The Paranormal Digest for Feb 7, 2026
A haunted castle, a smiling woman, and more
This week, we are going to be travelling to several different parts of the world for our round-up of all things spooky. It has become a little trickier to try and consistently have themes, especially since a lot of the stuff I use on YouTube a day or two before I put all of this together. I will use themes when I can make them all fit, but make no mistake, all the creepiness will still be here. Anyway, I’m waffling again, so let’s get to it.
Haunted Location - Leap Castle
We start out journey this week in the Emeral Isle. Leap Castle is considered one of the most haunted places in Ireland, which say something when you consider the amount of spooky lore attached to the country. The castle is located in County Offaly, which is an awfully (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) apt spot for such a creepy place. The castle was home to some brutal clan battles, and while the history is worth looking at in and of itself, it is The Elemental that is the scary star of the show, alongside other entities rumored to be haunting the castle.
Urban Legend - Kuchisake-onna
Listen, as a Scotsman, I have a hard enough time being understood by the average American, so I’m glad I don’t have to say the name of this urban legend out loud. To make it easier on all of us, let’s now refer to her as the slit-mouthed woman, which is how she is known in the English language. The legend goes that the woman’s face is sliced open, cheek to cheek, which is usually hidden behind a mask or scarf. She will approach people and ask, “Am I pretty?” If the response is no, she kills that person. If it’s a yes, she removed the mask to reveal her true face. She asks again, and if it’s still a yes, that person is spared. A no response the second time leads to the person having their face sliced open. Talk about a lose-lose scenario.
Creepy Cryptid - The Patagonian Giant
When you think of this one, you probably imagine some giant creature that can only be reached by climbing a beanstalk. The truth, though, is not quite as cool and is more of a big fish type tale. Early European visitors to the region reported seeing giants that they claimed to be 12-13 feet tall. While the Tehuelche people were taller than most, they were certainly not the giants Europeans spoke of. The claim of giants was one that persisted for centuries.
Video of the Week - Scariest Videos of 2025
Coming up with cool videos to share is often the toughest part of this digest, so I took the easy route this week. Given that the New Year is still young, I thought it might be fun to look back at 2025 and the videos that scared us senseless.
Free Horror Book of the Week - Killstream by Ayman Hamadeh
I have always believed that it’s only a matter of time before we get reality shows where the contestants can legitimately die. That is the theme that is explored in the free book of the week called Killstream. Remember, this freebie might be for a limited time, so nab it while you can.
Deadly Drabble - Imbued
He held the whisky up to the light, watching the small red particles move lazily within the amber liquid. They reminded him of the sea monkeys he’d had as a kid, the memory making him smile.
Tipping the glass back, he swallowed the shot and shuddered as the alcohol bloomed in his chest. He considered pouring another round from the bottle of “Poet’s Blood,” but best not to overindulge.
The heat from the drink spread through his body, reaching his fingers last of all. It was then that he found his muse and began to type his next great poem.
Random Weirdness - The Dying Blind
Death is a subject that never ceases to creep me out and make me feel uncomfortable. We have all heard about the tunnel and the bright light in near death experiences (NDE), but the one about blind people is particularly creepy. Several people who have been blind from birth and who have had an NDE have reported “seeing” themselves from above, as well as doctors and equipment in the hospital. Their descriptions are usually uncannily accurate, which is definitely weird.
That’s all I have for this week. I shall return next Saturday on Valentine’s Day with some more spooky stuff that I hope you fall in love with.
I wonder in the case of blind individuals if the level of stress on the brain makes it “forget” that it’s blind and so it “misfires” and they can see. Of course, the out-of-body experience is still strange.
The illustrations in this digest were fire, all of them. And that castle is like, the template for gothic horror. The whole digest is entertaining, fun, chilling and I can't wait for the next one! 👻Thanks, John.