State of the Unknown | Documented Hauntings and Real Paranormal Cases Across America

Robert Barber
  • 5.0 (16)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

State of the Unknown examines documented paranormal cases, real hauntings, and unexplained events tied to actual locations across America. Each episode focuses on a single case, drawing from eyewitness testimony, official reports, historical records, and investigative findings to explore what was documented, what was disputed, and what remains unresolved. Hosted by Robert Barber, the show takes a grounded, investigative approach to cases involving reported possessions, poltergeist activity, mysterious encounters, and other claims of the unexplained. The emphasis stays on clarity and context — separating verified details from speculation without leaning into hype or theatrics. If you’re drawn to fact-based explorations of real paranormal cases — stories told straight, with evidence where it exists and open questions where it doesn’t — this is a show for you. New episodes every week. 🔗 www.stateoftheunknown.com📸 @stateoftheunknownpodcast

  1. The Point Pleasant Mothman: The Warnings No One Understood — Ep. 44

    4D AGO

    The Point Pleasant Mothman: The Warnings No One Understood — Ep. 44

    In November of 1966, residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia began reporting encounters with a tall, winged figure near the McClintic Wildlife Management Area, better known as the TNT Area. Police took statements. The local newspaper logged the calls. Descriptions were consistent: six to seven feet tall, wings folded behind its back, red eyes reflecting in headlights.   Around the same time, a man named Woodrow Derenberger claimed he met someone who called himself Indrid Cold on a dark stretch of highway.  For more than a year, sightings continued.  Then on December 15th, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed during rush hour traffic, killing forty-six people.  The official cause was a fractured eyebar — a crack inside a steel component no one could see during inspection.  But the collapse didn’t happen in isolation. It came after thirteen months of documented reports that something unusual was being seen in and around Point Pleasant.  In this episode, join Host Robert Barber as he explores the Mothman sightings, the Indrid Cold encounter, the engineering failure that brought down the Silver Bridge, and the uncomfortable tension between mechanical certainty and unexplained experience.    What was happening in Point Pleasant before the bridge fell?  Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    25 min
  2. The Ammons Demon House: The Possession Case Authorities Could Not Explain — Ep. 43

    FEB 17

    The Ammons Demon House: The Possession Case Authorities Could Not Explain — Ep. 43

    In 2011, a family in Gary, Indiana reported escalating disturbances inside their rental home on Carolina Street. What began as unexplained noises and strange behavior would eventually involve the Gary Police Department, Methodist Hospital medical staff, and the Indiana Department of Child Services. According to official DCS documentation later obtained by the Indianapolis Star, a hospital caseworker reported witnessing a child walk backward up a wall during a medical evaluation. The case generated a 77-page investigative file and drew the attention of local clergy, including Reverend Michael Maginot, who later performed exorcisms. Years later, paranormal investigator Zak Bagans purchased the property and documented his own investigation in the film Demon House before demolishing the structure in 2016. Join host Robert Barber as he examines the documented reports, the custody battle, the hospital incident, and the demolition that turned a Gary rental house into one of the most debated haunting cases in modern American history. Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    26 min
  3. Coral Castle: The 30-Ton Mystery That Defies Explanation — Ep. 42

    FEB 10

    Coral Castle: The 30-Ton Mystery That Defies Explanation — Ep. 42

    Coral Castle is one of the most enduring mysteries in American history. In South Florida, a single man named Edward Leedskalnin spent decades building a massive stone monument entirely on his own. He worked at night, refused help, and left behind no clear explanation. The limestone blocks weigh several tons, yet no witnesses ever saw how they were moved. Join host Robert Barber on State of the Unknown as he examines the documented history of Coral Castle, the life of its builder, and the engineering questions that continue to surround this strange landmark. This episode explores verified accounts, historical records, and firsthand observations while separating real evidence from speculation. Often described as an unexplained engineering feat, Coral Castle has been linked to theories involving magnetism, lost knowledge, and paranormal encounters. But what can actually be proven? And what remains unresolved? This is not a story about miracles or mythology. It is a grounded, documentary-style look at one of America’s most puzzling historical mysteries and the real unanswered questions it leaves behind. Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    25 min
  4. The Entity: The Real Story of Doris Bither and the Culver City Poltergeist — Ep. 41

    FEB 3

    The Entity: The Real Story of Doris Bither and the Culver City Poltergeist — Ep. 41

    In the early 1970s, a woman named Doris Bither reported a series of disturbing events inside her small rental home in Culver City, California.  What began with unexplained object movement escalated into reported physical encounters witnessed by family members and later observed by outside researchers connected to UCLA. Join Host Robert Barber as he examines the Culver City Poltergeist through documented reports, firsthand accounts, and the investigation that followed — separating what was witnessed, what was claimed, and how the story later changed once it entered popular culture. What happened inside that house was never explained. But the impact it had on the people who lived there was real. Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    34 min
  5. The Pascagoula Incident | The Abduction Secretly Recorded by Police — Ep. 40

