In the sweltering heat of summer, during July of 1518, the city of Strasbourg was consumed by a plague…just not necessarily the kind you may be thinking of. After a lady named Frau Troffea began to spontaneously dance in the streets, this compulsion to move soon spread throughout the city, and before long hundreds of residents had been swept up by this ‘dancing mania’. Though it sounds idyllic in theory, the reality was very different, and the Strasbourg ‘dancing plague’ soon turned deadly. But what caused this mass display to take hold in the first place? In today’s episode, Chyaz explores the theories that have been presented over the centuries, and offers up a perspective of her own too…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Source Shout Outs

BBC Article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20220512-the-people-who-danced-themselves-to-death

Smithsonian Magazine Article:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-case-dancing-mania-struck-germany-six-centuries-ago-today-180959549/

Academic Paper on The Dancing Plague:

https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3366/drs.2017.0199#fn2

Public Domain Review Essay:

https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-dancing-plague-of-1518/

The Guardian Article:

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/05/bizarre-dance-epidemic-of-summer-1518-strasbourg

Brittanica Article:

https://www.britannica.com/event/dancing-plague-of-1518

British Psychological Society Article:

https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/dancing-plagues-and-mass-hysteria

Nottingham University Article:

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/documents/exhibitions/plantsandprayers/5.-humoral-theory-the-basis-of-medical-thought-for-millenia.pdf

Healthline Website:

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/mass-hysteria#definition

History Extra Article:

https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/the-medieval-dance-of-death/

NLS Article:

https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/scottish-history/how-martin-luther-sparked-the-reformation/

When Norwegian sisters Kari and May begin searching for an apartment in the Swedish locality of Gullspång, they end up opening a door that leads to more than they could have ever bargained for. After meeting the property’s seller, Olaug, the sisters accidentally make a discovery that changes the lives all involved forever. But is all quite what it seems? Thanks to documentary filmmaker Maria Fredriksson, this entire fascinating saga was caught on camera, but even years of footage couldn’t provide the answers to every question in this strange tale. Could the Gullspång Miracle case feature the most twists and turns ever covered on Things Are About To Get Weird?

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Source Shout Outs

The Gullspång Miracle documentary:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001zhyk/storyville-the-gullspang-miracle-a-nordic-mystery

The Guardian Article:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/21/the-gullspang-miracle-review-a-staggering-film-about-love-faith-and-secret-sisters

Maria Fredriksson Interview:

https://moveablefest.com/maria-fredriksson-on-the-surprising-sister-act-of-the-gullspang-miracle/

Slant Magazine Article:

https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-gullspang-miracle-review/

Tyle Article:

https://www.tyla.com/entertainment/tv-and-film/the-gullspang-miracle-documentary-bbc-reviews-150689-20240521

Hollywood Reporter Article:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-gullspang-miracle-review-1235506797/

The Mandela Effect is something many of us will have experienced at some point; this bizarre phenomenon, whereby large groups of people share the same false memories of a historical event, visual detail or pop culture fact, is surprisingly common. But why does it happen? Do the answer lie within the realms of science, or somewhere more otherworldly? Chyaz explores both the strangest examples and the most compelling theories associated with the Mandela Effect in this fascinating episode…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

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Source Shout Outs

University of Chicago Study:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36219739/

University of Chicago Study Article:

https://socialsciences.uchicago.edu/news/new-research-shows-consistency-what-we-misremember

Psychology Today Article:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/talking-apes/202211/testing-the-visual-mandela-effect

Britannica Piece:

https://www.britannica.com/science/Mandela-effect

Independent Article:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mandela-effect-false-memories-explain-science-time-travel-parallel-universe-matrix-a8206746.html

Medical News Today Article:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mandela-effect#what-is-it

Fiona Broome’s Website:

https://mandelaeffectsite.wordpress.com/about-2/

YouGov Article:

https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/52344-measuring-the-mandela-effect-how-many-britons-share-false-memories

Mandela Effect Sub-Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MandelaEffect/

Snopes Articles:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/monopoly-monocle-uncle-pennybags/

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cornucopia-fruit-of-the-loom/

Simply Psychology Article:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-schema.html

Big Think Article:

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/quantum-mechanics-mandela-effect/

After 21 year old Heather Quan was found murdered at an address in Phoenix, Arizona, police began an interrogation of her boyfriend – 18 year old Ryan Waller – to try and uncover the truth about what happened to her. What transpired next added truly bizarre dimension to this tragic tale, and provoked a debate that continues almost 20 years on. This story is as genuinely shocking as it is heartbreaking…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

