Unpacking The Eerie

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CULTS: Jim Jones/Jonestown Massacre
cw: anti-black racism, extreme violence, assault, murder, suicide, child abuse, slavery

In 1978, over 900 people died at a remote settlement in Guyana after ingesting a poison-laced drink. Their leader, Jim Jones, declared this a “revolutionary suicide.” In our first episode about a cult, we dig into the Jonestown massacre – the event that had the largest number of American civilian casualties due to a non-natural cause, until 9/11. In our third collaborative episode, Olivia Morgan*, a co-host of the podcast Inchunwa, joins Akshi as they explore the events that led up to this heartbreaking tragedy, uncovering how Jim Jones drew a group of idealistic, marginalized folks in with promises of utopia, and violently led them to their deaths. Why did this happen? Who did this happen to? How did it get to this point? Tune in to find out how white supremacy, colonization, narcissism and abuse dynamics all tie into this devastating story. And as always, take care of yourselves, coz’ this one’s a doozy.
*Olivia Morgan (she/they) is a social worker and citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and descendent of Chickasaw Nation. Olivia is a co-host of Inchunwa, a podcast that shares the story of the ongoing Southeastern traditional tattoo revitalization movement. On their podcast they talk with influential artists, southeastern scholars, as well as folks directly involved in the movement: those looking forward to being tattooed and those tattooing southeastern folks. To learn more about Inchunwa, you can find them anywhere you get your podcasts and follow them on Instagram @inchunwa.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Here are some resources that you can reach out to for support, we also encourage you to reach out to your community & find local crisis lines in your city, state or country.

You can find a list of suicide hotlines all over the world here. The crisis lines listed below are for those located in the United States. You can find more crisis lines at this link, and search for longer-term help with a therapist on Psychology Today.

24/7 Crisis Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741

Veterans Crisis Line: Send a text to 83825

The Trevor Project (Support for the LGBTQIA2S+ community ): 1-866-488-7386

Outro last updated April 2023
FYI: we've recently unpublished older episodes as we are in process of re-editing for a smoother flow & audio experience. they will be available again as we finish.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or by making a one-time contribution via CashApp $unpacktheeerie.
- your grateful hosts

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DARK HISTORY/HAUNTINGS: Weston State Hospital/History of Asylums
CW: ableism, racism, gender-based violence, psychiatric trauma, abuse

In the late 1800s, America would become home to a new wave of “mental health” institutions we now know as asylums. The Weston State Hospital (aka The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) was one of many of these “state of the art” facilities. This episode Is all about how aspirations for palatial, elite experiences for (white) mentally ill patients quickly descended into the picture that you probably have of these places - carceral sites of unspeakable cruelty and dehumanization for those who were multiply marginalized. There was so much information on this, we’ve decided to break it up into 2 parts. In part one, you’ll learn about why Weston State Hospital is considered one of the most haunted places in the country, the history of asylums as a whole and the social-political climate that led to the extreme rise of people incarcerated in these institutions.
References

Outro last updated April 2023
FYI: we've recently unpublished older episodes as we are in process of re-editing for a smoother flow & audio experience. they will be available again as we finish.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or by making a one-time contribution via CashApp $unpacktheeerie.
- your grateful hosts

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DARK HISTORY/TRUE CRIME: Elizabeth Bathory
Content Warning: anti-asian racism, extreme violence, torture

OMFG it’s episode ten, and in our humble opinion, it’s our most gruesome and also most hilarious episode. This episode we explore the life of another extremely violent woman (throwback to Linda) who inspired Lady Gaga’s character in AHS Hotel and countless death metal band names. Yes, you guessed it, she’s the Guinness Book of World Records Title holder of “Most Prolific Female Murderer,” Elizabeth Báthory. Join us as we dive deep into the murderous life of this noble woman from the Balkans and how classism, incest, witchcraft and WAP (yes, you read that correct), intersect with this wild ass story.

Sources

Outro last updated April 2023
FYI: we've recently unpublished older episodes as we are in process of re-editing for a smoother flow & audio experience. they will be available again as we finish.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or by making a one-time contribution via CashApp $unpacktheeerie.
- your grateful hosts

Send us a text

TOPIC: Lake Lanier
CW: anti-black racism, genocide, hate crimes, murder, sexual assault
Lake Sidney Lanier is a one of the largest manmade lakes in the US that was built in 1956 for flood control, drinking water and hydroelectric power. Although this lake has 11 million visitors a year, it also has a dark side. Over 500 people have died or gone missing at this lake since the 1950s, so we wondered, why? Join us as we dig deep into the very dark, racist history of this lake & its bizarre and terrifying present as well. References, additional information & organizations mentioned can be found here: Sources

Outro last updated April 2023
FYI: we've recently unpublished older episodes as we are in process of re-editing for a smoother flow & audio experience. they will be available again as we finish.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or by making a one-time contribution via CashApp $unpacktheeerie.
- your grateful hosts

Send us a text

Laugh uncomfortably with us as we unpack the eerie! Here, we’ll explore true crime, the occult, conspiracy theories & other unknowns via dark humor, and a psychosocial/social justice lens. Each episode we’ll dig past the surface of morbid fascination, scavenging for unasked questions surrounding the stories that creep the hell out of us.
New here & unsure where to begin? Check out our episode master list here. Also, content warnings are always included in episode bios and at the beginning of each episode.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or by making a one-time contribution via CashApp $unpacktheeerie.
- your grateful hosts