Episode 133: Grandmother Trauma

Ghoul on Ghoul

Amanda and Sarah cover sick teens and evil kids for this episode. Sarah goes into mass psychogenic illnesses (MPIs) - aka mass hysteria - and gives a rundown of various outbreaks, including a mysterious 2011 case at a high school in Le Roy, New York. Amanda opens her door to the Black-Eyed Children, a heavy-hitter urban legend where witnesses claim to have encounters with terrifying youths. Other subjects covered include hating ponies, being a perfect evil kid parent, and casting grandma as the villain.

Recommendations:

Sarah recommends the 2018 found footage horror movie The Devil's Doorway. Amanda recommends the indie survival game Overland and the podcast Hollywood Crime Scene.

Sources:

• New York Times Magazine (What Happened to the Girls in Le Roy)
• Today Show (School baffled by 12 girls’ mystery symptoms)
• The Fever by Megan Abbott
• Chicago Tribune (Examining 1962's 'laughter epidemic')
• Wikipedia/List of mass hysteria cases
• NCBI (Mass psychogenic illness and the social network: is it changing the pattern of outbreaks?)
• The Guardian (Black-eyed ghosts and giant mutant rats: the scare stories that nearly destroyed Britain in 2014)
• The Mirror (Black Eyed Child of Cannock Chase: Watch ghostbuster hunt out soul-sucking demon)
• Brian Bethel recounts his possible paranormal encounter with 'BEKs'
• The Lineup (9 Terrifying Encounters with Black-Eyed Children)
• Behind black eyes: Reports of spooky black-eyed kids by Sharon Hill

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