Victorian Seances and A Rude Ghost - The Paranormal Podcast 887

The Paranormal Podcast

Jim Harold

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.5 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ghosts aren’t just relics of Victorian fiction—Dr. Kate Cherrell reveals how 19th-century spiritualists shaped the ghost-hunting traditions we still follow today. With a PhD in female mediumship and a lifelong fascination with the paranormal, Kate shares both her scholarly insights and personal experiences, from haunted homes to unsettling physical encounters. She explains how Victorian séances ranged from refined tea-time table-tipping to wild, theatrical performances involving everything from spirit gifts to (allegedly) teleporting mediums. If you thought modern ghost hunting was dramatic, wait until you hear about the woman who "materialized" on a séance table as a surprise gift. Jim and Dr. Cherrell also dive into how modern paranormal investigations differ—and eerily resemble—those of the past. They explore consciousness as a ghost-hunting tool, tales of time slips in Liverpool, and why ghosts may not be just spirits of the dead but something much stranger. You’ll also hear about Kate’s eerie run-in with a very hands-on spirit and how those experiences inspired her gothic novel Begotten. Whether you're into psychic history, hands-on investigation tips, or jaw-dropping séance stories, this episode will leave you questioning the very nature of reality. Check out Dr. Kate Cherrell's new book Begotten at Amazon: https://amzn.to/43R3j2j --For more information on our podcast data policy CLICK HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ghost hunting just didn't start with paranormal TV.
0:03.8	No, it's been around for a long time.
0:05.5	We're going to talk about the history of it on today's edition of the Paran paranormal podcast. I am Jim Harold and so glad to be with you once again.
0:30.9	And we're closing in on 20 years of paranormal podcasting. Next month will be our 20th anniversary, the end of the month.
0:38.6	So thanks to you who have been on for the long ride.
0:43.1	And for you who are new, welcome aboard.
0:45.7	And we hope to do it many, many years more.
0:47.8	Especially if we can have guests like we do today.
0:50.7	I'm talking about Kate Chero.
0:53.3	She is the author of a new novel that's out recently called Begotton.
0:58.4	But today we're going to talk about that book, of course, and we're going to talk about her work as a writer and researcher specializing in popular seance in 19th century spiritualism.
1:11.1	She's been published internationally, writing commercially, and academically on paranormal history.
1:15.6	She has blogged under the name Burials and Beyond since 2017.
1:20.3	And as a paranormal historian, she has co-hosted Haunted Homecoming, Unexplained Caughton
1:25.7	Camera, and Jonathan Ross Haunted Homecoming. Sheexplained caught on camera, and Jonathan Ross haunted homecoming.
1:30.0	She lives in the UK, and we're so glad to have her with us.
1:35.5	Kate, thank you for taking time, and I certainly appreciate it.
1:39.2	Well, thank you so much for having me.
1:41.4	So how did you get into all of this stuff?
1:44.9	That's always going to be a massive question for anyone in this field, isn't it?
1:50.0	I always say that it was destined for me to end up in a non-normal job and to have a rather odd interests. Well, I suppose the paranormal and the
2:04.1	ghost thing I was always interested in from being a child. I think a lot of us grew up with
	...

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