John Safran vs The Occult Podcast with John Safran cover art

John Safran vs The Occult

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John Safran vs The Occult

By: John Safran
Narrated by: John Safran
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About this listen

John Safran has fallen in with the wrong crowd, again. He has spent months among sorcerers, satanists, and exorcists and he's spilling the beans in a new podcast.

Forget gentle white witches and tarot card readers. John packs his bag and fearlessly heads off to places where black magic leads not only to exorcisms but... murder. He flies to the US and investigates a gang who murdered a teenage girl for disturbing their satanic shrine. He sails to remote islands in Vanuatu, where laws have been passed to quash witchcraft and contravening them can lead to a public hanging or exile. Back in his hometown of Melbourne, he spends time with a Muslim professional who, convinced she is possessed by spirits, seeks an Islamic exorcism.

John discovers that a belief in Black Magic can hold people together, and tear people apart. But why, in this world of science and rationality, are so many around the world still fearful of dark spirit realms? And what are police and psychologists meant to do to rein all this in?

This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 5 episodes to your Library now.

©2019 Audible Australia Pty Ltd (P)2019 Audible Australia Pty Ltd Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Ep. 1: Trump and El Bestia

    Ep. 1: Trump and El Bestia
    Nov 18 2019

    John travels to Los Angeles in pursuit of MS-13, a dangerous transnational street gang rumoured to have Satanic roots. He’s determined to find out whether their dark origin story is true and if, to this day, the gang kills in the name of the Devil.
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    40 mins
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  • Ep. 2: The Gang Murder Squad

    Ep. 2: The Gang Murder Squad
    Nov 18 2019

    John flies to Texas to take a closer look at a Satanically motivated gang murder in Houston. The police found a Satanic shrine and everything! John is taken to the evidence room of the Houston Police Department to better understand the disturbing details of the incident.
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    28 mins
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  • Ep. 3: The Rasa and the Witches

    Ep. 3: The Rasa and the Witches
    Nov 18 2019

    In the US, Occult practises were hidden away in dark attics. So John heads to a Pacific Island nation where spirits and sorcery play a far greater role in society - even being recognised by the Constitution. In Vanuatu, John meets the family of two accused sorcerers who were killed by an angry mob. Can John find out what really happened, when no one is willing to talk?
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    32 mins
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All stars
Most relevant  
Interesting topic, well narrated. Wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I enjoyed it none the less.

Interesting short documentary.

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John Safran vs the Occult, explores his fascination for religion and sacred rituals. He travels to Texas to track down former Salvadoran gang members purported to be Satanists (chief accusers of which include President Trump). Next John is off to the South Pacific to unravel the deaths of two men accused of being witches. And finally he's back home to Melbourne where he encounters a Muslim woman who thinks she's possessed after having a baby.

At the end of five episodes, the lessons seem to be:
- Even secular people frequently give the supernatural. The reason is that is (apparently) helps to release what’s inside.
- People in power use witchcraft and Satanism to control others.

Interesting, but not an essential listen.

Thought provoking, but not essential

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An interesting look into occult happenings on today's world and the differing perspectives of people around those happenings.

An interesting look into the occult

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Some great content. found the story lacked direction at times, but was interesting.
I liked the narrators voice, which reminded me of Ron Jonson. However I did not know if he was being serious or joking at times but enjoyed the delivery of the story all the same.
That said it was a great listen, really enjoyed it.

interesting subject!

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shows the massive disparity thats still remains and how any religion or belief can be twisted.

very entertaining

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A well presented and researched investigation that deviated from the route that I expected such work to take and is enjoyably fresh because of it.

(Black) Magical stuff.

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All the shots stories give a brief insight into the very different cultural sections of society, was extremely worth listening to.

Very interesting.

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This helped me through a long plane journey and was so interesting I stayed awake!

Awesome

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I enjoyed this a lot, dumb fun in places but interesting. the occult is very real to some people and can be a matter of life and death. go on an adventure for 5 episodes and see how the occult touches people's lives.

A snapshot into different cultures and the occult

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passed my afternoon at work quick it interesting and got me thinking.highly recommended in fact it's worth a second listen

great listen for the curious mind

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