Episodios

  • Episode 115: The Mandela Effect

    Episode 115: The Mandela Effect
    Jul 16 2025
    The Mandela Effect, named by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome in 2010, refers to collective false memories where groups misremember events or details, like Nelson Mandela dying in the 1980s (he died in 2013). Psychological studies, such as Loftus and Palmer’s 1974 experiments, demonstrate how language can distort memories, while Broome suggests alternate realities or timeline shifts as causes, though these lack scientific support. Examples include misremembering the Berenstain Bears as “Berenstein,” Monopoly’s Rich Uncle Pennybags with a monocle, or Darth Vader saying “Luke, I am your father” instead of “No, I am your father.” Historical cases involve myths like Columbus discovering the Americas first or Vikings wearing horned helmets. The International Mandela Effect Conference (IMEC) explores quantum theory connections, but psychological factors like memory fallibility and social influence are more accepted. While the phenomenon sparks curiosity about human memory, it can also foster distrust in reality, fuel conspiracies, and highlight cognitive fragility, potentially undermining shared historical truths. Sources:

    International Mandela Effect Conference | quantum physics | 322 E Main St, Branford, CT 06405, USA. (n.d.). IMEC Events Page. https://www.imec.world/

    https://www.youtube.com/live/YQQpUVzqTl8?si=jJv1NMIB_7XNXoW0

    Jenkins, C., & Vincent, S. (2025, January 14). 55 Mandela effect examples that’ll make you question everything. Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g28438966/mandela-effect-examples/

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 11 m
  • Episode 114: The Challenger Tragedy

    Episode 114: The Challenger Tragedy
    Jul 9 2025

    In an effort to reinvigorate interest in the Space program, NASA launched the "Teacher in Space" program, in 1984. The beautiful, brilliant and charismatic high school social studies teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was selected out of 11,000 applicants and the country fell in love with the teacher and the space program once again. Tragically, a well-documented problem with the O-rings on the shuttle's solid rocket booster was compromised during the low temperature launch and one of NASA's biggest tragedies occurred, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts on board. In today's episode we discuss little known facts about the disaster and ask the question, what is the cost of advancement?

    Sources:

    How legendary physicist Richard Feynman helped crack the case on the Challenger disaster. (2021, June 9). Literary Hub. https://lithub.com/how-legendary-physicist-richard-feynman-helped-crack-the-case-on-the-challenger-disaster/

    Pruitt, S. (2025, May 28). 5 things you may not know about the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/articles/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-challenger-shuttle-disaster

    The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2009, January 14). Challenger disaster | Summary, Date, Cause, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Challenger-disaster

    The Challenger: The Final Flight. (2018). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12930534/fullcredits/

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 16 m
  • Episode 113: Cindy James - The Unknown Event

    Episode 113: Cindy James - The Unknown Event
    Jul 2 2025

    After separating from her husband of 15 years, Cindy James, a nurse in Vancouver, Canada, was brutally stalked and harassed. Despite nearly seven years of reported incidents of harassment, threatening calls, physical and sexual assaults, and other forms of abuse, police concluded that her claims were likely fabricated, possibly to gain attention or due to mental health issues. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spent an estimated $1-1.5 million investigating Cindy's claims, making it one of the longest and most expensive investigations in British Columbia history.

    Sources: Neal Hall, Torment, The Vancouver Sun, December 30, 1990 Page 6

    Brian Driscoll, Two Views of Same Tragedy, Edmonton Journal, February 24, 1991, page 28

    Cindy James: Part 1- The Night Stalker. (n.d.). [Video]. Stephanie Harlowe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo5R6W6KXRE Cindy James- Part 2: Under Siege. (n.d.). [Video]. Stephanie Harlowe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_1YIe9Z51k

    Unsolved Mysteries. (2021, December 8). Cindy James - Unsolved Mysteries. https://unsolved.com/gallery/cindy-james/

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 30 m
  • Rerun: The Unsolved Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley

    Rerun: The Unsolved Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley
    Jun 25 2025

    Who killed Athalia Ponsell Lindsley? The logical suspect was a man who had previously threatened her life. A man, that, conveniently, borrowed a machete from the county and never returned it. A man that had been called out by name by the only eyewitness to the murder. A man who lived in the house with a blood trail leading from the crime scene to its front door. Was this simply circumstantial evidence? You tell us.

    Sources:

    Randall, E. (2016). Murder in St. Augustine: The mysterious death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley. Arcadia Publishing.

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 19 m
  • Episode 112: Brandon Swanson

    Episode 112: Brandon Swanson
    Jun 18 2025
    On May 14, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson vanished near Canby, Minnesota, after his car got stuck in a ditch on a rural field road. Earlier that night, he had been celebrating the end of his college semester, consuming alcohol at two parties but not appearing heavily intoxicated. Intending to drive home to Marshall, a familiar 30-mile route, Brandon inexplicably took backroads and ended up far from where he thought he was, mistakenly believing he was near Lynd. At 1:54 AM, he called his parents for help, describing his location inaccurately. During a 47-minute phone call with his father, he decided to walk toward lights he assumed were from Lynd, mentioning a field and running water before shouting an expletive and the call cutting off. Search dogs later traced his scent from his car, along rural roads, to the Yellow Medicine River, across it, through an abandoned farm, and to another road, where the trail stopped. Despite extensive searches involving volunteers, air surveillance, and river excavations, no trace of Brandon or his belongings has been found. Theories include drowning in the river, succumbing to hypothermia, falling into a well, or being picked up by a vehicle, with the latter gaining traction due to the scent trail ending at a road and the lack of physical evidence. Landowner restrictions have complicated searches, and Brandon’s Law, passed in 2009, now ensures immediate missing persons investigations. His disorientation is attributed to fatigue, mild intoxication, unfamiliar roads, and distraction, but his fate remains a mystery. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak 4:30 The Boca Raton Mall Murders 1:39:00 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

    https://youtu.be/ylKQGI0PGj4?si=7LPu_1FExL3aItIk

    User:Jeff Hasse/Missing Person Case Study -- Brandon Swanson - Wikiversity. (n.d.). https://en.m.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Jeff_Hasse/Missing_Person_Case_Study_--_Brandon_Swanson

