821: The Bigfoot Highway of East Tennessee

The Confessionals

Merkel Media

Christianity, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Personal Journals

4.6 • 6.1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2025

⏱️ 108 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Strange activity is intensifying across East Tennessee, and longtime locals are starting to connect the dots. In this conversation, Tony sits down with Stephen Watson of Arcane Discoveries to explore why the Cherokee National Forest and surrounding mountains may function as a seasonal corridor for cryptids and paranormal phenomena. Stephen shares firsthand accounts of Bigfoot encounters, closed campgrounds plagued by rock-throwing and vocalizations, mysterious orbs, and unexplained handprints left on homes. He also recounts sightings tied to Dogman territory, a massive blonde Bigfoot moving at impossible speed, a black panther encounter, and a rare face-to-face meeting with what he believes was a red wolf. As the conversation unfolds, physical encounters give way to deeper questions about portals, vibration, and supernatural intelligence, suggesting these phenomena may be far more connected than anyone wants to admit.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, everyone, before we get to this week's show, this is just your weekly reminder to please continue to pray for my wife, Lindsay.
0:04.9	She is battling breast cancer right now, and we're praying for complete healing in Jesus' name.
0:10.1	Thank you.
0:11.8	Merkel.
0:13.9	Media.
0:18.0	This was all circulating around the base that a giant had to killed, but no one was supposed to talk about it.
0:23.6	I saw three long, bony fingers, reach up underneath the door, curl up to grab it, and then disappear.
0:34.6	When he came over to me, dude, he slithered over to me.
0:40.3	And this giant comes out of the cave and they're all frozen.
0:48.3	And he starts running and firing up this giant.
0:51.3	With a giant move, he's got a spear in one hand, and he's running really fast.
0:57.3	And spears, Dan, holds him up like this.
1:01.3	Somebody else, shoot him in the face, shoot him in the face.
1:03.5	They basically decapitated.
1:07.2	Got closer, got closer, got spursing.
1:09.8	When he got about 15 yards away from me, I raised that 12 days and I blow this head off.
1:15.7	I feel something pulling at my leg, and I look over and there are two small gray entities cooling it.
1:25.0	And they're literally, I'm getting pulled off the bed.
1:27.3	I reached my hand into this bush, and I touch air. Couldn't breathe, and I couldn't move.
1:33.4	Because I know I'm seeing a monster.
2:35.1	Yep! Yeah! Welcome to the show, everybody, you're listening to the Confessionals podcast. I am Jack Merkel, and I'm glad to be here. And a Merry Christmas to everybody listening. This is the week of Christmas. And as much as it can be chaotic with the travels and everything you have going on, it is a time of joy. So I hope that this episode brings you joy. And if it does, and you'd like to share your own stories on the show, go ahead and shoot us an email. Our email address is Contact at the Confessionalspodcast.com. That's contact at the confessionalspodcast.com. Or go to the website, hit the contact section, and you can reach us that way as well. Either way works for us. Just get a hold of us. And if you'd like more shows on a weekly basis, well, we've got you covered. You can go right on over to the confessionalspodcast.com
2:40.0	slash join and become a member. You'll have access to the extra members episode that comes out
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