I’d like to think that, as humans, we’re drawn to order. We follow rules, make lists, and organize our lives in a way that suits our needs; we build comfortable containers for ourselves. So, when something bucks against those norms or rules — when something is unexplainable and pushes us out of those safe confines that we’ve built — we’re drawn to it.
This is why, when browsing podcasts the other day, OtherWorld caught my eye. Listed simply as a podcast where people tell real life stories of the paranormal and unexplainable, OtherWorld is a collection of all things unusual, staring the uncanny straight in the face (or lack of).
While OtherWorld is not a new podcast — its first episode went live in October 2022 — it is new to me. Episodes range from the ever-present haunted house story, to the familiar UFO and beastly creature sightings, to unique encounters with garden gnomes. In other words, the perfect podcast for someone looking to dip into the world of the weird.
Before we go any further, I have to admit: while this review is honest, it may be just a little biased. I’m a sucker for all things strange, unusual, and unexplainable. With that being said, I did go into this podcast with an analytical mind.
With a few hours to pass on a Sunday afternoon, I settled in to listen. The first episode I chose — purely for the title — was “Hissing House” (episode 25), where the episode’s guest shares of a time when his wife continually experienced something hissing at her from inside their house. The second episode I listened to was “Honeymoon Phase” (episode 15), about a woman who begins exhibiting eerie behaviour while sleeping at night. The third and final episode I tuned in for was “The Night Hag” (episode 31), where lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis take a dark turn.
The episodes themselves are peculiar and mysterious, yet they’re also engaging; there was never a time during the story itself where I felt my attention wander. At the end of each episode, I was left unsettled — exactly what I’d expect from a podcast like this — but not as though I were missing anything. Each narrative was explored fully and wrapped up as much as it could be.
Jack Wagner, host of OtherWorld, is what I’d describe as no-nonsense. He’s direct and to the point, asking questions that draw out the peculiar details that colour and shape the guests’ narrative. But he also knows when to take a step back, allowing his guests to take centre stage, leaving room for their stories to unfold fully in the space between them.
The one problem I have with this podcast as a whole is that, in some cases, the episodes take a little time before they get started; there’s no real hook at the beginning to draw you in, and you have to fast forward before getting to the story itself. However, this may be more of a commentary on how we experience media these days: everything is lightning quick to accommodate shortening attention spans.
Overall, OtherWorld is not only unsettling and exciting, but, in a strange way, relatable. For who among us hasn’t seen something dart across the room from the corner of our vision or walked a little faster past an ominous, crumbling house, only to feel fingers on our spines as we go. This, too, is part of the human experience: knowing there are things out there that we’ll never be able to explain.
