 adds heard during the podcast that are not in my voice or placed by third-party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. Welcome Weirdos, I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained. If you're new here, welcome to the show and if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen. Recommending Weird Darkness to others helps make it possible for me to keep doing the show, and while you're listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com where you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Coming up in this episode... Stories of real-life encounters with genies are almost unheard of, especially in modern times, but reports of personal encounters with extraterrestrials are many, and some believe they could be one in the same. If you grew up in the 70s in North Carolina, you might remember a strange man who earned the moniker The Goatman. So well-known he even had a book and a song written about him. Whatever happened to this odd traveling preacher man? And a fascinating and in some ways sad story of a four-year-old, not because of anything that has happened to the child, at least not in this life. The girl remembers working at the Twin Towers on 9-11. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the Weird Darkness. The legends and apparent encounters with the genies are perhaps some of the most intriguing, and until relatively recently, some of the least researched outside of the Middle East of all strange otherworldly entities. Indeed, many people claim that such encounters with aliens are, in fact, encounters with the gen, supernatural entities from another realm of existence. And while these legends are prevalent in the Middle East, it may be the case that the gen's presence, if we assume there is some truth to their existence for a moment, is much more global. One researcher who has conducted extensive research on the gen is Rosemary Ellen Giley. The results of her research are perhaps best appreciated in her book The Vengeful Gen, unveiling the Hidden Agenda, which not only examines the legends of the gen, but what they might be in reality. While we have talked about legends and folklore as well as shapeshifting entities here on Weird Darkness, all of which the gen could neatly come under, these particular entities deserve examination in their own right. Indeed, they might prove to be the key to unlocking a large part of the supernatural and the unknown. Perhaps before we get into some of the legends and apparent sightings of the gen, we might stop and examine some of Giley's work a little further on just what the gen might actually be. For example, as mentioned previous, many people believe incidents involving aliens, ghosts, even bigfoot, and werewolves, almost any encounter with a strange entity, or in fact, the gen. However, as Giley writes, that does not negate the existence or reality of the aforementioned entities in their own right, but simply that the opportunistic gen may take on appearances that fool us into interacting with them in specific ways. Indeed, there are a number of researchers, for example, who firmly believe that the alien presence on our planet is to influence our behavior. Perhaps these aliens are, in fact, gen. Although Giley doesn't assert that all aspects of the paranormal can be explained away as encounters with the gen, she does say that the evidence points to them being a significant part of our interactions with parallel dimensions and other worldly realities that intrude into ours. Giley also points to the fact that modern science is beginning to examine the genuine reality of other dimensions that exist alongside our own. If we discover absolute proof that other dimensions do exist, might the legends of the gen be more accurate than we might think? When she turns her attention to the descriptions of the gen and how they appeared in the form of smokeless fire, she makes the connection that this is a lot like Plasm, the fourth state of matter. To quote her in full, To put it simply, plasma is an ionized gas into which sufficient energy is provided, freeing electrons from atoms or molecules and allowing charged atoms and electrons to exist. This strange fourth state of matter is actually the most common in the universe. Our sun is made of plasma as he is lightning. A plasma creature then would require very little physical space to exist. Another writer, Jesse M. Speck also wrote on the platform Live Science that plasma is a state of matter that is often thought of as a subset of gases, but the two states behave very differently. Like gases, plasma have no fixed shape or volume and are less dense than solids or liquids. But unlike ordinary gases, plasmas are made up of atoms in which some or all of the electrons have been stripped away and positively charged nuclei, called ions, roam freely. Do these modern perspectives and explanations of plasma offer us a different understanding of what the gen might be? Interdimensional beings? These thoughts of entities from other dimensions, ones that can also cross over into our reality, are extremely intriguing. At least as they have surfaced in other theories, perhaps most notably such entities as aliens, reptilians, and even shadow people. And it's there that we will quickly turn our attention to next, when Weird Darkness returns. Suicide or murder in the shadow of a nation's capital. Alice, you were right. There was a body in the cell last night. You know that? I'm positive of it. Only there were two bodies. The screen's master of horror, Bella Ladosi, has the answer to this mysterious death. This time, she