Wendy Garrett has spent much of her life on the edge of the unexplained. A spiritually transformative experience in 1997 opened her to a reality that most of us only glimpse, and she has been talking to the people who live in that space ever since. Her first Empower show, Conscious Living, gathered authors, investigators, psychics and everyday experiencers who’ve encountered the unexplained up close. Her new podcast, Wendy’s Coffeehouse Curious, carries that spirit forward with the same unhurried, curious conversations.
For spooky season, we’ve pulled together some of the best haunted episodes from both shows: poltergeists, haunted hotels, ghost photography, a haunted doll with a mind of its own, and a ghost who leaves notes on Polaroids. Pick one for tonight, then join us for Empower Radio’s special Halloween Paranormal broadcast, October 29–31, to hear these episodes and more.
From Wendy’s Coffeehouse Curious
The Ghost Who Writes on Polaroids – John Huckert
A spirit who calls himself “Wright” has left messages, many in Latin, on more than 12,000 Polaroid photos. John Huckert, who lives in the house, talks about shadow people, phantom hugs, a dog that seemed to confirm a psychic’s warning about a body buried on the property, and signs of a possible portal. It’s one of the most-listened-to interviews in the archive.
Living with Haunted Dolls: Fiona Dodwell and Knock Knock Harry
“Think of it like living with a roommate who doesn’t always use the same dimension.” While researching her book A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls, author Fiona Dodwell adopted one of her subjects: a doll named Knock Knock Harry. He only gets a brief mention in the book. He had no intention of staying in the background.
24/7 Ghost Cams: Willard Library – Stacie Dotson
At Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana, the ghosts never check out, and one reportedly followed a librarian home. Stacie Dotson, the library’s resident ghost authority, shares the story of its famous Grey Lady and the round-the-clock ghost cams that let anyone keep watch.
Weston Missouri Ghosts – Haunts and History with Verna Kowertz
Verna Kowertz is the keeper of Weston’s ghost tales, gathered from locals, shopkeepers and visitors who’ve had their own run-ins, and the file keeps growing. Highlights include resident spirits at haunted hotels and B&Bs, Luna the ghost dog walking down Main Street, and a game of haunted phone tag during an overnight stay in a haunted store.
Dark Ozarks: Hauntings, Folklore, Legends and Mysteries – Lisa Martin
The Ozarks are thick with the strange: hauntings, UFOs, Sasquatch, folklore and unsolved mysteries. Attorney Lisa Martin, who co-hosts Dark Ozarks with journalist Joshua Heston, joins Wendy to talk regional legends and her own personal encounters.
Paranormal True Stories – Michael Peter Langevin
Michael Peter Langevin sits down with Wendy to trade true paranormal stories, the kind that make you glance over your shoulder on the way to bed.
From Conscious Living
The Haunted House Diaries with William J. Hall
Tucked away in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills sits a 1790 farmhouse so active that famed investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren nicknamed it “Ghost Central.” Author William J. Hall, a former professional magician who knows a trick when he sees one, shares the story behind his book, drawn from five decades of a resident’s diary of uncanny events.
Paranormal Tales from the Campfire with Jim Harold
Few people have heard more true ghost stories than Jim Harold, the podcasting pioneer behind Jim Harold’s Campfire, where everyday people share their brushes with the supernatural. Pull up a log as Wendy and Jim swap tales and talk about why real encounters can be more chilling than fiction.
Haunted House History: Garnett House Hotel Restoration with Rob Garcia
History is the foundation; the hauntings are a bonus. Rob Garcia of Elite Paranormal has been investigating Kansas City–area hauntings since 2007, and he’s now restoring the 1858 Garnett House Hotel in Garnett, Kansas, the town’s only surviving antebellum building, where Houdini once performed and spent the night. Guests report EVPs, unexplained bangs, and more.
Breakthrough Ghost Photography with Tim Scullion
Photographer and author Tim Scullion has taken tens of thousands of photos in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, one of America’s most haunted historic towns, in pursuit of what he believes are images of its spectral residents. He shares how he works and what his camera has captured.
Tales of a Haunted Skeptic with Lura Ketchledge
A riding accident and a near-death experience changed everything for author Lura Ketchledge. Today she lives on a horse farm that multiple paranormal teams have investigated, and her story was featured on TV’s My Ghost Story. Hear how a skeptic came to share her home with the unseen.
Ghost Helpers with Tina Erwin and Laura Van Tyne
Tina returns with her co-host Laura Van Tyne to blend spirituality, science and psychology into a practical look at the afterlife: why some souls linger, what they want, and how compassion, not fear, can help them move on.
Paranormal Stories with Wendy Garrett
The host takes the mic for this one. Wendy shares her own collection of paranormal stories, from encounters that started after her 1997 awakening to the strange happenings she still lives with today.
The Bridgeport Poltergeist Will Make You a Believer with William J. Hall
In 1974, a small bungalow on Lindley Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, became a national news story as furniture moved, objects flew, and police officers and priests witnessed things they couldn’t explain. Hall, who watched the coverage as a ten-year-old, returns to unpack one of the best-documented poltergeist cases on record.
Ghosts and Ghost Stories with Tina Erwin
Tina Erwin, a retired U.S. Navy commander and author, calls herself a ghost helper rather than a ghost hunter. Her mission is teaching the living how to help the dead cross over, and her stories, told from the ghosts’ point of view, are as moving as they are eerie.
Living with Ghosts and the Unexplained Paranormal with Wendy Garrett
What is it actually like to live with the unexplained, day in and day out? Wendy gets personal about sharing her space with forces she can’t see, including the “interactive nightlights” that have become part of her daily life.
Tune In This Halloween Weekend
Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in the comfortable middle, these conversations are made for the season, and there’s plenty more where they came from. From Thursday, October 29 through Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, Empower Radio is airing a special Halloween Paranormal broadcast featuring these episodes and more. Listen live at www.empoweradio.com, or find and save us on myTuner, TuneIn Radio, and the Stream 419 app. Between broadcasts, follow Conscious Living and Wendy’s Coffeehouse Curious on Spotify, and if one of these stories gives you chills, share it with a friend who loves a good ghost story.
Happy haunting from all of us at The Empower Channel. 👻