Author Archives: Sharon A. Hill

About Sharon A. Hill

Strange Claims Adjuster and Spooky Geologist On Mastodon at @idoubtit@mstdn.social

Gates to Hell and Hellmouths

By | August 22, 2021

In the past and even today, some believe that you can get to Hell via a portal or entrance from earth. There are countless tales of trips to the underworld made by mythical persons. There continue to be legends about gates to hell around the world that we might access today. Join me for a tour of Hell mouths.

TikTok generates multiple scare lore stories about flagged cars

By | May 27, 2021

Always keen to hear about the latest “weird news”, I noticed a trend in 2020 where young women (typically) were reporting that their cars were moderately vandalized in busy parking lots. On the video social media app TikTok, they interpreted these events as a signal that they were being targeted for abduction by sex traffickers… Read More: TikTok generates multiple scare lore stories about flagged cars »

Oracle of Delphi: Snake Death Gas or God’s Breath

By | May 5, 2021

The colorful and dramatic accounts of the Oracle of Delphi in Greece spanning many centuries appear to be strongly related to the geological setting and seismic activity of the locale. The cultural and geologic history is long and complex. Over time, people have speculated on the explanation as being supernatural, psychic, geological, or a hoax. It took a multidisciplinary effort to reach the most probable proposed explanation we have so far, but there are still many details we’ll never know.

Examining the Mentor ghost child video

By | March 29, 2021

A news article out of Mentor, Ohio attracted my attention this past week. The article claimed that local residents were observing strange, “mysterious” incidents and reporting them on their neighborhood Facebook page. Then, on the night of March 10, someone called the police. The police report was real. The local news station obtained a copy… Read More: Examining the Mentor ghost child video »

The odd and clunky guide to researching the paranormal – Book Review

By | December 28, 2020

Researching the Paranormal: How to Find Reliable Information about Parapsychology, Ghosts, Astrology, Cryptozoology, Near-Death Experiences, and More By Courtney M. Block, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020. 342pp. There has not previously been a book specifically about how to research the paranormal. Academic librarian Courtney Block aims to help those who may feel embarrassed or confused… Read More: The odd and clunky guide to researching the paranormal –… »

Legends and science of bottomless holes

By | November 17, 2020

There are countless holes in the ground. Some have water. Some are just open void and darkness. When we can’t readily discern the depth, the hole begets additional legendary characteristics, including that of being bottomless. Let’s check out the legends of bottomless holes.

Ringing rocks and sonorous stones

By | October 8, 2020

Ringing rocks, rocks that make a bell-like sound when hit with a hammer, are rare but occur across the world. They are seen as magical, mysterious, and scientifically curious. 

Fake tiger tales and other plush hoaxes

By | July 28, 2020

Police in the Steyning area of West Sussex, England, were called to a public park on the evening of July 23, 2020 to respond to a report of a big cat on the loose. The Horsham police were likely familiar with the popular idea that large, non-native, “alien big cats” are roaming the UK. Hundreds… Read More: Fake tiger tales and other plush hoaxes »

Pic de Bugarach: The mysterious mountain

By | July 17, 2020

Pic de Bugarach in Aude, France, is a place that effortlessly combines natural wonder and legends. Add to its history a heaping portion of serious scientific misunderstandings, flavor with rumors and imaginative speculation, then bake for centuries, and the result is a bizarre mashup of fact and fiction that satisfies in our modern spooky times.