The Secret Sun Radio Mystery Hour: Hidden Experiences

I have a terrible confession to make-- I'm a writer. I'm always stuck inside my head, chasing reveries and obscure connections hither and yon, running down side-streets in my mind. So mastering the podcast format is a challenge for me. I had the same problem when I was interviewing- when I was warmed up and got in the rhythm, I was on fire.

When I wasn't, and it had been a while since I'd had to hold forth for a couple hours, well, ever get a nasty, out-of-the-blue email from David Biedny telling you what a shitty interviewee you are? Not fun.

So when I decided to dip my toe in the podcast wading pool I knew what I had to do; find the most reliable talkers I know, gold star gabbers who could read an old COBOL manual or a Michael Shermer column and make it sound interesting (see Kripal, Jeff and Weston, Paul).

Mike Clelland is one of those; a fascinating podcaster himself, a man whose humility, honesty and pleasantly disarming radio-ready voice are money in the bank.

So when I start lapsing back into writer mode and start staring off into the distance, chasing down newer and more esoteric connections in my head while the tapes are rolling, Mike's right there to keep things humming along. Luckily those moments are few and far between. And we dig into some weird corners of the phenomenon, plugging the ECH into the equation rather than the usual narrative of interstellar hybrids and the rest.

In the first Radio Mystery Hour, I revealed to Jeff how I hadn't thought seriously ("in the first person" was the way I put it) about UFOs for a decade until I attended the Superpowers conference, mostly because I'd hit the same brick wall that everyone else who takes the extraterrestrial expressway eventually runs into.

But even back in my 90s UFO glory days I didn't pay much attention to abduction reports. I'd read Communion back when everyone else did, and read some Hopkins material, but for a guy who lived and breathed The X-Files, you figure I'd be a little more interested in the topic. I wasn't. I basically wrote it off as the compensatory fantasy of childhood sexual abuse victims, even though I realize the Skeptic/New Atheist cabal believes the phenomenon of childhood sexual abuse itself is nothing but a fantasy.

So when Mike started emailing me back in 2008 or so, I thought "Oh great, now the abduction loons are on my case." That thought evaporated almost immediately. I've met a lot of people involved in all sorts of High Weirdness but few as immediately impressive as Mike. If you're not familiar with his work, you'll see what I mean a minute or two into the show.

It was because of Mike I began to look more seriously into abduction and contact reports, not necessarily as physical events but as part of an overarching history of psychotronic (and yes, psychedelic) contact that dates back at least to the Mystery Religions, and probably further still.

Mike's contributions have given me new insight into 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as many other topics we've looked at. So even if I don't explore the phenomenon specifically as Mike often does, it's been a vitally important part of the jigsaw puzzle that's helped this blog develop (and grow in popularity, as well).

So dig in and enjoy, even if you're skeptical about the phenomenon. Hell, especially if you're skeptical about it. And then bookmark Mike's Hidden Experience blog and don't miss a single episode of his podcast.

Mike's a born pro and it's long past time that one of the alt-radio networks pick this guy up for a show.

Here's the 4Share link- quick, easy, free membership required. Totally worth it, take my word for it.

One-click download from Mike's server- much less reliable, but no registration

Note: Since this podcast ran over, I wasn't able to use any music. To the musicians who've contacted me, I'll be in touch for future installments. Just remember I need wallpaper- no beats, no vocals, no intrusive polyrhythms.