sought refuge in a strong man's arms. I just ran into yours. Mine might be dangerous. Ladosi as a madman on a mission of vengeance. Is he friend or foe? You'll find the answer to this fantastic mystery in Black Dragons. Join us Friday, January 26th for our next Weirdo Watch Party, as we watch Black Dragons presented by Horror Hotel's resident vampire, Lamia Queen of the Dark, bringing us trivia about the film, the actors, and all things horror-related in between segments of the show. And then stick around after Black Dragons, because Doc Dredd will be with us with one of his popular and fun movie reviews, giving his opinion of 2023's award-winning horror flick Beneath Us All. The Weirdo Watch Party's always free to watch online with everybody, so grab your popcorn, candy, and soda and jump into the fun and even get involved in the live chat as we watch the movie. It's Black Dragons starring Bella Ladosi from 1942 presented by Horror Hotel's Lamia Queen of the Dark, then Doc Dredd's movie review talking about Beneath Us All. Friday, January 26th, starting at 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central, 8pm Mountain, 7pm Pacific. See a few clips from the film and invite your friends to watch along with you on the Weirdo Watch Party page at WeirdDarkness.com. And we'll see you Friday, January 26th for the Weirdo Watch Party. Many researchers have questioned whether extraterrestrials are in fact not visiting us directly from the outer reaches of space, but rather from another dimension, or perhaps even through some kind of portal. If we turn our attention back to the research of Giley once more, she writes that many of the Arabian stories and Islamic texts, the Jinn live in a place that is very close but invisible to humans. This could most certainly suggest that they exist in an alternate dimension. While many take his work with pinch of salt, researcher and writer David Iick has always maintained that reptilian aliens exist in the lower fourth dimension and are essentially invisible to us until they cross over into ours. If there is any accuracy to these suggestions, does that mean that reptilian aliens are actually the Jinn or are the Jinn actual reptilian aliens? We'll return to those questions and similarities of reptilians a little later. Incidentally, Giley suggests that the most logical candidate as to where the Jinn resides would be the fifth dimension. Indeed, our entire existence might be one of the alternate dimensions of space and time. We've examined before that humans can only see very little of the visual spectrum, and that there could literally be a whole world of activity taking place around us that we just cannot see or even hear. Might it even be that these invisible spaces of reality are the other dimensions from which all manner of entities might be able to emerge from? Even the fact that many of the legends state that the Jinn resides in lonely, desolate places such as caves, mountains, deserts and forests are likely based on the misunderstanding of the people at the time of somewhere invisible. To many people at the time, these far away places were invisible in that they would have little chance to ever go there. However, perhaps now with modern thinking and the knowledge that other dimensions could indeed exist, these invisible places could be right next to you. Interestingly, in the West, whether intentional or not, most people's initial introduction to the Jinn are through films such as Aladdin or the television show I Dream of Jini, both of which have their origins in the legends of Jinn. Likewise, the notion of a Jini being discovered in a lamp and granting wishes has its origins in the same place. In short, although from a Western perspective, we know very little of legends of the Jinn. We have perhaps been more exposed to at least watered-down versions of those legends more than we think. As I've already mentioned, the Jinn are able to shapeshift and take on any form they desire. How they do this, as we might imagine, is unknown, and while they can take on any form they wish, there are several particularly intriguing alternative forms of the Jinn to examine. Perhaps one of the most interesting is that they'll often appear in the form of a black dog. We've examined this before, the appearance of strange black dogs with a distinctly paranormal feel to them. Might they be connected to legends of the Jinn more than we thought? For example, often these appearances occur following the appearance of strange mists or shadows. Might this be the smokeless fire or plasma aspect of the Jinn? While many of the black dog sightings take place in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, there are also examples of them in the Americas, and interestingly enough, the sightings and the legends thereof have a feel of black magic and even devil-like characters to them. Once more, is this a connection to the Jinn? They are connections that perhaps require further investigation. There are other recurring animal manifestations of the Jinn. Many legends state that the Jinn often appear in the form of a snake and will often enter people's homes in this form. Such as the strength of belief that a snake found inside the home is likely a Jinn, many people refuse to kill or harm snakes. If they did and it was a Jinn, they would likely face revenge for the act. Similar beliefs are held by the sudden appearance of a scorpion or lizards. What is perhaps also of interest is that arguably the most well-known shapeshifter, the werewolf, is perhaps one such creature that is not connected to the Jinn with some beliefs stating that