Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf – Details, episodes & analysis

"Miracles may potentially occur when large crowds of people who share a similar worldview come together. Their combined faith and emotion may somehow become linked to the world around them. Miracles may be the result." –Miracles by D. Scott Rogo


In the final episode of Season 1, journey with Richard as he navigates the tumultuous landscape of his career and personal life, all while finding solace and purpose in the pages of both of his Miracles. As Richard grapples with the ups and downs of life, including the slow opening of The Mothman Prophecies and the heartache of divorce, Miracles emerges as his creative sanctuary.

But just when it seems like Miracles might be the answer to his prayers, Richard faces a devastating blow when execs seemingly reject the pilot, leaving him reeling. What will be the fate of Miracles?

This episode serves as a culmination of themes explored throughout our season – the power of belief, the comfort of books, and the ability to turn to creativity amidst personal turmoil. Through Richard's journey, we're reminded of the tension between being a believer and skeptic in our own lives and the strength found in embracing the unknown.

Join Richard as he shares the highs and lows of his journey, from the depths of despair to the heights of hope, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, miracles can still happen. Tune in now for the part 3 of 3 of the Miracles series.

“The exact same phenomenon can be investigated very differently depending on whether the investigator is a clergyman -- or a parapsychologist.” –Miracles by D. Scott Rogo

By September 13th, 2001 the world was changing hourly. Richard gets a call that the execs at Touchstone want to "re-approach" the original outline that he had toiled over for weeks. This is the kind of news that could undo a writer. But, the world was changing. Why shouldn't Miracles?

And it is in this moment, dear listener, where Richard finally remembers his unwanted book, Miracles by D. Scott Rogo. Although he had never read a word of it, now he was hungry for some inspiration to help him get through the rewrite. He learns that Rogo's approach in the book was to examine various infamous paranormal cases from levitation to bilocation, as a parapsychologist and not a priest.

As Richard was skimming (and let's be honest skipping) through the pages he realized that the disconnect he felt to the religion-heavy content was a solution to the problem he was having in the pilot. What if instead of a believer and a skeptic, of things being at odds...we had two believers. The same phenomenon is investigated differently depending on the investigator. This opened up endless opportunities for Miracles, from UFOs to haunted houses. All the things Richard loves. All the things we've explored this season.

As Richard navigates the rewrite, he confronts his work against the backdrop of genuine fear and a life boiling over with change. Join him on a journey through uncertainty, discovery, and the quest for understanding in this gripping Part 2 of 3 of the Miracle Series.

“Go inside the mind of one of television and movies’ wildest storytellers…”  Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf is a podcast that feels like discovering a secret diary.  Every episode unravels the mysteries of a book from Richard's bookshelf and a story from Richard’s life, weaving together the excitement of the supernatural and the warmth of personal storytelling.

“It is my hope to show in this book that the evidence authenticating the existence of miracles is indeed so strong that its collective falsehood would be, quite literally, miraculous." –Miracles by D. Scott Rogo

All book people know this to be true: sometimes you find the book; sometimes the book finds you. And sometimes the book that you wanted to find got sold to someone in Delaware. The book that Richard Hatem found was Miracles by D. Scott Rogo. But the book Richard was actually looking for was Phone Calls From The Dead ” by D. Scott Rogo & Raymond Bayless. Right author, wrong title, and the bookstore (all the way in Dela-WHERE) had already sold the hard-to-find title.
This mishap felt like another unlucky blow in a continual, mortal kombat-level series of unlucky blows. But, Richard didn’t want to read it. Even when another Miracle came his way–this one a job offer to rewrite a movie script, Miracles, into a TV show. As the book version of Miracles lays forgotten somewhere in his house, he hurriedly tries to make the script he was given work for television. To be something that execs will love, will help his family, and maybe solidify his career.

In Part 1 of 3 of the Miracles series, Richard reflects on the curious twists of fate that led him to these kismet encounters with "Miracles," reminding us all that sometimes, the universe has a way of guiding us to exactly where we need to be.

