By Tim Binnall
A sensational UFO case out of Canada, Sylvia Plath and the occult, and the Challenger space shuttle disaster were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about a Chilean senator who believes he was abducted by aliens, an eerily accurate psychic enlisted to help find a missing woman, and possible photos of the long-lost Tasmanian Tiger. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
The occult influences that informed the work of Sylvia Plath were explored on Monday night's program as author Julia Gordon-Bramer discussed this often-overlooked aspect of the famed poet and novelist's life. She explained that the writer and her husband, Ted Hughes, were deeply interested in the ancient form of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah. Additionally, she revealed, Plath practiced various other occult practices such as Tarot, crystal-gazing, and even attempts at spirit communication by way of a Ouija Board. To that end, during her appearance, Gordon-Bramer noted numerous instances wherein the famed novelist referenced these unique interests in her work.
A pair of stories wherein the worlds of politics and high strangeness crossed paths in particularly weird ways wound up in the news this past week. First, in Chile, a senator sparked headlines with the claim that he was abducted by aliens. Karim Bianchi stunned a media outlet with his account of seeing a UFO and then being transported over 100 miles away in what seemed to be mere seconds. Making his story even odder, the senator asserted that he was later visited at his office by a self-described extraterrestrial who told him that he would someday reveal the tale to the world. Later in the week, the Chief of Staff for the Culture Ministry of Slovakia raised eyebrows in his country when he mused to a reporter that the Earth may be flat.
A remarkable UFO case that unfolded in Canada back in 1960 was detailed on Saturday night's program by researcher Chris Styles, who uncovered the curious event during his investigation into the legendary Shag Harbour Incident. He recounted how the jaw-dropping event occurred in the same general vicinity, only seven years earlier, and involved an underwater mine-sweeping exercise that stumbled upon a pair of USOs. Upon discovering the unusual craft, Syles said, divers were deployed to examine the oddities and actually observed extraterrestrial beings inside the craft. While an American officer aboard the ship insisted that it was a Russian submarine, he recalled, the Canadian sailors insisted that the submerged UFOs were not of this world.
This past week featured two stories involving sets of tantalizing photographs purportedly showing wondrous creatures. The first case emerged out of Sri Lanka, where a series of images said to feature a bizarre animal dubbed the 'Chikibilla' went viral on social media. Officials at the national park where the creepy creature, which resembled a chupacabra, was purportedly spotted indicated that no such sightings had occurred and that the images of the cryptid were a fabrication. Later in the week, debate swirled within the cryptozoological community when several photos seemingly showing the long-long Tasmanian Tiger surfaced online. For now, the veracity of those images remains uncertain, though some believe the creature could genuinely be the declared extinct thylacine.
The Challenger space shuttle disaster was revisited on Thursday night's show by author Adam Higginbotham, who talked about his research into the 1986 tragedy. Likening the event to 9/11 or the JFK assassination in how people remember where they were when it occurred, he reflected on how it changed the public perception of space exploration and resulted in significant changes to NASA's objectives. Higginbotham also discussed the diversity of the Challenger crew as well as how a pair of engineers raised concerns about the forthcoming launch, yet their words of warning ultimately went ignored.
Perhaps the most remarkable story of the week came by way of Louisiana, where a family credited a psychic with leading them to the remains of their missing mother. Following Theresa Jones' disappearance, her daughters were desperate for answers and turned to medium Carolyn Clapper in the hopes that she could provide them. Although the psychic sadly informed them that their mother had passed away, she was amazingly able to provide them with specific instructions as to where her remains would be found. Following the eerie lead the next day, one of Jones' daughters quickly discovered her body. The family is now hoping that police will consult with the psychic to get to the bottom of what they believe to be her suspicious death.
Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last seven years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.