In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Joseph Laycock, a scholar of religion, moral panic, and new religious movements, to explore how fear and belief take shape in modern culture.
We talk about the feedback loop between horror and “real life,” and why certain supernatural narratives feel plausible in America. We discuss stories of demons, Satanism, and conspiracy theories, and how they spread through media, institutions, and everyday life. From The Exorcist to Satanic panic, from the Warrens to cults, this conversation examines belief as a force that organizes meaning, offers comfort, obscures harm, and sometimes escalates into real-world consequences.
You can find Dr. Laycock's book here:
The Exorcist Effect: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-exorcist-effect-joseph-p-laycock/1143790831
Speak of the Devil: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/speak-of-the-devil-joseph-p-laycock/1134799944
The Penguin Book of Cults: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-penguin-book-of-cults-joseph-p-laycock/1146799962
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