wolves are natural predators of the Jinn. Of course, it isn't just animals that the Jinn can morph into and appear as. For example, some legends state the Jinn are sometimes connected to severe winds, storms, and even sandstorms. They can also appear as shadows, often moving against a wall or in its own right. This should perhaps alert us to the alleged encounters with shadow people. Once more, is there a connection between the Jinn and this seemingly increasingly if little understood phenomena? We'll return to apparent connections to the shadow people encounters shortly. They can also appear in part of full human forms which immediately bring to mind claims and legends of part human, part animal creatures. Perhaps we should also recall legends of ancient Greece, particularly those that state Zeus often appeared in assumed forms, even those of other people, in order to influence human thought or even outright deceive them. In short, given the number of connections we can make with many aspects of the paranormal, as well as the equally intriguing connections to many legends and folklore, it's easy to see why some researchers believe the Jinn have a stronger presence in our modern world than many could have previously imagined. While many researchers in the Western world suspect legends of the Jinn to be exactly that, legends, many people from the Middle East assert they are very true, and what's more, they do not doubt their existence. In Gaeli's previously mentioned book, one of her colleagues, Philip J. Imbrogno, tells of a journey into the region and the apparent very real nature of the Jinn. Imbrogno had traveled to the region in the mid-90s in order to conduct research on the Jinn. He was able to do so as a soldier that he had served with in Vietnam and was now a high-ranking member of the security force of the Royal Saudi family. Imbrogno would give the person in question the name Jack in order to protect his identity. After arriving in the country, he would travel to Jack's home, an affluent part of Saudi Arabia where he would stay. After meeting with his friend and catching up, Imbrogno was informed that each of them had been invited to a dinner party where a member of the Saudi royal family would be in attendance. It would be a dinner that would prove crucial for the writer's research. At the dinner, he would find himself sat next to the royal family member, a royal cousin, and would get the opportunity to briefly speak with him. He would inform the royal that he was there to research the legends of the Jinn. According to his account, the royal family member replied immediately that he would tell them about them, that they are very real and live in my country. He would then go on to relay a fascinating encounter. According to the account, the Saudi royal claimed that a unit of the United States military has been making active attempts to catch a Jinn for several years. They have been given certain permissions to operate in the desert regions of the country, providing there were military or scientific purposes to such missions. More specifically, the United States military was seeking to obtain a technical device used by the Jinn. This device not only allowed them to pass through solid walls, but it also allowed them to open and go through dimensional windows. The Saudi royal admitted he wasn't sure if the United States had been successful in obtaining such a device, but insisted that their efforts were genuine and serious. However, that was all the information he was willing to divulge, quickly ending the conversation. Before he did, though, he gave instructions to Jack about taking his friends to see a holy man the following day, someone whose knowledge of the Jinn was extensive. Incidentally, Imbrugno would liken what the Saudi royal informed him to one of his own UFO investigations in the Pine Bush region of New York, an area that we have also examined previously due to the seemingly intense UFO activity there. As he spoke to locals, he learned that they had noticed an increased military presence in the region, something the military would explain as merely training exercises. However, a source of Imbrugno's would claim that the real reason for the military in the Pine Bush area was to capture an interdimensional alien. More intriguing, this alien was using a device that allowed it to use portals to enter the area, which the military was looking to capture and learn to use for their own ends. Might these apparent operations have been an extension of the ones the Saudi royal claimed were taking place in the desert? The following morning, after the revelations at the dinner, Imbrugno was taken to meet the holy man and allowed to ask him what he knew of the Jinn. He would state to Imbrugno that the Jinn were made of fire and had long lifespans and great power. Perhaps more interesting is that they are able to manipulate matter and change form. Perhaps part of this manipulation of matter is to create portals through which the Jinn enter our world. What's interesting here is that many researchers believe that UFOs, Bigfoot, and all manners of strange incidents are the result of such portals. And in the same way that researchers also believe that certain areas around the planet are hot spots for such activity, many experts on the Jinn insist that there are key locations around the world which the Jinn use as a doorway to our realm. One such location, according to Imbrugno's research, is Selma Plateau in Oman, specifically Majilis al-Jinn, which translates as Meeting Place of the Jinn. Although this is likely a name given by recent explorers to