Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Patrick Keller
Recent Episodes
In this powerful and heart-centered episode of the Big Seance Podcast, Patrick sits down with Jamilah Davis McKenzie—a minister, spiritual counselor, and boutique owner, whose life is steeped in legacy, music, ministry, and magic. With the grounded wisdom of your favorite "cool auntie," Jamilah opens up about surviving a traumatic gunshot wound, living with PTSD, and her eclectic spiritual path rooted in church ministry, Hoodoo, ancestral veneration, and radical authenticity. She shares how her work—whether through oracle readings, retreats, or ministry—creates sacred spaces where people can heal, reconnect, and transform. With a no-nonsense edge and plenty of heart, Jamilah reminds us that true spiritual service often happens in the most unexpected places. Visit BigSeance.com/261 for more info.
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In this episode:
Intro :00
Jamilah Davis McKenzie is a minister, spiritual coach, spiritual counselor, wedding officiant, boutique owner, motivational speaker, and event host dedicated to helping people live their most authentic and fulfilled lives. With a nurturing spirit and a no-nonsense edge, she brings the energy of your favorite "cool auntie"—a Gen X hippie with a sharp tongue, a soulful heart, and a deep commitment to truth and transformation. The daughter of a Tony-nominated opera singer and a non denominational pastor who once served as Malcolm X's bodyguard, Jamilah's life has always been steeped in legacy, purpose, and power. A gifted singer herself, she blends ancestral strength with modern-day wisdom to create spaces where people can heal, grow, and reconnect with their truest selves. :45
Just like the guests from the past three episodes, Patrick met Jamilah this past winter at Missouri Paracon! 1:58
Jamilah and Deb DeRousse's Mystical Magical Retreat by Mystical Awakenings with Big Seance previous guest and friend, Andrea Perron. 7:41
"We make sure that people come in one way and leave different."
"It's all about just building community, being there for each other, and finding a safe space."
Jamilah survived being shot in the head in a road rage incident in 1993, and she suffers from PTSD. 12:04
"I know what it feels like to be so down. I know what it feels like to feel like you're nothing but a burden on people. Have you noticed that nobody can convince you of how unworthy you are, more than yourself?"
"Part of healing is getting back in touch with that inner child who used to laugh at fart jokes."
Unity Tree Interfaith Ministries 16:11
The daughter of a minister, Jamilah grew up in the church. She loved the music and community, but she had questions. She has begun to describe herself as a "Spiritual Eclectic." 18:16
"A lot of people can go on Ancestry.com or DNA or whatever, and they can trace stuff back. As an African American, I can't do that. There's only so far I can go. And one of the ways that I feel more connected is through the practices that my people brought here. And that's where the hoodoo comes in, and that's where the indigenous stuff comes in, and that's where ancestor veneration comes in. So I take what I need to build the spiritual life that makes me a better person, so then I can be a better person to help other people." 22:50
There are many ways to be of service. "I can't tell you how many times I have given a message to someone across the table as I'm doing a reading. I cannot tell you how many times I have ministered to someone over oracle cards. And in a traditional sense, I'd be going to hell right now. But that's where I was of most use. The person sat down for a word. They sat down to be filled at that point and I gave it to them." 23:35
Jamilah breaks down her empathic abilities. 26:50
Ancestor Veneration and how the practice of Hoodoo was born. 28:10
"We had to use Christianity to kind of mask our faith, so we had to put it in with Christianity to be able to practice anything, or to be able to save any of our culture, or any of our heritage, or any of our religion, because we weren't supposed to be doing that."
On the topic of gatekeeping Hoodoo: "Understand who you are and who you're asking. We're telling you to make sure that you call for your sake, not because we're trying to gatekeep." 33:16
"There are people of all walks of life, of all skin colors who practice Hoodoo and have a beautiful time doing so. Just make sure that you're really called."
"A ritual or a spell is nothing but a prayer coupled with action." 36:11
Being Gen X: "Think about this. Everything we fantasized about, all the things we wished we could have, we have seen come to pass. So we are the magical generation." 42:22
Jamilah and Patrick discuss AI. Jamilah is all about it! 45:02
Skyclad Handmade Boutique 49:23
Shoutout to Dale Quigley of the Seeking Vibes Podcast, who recently interviewed Jamilah. Check it out! 51:32
Jamilah's parents and grandparents have fascinating stories! Her mother is a Tony-nominated opera singer known for her roles in Porgy and Bess and Aida! 53:00
"The help they were giving me didn't really help me. I found my help in talking to other people and then finding out that my story helped them. And then I saw myself reflected in their response to me." More on Jamilah's childhood, her struggles as a young adult, PTSD, imposter syndrome, ministry, and spiritual counseling. 53:55
Youtube channel coming soon! 58:35
"I do not do pop ups." 1:06:10
Outro 1:09:10
Resources:
Unity Tree Interfaith Ministries
The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!
What do cemeteries, vintage fashion, and spiritual connection have in common? For Sarah Neoma, they all tell stories. In this delightful conversation, Sarah joins Patrick to talk about Grave Matters, her work preserving cemeteries, and her deep reverence for the past. Along the way, she shares personal experiences, stories from being a fourth-generation seamstress, her boutique Spellbound, and a chilling ghost story from her lovingly restored historic cabin. Whether she's water witching forgotten graves, diving deeper into what she calls cemetery mediumship, or curating and romanticizing little things in life in ways that bring her joy, Sarah inspires us to remember—and to be remembered. Visit BigSeance.com/260 for more info.
