The Night Visitors Vampire Research Society

James Cheney
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  • Documentary

They come uninvited. This is The Night Visitors, a paranormal podcast with James Cheney. The Night Visitors explores encounters with vampires, supernatural folklore, and purportedly true stories of the creatures that visit in the night. Each episode presents a single account drawn from firsthand testimony, family histories, and witness reports collected from around the world. James’s lifelong fascination with vampires and the supernatural led him through decades of research into vampire lore, psychic vampirism, and folkloric traditions spanning continents: the strigoii of Romania, the jiang shi of China, the soucouyant of Trinidad, the duppy spirits of Jamaica, the list goes on. That same fascination turned passion eventually pulled him from New England - a region with its own dark folklore - to Transylvania, where the locals still know what to do when the dead don't stay buried. Especially drawn to vampires and all things vampiric, James looks to fill in the gap that formed following the death of Dr Stephen Kaplan, who during the 1970s and 80s ran the Vampire Research Center, conducting serious inquiry into vampirism. His work has since fallen into obscurity. Despite today's explosion of interest in the paranormal, nobody is doing what he did - until now. The Night Visitors Vampire Research Society is a space where people can share their experiences and be taken seriously. Episodes draw on global vampire folklore and true supernatural accounts -Why did a rice farmer in the 1890s Guangdong survive a night trapped in a temple with a jiang shi? What protected a young woman in 1923 Honolulu from a curse sent across the Pacific? How does a guest in a Depression-era Québec boarding house never age and never eat? What do you do when a dishevelled stranger visits your night shift - and sleeps on a stone slab in the cemetery next door? Firsthand accounts from around the world that examine vampires, ghosts, curses, spiritual attacks, and entities that exist at the edges of belief. Our Sound The Night Visitors theme music is "Haunted Haus" by composer Tim Kulig. We're grateful to Tim for allowing us to use his work to set the tone for each episode. https://timkulig.com/ Join the Community The Night Visitors is part of a worldwide community exploring vampire culture, folklore, and the paranormal. James also publishes a weekly newsletter featuring articles on vampire lore, history, and how genuine folklore shows up in film and literature. 🌙 Website: thenightvisitors.com 🌙 Newsletter: jamesnightvisitors.substack.com 🌙 Facebook Group: bit.ly/night-visitors-fb-group 🌙 Instagram: @nightvisitorsvrs 🌙 YouTube: youtube.com/@VampireResearchSociety Share Your Story Have you encountered something you believe was a vampire—psychic, folkloric, or otherwise? Email thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. With your permission, your account may be featured on a future episode. Names and identifying details can be changed to protect your privacy.

  1. 12h ago

    The Sin-eater of Wales Tristan Llewellyn

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! A Ghostly Scholar in the Welsh Hills: Imagine opening your door to a stranger who, decades later, you discover had died nearly fifty years before your meeting. Ellen did exactly that when she rented a room in her Welsh farmhouse to a mysterious Oxford student in 1963. Tristan Llewellyn slept through every day, stayed awake through every night, and ate ravenously while somehow showing no signs of being nourished at all. Curiously, Tristan spoke Welsh with native fluency and studied medieval Welsh poetry, including the old practice of sin-eating, where people consumed ritual food to absorb the sins of the dead. When Ellen asked about his hunger, he spoke only of enduring “a prolonged period of hunger” (a detail that hits differently once you know what comes next). Was Tristan a restless spirit seeking resolution for unresolved guilt carried since 1916, or simply an unusual graduate student who shared a name with a fallen soldier? The narrative weaves historical sin-eating customs, Welsh tradition, and unexplained phenomena into a compelling mystery. Whether this was a supernatural encounter or a strange coincidence, the story lingers long after it ends. Tune in to hear every unsettling detail of Ellen’s experience unfold. Episode Chapters 00:00:00 - Podcast Intro 00:00:45 - The Stranger at Ellen’s Gate 00:02:46 - Oxford Student Rents a Quiet Room 00:03:58 - The Stranger’s Ravenous Appetite 00:05:45 - Ancient Welsh Verses and Sin-Eating Traditions 00:08:07 - The Mysterious Guest Who Disappeared 00:09:32 - Discovering Tristan Llewellyn’s Tragic History 00:10:36 - The Sin-Eater and Unquiet Spirits Our Podcast Theme Music Music Title: “Haunted Haus”, Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Lic CC 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share Your Story Have you experienced something unexplainable? I want to share your story. You can choose to remain anonymous, or not with your permission of course. Email me directly at thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. or submit a voice recording. You are also welcome to suggestions as to which aspects of vampirism you’d like to see explored in our posts or our YouTube videos. email thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. Facebook: The Night Visitors Vampire Research Society is a worldwide community sharing firsthand vampire encounters and exploring the folklore, history, and pop culture of the undead. Join our Facebook group to connect with fellow Night Visitors from around the world. YouTube: subscribe to the YouTube channel @VampireResearchSociety Substack: receive new true story episodes every Friday and articles on vampire pop culture on Tuesdays