the region, a huge cave that has to be entered by lowering oneself from one of the entrances on the ground. Just to give an idea of how large the cave is, the Great Pyramid of Giza would easily fit inside its main chamber. Although it was not until the early 1980s when it became known to the outside world, those who lived in the vicinity were well aware and cautious of its history and presence. Imbrugno would manage to secure a visit to the cave while in Saudi Arabia. His friend, Jack, arranged for a guide to ensure safe passage to the country, Captain Yarmish. They would make the short flight across the border before a car arrived to make the short trip to the town of Finns in the eastern Hujar Mountains. There, a local family with the cave system would act as their guide. They would arrive in the afternoon with plans to explore the cave the following day. During the rest of the evening, though, Imbrugno would speak to as many locals as he possibly could. Almost all were convinced of the genuine presence of the Jinn. One person in particular appeared to authenticate the revelations the Saudi Royal had told him the previous evening. The person in question not only claimed to have seen a Jinn himself, but the governments of the United States and Oman were also aware of their presence. What's more, they were actively trying to deal with them. This instantly made Imbrugno's ears pick up somewhat. When he asked the local to explain more, he would only state that soldiers, both Omani and American, had told him that they were tracking Jinn. What is perhaps interesting, especially from a UFO researcher's perspective, is that the local claimed he was told this information while being questioned at an apparent secret mountain military base after the soldiers learned of his encounter. Furthermore, he was warned not to speak to anyone of the interrogation or of his Jinn encounter. The following morning, Imbrugno would finally arrive at the cave in question. However, when it came time to descend into it, his guides suddenly declared that he must go alone. They weren't willing to enter the cave. As he began his descent, however, he noticed a strange mist rising upward. It could have been anything he considered. Then he heard what he thought was the sound of human voices speaking Arabic. At this stage, he ceased descending and viewed his surroundings. He noticed that the mist appeared to take on a large form just below me. He further noticed that the mist had a strange glow to it, one that didn't come from the sun. Then he heard the voice again, only now it was speaking English. He distinctly heard the words leave my place. At the same time, he could hear the voices of his two guides above. He would write, although I couldn't understand what they were saying, one word was clear, Jinn. He hauled himself out of the cave and then ran towards the guides who were approaching their waiting vehicle. He finally caught up and asked what was happening. The reply was clear, didn't you see it? It was a Jinn taking form and telling us to get out of this place at once. Embrogno had indeed witnessed something strange, but wasn't absolutely certain of what it was. His guides, however, were in no doubt. Although Embrogno wished to venture back to the cave again for a second look, each of the guides refused and all three of them left the area immediately. An intriguing afternote to the incident is that the cave system in question was opened up to the general public a short time after Embrogno's encounter. It would go on to see thousands and thousands of people visit the site. Then in 2008, access to the cave was suddenly revoked under the reason of safety concerns, whether any other reasons forced the closure remains up for debate. We mentioned that we would return to the theories and claims of reptile entities and some of the similarities between them and the Jinn. We'll do that next on Weird Darkness. I'm a man of habits. Truth be told, my bride says I'm boring. I like the same stuff, and that's what I stick with, and that includes what I eat. Even for breakfast, I used to opt for a leftover pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers. Did I mention pizza? Anyway, now that I'm trying to lose weight and cut back on the carbs, I've had to make changes for breakfast. Now, instead of a big heavy breakfast, I just grabbed one of my built bars, the best tasting protein bar on the planet. Built bars satisfy my hunger with up to 19 grams of protein, and also satisfy my sugar craving, despite being less than 3 grams of sugar. And at only about 150 calories per bar, if I'm really hungry in the morning, I can grab two of them and still feel good about it. Try replacing your dessert or even a meal like breakfast with a built bar. You won't even know it's not really a candy bar. Visit WeirdDarkness.com slash built and build a box of your own. Use the promo code WeirdDarkness at checkout and get 10% off your entire purchase. