Guest host Rich Berra (email) welcomed paranormal researcher Alex Matsuo, who explained that the association between Christmas and ghosts comes from ancient seasonal traditions rather than modern holiday imagery. Long before Christmas became a celebration of joy and light, this time of year marked a period of transition, darkness, and survival as winter set in, she said. Shorter days, colder weather, and limited light encouraged people to stay indoors, where storytelling by candlelight naturally flourished. Across early cultures, especially in Nordic and pre-Christian societies, the winter solstice was viewed as a liminal period when the boundary between worlds felt thinner, giving rise to ghost stories, spirits, and supernatural folklore tied to the season.
Matsuo described how many Christmas figures evolved from older, darker folkloric traditions that blended morality with fear. Characters like Krampus serve as a harsher counterpart to Santa Claus, meting out frightening consequences for misbehavior rather than gentle reminders. Similar figures appear across Europe, including Iceland's Yule Lads, mischievous beings who alternately reward or punish children, and other regional spirits that reflect the same moral framework. Over time, these stories merged with Christian traditions, especially through cultural touchstones like Charles Dickens, softening their edges while preserving their cautionary purpose.
Matsuo emphasized that these enduring traditions persist because humans are deeply drawn to ritual, symbolism, and shared seasonal meaning. Winter holidays provided a communal pause in the year, reinforcing values through stories that blended wonder, fear, and moral lessons. She suggested that the recurring themes—traveling figures, judgment of behavior, offerings of food, and visits from supernatural beings—appear across cultures because they address universal human concerns about survival, reflection, renewal, and hope during the darkest time of the year.
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During the latter half of the program, medical medium and spiritual teacher Kimberly Meredith said she was born with paranormal abilities, especially a distinctive blinking in her eyes that allows her to communicate with spirits. After initially suppressing these gifts and following a career in medicine and entertainment, a serious accident changed her direction. She described a near-death experience involving Christ and the Holy Spirit, after which her spiritual abilities and blinking returned more strongly. This led her to embrace her role as a trance channeler and healer.
She described how her medical intuitive process works: she scans people with her eyes and hands to receive information as messages whispered in her ear, which she then uses to identify the root cause of illness. Meredith admitted she didn't initially know terms like "medical intuitive" or the comparisons to Edgar Cayce, but claimed her accuracy drew attention, leading to referrals, growing interest in Los Angeles, and invitations from organizations and researchers. She emphasized that healing follows after she identifies a condition, and framed her ability as something guided through her rather than something she controls alone—describing herself as a psychic medium and a trance channeler who channels guides during conversations.
Meredith downplayed personal credit and attributed the information and healing to guides and divine energy, explaining that her eye movements function like a yes/no system and that both eyes together signify God's presence. She said everyone has spiritual gifts that can be developed without needing a near-death experience, and she encouraged listeners to see themselves as capable of raising consciousness and stepping into purpose. She also introduced ideas such as soul frequency codes (numbers linked to personality traits, such as creativity and spiritual leadership) and starseed or galactic connections, noting that these are part of the guidance she receives and uses in readings.