  2. Nov 6

    Fet Ghede, the Curse of the Saint-Louis Family and the Loup-Garou of Port-au-Prince

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! This week, The Night Visitors unveils a gripping family saga spanning a century of Haitian history. In 1917 Port-au-Prince, during the American occupation, class conflict ignites within an elite Creole household. When Bertrand Saint-Louis marries Marie-Lucille—a woman beneath his social station—his mother Mireille wages psychological warfare. Exploiting upper-class prejudice against the Vodou religion, she frames her daughter-in-law with Vodou artifacts. The scheme fails. But the tension escalates into something an unexplainable darkness. As Fêt Ghedé approaches, Mireille begins transforming into a Loup Garou—a blood-feeding creature from Haitian folklore. Sleepwalking through cemeteries. Appearing near dead animals. The servants whisper in terror. Then Marie-Lucille confronts her mother-in-law with a revelation: she possesses magical power. Rather than destroy Mireille completely, she offers reconciliation through respect. Passed down through generations, this testimony reveals how magic became medicine in a fractured family. From sworn enemies to charitable partners, their story challenges everything we think we know about power, class, and Haitian spirituality. What compels someone to choose mercy over vengeance? You’ll find The Night Visitors podcast on a variety of platforms, from Apple and ListenNotes to iHeartRadio and more. Episode Chapters 0:00 – Introduction: Welcome to The Night Visitors 1:15 – Historical Context: Port-au-Prince in 1917 and the Saint-Louis Family 3:30 – The Mismatched Marriage: Social ambition versus rural roots 6:00 – Retaliation: The fake altar and the forbidden rituals of Fèt Gede 9:10 – The Haunting Escalates: Sleepwalking, animal attacks, and local dread 11:45 – The Beast Arrives: The terrifying appearance of the loup-garou 13:50 – Resolution & Legacy: A fragile truce and the enduring legend Our Podcast Theme Music Music Title: “Haunted Haus”, Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Lic CC 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Fet Ghede, the Curse of the Saint-Louis Family and the Loup-Garou of Port-au-Prince

  3. Oct 30

    Something in the Dirt: The Night Jenny Met Abbott

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Boldly facing your fears can change everything, and Jenny’s story proves exactly that. What started as a late-night walk home from a Rhode Island pizzeria in October 1997 turned into one of the most unsettling encounters imaginable, an experience that would shake anyone to their core. After closing up near midnight, Jenny spotted a skeletal boy with pale skin and vampire fangs near a cemetery. She assumed it was a Halloween prank. Then he vanished. Just gone. No explanation, no rational way to account for it. What drove Jenny, a young woman who started out deeply skeptical of local folklore, to eventually grab garlic paste and holy water and march straight to Abbott’s grave? The story only gets stranger from there. Her grandmother Domenica knew exactly who Abbott was (apparently this had happened before). A graveyard visit revealed his tombstone dated 1793, marking him as just fourteen years old when he died. Coworker Joanne even offered reassurance that Abbott typically loses interest quickly, moving on after brief periods of haunting. Instead of waiting him out, Jenny confronted the situation head-on, performing a cleansing ritual that ended the disturbances entirely. Listen to the full episode to hear every detail of Jenny’s remarkable story. Chapters The Late Night Walk Home The Mysterious Boy Vampire at the Window The Ten Year Vampire Encounter in the Graveyard The Local Legend Abbott Abbott Returns on Mischief Night Jenny Confronts Her Stalker Our Podcast Theme Music Music Title: “Haunted Haus”, Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Lic CC 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share Your Story Have you experienced something unexplainable? I want to share your story. You can choose to remain anonymous, or not with your permission of course. Email me directly at thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. or submit a voice recording. You are also welcome to suggestions as to which aspects of vampirism you’d like to see explored in our posts or our YouTube videos. email thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. Facebook: The Night Visitors Vampire Research Society is a worldwide community sharing firsthand vampire encounters and exploring the folklore, history, and pop culture of the undead. Join our Facebook group to connect with fellow Night Visitors from around the world. YouTube: subscribe to the YouTube channel @VampireResearchSociety Substack: receive new true story episodes every Friday and articles on vampire pop culture on Tuesdays

