Lights Out With Sylvia Shults artwork

Lights Out With Sylvia Shults

226 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★ - 8 ratings

Explorations of the paranormal with your paranormal investigator Sylvia Shults.

Personal Journals Society & Culture Science paranormal supernatural ghosts ghost hunting scary haunted
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Lights Out #111: Hellfire Caves

March 21, 2024 13:34

Ready for another episode of Lights Out? Great, me too! Pretend you’re a wealthy English lord in the middle of the 18th century. You’ve just gotten back from a Grand Tour of the Continent, and you want to keep the party going. How do you do that? You start up a not-so-secret club, and you … Continue reading Lights Out #111: Hellfire Caves

Today I Learned …

March 18, 2024 14:03

Convicted Missouri deer poacher David Berry Jr. was ordered to watch the Disney movie Bambi at least once a month during his year-long jail sentence. (from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: Beyond the Bizarre)

Today I Learned…

February 26, 2024 15:00

Defying odds of one in 2.1 million, a baby girl was born on Leap Day just like her father. Ivan Rebollar Cortez was born on February 29, 1988, and daughter Camila entered the world on February 29, 2020, just as her 32-year-old father was celebrating his eighth leap-year birthday. (from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: … Continue reading Today I Learned…

A New Lights Out Is Coming Your Way!

January 27, 2024 03:34

Curl up in a comfy chair, brew yourself a cuppa, and let me take you to London just after the Blitz. Lights Out #110: Stairway to Heaven. On March 3, 1943, tragedy struck in London, at the Bethnal Green Tube station. People on their way down to the station to seek shelter from a air … Continue reading A New Lights Out Is Coming Your Way!

Return to Haunted Chronicles

January 11, 2024 15:11

Did you have a good time listening to the Haunted Chronicles podcast I posted last week? I hope so — I had a great time chatting with Michelle. Here’s another fun conversation we had, this time about haunted zoos, museums, and amusement parks. (And it is thanks to Michelle that there will be a second … Continue reading Return to Haunted Chronicles

Podcast Alert: Haunted Chronicles

January 05, 2024 22:08

Sometimes I am invited to be a guest on someone’s podcast, and the host and I just … click. The hour flies by, and we just have the best time chatting! This is what happened with Michelle Fisher, host of Haunted Chronicles. I must confess, I fell for her as soon as I heard her … Continue reading Podcast Alert: Haunted Chronicles

California Haunts Podcast

December 27, 2023 17:57

Join me for a chat with Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa, host of California Haunts Radio. We’ll revisit the Peoria State Hospital, and share some fun spooky stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ0-u2y9dx0

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 12 — The Ghost and Mary Pepper

December 24, 2023 15:00

Merry Saturkwanzukah! It’s time for our Christmas Eve story. Here is one of my favorites. Every so often, we hear of ghosts helping the living. It’s rarer still when a living person has the chance to help a ghost. Mary Pepper was an orphan living in Liverpool in the 1880s. At seven years old, she … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 12 — The Ghost and Mary Pepper

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 11 — The Ghost of Anne Boleyn

December 23, 2023 15:00

The Tower of London comes by its ghostly reputation honestly. Built by William the Conqueror in 1078, it has stood as a symbol of the might of England for nearly a thousand years. It was originally a royal palace as well as a defensive fortress. In fact, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, The Tower … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 11 — The Ghost of Anne Boleyn

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 10 — The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

December 22, 2023 15:00

There is a startling ghost photograph that was taken in a stately English home, Raynham Hall in Norfolk. This might just be the most famous ghost photograph of all time. Raynham Hall was once the home of Lady Dorothy Townshend, who married Viscount Charles Townshend in 1713. As in many ghost stories, all was not … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 10 — The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 9 — The Woman in the Blitz

December 21, 2023 15:00

  I was privileged, this spring, to spend three weeks ghost hunting in England and Scotland with Dale Kaczmarek. Our host for those three weeks was Paul Adams, a renowned writer of ghost stories himself. One evening as we were sitting around talking after supper, Paul brought out file after file of newspaper clippings he had … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 9 — The Woman in the Blitz

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 8 — Ghost Rider of the Revolution

December 20, 2023 15:00

  Ready for another ghost story as we creep up on Christmas? Me too! Let’s dive in! Here’s another story from Spirits of Christmas.   The winter winds whistled around the cabin in the South Carolina woods, but inside the snug home, all was well. The cabin’s owner, David Miles, was a Quaker, and held himself and … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 8 — Ghost Rider of the Revolution

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 7 — Let’s have some creepy Christmas fun!