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash built promo code WeirdDarkness. There are numerous theories, ideas, conjectures, guesses, and even outright factual claims that Jinn have a connection to entities like lizard people. Perhaps one of the most intriguing details comes in a footnote in the book The Vengeful Jinn. If we remind ourselves of the details that Imbrogno picked up during his brief trip to Oman of the military wanting to obtain technical devices of the Jinn that allowed them to walk through walls, he notes of an account told to Rosemary Ellen Giley years after the trip. According to Imbrogno, a source informed Giley of an encounter that they had had with two reptilian entities. The incident occurred in New Mexico in the United States. What was intriguing about the encounter was the belts these reptilian creatures wore, which enabled them to pass through walls. Might this suggest a direct connection between reptilians and the Jinn? There are also other details that the two entities share. For example, they require a physical form in order to eat or drink. However, it is the consumption of energies, souls, that fully nourishes them. They essentially drain a person of his or her life force. They can also feed on emotions, at times influencing them so that they extract the emotion they require. Many researchers into reptilian entities make the same claims. Some depictions of the Jinn are even reptilian-like, specifically those referred to as red Jinn. According to Giley's research, these particular Jinn usually take on a reptilian form, and what's more, they are responsible for possession, illness, and hauntings. Furthermore, many believe that red Jinn are responsible for alien sightings and all forms of paranormal phenomena. Giley continues that red Jinn are the true terrorists of the universe, continuing that they whisper in the ears of men and women in order to influence their actions and even do their bidding. Even more disturbing, they collect human souls, often in return for granting favors or wishes to humans. These are intriguing thoughts. Such claims could and often are used by researchers who believe there is a reptilian conspiracy of disturbing entities looking to enslave and ultimately destroy humanity. Many claims, for example, state that reptilians often possess key individuals in important positions so as to divert the workings of the world in their favor. There are also claims of how these reptilian creatures feed on emotions in order to maintain strength in our world. And we might also consider that many people who claim to have had close encounters with grey aliens often recall some kind of reptilian element that they often can't quite explain. As outlandish as the notion of reptilians might sound, the similarities are certainly interesting in the extreme. We've touched on the crossover with apparent alien creatures and alien abductions. However, even sightings of UFOs to some present some intriguing connections to the Djinn. However, before we move on to the UFOs themselves, we might also consider once more the legends of the Djinn that claim they whisper in the ears of humans in order to communicate with them and influence their decisions. Many people who claim to have undergone alien abduction almost always speak of hearing voices in their head, something that most researchers take to be a form of telepathic communication. Might, though, it be another detail that should alert us to the potential presence of the Djinn. We might also consider that many UFO sightings are not close up with intricate recollections of a definite solid machine-based vehicle, although many such encounters are on record. A great many UFO sightings feature balls or orbs of light which then go on to change shape as they move against the sky. Once more, might these apparent UFOs actually be the morphing plasma of a Djinn? While we should caution once more that such thoughts do not suggest that all UFO sightings can be explained as the Djinn, some of the orbs or glowing morphing objects are certainly worthy of extra study. We noted that connections to sightings of the shadow people are of particular interest, especially as they appear in recent years to be increasing. When we consider that many experts on the Djinn claim that alleged sightings with them also appear to be increasing, and perhaps when we consider that there is a significant crossover of interest between encounters with shadow people and those who are victims of alien abduction. If we turn our attention to the research of Rosemary Giley once more, she determined that sightings and encounters with shadow people are perhaps most likely to have a direct connection with the Djinn. She would note how they often appear in a person's home in the middle of the night, something which is a characteristic of the Djinn. They also often appear in very specific locations, ones that we would label as haunted. However, it might be that these locations act as portals where what might prove to be Djinn are leaving and entering our world. What's more, they appear and disappear in a moment. Even the appearance of the shadow people is of interest. On some occasions, the forms are very much human, even appearing to be wearing clothes such as a long coat or even a hat. On other occasions, though, the strange shadowy presences are in a very definite black mist, often described as blacker than black, but that doesn't take a definite shape. Might this be the plasma or smokeless fire of Djinn legend? It's the conclusion of Giley that the shadow people appear to have an agenda of monitoring or watching humans, once inviting comparisons with alien abduction encounters. Some of the theories in alien abduction circles suggest that these hands-on reconnaissance missions have an end goal that's likely to involve some kind of hybridization with humanity, perhaps in order to overtake the earth as the dominant force. Many legends of the Djinn believe that it's their intent to regain their once-dominant existence on earth. Such possibilities, however unlikely, should perhaps concern us all. It's clear that we have not the room nor the time to fully explore the legends of the Djinn, and whether they connect much more directly to various aspects of the paranormal