    Something in the Dirt: The Night Jenny Met Abbott

  4. Oct 23

    Ildiko: A Hungarian Revolution Supernatural Tale of the Woman Who Changed Everything

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! The Woman Who Changed Everything Quietly, a late-night encounter between a state officer and a mysterious stranger became the moral turning point of an entire life. Set against the brutal backdrop of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, this story follows Shandor, a young police officer who detains a composed woman named Ildiko found carrying a dead chicken in Soviet-crushed Hungary. What makes a person choose conscience over duty when the cost could be everything? Ildiko claims to be two centuries old, the product of a pact made during Joseph II’s reign, and she speaks with unsettling calm about empires that crumble under fear. (Her composure alone, in a time when people vanished for saying the wrong things, is almost supernatural.) Her argument is simple and timeless: loyalty and love sustain societies, fear never does. People need to believe their lives belong to them. It is an ancient truth, a truth that crosses every ideology. Deeply moved, Shandor lets her go without filing a report. The choice reshapes him entirely. For decades afterward, he omits names from documents, performing his duties minimally while quietly protecting others. When communism finally falls in 1989, he reflects on Ildiko and realizes her story’s truth mattered far less than its impact. Listen to this episode and let it stay with you. [YouTube embed] Chapters 00:00:00 A Police Officer’s Encounter During the Hungarian Uprising 00:03:01 The Part Where I Disappear 00:04:04 The Woman Who Claimed Immortality 00:06:54 Ancient Ideas and Dangerous Truths 00:08:07 A Quiet Moment of Understanding 00:09:28 The Officer Who Chose to Look Away [Podcast player embed] You’ll find The Night Visitors podcast on a variety of platforms, from Apple and ListenNotes to iHeartRadio and more. Our Podcast Theme Music Music Title: “Haunted Haus”, Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Lic CC 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  5. Oct 16

    In the Season of Dia de los Muertos in Guatemala an Ancient Angry Spirit Spoke

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Tonight’s episode is set in a Guatemalan village in 1993. This episode tells the haunting tale of Reina, a woman whose daughter was being visited at night by a terrifying presence speaking in an ancient K’iche’ dialect that nobody could understand or recognize and the disturbance did not stop there. Livestock were mysteriously dying, drained of blood with no visible wounds, leaving the whole family desperate for answers during the spiritually charged All Saints’ Day season. Fortunately, a neighbor named Consuelo had skills in spiritual practices. Through candle reading (a traditional diagnostic method), she identified the source as an old, restless Mayan spirit. The solution she organized was remarkable in its complexity, weaving together Catholic saints, ancestral veneration, copal incense, and marigolds into a single, unified protective ritual. Because this account is so richly layered with indigenous and folk traditions blended seamlessly, it rewards careful listening. Tune in to find out what happened next. 0:00 – Night Visitors Podcast Intro 0:45 – A Guatemalan Family’s Sacred Tradition 2:15 – Consuelo’s Gifts Revealed During Fiambre Preparation 4:00 – Ancient Maya Spirit Demands Forgotten Rituals 6:30 – Los Ancestros Protegen Durante Día de Muertos 8:45 – Honoring Ancestors to Restore Balance 10:30 – Final Thoughts Our Podcast Theme Music Music Title: “Haunted Haus”, Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Lic CC 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share Your Story Have you experienced something unexplainable? I want to share your story. You can choose to remain anonymous, or not with your permission of course. Email me directly at thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. or submit a voice recording. You are also welcome to suggestions as to which aspects of vampirism you’d like to see explored in our posts or our YouTube videos. email thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. Facebook: The Night Visitors Vampire Research Society is a worldwide community sharing firsthand vampire encounters and exploring the folklore, history, and pop culture of the undead. Join our Facebook group to connect with fellow Night Visitors from around the world. YouTube: subscribe to the YouTube channel @VampireResearchSociety Substack: receive new true story episodes every Friday and articles on vampire pop culture on Tuesdays