December 19, 2023 15:00

I had a fabulous time chatting with Jon Mallard, host of the Odd to Newfoundland podcast. Listen in as I spin some spooky tales of Christmas hauntings. https://podfollow.com/oddtonewfoundland/view?fbclid=IwAR0_FlxyNn0BRuyKLYV16pIAr713xclaqyPJPaWkYl6bFDklXajyTgp2xT8#_=_ Drop in on www.weirddarkness.com, too. You’re sure to find even more exciting ghost stories over there. Tell Darren I sent you!

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 6 — Today I Learned …

December 18, 2023 15:00

Aileen Sterling’s family, from Renfrew, Scotland, has decorated the same ornamental Christmas tree for over 100 years. (From Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Out of the Box) Short and sweet, right? Need more spooky Christmas goodness? Check out www.weirddarkness.com. I know there’s some great stuff going on over there.

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 5 — Blood Brothers

December 17, 2023 15:00

(This story, and many others, can be found within the pages of Spirits of Christmas, available from Bookshop.org and Amazon.)   This tale comes from the brooding mountains and dark hollows of Appalachia. A young man from West Virginia was engaged to be married to a beautiful girl. But the dark clouds of World War I … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 5 — Blood Brothers

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 4 — Footprints In The Snow

December 16, 2023 15:00

(This story, and many others, can be found within the pages of Spirits Of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays. https://bookshop.org/p/books/spirits-of-christmas-the-dark-side-of-the-holidays-sylvia-shults/10267269?ean=9780999604007 It was a cold winter afternoon early in the last century. A mother huddled in her cabin on the west fork of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee. She held two of her … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 4 — Footprints In The Snow

Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 3 — Lights Out Extra: Christmas 2023

December 15, 2023 16:44

Here’s another Lights Out for your listening enjoyment: the Christmas edition, brand-new for 2023. The tragic disappearance of the Sodder children, on Christmas Eve 1945, began in flames and ended in enduring mystery. How could five children simply vanish from their bedrooms without a trace? The unsolved mystery continues to haunt West Virginia today. https://five.libsyn.com/show/episodes/view/29097618 … Continue reading Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 3 — Lights Out Extra: Christmas 2023

Throwback Thursday!

December 14, 2023 15:00

Welcome to the annual roundup of Christmas episodes of Lights Out with Sylvia Shults. You’ll get a brand-new episode tomorrow — this year’s Christmas present to you guys — but today, we’ll have a chance to revisit some episodes from past years. Kick back with a mug of hot chocolate (extra marshmallows encouraged), and immerse … Continue reading Throwback Thursday!

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas Returns!

December 13, 2023 15:00

That’s right! This year makes lucky number seven for the collaboration between myself and Darren Marlar, of Weird Darkness. Start off here, then hop over to his site, http://www.weirddarkness.com for more spooky treats. (Right now he’s gearing up for the holidays too, with The Twelve Slays of Christmas. FUN!) Let’s start off by getting in … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas Returns!

December’s Here!

December 02, 2023 01:58

Welcome to December, everyone! We’re going to start the month off with a bang; here’s a link to the Odd to Newfoundland podcast. Jon and I got into a surprisingly deep discussion, and of course we chatted about Spirits of Christmas. https://podfollow.com/oddtonewfoundland/view… Enjoy! And stay tuned throughout the rest of the month, because if it’s … Continue reading December’s Here!

The Paranormal Podcast: A conversation around the campfire with Jim Harold

November 29, 2023 04:39 - 41.7 MB

I had a great time chatting with the incomparable Jim Harold on his show, The Paranormal Podcast. If you’d like to join us around the campfire for some wonderfully spooky stories, just follow the link! https://content.blubrry.com/paranormalplus/Haunted_Amusement_Parks_and_More-Ghost_Insight_212.mp3

Lights Out: We start our UK visit!

November 23, 2023 01:30

A trip to two of the most haunted castles in England? Yes please! We kick off our UK visit with a look at the history and hauntings at Hampton Court Palace, Henry VIII’s stomping grounds, and Berry Pomeroy Castle, home to not one, but two ghostly ladies. https://youtu.be/CPFyUT6L6fg

Welcome to the Month of Spooky!

October 02, 2023 14:58

Welcome to October! The month of spooky has begun! Here are a few of the places you’ll find me this month (the first one’s coming up quick, so mark your calendars). On Weds. October 4, I’ll be at the Lakeview branch of the Peoria Library, doing a brand-new talk on Oddities and Mysteries at 6:30 … Continue reading Welcome to the Month of Spooky!

2024 Calendars Are Here!

September 28, 2023 16:28

Are you ready to make every day of 2024 spooky? The new calendars are available for $14, with just a quick pm to me here. Twelve months of brand-new stories, including a couple from the new book, Gone on Vacation — and one that has never appeared in ANY of my books before now! I … Continue reading 2024 Calendars Are Here!

