The Midnight Seminar

Tara is joined by Dr. Christopher Smith ( christopherclaytonsmith.com )--friend, colleague, and horror buff--to discuss the enduring tradition of campfire tales and even tell some of the classics. Pull up a log and...

Tara tells Doug about her favorite American monster while also delivering a Crash Course on cryptids. If you thought monster legends were all about conspiracies and hoaxes, think again! References: The United States of...

Doug and Tara jump back into trying to decipher Third Man Syndrome, plus related matters of material and mind. This part includes a discussion of the scientific theories that psychologists have presented to help explain...

<p>In this first part, Tara tells Doug about a strange phenomenon colloquially called "Third Man Syndrome," in which experiencers sense a helpful presence at their side in extreme survival scenarios. The presence helps...

To the Cold War and beyond! In Part 2, Doug and Tara cover the iconic plant monsters of the midcentury and ponder the meaning of the plant-human hybrid trope, what it's like to be a plant, and what might be coming next...

<p>Your hosts start discussing killer plants in mythology, history, and popular culture. Part 1 covers the roots (literal and figurative) of the genre of "botanical horror" as it developed from ancient times through the...

<p>Doug is out but will return soon; Tara is instead joined by her awesome friend Jesse, who knows all about caves. They discuss what makes caves creepy for loads of people, from mummified bats and myths of monsters who...

<p>This time, Tara and Doug talk about cannibalism. It's a topic filled with myth and misunderstanding, but there are important lessons along the way. The meandering conversation covers ritual cannibalism, so-called...

<p>Join Tara and Doug for a game of "Which Is Scarier?" Highlights include Doug's diatribe on snakes and Tara's admission of donating a potentially haunted doll. Play along for maximum enjoyment!</p>

<p>Doug is sick and January is weird, so please enjoy this stitched-together bonus episode made from some odds and ends from your hosts' recent conversations about ghosts! Tara walks you through clips from the cutting...

<p>In Part 2, Tara tells Doug about the history of holiday "ghost panics," public ghost sightings that had revelers out and about, hunting ghosts with clubs and rifles. Your two hosts play the role of reporter and even...

<p>This series is all about ghosts—Christmas ghosts! In Part 1, Tara and Doug discuss some ghost basics and geek out about the English tradition of fireside holiday ghost stories. Equal parts Charles Dickens and love...

<p >Tara and Doug are not always deep in reflection about the wistful carousel of eternity; sometimes, they just want to talk about horror movies. In this strange holiday special, they cover the 2023 slasher movie...

<p>In part two, Tara tells Doug about the history of some harvest season holidays of yore. Rumination on death continues.</p>

<p>As the nights get longer and the breeze gets colder, Tara and Doug get philosophical on death, decay, and life in the darkest time of year. Part 1 takes a look at some cataloged reflections from historical...