    In the Season of Dia de los Muertos in Guatemala an Ancient Angry Spirit Spoke

  6. Oct 9

    Serbian Folklore's True Story of the Vampire Pumpkins in Illinois

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! On tonight’s episode we’re exploring a haunting true account from autumn 1977 Illinois. A Serbian immigrant farmer named Vesna noticed something deeply wrong: groaning sounds echoing through her pumpkin patch at night, blood-like smears on the gourds. When her mysterious tenant Dragan arrived weeks earlier, she recognized the signs. Her grandmother’s warnings about vampiric activity suddenly felt less like folklore and more like survival instinct. What followed was a tense confrontation grounded in centuries-old Serbian tradition. Vesna discovered soil from the homeland hidden beneath his bed; The very requirement vampires need according to folklore. Armed with holy water and religious icons, she calmly demanded his departure. Dragan left without resistance. The aftermath raises profound questions: Was Dragan truly supernatural, or simply a troubled soul? Science remains silent, but the evidence is striking as the groaning ceased immediately, and that season’s harvest became exceptionally abundant. What draws you to stories where folklore and reality blur? Share your thoughts in the comments. Listen here or on your favorite podcast platform. You’ll also find us on YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel and leave a review. Chapters 00:00:50 - The Serbian Pumpkin Farmer’s Guest 00:02:45 - The Stranger and the Bleeding Pumpkins 00:05:23 - The Tenant’s Nocturnal Secret Revealed 00:07:43 - Serbian Vampire Folklore & Native Soil 00: 08:10 - Opening the Wooden Box 00:09:28 - Departure The real lesson isn’t about vampires. It’s about honoring your intuition when something feels wrong, taking decisive action, and accepting that not every truth requires scientific proof. What instincts have you learned to trust—even when others couldn’t see what you saw? Resources & Links Mentioned Website: thenightvisitors.comEmail Submissions: thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.comMusic Attribution: Intro track "Haunted House" composed by Tim KuligConnect & Share Have you or a family member had a personal encounter with the undead or the unexplained? Send your story to thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com or leave a comment on our YouTube channel! Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for weekly articles on vampire lore and pop culture.

    Serbian Folklore's True Story of the Vampire Pumpkins in Illinois

  7. Oct 2

    The Vampire of Fall River: Céleste’s Encounter

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! The Vampire of Fall River: Céleste’s Encounter Today's episode is a true account of a vampire encounter that includes Quebecois folklore, dream predation, and the power of a mother’s blessed ward. Episode Overview In the autumn of 1910, 16-year-old Céleste Tremblay moved from Quebec to Fall River, Massachusetts, to work in the booming textile mills. What began as a new chapter of independence quickly turned into a chilling ordeal after a late-night encounter outside an old cemetery gate. Join host James as he uncovers Céleste’s terrifying run-in with a dark, supernatural entity, the relentless dream-predation that followed, and the unexpected holy relic that ultimately saved her life. We also dive into French-Canadian folklore, examining the legends of the morts-vivants and the enduring power of faith and protection. Key Takeaways & Lore Breakdown The Migration to Mill Towns: In 1910, Fall River was the cotton textile capital of the U.S., attracting thousands of French-Canadian workers seeking reliable wages.Dream Predation & Possession: Céleste’s attacker didn't just haunt the cemetery—he invaded her dreams, causing physical symptoms like chest constriction and gasping for air upon waking.The Blessed Handkerchief: Unlike traditional vampire wards (crucifixes or stakes), Céleste’s protection came from a simple cloth passed through the sacred flame of Saint Anne (La Bonne Sainte-Anne) by her mother.French-Canadian Vampiric Lore: The entity’s traits align with the morts-vivants (living dead) of Quebecois and European folklore.Timestamps & Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & Transylvanian Greeting00:36 – Fall River, 1910: Céleste Tremblay’s New Life01:52 – The Stranger at the Cemetery Gate & Nightmares03:00 – Confrontation & The Vampire's Threat04:10 – The Power of La Bonne Sainte-Anne05:13 – Folklore Analysis: Morts-Vivants & Sacramental Defense06:23 – Community Submissions & Closing CreditsResources & Links Mentioned Website: thenightvisitors.comEmail Submissions: thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.comMusic Attribution: Intro track "Haunted House" composed by Tim KuligConnect & Share Have you or a family member had a personal encounter with the undead or the unexplained? Send your story to thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com or leave a comment on our YouTube channel! Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for weekly articles on vampire lore and pop culture.

