When it comes to storytelling, one of the most prominent and continuously rising formats of the last 30+ years has been video games, and even now there seems to be no end to how much more they will grow. They run the gambit of any and all genres, from historical fiction to fantasy and sci-fi, to sports, and even slice of life. Video games are inspired by all manner of cultures and lifestyles, and have evolved into an incredibly expansive medium… Guest Links: Jay Rooney https://gameandword.substack.com/ https://linktr.ee/gameandword https://twitter.com/GameAndWord

Dreams are a huge part of the human experience, in both the literal definition- experienced via our unconsciousness during rest, as much as our aspirational, ambitious desires. But dreams can and do mean so much more, having such a powerful impact on our lives; in various cultures, these influences take on many forms and move in a number of ways… So dream a little dream with me, and let us drift off across the sand-filled sea of slumber. References: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dream https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dreams-and-dreaming/ https://dreamtending.com/blog/what-do-dreams-mean-ancient-cultures/ https://watchdogsgazette.com/opinions/dreams-and-divination-how-cultures-have-historically-interpreted-dreams/ https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/sleeping-beliefs-and-legends-from-around-the-world https://www.oniri.io/post/a-bit-of-history-of-dream-interpretation https://www.oniri.io/post/decoding-the-unconscious-freudian-dream-analysis https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/dreamcatchers https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/morpheus/ https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/morpheus-the-god-of-dreams/ https://www.scarystudies.com/mare-demon-mythology/ https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/the-oneiroi.html https://sleepopolis.com/education/sleep-myths-the-sandman/

The Faith and Fear Podcast will return on Sunday, September 3, 2023.

Today I will be bringing you an adventure of sibling rivalry, revenge, hatred, fear, and hope. It is a one-off winter tale inspired by my yet-to-be-published novel, Genko Shin. One no one else has yet to read or hear, so consider it my special holiday gift to you. I hope you like it. Without further ado, in celebration of the season and winter Solstice, and of course, in honor of Anansi, the African god of storytelling, I’ve come...to Weave You a Story. *I've tagged this story explicit due to violence.*

The holidays are upon us, and more importantly, so are the winter months. A stressful time of year...and traditionally one of danger, hunger...even death. It’s a time when the struggle for survival was its most severe. So the very nature of the holiday season is no stranger to horror or fear. If you missed my Christmas Monsters episode last year, please do check it out. You’ll quickly become aware of the numerous creatures used to threaten people, especially children, into behaving. So yes, Christmas is very much...creepy. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to someone far more knowledgeable than myself... I’ve brought you a VERY special guest, one whose work I’m sure many of you have no doubt seen. So snuggle in front of your fireplace, or, wrap yourself in a blanket for safety and warmth, then listen in while I bring you Creepy Christmas w/ Jeff...Belanger. *This episode is marked explicit due to brief mentions of graphic violence, and some minor adult language.* Guest Links: https://jeffbelanger.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ExploringLegends/ https://www.instagram.com/exploringlegends/ https://twitter.com/THEJeffBelanger

This week I’m happy to bring you another explorative episode, with another incredible guest. Author Kirsten Weiss joins me to talk about her experiences working abroad, namely the folklore and superstitions she’s encountered while living among other cultures, in various parts of the world. Kirsten's Links https://www.kirstenweiss.com/ https://cf40ff92-f864-4d9a-a720-d3cd8a755e96.filesusr.com/ugd/193150_5f80435d63424830906aaf9573327dc1.pdf https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss https://twitter.com/KirstenWeiss https://www.instagram.com/kirstenweissauthor/

I’m pretty excited about this week’s episode, which was originally scheduled for Halloween weekend, but sometimes life has its own plans, and things come up. Still, I’m glad to finally bring you our discussion on true crime narratives, and why we are so infatuated with them, especially when it comes to serial killers. To do that, I’ve brought you a very special guest- Kate Wallinga of ‘Ignorance Was Bliss’; “A podcast about who we are.” Kate is an amazing host and storyteller, with an impressive professional history to match.  References: https://daily.jstor.org/bloody-history-of-true-crime-genre/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/559256/why-we-love-true-crime Guest Links: https://iwbpodcast.com/ https://www.facebook.com/kate.wallinga https://www.tiktok.com/@iwbpodcast? https://www.instagram.com/iwbpodcast/ https://twitter.com/iwbpodcast

This week I get to bring you a very special guest, Laura Giles, the founder of Pan Society, a church of modern animism, to discuss among other things, what animism is. We also discuss religious trauma syndrome, ancestor veneration, connecting with nature, and finding one’s own connection with spirituality. Pan Society links: https://pansociety.net  https://facebook.com/PanSocietyUniverse1 https://www.youtube.com/c/PanSociety https://tiktok.com/@animistps https://patreon.com/pansociety

Death is a part of life, giving it meaning, and the things we do while we're alive, weight. But for those who believe it is not the end, it is only one part of the journey. The journey, not the destination, is, and always will be the most important. That said, sometimes we need a bit of help, to overcome whatever obstacles come our way, whatever trials befall us, and to guide us wherever it is we’re going. That includes traversing from one life, one world, to the next. For that, we need a psychopomp. References: https://www.psychopomps.org/what-is-a-psychopomp.html https://www.psychopomps.org/psychopomp-guide.html https://listverse.com/2013/09/21/10-more-psychopomps-of-ancient-and-modern-mythology/ https://folklorethursday.com/myths/psychopomp-tour-guides-to-the-afterlife/ https://www.learnreligions.com/archangel-michael-escorting-souls-to-heaven-123842 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kshitigarbha https://atlanticreligion.com/2014/05/20/lankou-gaelic-parallels-with-the-breton-death-spirit/ http://ezilikonnen.com/dominican/papa-guede/ http://www.haitiobserver.com/blog/how-haitians-see-lwa-papa-ghede.html

So much about life is beyond our authority, and we often fear those things we are unable to control. We fear the unknown. We fear change. Sometimes we’re afraid of fear itself. So today, since we’re entering the month of Fear, what better time to discuss its nature, as well as its significance. What is Fear Psychology of Fear Emotional Triggers Phobias Fear: Entertainment Why do people enjoy being scared? References https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/fear https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/emotional-triggers https://www.verywellmind.com/list-of-phobias-2795453 https://www.health.com/mind-body/why-people-like-horror-movies https://www.psychreg.org/why-people-love-horror-films/ https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-some-people-love-horror-films/