Altar Ego

Altar Ego

Hosted by two close friends, one a therapist raised Southern Baptist, now agnostic; the other a spiritually curious ex-Catholic who believes in ghosts and is terrified of demons... we dive into dark tales and crimes committed in the name of God (or the devil). Through ethical retellings of possessions, prophecies, cults, and beliefs, we investigate spirituality, belief systems, and the ambiguous psychological spaces in between.

  1. 4d ago

    35: The Stolen Nganga + The Perversion of Palo Mayombe

    In 1989, a drug cult operating out of Matamoros, Mexico, was exposed when a member blew through a border checkpoint — believing himself invisible — and was followed straight back to Santa Elena Ranch. What investigators found was confusing and deeply disturbing. What the media told the world about it brought deep harm and stigma to one of the oldest continuously practiced African diasporic religions in the Western Hemisphere. The media called it voodoo, satanism, and black magic. What it actually was... one man's deliberate theft of a sacred tradition. Adolfo Constanzo took the vocabulary of Palo Mayombe and stripped out everything that did not serve him. What remained was a framework for murder, torture, coercion, and control, dressed in the robes of ancient tradition.

    1h 4m

  2. May 21

    34: Prophet, Polygamist, and the Making of Mormon Utah - Brigham Young

    In the second episode of Heather's Mormonism in Utah series, we pick up after the death of Joseph Smith, when the future of the Mormon movement was uncertain. Into leadership stepped a carpenter-turned-apostle who would lead thousands of followers across the American frontier and transform the desert of Utah Territory into the center of a new religious empire. Brigham Young was more than a pioneer; he practiced and fiercely defended polygamy, married dozens of women, fathered more than fifty children, amassed extraordinary political power, and governed both church and state. Under his leadership, Mormonism expanded rapidly. His legacy is tied to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Utah War, and teachings that continue to be highly debated in modern day. In this episode, we examine the life of Brigham Young from multiple perspectives: faithful believers and critics. We explore how Young impacted the religious, political, and cultural landscape of the American West. Sources: “Brigham Young.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Brigham-Young “Joseph Smith.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Smith-American-religious-leader “Succession Crisis (Latter Day Saints).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_crisis_(Latter_Day_Saints) “The Nauvoo Crisis and the Twelve.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/succession-in-the-presidency “Sidney Rigdon and the Succession Crisis.” Joseph Smith Papers Project. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/articles/sidney-rigdon-succession-crisis “Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve.” Joseph Smith Papers Project. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/articles/brigham-young-and-the-twelve “Succession of Church Leadership.” BYU Studies Quarterly. https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/succession-in-the-presidency/ Saints Unscripted. Who Was Brigham Young? YouTube. Saints Unscripted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wY0gQ8o0tQ Biography. Brigham Young: Mormon Leader and Colonizer of the American West. YouTube. A&E Television Networks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mB4L5vXK4I

    53 min

  3. May 14

    33: MC5's Total Assault on American Ideology

    This is the final installment of Jeri's LSD series, and we're ending it in Detroit. A group of kids from Lincoln Park start playing guitar after school in 1963, and by 1968, they are living in a commune run by their manager, getting surveilled by the FBI, and sharing a roof with someone on the bureau's ten most wanted list. MC5 was performing punk rock before anyone had a name for it. This episode is about MC5's history, impact on culture, their relationship to LSD, and how a revolutionary-minded poet saw a broke Detroit cover band as the vessel for revolution. Kick Out The Jams (Live Recording): https://open.spotify.com/track/1cLfXnBwTFuRngRZfQeLof?si=1445176dcf9d4370 Sources: Boisvert, L. (2026, April 16). 57 years ago, MC5 got booted from Elektra Records after profanity-laden magazine ad. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/57-years-ago-mc5-got-booted-from-elektra-records-after-profanity-laden-magazine-ad/Wikipedia contributors. (2025). MC5. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC5Every Record Tells A Story. (2021, September 14). Recalled and censored: The story of the MC5's Kick Out the Jams. https://everyrecordtellsastory.com/2021/09/14/recalled-and-censored-the-story-of-the-mc5s-kick-out-the-jams/

    1 hr

  4. May 6

    32: Joseph Smith: Prophet, Polygamy, and the Birth of Mormonism

    Content Warning: This episode discusses polygamy, coercion, and religious control within a historical context. Joseph Smith is known as the founder of Mormonism, a prophet to millions and a figure surrounded by faith, devotion, and controversy. But the story of how the religion began is far more complex than many realize. In this episode, we step into early 1800s America to trace Smith’s rise from obscurity to religious authority. We unpack the origins of his revelations, the creation of the Book of Mormon, and the structure of the movement he built. Along the way, we examine the role of secrecy, power, and polygamy within the early church, including the relationships that have sparked ongoing debate and criticism. This is not a story told to sensationalize. It is an exploration of belief, influence, and the ways people can shape and be shaped by faith. With historical context and careful attention to the human impact, we look at the man behind the movement and the foundation that continues to influence millions today. SOURCES & Further Reading: Corey Miller. What Do Mormons Really Believe? PBS NewsHour (Correction: actually published by Phoenix Seminary). April 27, 2022.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo. Gospel Topics Essays. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132 Richard Lyman Bushman. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Fawn M. Brodie. No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith. Vintage Books, 1971. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Becoming Like God. Gospel Topics Essays. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/becoming-like-god The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Word of Wisdom. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/word-of-wisdom The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Book of Mormon Translation. Gospel Topics Essays. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/book-of-mormon-translation Terryl L. Givens. The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2009. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Book of Mormon Translation. Gospel Topics Essays. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/book-of-mormon-translation The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Book of Mormon. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph Smith History 1. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1 Richard Lyman Bushman. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Terryl L. Givens. The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2009. J. Gordon Melton. Encyclopedia of American Religions. Gale, 2010. Fawn M. Brodie. No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith. Vintage Books, 1971. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brigham Young. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/brigham-young Leonard J. Arrington. Brigham Young: American Moses. University of Illinois Press, 1985. John G. Turner. Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet. Harvard University Press, 2012. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/pioneer-overland-travel Utah War. Utah War, 1857–1858. https://history.utah.gov/utah-war Richard Lyman Bushman. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Grenfell, Alyssa. Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Cult. YouTube, 2025. https://youtu.be/4BJqFHEyW4s  Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith. Wives of Joseph Smith, n.d. https://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/PDFBooklet/PDFBooklet.pdf

