Professor Phil Ford and writer J. F. Martel host a series of conversations on art and philosophy, dwelling on ideas that are hard to think and art that opens up rifts in what we are pleased to call "reality."
SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring the anomalous, the luminous, and the numinous. We’re a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.
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Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Episode 220: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: Live at the Dream Mapping Symposium
On September 26, JF and Phil took part in the Dream Mapping Symposium, a three-day event organized by the Dream Mapping Project and the Dream Library Foundation, and held
Oct 7 1 h 54 min
Episode 219 – Composing the Cosmos, with Meredith Rigby
In this episode, JF and Phil are joined by their beloved assistant and invaluable collaborator Meredith Rigby (formerly Meredith Michael) to discuss her recently complete
Sep 23 1 h 25 min
Episode 218 — A Mighty Matter of Legend: On J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Two Towers'
Having taken up the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in episode 207, Phil and JF turn to part two, The Two Towers. Together, they peel back the husk o
Sep 9 1 h 14 min
Mid-Hiatus Bonus: A Door in the Fourth Wall
Episode 218 will drop at the end of our summer break on September 9, 2026. Today, enjoy this recent audio extra, originally released for members of the Weird Studies Patr
Aug 26 45 min
Episode 217 – Books, Spirits, and Hysteria, with Asti Hustvedt
Researcher Asti Hustvedt joins Phil and JF to discuss a talk she gave at the Lily Dale Symposium this year entitled "Bibliophantoms." The question: What does it mean to "
Aug 5 1 h 17 min
Episode 216 – Artworks Are People Too
"Now and then, a mysterious life and potency will flicker out of an artwork and confront you." So began "Artworks Are People Too," a talk Phil presented at the Diverse In
Jul 22 1 h 34 min
Special Episode: Make Art!
Owing to circumstances preventing us from releasing a new show this week, we are offering you one from the archives. This episode was originally released on our Patreon i
Jul 8 41 min
Episode 215 – Where No One Can Hear You Scream: On Ridley Scott's 'Alien'
In this episode, JF and Phil discuss Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi/horror blockbuster Alien. Together, they wipe off the patina of familiarity that beclouds the film, restor
Jun 24 1 h 29 min
Episode 214 – Fortune's Fools: On Gordon White's Philosophy of Fortune-Telling
It was with heavy hearts that Phil and JF learned of Gordon White's passing. Gordon was a force to be reckoned with: as an author and podcaster on all things occult, he o
Jun 10 1 h 15 min
Episode 213 – Comics, Surf Rock, and the Weirdness of Time: On Tom Manning's 'Eric'
Tom Manning's 2018 graphic novel Eric is that rarest of gems: the self-published masterpiece. Available only on the author's website, it's the story of a washed-up surf r
May 27 1 h 19 min
Episode 212 – Beyond Music and Back Again: On Glenn Gould
The pianist, composer and sound artist Glenn Gould once wrote: "Art on its loftiest mission is scarcely human at all." What becomes of art and humanity when they are allo
May 13 1 h 24 min
Episode 211 – You've Always Been the Caretaker: On Kubrick's 'The Shining'
In this episode, Phil and JF discuss Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Shining. That they are doing this eight years after starting the podcast is
Apr 29 1 h 27 min
Special Episode: M.C. Richards's "Wrestling with the Daimonic," read by Phil Ford
We regret that we were unable to release a new episode this week. Episode 211 will drop on Wednesday, April 29, and will be devoted to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, a fi
Apr 22 57 min
Episode 210 – Angels & Daimons, with Cristina Campo and M.C. Richards
In this episode, JF and Phil bring together two visionary essays on the daimonic and the imaginal: Cristina Campo’s “On Fairy Tales” and M.C. Richards’s “Wrestling with t
Apr 8 1 h 33 min
Episode 209 – At Home in the Labyrinth, with Murakami and Borges
In this episode, Phil and JF discuss Haruki Murakami’s “Cream,” from First Person Singular, alongside Jorge Luis Borges’s classic tale, “The Garden of Forking Paths.” Tog
Mar 25 1 h 33 min
Episode 208 – Unbridled Creation: On Kenneth Batcheldor's Theory of the Paranormal
Kenneth Batcheldor was a British clinical psychologist who, during the final two decades of his life, investigated the paranormal through direct experiments in table-turn
Mar 11 1 h 19 min
Episode 207 – Magic Mirror: On J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Fellowship of the Ring'
This is the first of three episodes on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to be released in the course of the next several months. Focusing here on The Fellowship of
Feb 25 1 h 32 min
Episode 206 – On Ken Russell's 'Altered States': Live at Indiana University Bloomington
This episode was recorded before a live audience at Indiana University Cinema as part of Weird Academia, a series of events that brought much high strangeness to Blooming
Feb 11 1 h 21 min
Episode 205 – Discipline and Delight: On the Hierophant Card in the Tarot
In this episode of Weird Studies, we turn to the fifth Major Arcanum, the Hierophant, symbolizing tradition, instruction, and the exoteric aspect of spiritual practice. D
For Tolkien, fairy stories are not stories about fairies, but stories that take place in Faerie. And in doing so, they make Faerie present. They are not escapist fantasie
Jan 14 1 h 16 min
Chart trend
Position in the Arts chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#99#196JulAugSepOct
#30
all-time peak
4
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Weird Studies ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 15, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I just finished the Kenneth Batcheldor episode and was amazed by how credulous these hosts are. You could tell how much they wanted to believe in miracles by how they tripped over themselves explaining logical doubts as facets of the theory, even when explanations defy the theory's internal logic.
I still liked the episode because "pockets of indeterminism" is a good title for a punk album and because I like when weirdos rant. But I think too many people fall for men on podcasts reading "published studies" and fail to question the men, the studies, the publication...in fact, whether anything of substance exists behind such a large vocabulary. Essentially I approach this podcast with the same amusement and valid disbelief as I would an evolutionary psychologist or christian scientist.
clam_rockwell_undersea_actor · Mar 2026
I first came to Weird Studies after reading Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. I literally did a search for the book in my podcast app and their episode popped up. Since then, I’ve listened to all book-related episodes, as well as all those on the Tarot. I have not come across anything like this anywhere else…extensive scholarship combined with the Weird, from two very different but informed voices. Absolutely love this!
JendaGo · Feb 2026
I love this podcast, both its choice of topics and the provocative discussions. After David Lynch died, I was hoping Phil and J. F. would pay tribute to him, and they did not disappoint. Please do an episode on Oscar Wilde’s Salome!
Cynthia253 · Feb 2025
Very introspective show on myriad topics. My only critic is how often Phil brings up Wagner… as a student of classical music myself I must say it’s getting tedious to hear every single topic brought back to Wagner. He was a great composer but he certainly wasn’t the only one. This podcast has the opportunity to shed light on many an underserved composer.
nihaonana · Jan 2025
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Weird Studies, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