    The Vampire of Fall River: Céleste’s Encounter

  8. Sep 25

    The Other Worldly Roommate in Upstate New York: A True Vampire Encounter

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Upstate New York, fall 1976. A twenty-year-old music student answers a handwritten index card on the campus bookstore corkboard and moves into an old Victorian house owned by Calum, a young man with silver-grey eyes who doesn't move quite like other people. Quickly dismissing it as mere oddness would have been the easy choice, but Valerie could not look away. In fall 1976, she moved in. What followed those weeks was something she never fully explained to herself or anyone else. Because when Halloween arrived, Calum's cryptic reaction to vampire celebrations carried a weight that was hard to shake. Then came November, and a confession: bringing Valerie into his home had been a mistake. Prolonged exposure to him, he warned, would transform her into something unimaginable. What does it mean to share a home with something that passes through closed doors? By the end, Valerie fled after watching Calum move through solid matter without walking (a detail that still raises the hair on your neck just reading it). Her later investigation turned up no records of his existence, none at all, leaving only the certainty of what she witnessed. This story is unsettling, quiet, and deeply compelling. Listen to the full episode of "The Night Visitors" now. Finding a Room Away from Campus The Victorian House on the Hillside A Room in the Inherited House The Mysterious Tenant in the Basement Vampire Movies and an Unspoken Understanding His Supernatural Nature The Mysterious Disappearance and Search What happens when we encounter something that defies our understanding of reality? There's a fascinating psychology at play here. Valerie's experience raises questions we rarely discuss, even with family and friends, such as: How do we process information that contradicts our framework of reality? When faced with the inexplicable, do we rationalize it away or trust our direct observation? What does it take to convince ourselves or others of something extraordinary? The real insight isn't about the supernatural. It's about human perception, trust, and the courage required to believe our own experiences when they fall outside conventional explanation. If you enjoy historical vampire lore, forgotten folklore, and true accounts of the supernatural, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts when you join the Facebook group or subscribe to my Substack Vampire Research Society or my YouTube Channel VampireResearchSociety. Our Podcast Theme Music Music Title: “Haunted Haus”, Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Lic CC 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Call for Listener’s Stories: Share Your Story Have you experienced something unexplainable? There are two ways to share. Write your story in an email, or tell your story in a simple voice recording from your phone and send it as an attachment via email audio length limit of 3 minutes. Click here to submit! Email thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com.

    The Other Worldly Roommate in Upstate New York: A True Vampire Encounter
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They come uninvited. This is The Night Visitors, a paranormal podcast with James Cheney. The Night Visitors explores encounters with vampires, supernatural folklore, and purportedly true stories of the creatures that visit in the night. Each episode presents a single account drawn from firsthand testimony, family histories, and witness reports collected from around the world. James’s lifelong fascination with vampires and the supernatural led him through decades of research into vampire lore, psychic vampirism, and folkloric traditions spanning continents: the strigoii of Romania, the jiang shi of China, the soucouyant of Trinidad, the duppy spirits of Jamaica, the list goes on. That same fascination turned passion eventually pulled him from New England - a region with its own dark folklore - to Transylvania, where the locals still know what to do when the dead don't stay buried. Especially drawn to vampires and all things vampiric, James looks to fill in the gap that formed following the death of Dr Stephen Kaplan, who during the 1970s and 80s ran the Vampire Research Center, conducting serious inquiry into vampirism. His work has since fallen into obscurity. Despite today's explosion of interest in the paranormal, nobody is doing what he did - until now. The Night Visitors Vampire Research Society is a space where people can share their experiences and be taken seriously. Episodes draw on global vampire folklore and true supernatural accounts -Why did a rice farmer in the 1890s Guangdong survive a night trapped in a temple with a jiang shi? What protected a young woman in 1923 Honolulu from a curse sent across the Pacific? How does a guest in a Depression-era Québec boarding house never age and never eat? What do you do when a dishevelled stranger visits your night shift - and sleeps on a stone slab in the cemetery next door? Firsthand accounts from around the world that examine vampires, ghosts, curses, spiritual attacks, and entities that exist at the edges of belief. Our Sound The Night Visitors theme music is "Haunted Haus" by composer Tim Kulig. We're grateful to Tim for allowing us to use his work to set the tone for each episode. https://timkulig.com/ Join the Community The Night Visitors is part of a worldwide community exploring vampire culture, folklore, and the paranormal. James also publishes a weekly newsletter featuring articles on vampire lore, history, and how genuine folklore shows up in film and literature. 🌙 Website: thenightvisitors.com 🌙 Newsletter: jamesnightvisitors.substack.com 🌙 Facebook Group: bit.ly/night-visitors-fb-group 🌙 Instagram: @nightvisitorsvrs 🌙 YouTube: youtube.com/@VampireResearchSociety Share Your Story Have you encountered something you believe was a vampire—psychic, folkloric, or otherwise? Email thenightvisitorsvrs@gmail.com. With your permission, your account may be featured on a future episode. Names and identifying details can be changed to protect your privacy.

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