptohominids: reported humanlike beings that may represent undiscovered primates, relict populations of ancient hominids, or something stranger. We start with the flesh-and-blood hypothesis and ask whether these creatures could realisticall...

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Are there extraterrestrial bases on the Moon? A new preprint from researchers at Ukraine's Main Astronomical Observatory claims that high-speed video recordings captured more than 20 unidentified objects near the Moon, including objects described as "atmospheric" and "continental" UFOs. The researchers argue that some of these objects may represent a technologically advanced civilization using...

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Congress revisited one of the CIA's most infamous Cold War programs as the House Oversight Committee held a hearing examining MKUltra. More than fifty years after the program officially ended, lawmakers and witnesses revisited the government's use of LSD, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, electroshock, and other controversial experiments on unwitting American citizens. We break down what was actu...

What happens when people from every culture report remarkably similar experiences while standing on the threshold of death?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we explore near-death experiences (NDEs) through the lenses of anthropology, psychology, medicine, and consciousness research. From out-of-body experiences and life reviews to encounters with deceased loved ones and reports of profound transformation, we examine why these ex...

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Cryptozoologist Adam Thorn has shared new updates from his recent orang pendek expedition in Sumatra. Responding to questions from viewers, Thorn addresses criticism surrounding his now-viral trail camera footage before taking a closer look at the hair samples collected during the expedition. While several of the suspected hairs turned out not to be hair at all, one sample closely matches both...

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Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has been tasked by the White House and several federal agencies with assembling a new UAP Science Advisory Council aimed at helping the government better understand the nature of unidentified anomalous phenomena. The council brings together experts from disciplines ranging from physics and computer science to psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and oceanograph...

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While much of the UFO conversation has focused on declassified files, whistleblowers, and Hollywood's growing fascination with disclosure, scientists have been quietly updating the protocols that would govern humanity's response to the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence. The International Academy of Astronautics' SETI Committee has released a revised Declaration of Principles that addr...

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Did cryptozoologist Adam Thorn capture evidence of the elusive orang pendek? During a recent expedition to Sumatra, Thorn collected environmental DNA samples, possible hair specimens, and deployed camera traps throughout the jungle. In footage recently shared on his YouTube channel, something appears to smear mud across one camera's lens before a cinnamon-colored limb briefly comes into view. ...

Welcome to our new listeners!

We’ve had a lot of new followers since launching our TikTok and 250 Years of American High Strangeness series, so for those just joining us: Headlines from the Beyond is our (mostly) weekly series covering the paranormal, unexplained, and strange stories that caught our attention this week.

This week on Headlines from the Beyond:

After months of hearings and intense local opposition, East Vincent To...

What happens when cultures around the world interpret illness, suffering, and altered states of consciousness as spiritual possession?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we explore exorcism as a cross-cultural phenomenon, examining how different religious traditions understand spirits, possession, healing, and the supernatural.

Rather than treating exorcism as simply horror movie material, this episode approaches it through anthrop...

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Will a new expedition to Sumatra finally uncover definitive evidence of the mysterious orang pendek?

Cryptohominid researcher Adam Thorn has returned to the jungles of Sumatra with a much more ambitious investigation into the legendary “little person” of Indonesian folklore. Using long-term trail camera deployment, environmental DNA sampling, footprint analysis, and primate vocaliz...

This week on Headlines from the Beyond, we’re covering three major paranormal and unexplained stories shaping the conversation right now.

A new publication from the International Association for Near-Death Studies proposes a bold scientific framework for studying near-death experiences (NDEs) and other end-of-life phenomena. Drawing on decades of clinical observations, one researcher estimates that millions of Americans report...

What happens when lived religious experience challenges how we define the paranormal?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we’re joined by Andrew Chesnut, one of the leading scholars on Santa Muerte, for an in-depth conversation on devotion, healing, and the realities behind one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the world.

Building on our previous episode, we go beyond history and symbolism to explore lived experien...

This week on Headlines from the Beyond, we’re covering three major stories shaping paranormal conversation right now.

The UFO community is mourning the loss of Nick Pope, one of the most recognizable figures in modern UFO research. Known for his work on the UK Ministry of Defence’s “UFO desk” and later as a prominent media voice on shows like Ancient Aliens, Pope’s legacy spans decades of investigation,...

What if some of the most powerful paranormal experiences aren’t found in ghost stories—but in religion?

In this episode of Beyond the Human, we explore the rapidly growing devotion to Santa Muerte, also known as Holy Death, the Skeleton Saint, or La Flaca. With millions of devotees across Mexico, the United States, and Central America, Santa Muerte has been called one of the fastest-growing new religious movements in the...

This week on Headlines from the Beyond, we’re covering four major paranormal and unexplained stories making headlines right now.

In northeast Ohio, a wave of recent sasquatch sightings has researchers calling it the latest Bigfoot “flap.” Multiple witnesses across Portage and Trumbull Counties report encounters with large, hair-covered figures, strange vocalizations, and possible footprints. What’s behind thi...