    JAN 27

    The Pascagoula Incident | The Abduction Secretly Recorded by Police — Ep. 40

    In October 1973, two shipyard workers walked into a Mississippi sheriff’s office late at night and claimed they had been taken against their will. What followed was documented by law enforcement, investigated by federal agencies, and quietly recorded when the men believed they were alone. This episode examines the Pascagoula Incident through police reports, firsthand testimony, and a secret audio recording that captured the men’s reactions in real time. It’s not a story about proof or belief. It’s a story about what happens when an extraordinary claim refuses to fall apart under scrutiny. What happened on the riverbank that night remains unresolved. But the record it left behind is real. Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    26 min
  6. The Hinsdale House: A Documented Haunting in Rural New York — Ep. 39

    JAN 20

    The Hinsdale House: A Documented Haunting in Rural New York — Ep. 39

    Tucked into the hills of western New York, Hinsdale House has developed a reputation as one of the state’s most talked-about haunted locations. The house has been associated with paranormal reports for decades, but this episode focuses on a much narrower window in that history. Specifically, the experiences described by one family during their time living inside the home. According to their accounts, the activity followed a clear pattern. Unexplained sounds. Physical sensations. Sudden illness. And a growing sense that the house itself was reacting to their presence. In this episode, we walk through what that family reported, how the activity escalated, and what details were later documented by investigators and witnesses. Rather than relying on legend or secondhand retellings, the focus stays on what was observed, what was recorded, and where certainty begins to fall apart. Is the Hinsdale House an example of environmental factors and stress misinterpreted as something paranormal? Or does this case reflect a type of haunting that resists easy explanation? This episode explores what was claimed, what can be supported, and why this one period in the house’s history continues to draw attention. 🔍 Further Reading & Case Research (For listeners who want to explore how this case has been documented) Echoes of a Haunting - Revised - Author Clara M. MillerHinsdale House An American Haunting — various authors As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.🌙 Listening Environment & Atmosphere (Optional items some listeners use to create a calm or focused listening space) Dreamegg Portable White Noise MachineJBL Vibe Beam 2 - Noise Canceling Earbuds These are optional links.  Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    24 min
  7. The Montauk Project: Inside the Cold War Experiments That Inspired Stranger Things — Ep. 38

    JAN 13

    The Montauk Project: Inside the Cold War Experiments That Inspired Stranger Things — Ep. 38

    Before it became a pop-culture reference point, it was a restricted military installation on the eastern edge of Long Island. Join host Robert Barber as he explores the real-world claims behind the Montauk Project and the Cold War history of Camp Hero. Drawing from firsthand accounts, disputed records, and decades of rumor, we examine stories of secret experiments, children brought into classified programs, and a base whose silence helped fuel one of America’s most enduring modern legends. Was Montauk an elaborate conspiracy, a misunderstood military site, or something shaped by years of unanswered questions? And how did its story go on to influence one of the most recognizable shows of the streaming era? 🔍 Further Reading & Case Research (For listeners who want to explore how this case has been documented) The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time: Silver Anniversary Edition - Author Preston B NicholsThe Montauk Files: Unearthing the Phoenix Conspiracy — Author K.B. Wells, JrDisclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    29 min
  8. The St. Louis Exorcist House | The Documented 1949 Possession Case — Ep. 37

    JAN 6

    The St. Louis Exorcist House | The Documented 1949 Possession Case — Ep. 37

    In 1949, a family in the Midwest began documenting a series of disturbing events centered on their child. What started as subtle disturbances escalated into physical incidents witnessed by family members, physicians, and clergy. Join host Robert Barber as he examines the St. Louis “Exorcist” House and the documented case of an alleged possession and exorcism that followed. Medical explanations were pursued first. Observations were recorded as events unfolded. Outside witnesses were brought in only after reasonable options failed. Rather than retelling the story as it’s been mythologized, this episode focuses on what was documented, what remains disputed, and how the situation progressed step by step until an exorcism was attempted. Years later, elements of this case would inspire The Exorcist, one of the most influential horror films ever made. This is the story of what happened before the legend. 🔍 Further Reading & Case Research (For listeners who want to explore this case in more detail) Possessed - by Thomas Allen 🌙 Listening Environment & Atmosphere Optional items some listeners use to create a calm or focused listening space. JBL Go 4 Bluetooth Speaker - Absolutely love JBL speakers.Fenmzee 3-Way Dimmable Touch Bedside Table Lamp - Such a great lamp that has usb ports so I can charge my phone at night.These are optional links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.   Send a text Support the show State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states. 👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between. 📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com 📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads 🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story. Join the Conversation Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates. Share Your Take Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM. Some stories don’t stay buried. We go looking anyway.

    32 min
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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

State of the Unknown examines documented paranormal cases, real hauntings, and unexplained events tied to actual locations across America. Each episode focuses on a single case, drawing from eyewitness testimony, official reports, historical records, and investigative findings to explore what was documented, what was disputed, and what remains unresolved. Hosted by Robert Barber, the show takes a grounded, investigative approach to cases involving reported possessions, poltergeist activity, mysterious encounters, and other claims of the unexplained. The emphasis stays on clarity and context — separating verified details from speculation without leaning into hype or theatrics. If you’re drawn to fact-based explorations of real paranormal cases — stories told straight, with evidence where it exists and open questions where it doesn’t — this is a show for you. New episodes every week. 🔗 www.stateoftheunknown.com📸 @stateoftheunknownpodcast

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