Ever Wanted to Visit the Villisca Axe Murder House?

August 27, 2023 03:00

Every so often, I get asked if I’d like to do an article for some other author’s newsletter. I always say yes, because I know how important it is to have stuff to put INTO these newsletters. Ophelia Julien has been a friend for years, so it was a treat to be asked to contribute … Continue reading Ever Wanted to Visit the Villisca Axe Murder House?

Word on the street is .. there’s a new book out!

August 25, 2023 16:37

Ah, vacations. There’s nothing like getting away from it all, enjoying a change of scenery, and maybe visiting a museum. Or enjoying animal antics at a zoo. Or scaring yourself silly on a rollercoaster at an amusement park. But not all vacations are days at the beach filled with sunshine and fun – the unseen … Continue reading Word on the street is .. there’s a new book out!

Lights Out: Willard Library

August 20, 2023 15:40

Hey hey, and happy Sunday to all! And guess what? There is (at long last) a brand-new Lights Out to enjoy. We visit the haunted Willard Library, home of the Grey Lady. https://youtu.be/fWXXPw3xneI Enjoy!

Today I Learned …t is .. there’s……Today I Learned …

August 14, 2023 13:00

British soldier Gordon Heaton was killed in World War I, but his family was never told of his death. The offical telegram, and his last will and testament, went undiscovered for 67 years after a delivery boy left them on a bus. They were found in November 2011 in a lost and found box at … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Today I Learned …t is .. there’s…

August 07, 2023 13:00

When a horse thief in 17th century Scotland was sentenced to decapitation by the Scottish Maiden (an early form of guillotine), the stolen animal was used to pull the cord that brought the blade down on the criminal’s neck. (From Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Eye-Popping Oddities)

Today I Learned ……oday I Learned …

July 31, 2023 13:14

When two men climbed onto a wall in 2014 to pose for a photo at the Enchanted Forest theme park in Salem, Oregon, they accidentally knocked Humpty Dumpty off his perch. The cement statue crashed onto the ground below where it smashed into pieces. The sculptor, artist Roger Tofte, was faced with the task of … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Today I Learned ……oday I Learned …

July 24, 2023 13:00

The town of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, holds an annual Rain Day Festival — complete with a Miss Rain Day pageant — on July 29 to recognize the fact that it has rained there on that date 114 times in the past 141 years. (From Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Eye-Popping Oddities)

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 12: Lights Out Extra!

December 24, 2022 15:00

And we’re here together on Christmas Eve. Here is my Christmas present to you all: an extra episode of Lights Out. In this episode, we’ll hear a reading of “Smee”, a short story by A. M. Burrage from 1931. Burrage brings the spooky with this ghostly tale. Merry Christmas! https://youtu.be/J9o1k1wUauE And I wish you all … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 12: Lights Out Extra!

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 11: Lights Out!

December 23, 2022 15:00

Welcome to the Dead of Winter! Today we’re going to revisit a couple of Lights Out episodes from years past. Curl up by the Christmas tree, turn on the tree lights, have a cup of something warm and lovely handy, and let’s go … Lights Out. Lights Out Extra: Christmas 2020. https://youtu.be/tcFUsqrKSUI Lights Out #66: Christmas … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 11: Lights Out!

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 10: I Am Your Brother

December 22, 2022 15:00

Today’s story comes from Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays, by your hostess with the mostest ghosties… Rufus Porter was a well-regarded journalist who lived in the Pike’s Peak region near Cascade, Colorado. Porter was known as the “Hard Rock Poet”, and he wrote many short poems about the human condition — … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 10: I Am Your Brother

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 9: The Victorians? Yep. Still Weird.

December 21, 2022 15:00

Do you guys send out Christmas cards? I know people who still do. And like so many of our holiday customs, it started with the Victorians. Exchanging greeting cards with relatives, friends and neighbors originated over 170 years ago in Victorian Britain, at a time when early Christmas rituals like carols were being revived and … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 9: The Victorians? Yep. Still Weird.

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 8: The Manhattan Well Murder

December 20, 2022 15:00

Guilelma Sands, known as Elma, lived in a boarding house in New York City. In December 1799, she was in a relationship with another tenant, a carpenter named Levi Weeks. The couple made plans to elope on December 22. Around 8 pm that evening, Elma’s cousin, Catherine Ring, heard the front door open and close. … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 8: The Manhattan Well Murder

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 7: Today I Learned …

December 19, 2022 15:00

Best friends Alan Braithwaite and Chris Oakley, from Worcestershire, England, have been sending the same Christmas card back and forth to each other for more than 50 years. There is no longer much space on the card to write a message. You know who would love to hear from you? The weirdos over at www.weirddarkness.com, … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 7: Today I Learned …

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 6: Jimmy Garlick

December 18, 2022 15:00

This story comes from Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories. Old churches can hide many intriguing artifacts … especially a church like St. James Garlickhythe in London, built in the twelfth century, destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666, and rebuilt by legendary architect Christopher Wren. In 1855, workmen were clearing … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 6: Jimmy Garlick

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 5: Let’s Eat!