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts for the next episode. Learn more about the stories, books, music, and more featured in this episode at https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/

“I decide to do some investigating of my own. I don’t know it yet, but I’m about to begin one of the most complex investigations of my career.” –The Amityville Horror Conspiracy by Stephen Kaplan and Roxanne Salch Kaplan

Can you imagine if Richard Hatem wrote the remake of the Amityville Horror? Well, stop imagining it now because it would have deeply offended Stephen Kaplan, the co-author of one of Richard Hatem’s favorite books of ALL time: The Amityville Horror Conspiracy by Stephen Kaplan and Roxanne Salch Kaplan. 

In 2004, Richard's agent pitched him an Amityville Horror remake. But here's the twist: Richard's not exactly jumping at the opportunity. He's still reeling from the cancellation of his show "Miracles," but he takes his agent’s reading list anyway because he is Richard Hatem, after all. One of the books he reads while in between shows is The Amityville Horror Conspiracy. If you’ve listened to the rest of season 1 so far, you may be confused as to why one of Richard’s favorite books is about debunking. And, while the book may be a masterclass on debunking, it’s also beautifully human, achingly real, and absolutely heart-breaking. Kaplan believes in ghosts but can’t stomach the hoax that he believes Amityville to be.

Join Richard as he navigates the choppy waters of Hollywood, from the heartache of canceled projects to the challenges of carving out his niche in someone else's production. In this episode of Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf, truth is stranger than fiction...and Hollywood is stranger than them both. 

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts for the next episode. Learn more about the stories, books, music, and more featured in this episode at https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/ 

"The tragic history of 112 Ocean Avenue didn't matter to George, Kathy, or their three children. This was still the home they had always wanted." –The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

You’ve probably heard of Love in the Time of Cholera…but what about love in the time of The Amityville Horror? In this episode, we're packing our lunch boxes and heading to Brightwood Elementary School in 1978. Join Richard as he devours his favorite Christmas present yet, The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, while a girl named Kim devours all his time.

As Richard reads and re-reads the Lutz family's ordeal, he feels intimately connected to their struggles. George's brooding demeanor, Kathy's escalating fear, and the children's confusion resonate with Richard, who identifies with their sense of impending doom. Because, well, he’s in love.

Experience Richard's journey through young love, loss, confusion, and the eerie allure of "The Amityville Horror". By the end of it, maybe you'll agree that falling in love and living in a haunted house are pretty similar.

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts for the next episode. Learn more about the stories, books, music, and more featured in this episode at https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/ 

"At first, he couldn't believe what was happening. A shape was beginning to form. He could clearly see the head and face of a man. O'Neil was gripped in fear. 'My God, who are you?' Bill said. He was more than surprised when the figure answered: 'They call me Doc Nick'." – from The Ghost of 29 Megacycles by John G. Fuller.

Close your eyes and picture this: it's the winter of 1984. Karma Chameleon is on the radio, Ronald Reagan just announced his candidacy for a second presidential term, and a young Richard was returning home late on a Saturday night when his brother, John, caught him in the hallway and made him listen to the scariest thing they'd ever heard.

In this episode, Richard explores The Ghost of 29 Megacycles by John G. Fuller. This book chronicles the development and use of the Spiricom device, an invention claiming to facilitate two-way communication between the living and the dead. As Richard immerses himself in the pages of The Ghost of 29 Megacycles, which he found in 1997, he can’t help but see himself reflected in the pages. You see, he was holed up in the Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon, working on The Mothman Prophecies. Through Meek's unwavering belief in the impossible, Richard finds inspiration to embrace his own sense of limitless belief, propelling him to finish the screenplay and truly bet on himself.

Join Richard as he uncovers the mysteries of the Spiricom and reflects on the power of belief, in both yourself…and the paranormal. 

