An Uncanny Skeptic - The Paranormal Podcast 903

The Paranormal Podcast

Jim Harold

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.5 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When it comes to the paranormal, I’ve always admired voices that balance open-mindedness with critical thinking. That’s why Dr. Ciarán O’Keefe is my kind of skeptic. Known to many from BBC’s Uncanny with Danny Robins, Ciarán brings scientific rigor to the mysteries of the supernatural while staying open to possibilities. In this conversation we explore: Why skepticism doesn’t equal cynicism How parapsychology lost visibility in academia and media How ghost hunters can serve as “citizen scientists” by gathering useful data The enduring mystery of cold spots, EMF fluctuations, and environmental triggers Explanations beyond “ghosts are dead people,” including time slips and dimensional slips How a recent medical discovery reshaped thinking about some possession cases Ciarán’s most unforgettable “head-scratching” investigation His role as the resident skeptic on Uncanny—and why he embraces being the “party pooper” Ciarán also shares details about the Uncanny: Fear of the Dark UK tour, with possible plans for a North American run in the future. This episode shows how belief and skepticism, far from being opposites, can fuel better questions and deeper insights into life’s greatest mysteries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Being an open-minded skeptic in the world of the paranormal,
0:04.8	we'll talk with Dr. Kieran O'Keefe on this edition of the Paranormal podcast.
0:40.1	Welcome to the Par podcast. I'm Jim Harold. So glad to be with you once again. And when we talk about the paranormal, there are the true believers on one side. They're the hardcore debunking skeptics on the other side. I kind of like that middle ground a little bit. I probably do fall on the true believer scale. Probably if you were looking at me as a
0:46.2	fuel gauge, I'd be three quarters full. Let's put it that way. Someone who might be a little more in
0:51.4	the middle or maybe a little towards the skeptical side is our guest today.
0:55.3	But I think a lot of times that can be a very, very good thing.
0:58.3	And today I'm talking about Dr. Karen O'Keefe.
1:02.2	He is a psychologist and parapsychologist with a rare mix of academic depth and real world experience investigating the paranormal.
1:10.9	He holds a PhD in parapsychology along with advanced degrees in psychology.
1:16.2	He serves as the head of school of human and social sciences and associate professor of
1:22.3	education and research at Buckinghamshire New University.
1:25.5	Now, many know him from the long-running TV series Most Haunted,
1:29.2	where he brought a scientific lens to ghost investigations. And more recently, he's become a familiar
1:34.7	voice to podcast listeners on BBC's Uncanny with Danny Robbins, one of the most popular paranormal
1:42.4	series in the world today. And I was honored to be on the podcast last year with Kieran.
1:47.5	Dr. O'Keeth is widely expected for his balanced approach to strange phenomena, combining rigorous scientific methods with an open mind.
1:55.8	He's published in academic journals, consulted on countless investigations, and continues to be a leading figure
2:03.3	in the field of parapsychology.
2:05.7	And we're so glad to speak with him today.
2:07.8	Sir, thank you for joining us on the show.
2:10.6	Hi, Jim.
2:11.4	Lovely to be here and lovely to chat with you again.
	...

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