including hauntings, alien abduction, and even reptilian entities. It seems clear, however, that there is certainly a reason for continued research into such matters. What might it mean for humanity as a whole if the legends of the Djinn did have some truth to them? And more urgently, what their apparent presence in our modern world might lead to? As well as forcing us to reevaluate a lot of what we think we know now, it would also force us to do the same with aspects of our collective existence that we have very little understanding of. Are aliens and the Djinn one in the same entity? Or might matters be even more blurred with each existing in their own right, with one or both emulating the other's appearance? A study of the paranormal world would not be possible without including the legends and apparent encounters of the Djinn, as well as how they might connect to our collective reality. When Weird Darkness returns, a fascinating and in some way sad story of a four-year-old, not because of anything that has happened to the child, at least not in this life, but the girl remembers working at the Twin Towers on 9-11. But first, if you grew up in the 70s in North Carolina, you might remember a strange man who earned the moniker The Goatman. So well known, he even had a book and a song written about him. Whatever happened to this odd traveling preacher man? That story is up next. No matter the time of day or season, sometimes you need to find a way to rid yourself of those ghostly chills that bring raised hairs and goose bumps to your skin. Other times, you're looking for those ghostly chills. Either way, it sounds like you need a mug of Weird Dark Roast coffee. Weird Dark Roast coffee has deep notes of cocoa, caramel, and a touch of sinister sweetness that'll send shivers down your taste buds. This is an exclusive coffee that I selected specifically for you, my Weirdo family. Weird Dark Roast is not available in stores, coffee houses, mad scientist labs, or even the dark web. But you can find it at WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. Weird Dark Roast coffee. Fresh roasted to order so it's as fresh as it can be when it lands on your doorstep and knocks three times. Grab yours now at WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. Weird Dark Roast coffee does not actually knock on your door because it doesn't have arms or hands, so if you hear knocks at the door and no one answers when you ask who it is, it's probably paranormal and you should just leave the door shut and locked. Reno Bailey, the creator of the website Remember Cliffside, recalls from childhood a man who used to pass through town with a wagon pulled by goats and made money by taking photographs of children posed in his wagon. Bailey described how his young imagination has added a few details to the goat man's biography. In his mind, the itinerant goat herder was a Nazi spy taking photographs of the town's power plant and other installations. Of course, as an adult, Bailey learned that the goat man was not a spy. Instead, he was a man who traveled the South's back roads with his goats and occasionally some two-legged companions preaching and living off the land and the kindness of strangers. I probably wouldn't have given the story much more thought if I hadn't come across a couple of postcards of goat man in the North Carolina Postcards online collection. If you want to see them, I'll link to the photos in the show notes. I figured if there were postcards of the goat man and if he drew such large crowds when he preached, then somebody must have written about him. Heck, I thought maybe there's even a Wikipedia page about him. Indeed, there is. There's also a book and a song about the goat man whose real name was Charles Chess McCartney. According to several biographies on the web, including one in the New Georgia Encyclopedia, McCartney was born on an Iowa farm in 1901. At the age of 14, he left home and headed for New York City. There, he met and eventually married a Spanish woman who had a knife-throwing act. McCartney, who was allegedly 10 years his wife's junior, served as her knife-throwing target. When the couple had a son, they left the city and began a life of farming. The depression hit the couple hard and McCartney searched for other work. In 1935, McCartney was injured while cutting timber as part of a Works Progress Administration project. Some accounts suggest that a tree fell on him and several hours elapsed before he was found. According to these stories, McCartney was pronounced dead and taken to a mortuary. As the undertaker inserted a needle with embalming fluid into his arm, McCartney stirred and woke. Whether because of this supposed near-death experience or for other reasons, McCartney underwent a religious reawakening. He hitched up a wagon to a team of goats and accompanied by his wife and son, he took to the road preaching. Wearing goat skin clothes fashioned by his wife, McCartney called for sinners to repent or face eternal damnation. He marked his path with signs bearing such messages as, Prepare to meet thy God with the fires of hell painted at the bottom. Eventually, McCartney's wife tired of the itinerant life and she left, taking their son with her. McCartney continued his travels, inspired, he said, by Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and the Bible, two books he always carried with him. Along the way, McCartney married two more times and may have fathered several more children. At some point, his son, Albert Jean, joined him on the road. McCartney established a base in Twiggs County, Georgia, calling