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts for the next episode. Learn more about the stories, books, music, and more featured in this episode at https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/ 

“Someone else knew about the circles! My breath jammed in my throat, and in a storm of terror I hurled the book across the room and fled from the house, too frightened to even say goodbye.”  – Dancing Past the Dark by Nancy Evans Bush

Look, no one wants to think about dying, but it’s inevitable, right? So if we can’t talk about it, maybe reading a book about it will be better. Enter: Dancing Past the Dark by Nancy Evans Bush, a book about Near Death Experiences (NDEs). This book serves as a catalyst for profound introspection and existential dread of the eternal question–what happens? And, let’s just say the first read-through of this text was so utterly demoralizing that Richard put the book down. Seriously. Initially disheartened by the unsettling revelations about life and near-death presented in the book, Richard can’t continue reading it. As he picks up and puts the book back down over the years, he grapples with the ebbs and flows of creative endeavors, celebrating the wins while feeling a tension with the unknown ahead. As the inevitability of his aging father's death looms closer, he thinks about NDEs again, compelled to confront the profound questions unearthed by Bush. And, when he finally finishes the book, well, he’s come to a much different conclusion. How? Well, you’ll have to listen to find out. Join us as we navigate the complexities of belief and disbelief, life and death, creativity and constraint, as Richard finally finishes the book he put down so many times.

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts for the next episode. Learn more about the stories, books, music, and more featured in this episode at https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/

Richard delves into challenging misconceptions held by both skeptics and believers through the lens of Jule Eisenbud's "The World of Ted Serios," which underscores the significance of caution in scientific inquiry while also exploring the debilitating doubt often encountered in paranormal exploration.

“Certainly an attitude of caution and skepticism should be expected of anyone undertaking to test a hypothesis according to conventional cannons of scientific inquiry. But not the kind of gnawing, festering doubt that took possession of me." –The World of Ted Serios by Jule Eisenbud

In this episode of Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf, we’re exploring The World of Ted Serios by Jule Eisenbud. And we’re taking on one of the longest-standing feuds in the world of paranormal exploration: skeptics vs. believers.

In the 1960s, Theodore Judd Serios, a Chicago bellhop, gained fame for producing "thoughtographs.” Ted, it seems,  could think images onto film. Polaroid film to be exact. Parapsychologist Jule Eisenbud arranges to meet with him, and over the next three years of wild experiments, Jule goes down a rabbit hole from which he never completely emerged.

As Richard immerses himself in Eisenbud's narrative, he grapples with the dichotomy between skeptics and believers, challenging misconceptions that often plague serious paranormal inquiry. Through insightful commentary, Richard sheds light on the rational pursuit of knowledge among individuals intrigued by the unexplained, contrasting it with the hasty conclusions drawn by both skeptics and true believers. 

Richard reflects on his complicated courtship with his wife Susan Lambert, while taking us on guided tour through Farah Yurdozu's book of David Huggin's eerie paintings: Love In An Alien Purgatory.

“Crescent’s night visits became a routine part of David’s life. She would visit him twice or three times a week. What David experienced with Crescent was much more than a “normal” sex dream. But he still didn’t know whether Crescent was a dream – or a real woman.”  – Love In An Alien Purgatory by Farah Yurdozu.”

Join us for a journey through space, love, and Santa Barbara in this episode of Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf.  In this episode, Richard explores the complexities of relationships and the fear, joy, wonder, and confusion of commitment as he shares his personal reflections on love, marriage, and aliens. 

Love in an Alien Purgatory – The Life and Fantastic Art of David Huggins by Farah Yurdozu explores David Huggins and his relationship with Crescent, his alien lover. David Huggins’ encounters with alien visitors began in the 1950s, spanned decades – and led to the birth of over sixty hybrid children. Paired with his vivid and sometimes unsettling full-color paintings, his story offers a glimpse into a world between two dimensions—a purgatory of hope, sex, fear, and ultimately, love.

From alien encounters to existential crises, each perspective within this episode, the relationship of Richard & Susan and David and his alien lover, Crescent, offers a glimpse into the human psyche and the mysteries that lie beyond our understanding. Join us as we navigate the blurred boundaries between reality and the paranormal, guided by Richard Hatem's introspective commentary and Farah Yurdozu's retelling of David Huggins’ experience & art.