In the first half, paranormal investigator and host of the Strange Things podcast, Joshua P. Warren, unveiled a new version of his wishing machine using a piezoelectric disc, a device that converts vibrations into electricity, and a quartz crystal tuner (view related images). He explained the machine's operation: users write a wish on a small piece of paper, beginning with the phrase "God I am," to acknowledge a creative universal power and their connection to it. The paper is placed on the machine, which then supposedly converts the wish's vibrations into electromagnetic signals. Warren remarked, "God I am paying my bills this month," or "God I am going to feel better," as examples of how one might phrase their wish.

He emphasized the machine's simplicity and portability, noting it is about three inches in diameter. His work builds on years of research into unexplained phenomena such as the Brown Mountain Lights, linking this to the concept of piezoelectricity, in which pressure on certain rocks generates electrical energy. He clarified that the machine primarily functions as an "extremely effective placebo," enabling users to channel their "bio energy" via a quartz crystal and magnet tuner, which activate the device's compasses. "An effective wishing machine needs to be a combination of something that makes some kind of rational sense to you in terms of engineering, but it also needs to have a psychological impact," he added.

Warren also shared a practical exercise to create a "spiritual helper" or "minion," a being imagined to assist with personal goals. The technique involves writing down a specific request, drawing a representation of the helper —anything from a puppy to a gremlin—naming it, and then offering a personal gift alongside a candle ritual. "You speak to this imaginary being as if it is real," and after three days, the offering is discarded, leaving behind a spiritual entity that assists in achieving the desired goal, he shared. Further, Warren recounted a compelling example of spiritual phenomena captured on security footage showing an entity leaving physical "ghost footprints" in snow.

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In the latter half, paranormal investigators Ross Allison and June Nixon shared their journeys into ghost hunting and their experiences with the Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle/Tacoma. Allison's fascination with ghosts began in childhood, fueled by stories from his mother, while Nixon initially sought to disprove the paranormal, only to encounter unexplainable phenomena herself. Allison founded the Advanced Ghost Hunters in 2000, which grew to over 100 members at its peak, many drawn by personal hauntings. Nixon, as client coordinator, fields diverse reports —from the grounded to the bizarre, including a haunting involving a lost goldfish. She noted the challenge of separating genuine experiences from those influenced by popular culture.

Both described their views on ghosts as evolving mysteries. He hopes science will eventually clarify what ghosts are, while she sees them as "energy," often residual hauntings like "a tape player being played over and over." Their investigations have taken them worldwide, including an exploration of haunted castles in Europe and the UK. The duo shared an eerie experience at Chillingham Castle's "hanging tree," where they heard voices and laughter in pitch darkness, only to learn no one else had been outside —a classic example of residual hauntings.

Nixon recounted a chilling encounter at the old Montana State Prison, where she felt a presence so close it frightened her, noting, "I've never been frightened like that before in a place." The conversation also explored whether ghosts must be tied to deceased individuals, with Allison suggesting psychic phenomena and emotional stress could mimic hauntings. He described a case where poltergeist activity correlated with tension between a couple, hinting at psychological triggers behind some paranormal events. He also touched on the significance of EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) as evidence of intelligent communication, reinforcing the belief in an active, conscious presence behind some hauntings.

News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Mish Shedlock