his home the Free Thinking Christian Mission. From there, he continued his travels, claiming to visit all of the lower 48 states as well as Alaska and Canada during almost 50 years on the road. Although he eventually foresoaked goat skin clothing for denim overalls, his fiery sermons and eccentric appearance left strong impressions on those whom he encountered. Flannery O'Connor mentioned the goat man in letters and may have incorporated some of his ways into her characters. It is believed that Cormac McCarthy's novel, Suttery, includes a character based on McCartney. McCartney retired from the road in the late 60s or early 70s, shortly after a mugging during which three of his ribs were broken and two goats killed. When his mission building burned in 1978, McCartney and his son moved into a broken down school bus. He made one last road journey in 1985 where he set out on foot towards Los Angeles in hopes of meeting and marrying the actress Morgan Fairchild. After a mugging on that trip, he returned to Georgia and lived in a nursing home until his death at the age of 97 in 1998. Responding to a TikTok which said, Tell me a time when your child told you a past life story, Riss White opened up about a disturbing account given by her young daughter a couple of years ago. On September 11, 2018, Riss had been scrolling through social media and came across some 9-11 memorial posts. One of these posts showed an image of the Twin Towers, which appeared to strike a familiar chord with her four-year-old daughter. The little girl pointed to one of the towers. Riss believes it was the North Tower and said, Hey mom, I used to work there. When Riss asked her when this was, her daughter simply responded, Before. And that is when the story got freaky. Here's the recording of Riss telling her story. So on September 11, 2018, my daughter was four years old and I was scrolling through my Facebook and there was some 9-11 memorial posts and she just so happened to see the Twin Towers on one of them. So she points to one of the towers. I think it was the North Tower and she said, Hey mom, I used to work there. And I was like, when? She's like before. And she said that one day she was working and the floor got really hot. So she stood on her desk because the floor was too hot. And she said that her and her friends were trying to get through the door, but they couldn't open the door. So she jumped out the window and flew like a bird. Mind you, Bella has never heard about 9-11 before. Whether or not you believe in past lives, this video cannot help but draw a shutter. And many of those who have watched it have shared similarly strange statements made by their own children. One woman recalled, When one of my kids was three, she randomly turned to me and said, Hey mommy, remember that time I was an old lady and got hit by a car and died? Another mother commented, My daughter is four and has told me so many times that her and two other girls fell in water and sank to the bottom then fell asleep and now she's here. There are many different theories as to why kids often speak of memories of past lives. With many people believing the suggestible nature of children's brains means that they are more susceptible to false memories. However, there are those who believe there is more to it. Speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006, medical director of the Child and Family Psychiatric Clinic at the University of Virginia, Jim Tucker spoke about his beliefs that reincarnation could exist. Tucker, who has taken case studies of past life memories and attempted to verify them, said, If it's a case where the statements aren't verified, then it may well just be a fantasy. Like the boy who said, I used to drive a big truck. If you've got one where the children have made numerous statements about another life that is quite some distance away, including proper names and everything else and it all checks out, then unless you're going to say it's all one heck of a coincidence, you can't really just blame all of that on fantasy. In a blog post for the University of Virginia, Tucker recommended that parents be open to what their children are reporting, noting that some children show a lot of emotional intensity regarding these issues, and so parents should be respectful in listening, just as they are with other topics. Thanks for listening. If you like the show, please share it with someone you know who loves the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters or unsolved mysteries like you do. You can email me anytime with your questions or comments at darren at weirddarkness.com, Darren's D-A-R-R-E-N, and you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more, along with the show's Facebook group on the Contact Social page at WeirdDarkness.com. All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise, and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes. Jyn, Terrors of the Universe, was written by Marcus Louth for UFO Insight. Remember, The Goat Man is by John Blythe for the University of North Carolina, and Reincarnated after 9-11 was written by Julia Bannum for Unilad. Weird Darkness Theme by Alibi Music Background music in this episode provided by Audio Blocks with paid license. Weird Darkness is a production of Marlar House Productions. And now that we're coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a little light. Jesus replied, What is impossible with men is possible with God. And a final thought, your journey will be much lighter and easier if you don't carry your past with you. I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness.