These spooky podcasts will chill you to the bone

The quarantine period will last a little longer than we expected, but that doesn’t mean your hours should be filled with boredom.

Sure, music is great and all, but honestly, listening to the same five songs on your playlists can wear you down and even take away the enjoyment of listening to it. 

So  If you’re the type who is a fan of paranormal stories and true crime, these podcasts might help you feel a little less alone.

Whether you want true crime or simply supernatural stories, these podcasts can help sate your interest in horror. So turn off the lights, get under the covers, put on your earphones, and tune in to these spooky podcasts that you can listen to while on lockdown.

Wag Kang Lilingon

One of the most popular podcasts around, it’s hosted by Grace Marcellana and Mimai Cabugnason, fondly known as the “Kapitanas.” They recount listener-submitted stories, and talk about unsolved mysteries, cursed objects, superstitions, and more while discussing theories, spilling hugots, and even discussing how terrifying some of the encounters are.

One of their most raved about tales is their listener-submitted stories, and there’s no telling what kind of stories will await you. They accept personal tales of the supernatural in their social media, and if the submitter wants their name to be withheld upon request, then they give funny little codenames using food.

Their talks are entertaining and inject humor into horror stories, they talk about various haunted houses, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, scary websites, and even strange mythologies around the world. 

Creepsilog

Hosted by the duo of Gideon Mendoza and Glenn Tabarejos, they discuss real-life kidnapping cases, horror movies, and even their various experiences with true crime and the paranormal. Each season has their own theme, like for the first season, they focused on well-known serial killers, while season 2 focuses on terrifying Filipino folklore, and season 3 focuses on local crimes.

But that’s not to say that it’s strictly just those, sometimes they have episodes where they break out of theme and discuss terrifying movie moments, their favorite podcasts, and more. These breather eps help you chill out before getting back into the more serious stuff.

They also have listener-submitted stories, with a wide variety of horror stories ranging from the supernatural, to real-life stalkers.

Stories After Dark

If you want your true crime and horror stories narrated in a more clinical and well-organized manner, then Stories After Dark is your bet. They have plenty of stories that lay out the details in a manner that’s both respectful and informative, starting with Lucila Lalu’s murder, the haunted roads of Loakan and Balete Drive, and more.

This podcast is centered around local happenings and crimes, so if you’re looking exclusively for something that’s Filipino, then this might be your main pick! However, this podcast updates only once a month as to bring quality tales that are well-researched and clearly explained.

Philippine Campfire Stories

If you want mysteries and horror stories that are less discussion and a little more soothing, then Philippine Campfire Stories is a definite go-to. The vibe of this podcast reminds you of hiking out at Mt. Makiling and listening to tales around the bonfire.

Much like the previous entry, this podcast focuses more on narrative and information, sharing unusual tales and creatures that have long been ingrained in our culture, history, and consciousness.

This podcast is in Tagalog, setting the tone for local stories, and giving spotlight to supernatural tales that have long mystified generations of Filipinos. They’ve discussed the infamous Tinyente Gimo, manananggals, berbalangs, and other creatures that go bump in the night; but they’ll also discuss weird happenings such as the teleporting soldier in 1593.

PH Murder Stories

PH Murder Stories focuses on the more recent crimes that have been plaguing Philippine society. You won’t be finding stories about Nida Blanca and Lucila Lalu here, but you will find stories of Jee Ick-Joo, Rhyan Cuarteros, and the controversial deaths of Sonya and Frank Gregorio. 

Of course, this is less on discussion than most true crime, and more relaying facts and piecing together the happenings to give a wider view of what took place.

They focus on accurate information, as a way of battling hearsay and fake news that are abundant all over social media. They not only have precise, factual info, but they sometimes play recordings of audio interviews pertaining to the crime. If you want something hard-hitting-true-crime, then this is definitely one podcast you can stay tuned to.

Ghost Maps

If you want true horror stories that are a bit farther away from home but still has a sense of familiarity, then Ghost Maps is for you. Chronicling true horror stories in Singapore and all over Southeast Asia, the narrator shares stories of local spookies haunting around the tropical suburbs, or far away rural areas littered with banana trees. 

From pocongs to krasues, you’ll find yourself in different lands with different folklore beings that are not that unfamiliar from our very own. They even have supernatural tales from the army and terrifying curses, so if you want something focusing on SEA folklore in general, then this might be of interest.

Kowabana

If you’re more interested in Japanese horror stories floating around the web, then Kowabana is one of the most popular picks for that. Hosted and narrated by Tara A. Devlin, an expat in Japan, she translates and tells stories that she found around the net. 

You’ll find hair-raising horror stories such as encounters with Hachishaku-sama and vengeful onryos. Many stories will keep you up at night, so swaddle yourself in blankets and listen to Disney songs after listening to this podcast.

From well-known crime cases to personal horror stories, these podcasts talk about the dark sides of the metro—as well as the spooky, unsolved cases local or otherwise—and they’ll provide you with hours of entertaining talk.