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Source Shout Outs

Crime & Investigation Article:

https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/articles/4-times-police-interrogations-have-gone-drastically-wrong

Maricopa County Press Release:

https://maricopacountyattorney.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/185

Ryan Waller’s Interrogation Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI8G0KOOtqk

The Mirror Article:

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/arizona-couple-murder-father-son-965426

Arizona Daily Independent Article:

https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2012/12/15/heathers-law-guilty/

Arizona Department of Corrections Notice:

https://corrections.az.gov/news/inmate-death-notification-larry-carver

Arizona Court of Appeals Document:

https://law.justia.com/cases/arizona/court-of-appeals-division-one-unpublished/2013/1-ca-cr-08-0781.html

Listverse Article:

https://listverse.com/2022/07/30/ten-real-life-plot-twists-in-criminal-cases/

Ryan’s Memorial Page:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228526929/ryan_thomas-waller

Heather’s Obituary Page:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/azcentral/name/heather-quan-obituary?id=25743260

Vocal Article:

https://vocal.media/criminal/ryan-waller-s-story-the-man-who-was-interviewed-for-six-hours-with-bullets-in-his-brain

Weird True Crime Podcast Episodes:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2S8YkVVyuJTEY8PIxTLUJg

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gLgvcrwsBvZxhRv3RsKbs

What does the word Doppelgänger make you think of? The paranormal phenomenon, with its folklore roots and links to the idea of a ‘spirit double’ signifying impending doom? Or the more modern usage – the idea that we all have a non-biological twin somewhere out there in the world? Whichever it may be, the stories behind the concept of the Doppelgänger are as fascinating as they are eerie…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

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Source Shout Outs

BBC Articles:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20160712-you-are-surprisingly-likely-to-have-a-living-doppelganger

https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20241203-doppelgangers-and-the-ancient-origins-of-the-lookalike-craze

The Guardian Articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/jun/11/twice-in-a-lifetime-would-you-dare-meet-your-doppelganger-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/30/doppelganger-murder-ingolstadt-german-prosecutors-allege-woman-killed-lookalike-to-fake-death

Emerald Isle Article:

https://emeraldisle.ie/the-fetch

Atlas Obscura Article:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/history-doppelganger

Freud’s ‘The Uncanny’:

https://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/freud1.pdf

Poe’s ‘William Wilson’:

https://poestories.com/read/williamwilson

Wordsworth Org Article:

https://wordsworth.org.uk/blog/2014/07/08/full-fathom-five-the-poet-lies-the-death-of-percy-bysshe-shelley/

Haunted Britain Article:

https://www.haunted-britain.com/eaton-place.htm

Business Insider Article:

https://www.businessinsider.com/doppelgaenger-study-these-people-who-look-alike-share-dna-2022-9

Research Paper:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3032659/

Yahoo News Article:

https://au.news.yahoo.com/german-woman-convicted-murdering-her-124903843.html

Can a movie really be cursed? From classic horror flicks like The Omen and supernatural pictures like The Crow to family favourites including The Wizard of Oz - dozens of productions have been afflicted by exceptional bad luck and strange happenings over the decades. But were these films really ‘cursed’, or are the bizarre (and sometimes tragic) events linked to them merely coincidences?

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠

Where to find us!

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Source Shout Outs

Metro Article:

https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/13/13-cursed-horror-films-tragic-set-deaths-mysterious-haunted-props-23406731/

Independent Article:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/cursed-films-urban-legends-b1910460.html

Entertainment Weekly Article:

https://archive.org/details/1993-04-16-entertainment-weekly-blood-on-the-set-brandon-lee-b/page/n19/mode/2up

Esquire Article:

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a27458589/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-leonardo-dicaprio-brad-pitt-quentin-tarantino-interview/

Screensphere Article:

https://screensphere.co.uk/news/7-cursed-movies-like-1994s-the-crow/

Grunge Article:

https://www.grunge.com/1644499/the-crow-movie-curse-explained/

Looper Article:

https://www.looper.com/10917/movies-predicted-real-life-deaths/

Syfy Article:

https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/was-the-exorcist-set-really-cursed-and-haunted

Mirror Article:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/most-cursed-films-time-exorcist-24654402

AllThatsInteresting Article:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/george-reeves-death

Time Article:

https://time.com/5647491/wizard-of-oz-curse/