    1h 9m

  5. Apr 29

    31: The White Panther Party - A Misunderstood Movement of the 1960s

    Founded in 1968 as a radical response to systemic racism and state power, the group openly aligned themselves with the Black Panther Party as supporters. Once referred to by the FBI as one of the most dangerous and threatening groups in America. Their message was simple and controversial: white Americans had a responsibility to dismantle oppressive systems from within. How? Through altering relationship to self… including altered consciousness with a substance known to all as LSD. In this episode, we unpack the origins of the White Panther Party, the ultimate dismantling by state interference, their ties to counterculture movements, mind altering drugs and Rock.

    56 min

  6. Apr 22

    30: The Crossroads Legend - Robert Johnson's Deal with the Devil?

    At a quiet crossroads in the Mississippi Delta, a legend was born. Robert Johnson is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. His music shaped generations, yet his story is wrapped in something far darker. According to folklore, Johnson disappeared as an unremarkable guitarist and returned with a talent so extraordinary that people struggled to explain it. The answer, some believed, was simple and unsettling. He had made a deal with the devil. In this episode, we explore the origins of the crossroads myth and how it became tied to Johnson’s life and legacy. We look at the cultural and spiritual significance of crossroads in African American folklore and Hoodoo traditions, where these spaces were seen as places of transformation, power, and exchange. We also examine how religion, fear, and storytelling shaped the narrative, and why this legend has endured for nearly a century. Was it a supernatural pact, a carefully crafted persona, or something else entirely? Sources: Crossroads (folklore and mythology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_(folklore) Robert Johnson – Biography and legacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson Tommy Johnson – Origins of the crossroads legend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Johnson “Cross Road Blues” myth and analysis (compiled research and scholarship) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Road_Blues Wald, Elijah. Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues https://www.harpercollins.com/products/escaping-the-delta-elijah-wald Guralnick, Peter. Searching for Robert Johnson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/159166/searching-for-robert-johnson-by-peter-guralnick/ Graves, Tom. Crossroads: The Life and Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert Johnson https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p072051 Evans, David. Tommy Johnson (1971 biography) Conforth, Bruce. “The Truth About Robert Johnson” (Living Blues Magazine) National Blues Museum – Robert Johnson history and myth clarification https://nationalbluesmuseum.org

    32 min

  7. Apr 15

    29: What Really Happened to the Sodder Children?

    Five children vanish in a house fire… and no bodies are ever found. On Christmas Eve 1945, the Sodder family fire should have been a tragic accident. A home goes up in flames. Parents survive. Five of their children are presumed dead. Except there’s one problem; there were no remains. No bones. No evidence they were ever in the fire at all. What follows is decades of unanswered questions, strange sightings, and a family that refused to believe the official story. Were the children taken? Did they escape? Or is this a case where grief and belief reshaped reality? In this episode, we break down what happened that night, the inconsistencies that still don’t make sense, and why this case continues to live at the intersection of mystery and myth. Sources: Abbott, Karen (December 25, 2012). "The Children Who Went Up In Smoke". Smithsonian.  “Sodder children disappearance.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation

    55 min

  8. Apr 9

    28: The White Witch of Rose Hall

    In this episode of Altar Ego, Heather takes us to Jamaica’s Rose Hall to explore the legend of Annie Palmer, known as the White Witch. Said to have practiced dark magic and ruled her plantation with fear, her story lives at the crossroads of modern paranormal beliefs, folklore, violence, and exploitation. Was Annie Palmer even real? Was she a practitioner of the occult? Or has her legacy been shaped by something else completely? Sources: https://rosehall.com/history-of-rose-hall/ https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20201025/white-witch-rose-hall-fact-or-fiction https://uwipress.com/books/the-white-witch-of-rosehall/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rose-hall https://rosehall.com/history-of-rose-hall/ https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica/Rose-Hall https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20201025/white-witch-rose-hall-fact-or-fiction https://uwipress.com/books/the-white-witch-of-rosehall/ https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/white-witch-rose-hall https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rose-hall https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica/History https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/sugar-slavery-and-plantations/ https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/sugar-and-slavery https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica/Plantation-economy https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/caribbean-american-passages/jamaica.html https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory/jamaica/plantation_life.htm https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/absentee-planters-and-slavery https://academic.oup.com/shm/article/25/3/539/1682564 https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/death-in-the-tropics/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maroon-history-of-slavery https://www.bl.uk/caribbean-collection/articles/the-maroons-of-jamaica

    45 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Hosted by two close friends, one a therapist raised Southern Baptist, now agnostic; the other a spiritually curious ex-Catholic who believes in ghosts and is terrified of demons... we dive into dark tales and crimes committed in the name of God (or the devil). Through ethical retellings of possessions, prophecies, cults, and beliefs, we investigate spirituality, belief systems, and the ambiguous psychological spaces in between.

Information

  • Creator
    Altar Ego
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Altar Ego
  • Show Website
    Altar Ego