{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/697a6bea0507f716249f1e82/6989c7d108464aeb44730a30?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Dolls, Coffins & Tulpas","description":"<p>In this episode of&nbsp;The Unexplainers, John and Rhys kick off a&nbsp;<em>new chapter</em>&nbsp;as they announce the show is joining&nbsp;The Sonar Network&nbsp;in 2026. From there, things get wonderfully strange.</p><p><br></p><p>First, John unveils the chilling mystery of the&nbsp;Arthur’s Seat coffins: 17 tiny wooden coffins discovered on a hillside above Edinburgh in 1836, each containing a carved figurine in miniature burial clothes. Were they witchcraft? Memorials to lost sailors? Or a secret tribute to the&nbsp;17 known victims of Burke and Hare, Edinburgh’s most infamous body-snatching serial killers?</p><p><br></p><p>Then Rhys segues into the world of&nbsp;Tulpas—mentally created entities that, with enough focus and belief, start to feel autonomous. We meet Tibetan explorers, Reddit Tulpamancers, and a blue, 18th‑century, cider-fuelled road-digging Tulpa named Ian. </p><p><br></p><p>Along the way, John and Rhys riff on:</p><ul><li>Theories behind the&nbsp;Arthur’s Seat coffins&nbsp;and why some of them vanished</li><li>How toy soldiers may have been repurposed into the coffin figures</li><li>The strange overlap between&nbsp;imaginary friends, dissociation, and creativity</li><li>Online Tulpa communities and claims of Tulpas helping with things like math tests</li><li>Cursed dolls, estate sales, voodoo-ish finds in Newport, and the perils of cheap cider</li><li>Ridiculous (and slightly disturbing) Tulpa ideas: wooden Burt Reynolds, shit-octopuses, and more</li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you’ve ever wondered where imagination ends and reality begins—or if your inner voice is maybe a bit&nbsp;<em>too</em>&nbsp;independent—this one’s for you.</p><p>Support &amp; Links</p><p><br></p><ul><li>We’re now part of&nbsp;The Sonar Network&nbsp;– go check out the other comedy shows there.</li><li>Support the show on&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;(link in the show notes).</li><li>Got a Tulpa, cursed doll story, or your own theory about the Arthur’s Seat coffins?</li><li>Tell us what your Tulpa looks like</li><li>Or confess your worst snakebite/scrumpy decision</li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"The Sonar Network"}