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The Box of Oddities

The Box of Oddities

By: Kat & Jethro Gilligan Toth
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About this listen

 The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world. JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!" “Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM “Kat & Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE© 2023 Eleven Eleven llc Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • From the Morgue to the Melting Earth

    From the Morgue to the Melting Earth
    Apr 20 2026
    What does it take to be declared dead… and then wake up in a morgue? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, we uncover the astonishing true story of Vulcana, a Victorian-era strongwoman who shattered expectations, defied societal norms, and performed feats of strength that left audiences questioning reality. But it’s not her iron-bending or fire-defying heroics that haunt history—it’s the moment she was pronounced dead after a tragic accident… only to regain consciousness among the corpses. Then, we shift from human resilience to something far more unsettling: a massive, ever-expanding scar in the Siberian wilderness known as the Batagaika Crater, ominously nicknamed the “Gateway to the Underworld.” What looks like a giant wound in the Earth is actually a rapidly growing collapse caused by thawing permafrost—one that’s revealing ancient ecosystems, long-extinct creatures, and even viable prehistoric DNA. As scientists race to understand this phenomenon, the crater continues to widen—releasing greenhouse gases, exposing long-buried secrets, and raising unsettling questions about what else might emerge from the thaw. Also in this episode: A bizarre encounter involving a dog, a “hairball,” and an unexpected discovery The strangest items you can buy from Japan’s infamous “horror vending machines.” And a reminder that sometimes the line between the explainable and the unexplainable is thinner than we’d like to believe From a woman who refused to stay dead… to a landscape that refuses to stay still—this episode explores strength, survival, and the eerie consequences of a world changing beneath our feet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • Inbox of Oddities #82

    Inbox of Oddities #82
    Apr 17 2026
    Step into the Inbox of Oddities, where reality bends just enough to make you question everything you thought was… normal. In this chilling and oddly comforting collection of listener stories, Kat and Jethro sift through emails that blur the line between coincidence, imagination, and something far stranger. A baby monitor picks up whisper-like sounds when no one is there. A streetlight mysteriously shuts off—but only for one specific person. And a seemingly harmless dream evolves night after night… until something on the other side finally speaks. But it doesn’t stop there. Listeners share eerie “boo effects” and synchronicities that feel less like chance and more like glitches in the system. Is it just interference? A trick of the mind? Or are these tiny moments evidence that something deeper is happening beneath the surface of everyday life? You’ll also hear the kind of quietly unsettling stories that stick with you—the ones that don’t scream “paranormal,” but instead whisper it. Like a child casually waving at someone who isn’t there… and insisting you used to see him too. Along the way, there’s humor, humanity, and the strange comfort of knowing you’re not alone in experiencing the unexplained. From odd collections falling from the sky (literally) to the oddly soothing nature of rainy days, this episode is a reminder that the world is far weirder—and more connected—than it seems. So the question becomes: Are these just stories… Or are they clues? Perfect for fans of:paranormal podcasts, true weird stories, unexplained phenomena, glitch in the matrix, creepy listener stories, streetlight interference, strange coincidences, and real-life eerie encounters. The Box of Oddities – Inbox EditionKeep flying that freak flag… and maybe keep an eye on your baby monitor tonight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • Invisible Minds and Missing Years

    Invisible Minds and Missing Years
    Apr 15 2026
    What if you didn’t vanish… What if the world just stopped noticing you? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, we explore a chilling psychological case drawn from real clinical observations—a man we’ll call “Daniel,” who became convinced he was slowly fading from human perception. At first, it was small things: being skipped in line, ignored in conversation, unseen at a crosswalk. But then it escalated. Friends stopped responding. Familiar faces passed him by like strangers. Eventually, Daniel was left wondering if he was still part of the world at all… or if he had already slipped out of it. Is this a known psychological phenomenon like depersonalization or inattentional blindness? Or does it hint at something far more unsettling about how reality—and identity itself—depends on being perceived? Then, in a twist that feels almost impossible, we dive into real-life missing persons cases where the opposite occurred—people who did disappear… only to be found alive years or even decades later. * A teenage girl presumed murdered—discovered alive in a cupboard during a murder trial. * A 13-year-old who vanished in Arizona… only to resurface over 30 years later, her life hidden in plain sight. * A missing girl from 1970s England was identified within hours after a decades-old photo was re-released. These aren’t just mysteries—they’re fractures in the way we understand presence, absence, and identity. Because here’s the unsettling question that lingers long after the episode ends: If who you are is shaped—at least in part—by being seen… What happens when no one sees you anymore? And on the flip side… How do you disappear completely… and still exist? This episode blends psychology, true crime, and existential dread into one deeply haunting ride—where being forgotten might be just as terrifying as being lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
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