    Mystique. (2022, January 4). Brandon Swanson vanished while on a call with his parents; Where did he go? Medium. https://medium.com/@the-mystique/brandon-swanson-vanished-while-on-a-call-with-his-parents-where-did-he-go-dd13bc9e4421

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 45 m
  • Episode 111: The Boca Raton Mall Murders

    Episode 111: The Boca Raton Mall Murders
    Jun 11 2025

    The Town Center at Boca Raton should conjure up images of luxury designers and expensive restaurants but unfortunately for those local to the high-end mall, it is a string of abductions and brutal murders that remains in the forefront of many minds. When women and their children began getting abducted from the mall in 2007, locals to Boca Raton and around the country began asking, is anyone safe?

    Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak 7:54 The Boca Raton Mall Murders 56:33 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

    Sources:

    Nancy & Joey Bochicchio | Boca Raton, FL. (n.d.). https://www.myboca.us/214/Nancy-Joey-Bochicchio

    Glass, A. (2025, March 24). WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/still-no-arrests-18-years-after-boca-raton-mall-abduction-murder

    Bente, K. (2024, August 7). Still Unsolved: 17 years since Jane Doe abduction and Boca Raton Town Center Mall murders. WPEC. https://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-news-i-team/still-unsolved-17-years-since-jane-doe-abduction-and-boca-raton-town-center-mall-murders-south-florida-news-true-crime-august-6-2024

    Markowitz, M. (2025, February 2). Luxury Florida mall’s string of murders and kidnapping have one thing in common: retired FBI agent. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/luxury-florida-mall-linked-string-murders-kidnapping-have-one-thing-common-retired-fbi-agent

    Glass, A., & Ostroff, J. (2024, May 24). WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. https://www.wptv.com/news/crime/the-missing-piece

    Criminology. (2025, June 3). The Boca Raton Mall murders [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlaOGe4YOvg

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 1 m
  • Episode 110: The Strange Disappearance of Mother and Daughter - Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers

    Episode 110: The Strange Disappearance of Mother and Daughter - Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers
    Jun 4 2025
    Korrina Malinoski, 26, disappeared from South Carolina’s Mount Holly Plantation on November 21, 1987, after arguing with her abusive husband, Stephen. Her car was found locked on the property, but she was never located. On October 4, 1988, her daughter, Annette Sagers, 11, vanished from a nearby bus shelter, leaving a note claiming she left with her mother, though its authenticity is debated. Stephen, with a history of abuse and abandoning families, is the main suspect, but no evidence confirms his involvement. Despite extensive searches, including a 2019 effort narrowing the search area and investigating a suspicious carpet, Korrina and Annette remain missing, with theories pointing to murder by Stephen, unrelated foul play, or a voluntary departure. The case is unsolved, and Korrina’s sons continue seeking answers. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak 5:00 Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers 56:20 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Sources:

    From Victim to Monster: Cary Stayner – the Yosemite Killer. (2024, May 1). https://www.truecriminelle.com/cary-stayner-the-yosemite-killer/

    Annette Sagers & Korrina Malinoski — unresolved. (n.d.). Unresolved. https://unresolved.me/annette-sagers-korrina-malinoski

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    1 h y 2 m
  • Episode 109: Reincarnation - The Shanti Devi Story

    Episode 109: Reincarnation - The Shanti Devi Story
    May 31 2025
    Shanti Devi’s reincarnation case, one of the most compelling and well-documented in modern studies, unfolded in 1920s and 1930s India, a period of cultural revival and anti-colonial resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. Born in Delhi on December 11, 1926, Shanti began claiming at age four to be Lugdi Devi, a woman from Mathura who died in 1925 after childbirth, about a year before Shanti’s birth. She provided precise details about Mathura, her husband Kedar Nath Chaubey, their son, and her past life, using Mathura’s dialect and terms unfamiliar to her Delhi family. Her school principal verified Kedar’s existence, and a surprise visit from Kedar and his family saw Shanti correctly identify them, emotionally reconnecting with her former husband and son. Intrigued, Gandhi commissioned an investigation in 1935, during which Shanti led researchers to Lugdi’s Mathura home, noted town changes, and located an empty coffer where she claimed to have hidden money (Kedar admitted removing it). The 1936 commission report concluded Shanti was Lugdi’s reincarnation, finding no rational explanation for her knowledge. Shanti later described her death and afterlife experiences, lived a quiet spiritual life, and passed away in 1987. Her case, extensively studied and covered by media, remains a cornerstone in reincarnation research. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak 5:45 Shanti Devi 48:00 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation Sources:

    Hartzman, M. (2024, April 29). Shanti Devi, the girl who claimed she was reincarnated. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanti-devi

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    This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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    51 m