DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? (Blackcraft Cult)

Growing up in a small Pennsylvania town with fewer than 800 residents, Bobby and Jake never realized their sleepy hometown harbored dark secrets—until they started driving down a winding gravel lane called "Shades of Death Road." 

The narrow road earned its macabre name after a deadly 1922 coal miners' riot where 13 men were killed, including the local sheriff. Their bodies were unceremoniously dumped along the roadside and buried without headstones, creating fertile ground for local legends. Most famous among them: the Woman in White, a bride who was hanged from an overhanging tree by her husband after he caught her with another man.

What started as teenage thrill-seeking, driving down the haunted road late at night, turns into something entirely unexpected decades later when Bobby and Jake return to film during a lightning storm. The footage they capture on two separate phones shows what appears to be a mysterious white figure moving near the old cemetery—exactly where locals claim to see the Woman in White.

Paranormal experts David Childers (with 27 years of experience) and medium Alura join to analyze the compelling footage. Despite Jake's determined skepticism, the evidence challenges his rational explanations and opens the door to fascinating discussions about different types of spirit manifestations and how ghosts interact with our physical world.

This episode sets the stage for an incredible journey as childhood best friends—one a believer, one a skeptic—launch into exploring haunted locations across America. With plans to visit Salem's most haunted sites, abandoned prisons, and countless other paranormal hotspots, Bobby and Jake invite you to decide for yourself: Do You Believe in Ghosts?

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What happens when you blend Salem's dark history with modern ghost hunting technology? A night of unexpected revelations at the historic Merchants National Bank, now home to Black Craft's Salem flagship store.

Salem's reputation extends far beyond the infamous witch trials of 1692-1693 that claimed 19 lives through a frenzy of religious fanaticism and unfounded accusations. The city carries centuries of spiritual energy, with Essex Street particularly known for paranormal activity following the devastating Great Salem Fire of 1914.

When we invited professional ghost hunters David and Alaura, with over 40 combined years of experience, to investigate our Salem location following a 666 Club murder mystery dinner, none of us anticipated the level of activity we'd encounter. Within minutes of setting up specialized equipment including a Jacob's Ladder to energize the space, unmistakable responses began coming through.

Most compelling was the direct connection to Salem's witch trial history when our equipment captured the name "Bishop" – significant because Bridget Bishop was the first person executed during the trials. The entity demonstrated intelligent interaction by counting in sequence when prompted and even identifying one team member by their uncommon last name. Near the bank vault, multiple witnesses have reported hearing whispered questions from unseen presences.

The investigation revealed distinct energy differences between the welcoming presence upstairs and the heavier, more oppressive feeling in the basement that caused physical sensations of chest pressure that immediately disappeared upon leaving the space. David and Alaura rated the location 9/10 for paranormal activity based on the quantity and quality of interactions during their relatively brief investigation.

Whether you're a believer or skeptic, the evidence gathered during our night at Black Craft Salem raises fascinating questions about what energies might linger in historic buildings. Join us as we explore the unexplained and decide for yourself what might be dwelling in Salem's shadows.

Ready to explore more haunted locations? Subscribe now and follow our paranormal journey as we uncover the stories behind America's most mysterious places. Next episode, we're sitting down with Josh Balz to discuss his haunted theater and extraordinary collection of the strange and unusual.

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The boundaries between the living and the dead blur in this riveting conversation with death collector and entrepreneur Josh Balz, who shares the chilling history of his century-old Ritz Theater in Scranton, Pennsylvania. From the moment construction began in 1906, tragedy marked this historic venue when a worker was crushed by falling steel. Over decades, performers like Harry Houdini, Lucille Ball, and George Burns graced its stage—but some spirits never left the spotlight.

Josh recounts spine-tingling phenomena experienced by staff and visitors: the phantom projectionist who died of a heart attack and still operates his equipment, the mysterious little girl in white whose identity remains unknown, and the inexplicable sounds of metal stage rigging moving within solid brick walls. Most compelling is his theory that buildings choose their owners, not the other way around, as both his haunted home and theater came to him through strange twists of fate.

The conversation delves deeper into Josh's fascinating relationship with death. Despite owning human remains, vintage medical specimens, and a bed made from a casket, he maintains certain boundaries—refusing to mess with Ouija boards or attend séances out of respect for the dead. His philosophy reveals a delicate balance: honoring those who've passed while living among their artifacts and possibly their spirits.

Bobby and Jake explore the unseen energies that might attach to objects, buildings, and people, asking whether collecting pieces of death means inadvertently collecting pieces of restless souls as well. As the episode concludes, plans emerge for a special ghost hunting event at the Ritz, inviting listeners to experience its paranormal activity firsthand. Subscribe now and join us in uncovering the supernatural stories hiding in plain sight.

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Welcome to our 4th EPISODE of the DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOST? Podcast with your hosts Bobby Blackcraft & Jake Simons.

We discuss our flagship store PENNHURST ASYLUM. We discuss the horrific history of this notorious Asylum and how it became known as one of the most devasating crimes against humanity against its attending patients. We also have David and Alaura on the episode telling us what their paranormal experience was like as they stayed at this location over night!

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COMMENT if you believe the happenings that took place in the Merchant National Bank may be connecting this very famous family???

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