December 17, 2022 15:00

When I was growing up, my mom, of course, would cook for Christmas. Her twin sister married a man from Holland, and shared some of the new recipes she learned. One of these, which became a bit of an obsession for me, was Oliebollen. Literally, “oliebollen” means “fat balls” or “oil balls” in Dutch. That’s … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 5: Let’s Eat!

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 4: The Eyeball Ghost

December 16, 2022 15:00

This story is excerpted from my award-winning book, Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories. December (12) – A Trooper to the End, Anniston, AL (1989, recurring) When faced with a terminal diagnosis, people can have differing reactions. Captain E.C. Dothard was 58 years old when he was admitted to Stringfellow Memorial … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 4: The Eyeball Ghost

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 3: Caga Tio

December 15, 2022 15:00

Okay, this one isn’t all that scary — it’s just plain weird. There are lots of Christmas customs from all over the world: singing festive carols, leaving out cookies for Santa, feeding the log that poops out sweets … wait, what? You heard me. In Catalonia, Spain, “Caga Tio” is a hollow log decorated with … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 3: Caga Tio

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 2: California Haunts

December 14, 2022 15:00

I did a radio interview a few weeks ago with California Haunts. We had a grand time chatting, and we spent quite a bit of time talking about Christmas spookiness. And guess what? California Haunts is doing readings all December long, from Spirits of Christmas. How fun is that? Here’s the link for this Sunday: … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 2: California Haunts

The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 1: Victorians — A Weird Bunch

December 13, 2022 15:00

(The following is an excerpt from my book Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays.) December 25th as the date for Christmas was not an arbitrary choice for the early Christians. Both Yule and Sol Invictus (the festival of the Unconquered Sun) commemorated the Winter Solstice. The symbolic connotations of these holidays coincided … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day 1: Victorians — A Weird Bunch

Lights Out: Kasey Cemetery

December 08, 2022 02:00

Another Lights Out is here for your listening pleasure! Are you ready for another walk in the woods? Let’s visit hidden Kasey Cemetery, in Hardin County, Kentucky. But be warned … there are strange things in the forest, and not all of them are friendly… https://youtu.be/qCAwr_dNt4Mhttps://youtu.be/qCAwr_dNt4M

Tea and Conversation, Anyone?

November 18, 2022 17:50

I’ve been having some really wonderful chats with podcast hosts in the past couple of months. I’ll be posting links to their shows as they become available; here are a couple of them. The Gritty Hour: “We spoke with Sylvia Shults, author of “Fractured Spirits: Hauntings at the Peoria State Hospital” about her particular interest … Continue reading Tea and Conversation, Anyone?

Today I Learned Today I Learned as, Day 1: Victo…

November 07, 2022 15:00

A bonsai tree survived the atomic bomb that devastated the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945 — even though it stood less than two miles from ground zero. First planted in 1625, the ornamental white pine was presented to the American people in 1976 as a gift for the Bicentennial celebrations. (From Ripley’s Believe It … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Today I Learned Today I Learned as, Day 1: Victo…

November 07, 2022 15:00

A bonsai tree survived the atomic bomb that devastated the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945 — even though it stood less than two miles from ground zero. First planted in 1625, the ornamental white pine was presented to the American people in 1976 as a gift for the Bicentennial celebrations. (From Ripley’s Believe It … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Today I Learned …ares of Christm…

October 24, 2022 14:00

The Romanian village of Costesti is home to strange rocks called trovants that can balloon 1000 times in size when it rains. Trovants are balls of sand that appeared on Earth following powerful earthquakes six million years ago. They grow when they come into contact with water. Stones as small as .03 inches can swell … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Today I Learned …ares of Christm…

October 24, 2022 14:00

The Romanian village of Costesti is home to strange rocks called trovants that can balloon 1000 times in size when it rains. Trovants are balls of sand that appeared on Earth following powerful earthquakes six million years ago. They grow when they come into contact with water. Stones as small as .03 inches can swell … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Today I Learned Today I Learned …

October 17, 2022 14:00

Parents in Japan will often warn their children to cover their tummies during a thunderstorm. Local superstition holds that Raijin, the god of thunder and lightning, likes to eat children’s bellybuttons. (From Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: Eye-Popping Oddities)

Twitter Mentions

@raspodcast 2 Episodes