Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"The thing that the speech therapist couldn't figure out was how Janet was doing it without getting a sore throat." — Ben Kissel
"But the thing was, doing that voice for hours at a time, which Janet was sometimes known to do, would have left anyone's throat rot, especially the throat of a 12-year-old girl." — Mark Asparcus
"The definition of a humorous name. A play fair said that he was happy to host the magician just so long as he didn't tell the girls he was a magician." — Henry Zebrowski
This episode continues the deep dive into the Enfield Poltergeist case, focusing on the escalating phenomena experienced by the Hodgson family. The narrative highlights a series of increasingly bizarre events, including the emergence of a distinct voice claiming to be "Bill" and then "Joe Watson," a man who allegedly died in the house. Investigations by members of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), such as Guy Playfair and Maurice Gross, involved attempts to communicate with the entity, including hypnotizing Janet. A key point of contention arose when Janet, under hypnosis, suggested she and her sister were to blame, though context suggests an increase in unhappiness rather than direct causation. The episode also details the involvement of a magician, Mill Borin Christopher, who offered his services but found the case inconclusive, with conflicting accounts of his experience. Further developments included the entity bending spoons, a phenomenon often associated with psychic abilities, and the appearance of whistling noises that purportedly evolved into the disembodied voice. The investigations explored the possibility of ventriloquism, but the vocalizations' origin and duration, especially without vocal strain, remained a significant puzzle. The narrative also touches upon alleged physical attacks, including curtains wrapping around Janet's neck, and the disturbing introduction of feces into the environment. Finally, the episode discusses the intervention of various mediums and investigators, the family's eventual decision to send Janet away, and the eventual tapering off of the poltergeist activity, leaving many questions unanswered.
The Enfield Poltergeist case, as explored in this episode, progresses through a series of complex and often disturbing events. Initial poltergeist activity involving object manipulation and physical disturbances evolved into sophisticated vocal phenomena, with a distinct voice communicating and interacting with investigators. The investigation saw the involvement of numerous individuals, from paranormal researchers and scientists to a magician and mediums, each attempting to unravel the mystery. The episode emphasizes the psychological strain on Janet, the central figure, and her family, as they endured months of alleged paranormal activity. Debates surrounding the case often centered on whether the phenomena were genuine supernatural occurrences or elaborate hoaxes, with investigators often divided.
The latter half of the episode details the continued, and in some instances, more extreme, manifestations. The emergence of explicit vocalizations, including profanity, and the perplexing physical occurrences like objects moving on their own and bodily fluids appearing, pushed the boundaries of typical paranormal accounts. The involvement of a ventriloquist was explored, aiming to debunk the vocal aspects, but the origin of the voice, particularly its supposed source from the back of Janet's neck, remained a point of debate. The episode concludes by touching upon the final stages of the haunting, the family's efforts to cope, and the eventual cessation of the phenomena, leaving the audience to ponder the multifaceted nature of the Enfield Poltergeist.