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In this episode:
Intro :00
Meet Sarah Neoma of Grave Matters! :45
More on Sarah's Creative Work. 4:34
Grave Matters and Sarah's love for historic cemeteries. "They're kind of magical places. I don't just see them as the resting place of bodies or just hunks of stone. I see them ass this treasure trove of stories." 6:13
Preservation and physically caring for a grave. 9:14
Gumbo, the cemetery on a hill. 11:03
"I think the thing that human beings overall collectively fear, never more so than now, is being forgotten, is fading from collective memory." 13:32
A misunderstanding of cemeteries. 14:25
Lore and how we want to be remembered. Sarah and Patrick consider what their death wishes might be. 18:20
Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, and cemeteries in the snow. 20:51
"I'm a big fan of curating your life, or romanticizing it. Romanticizing things in little ways that bring you joy." 24:15
Sarah is a fourth generation seamstress, loves vintage fashion, and owns Spellbound Boutique. 27:44
Vintage fashion patterns and Patrick's childhood memories of his grandmother's fabric shop. 32:33
Missouri artist Lowell Davis and his Red Oak II, and Sarah's adorable historic cabin that she's restoring. 34:29
A touching but heart-wrenching ghost story from the cabin. 43:03
"I get a glimmer." Sarah's cemetery mediumship. 51:01
Water witching and dowsing rods. 53:25
A forgotten and endangered cemetery in the middle of a farmer's private pasture. 59:57
Final thoughts and where to find Sarah Neoma. 1:02:05
Outro 1:05:08
Resources:
Facebook: @SarahNeoma
Instagram: @Sarah.Neoma
Grave Matters
Instagram: @GraveMattersMO
Spellbound Boutique 401 S Main St, Carthage, MO 64836 (800) 296-5926
Instagram: @SpellboundBoutiqueCarthage
The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!
Patrick reconnects with the spirited crew behind CREEPZ Ghost Commandos—Alec and Adam Tillery, and Gideon Coyle (absent Caleb Tillery)—who reveal how a shared childhood fascination with the unknown turned into a full-fledged paranormal investigation team. Patrick and the CREEPZ reflect on their recent collaboration at the 2024 Missouri Paracon, dive into creepy encounters including ghostly handprints and unexplained scratches, and discuss how their beliefs have evolved over time. With tales of growing up in a haunted house, debunking high EMF, a brand new EVP from the bunker at Belvoir Winery, and some paranormal pet peeves that only seasoned investigators could dish! Visit BigSeance.com/259 for more info.
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In this episode:
Intro :00
In 2008, brothers Alec and Adam Tillery, along with good friend Gideon Coyle, formed a paranormal exploration and investigation team called the the City and Rural Explorers Examining Paranormal Zones, or C.R.E.E.P.Z. Ghost Commandos. The Tillery brothers and Gideon began venturing to many historic and haunted locations throughout the greater Kansas City area and the Midwest. They've since been joined by Caleb, who is a nephew of Alec and Adam. Together, they research a location's history and its ghost stories, while documenting any potential evidence of ghostly activity. They also host The Other Side of the Other Side on YouTube. :45
Patrick met and had the opportunity to collaborate with the CREEPZ at the 2024 Missouri Paracon. 2:26
Meeting Alex, Adam, and Gideon. 3:41
Reflections from the very first Missouri Paracon. 5:29
"Let me tell you my own ghost story." 11:07
"Adam and I grew up in a haunted house together." More on the origins of forming the CREEPZ. 12:54
Gideon saw a ghost at the Tillery house at the age of sixteen. 14:20
"Adam brings up this crazy idea to Gideon and myself, and he's like, 'Let's go ghost hunting.'" 18:07
"The Commandos" club. 18:59
Adam is also the author of Mischievous Ghost Stories and Illustrations. 20:58
Mike Ricksecker's ears must be burning right now. 22:28
Patrick and the CREEPZ reflect on their collaboration on leading group investigations in the bunker at Belvoir Winery. 23:44
Skepticism and our changing beliefs on the paranormal over time. 27:02
Handprints and Getting Scratched. 34:29
Private vs. Public Investigations. 39:32
Classic Debunking and High EMF. 43:15
Spilling the "T" and Dishing About Paranormal Pet Peeves. 44:55
A clip from the last session from the very cold bunker at Belvoir and a possible EVP response of "A domino" from the SB7. Patrick asked, "Can you tell me what's in my hand?" 54:49
Patrick is reminded of and retells his "Ouija Board" EVP story. 1:00:54
The popularity of the spirit box and the "Estes Method." 1:02:19
The Other Side of the Other Side on YouTube and Final Thoughts from the CREEPZ. 1:06:26
OUTRO 1:12:47
Resources:
YouTube: @CREEPZ
Facebook: @CREEPZGC
Instagram: @CREEPZGC
TikTok: @CREEPZGC
Mischievous Ghost Stories and Illustrations by Adam Tillery
Adam's Personal Instagram: @AdamTillery7
The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!
Patrick sits down with one of the new friends he met at Missouri Paracon, Raven Knight from the Darkwoods Paranormal Podcast. Raven considers herself an empath, and her interest in both the paranormal and true crime goes back to childhood. We discuss the Villisca Axe Murder House, the importance of finding your group, reflections from the paracon, paranormal pet peeves, and her recent interview with paranormal investigator, Dustin Pari! Visit BigSeance.com/258 for more info.
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In this episode:
Intro :00
Patrick recently returned from Missouri Paracon, where he met today's guest, Raven Knight from the Darkwoods Paranormal Podcast. :45
The podcast, where Raven shares the microphone with co-host Gabriel Von Graves, delves into the eerie and unexplained. They bring a mix of short fiction stories, as well as first hand accounts from those who have lived them. Exploring everything from ghosts, to UFOs, to all things mysterious. They'll bring you spine chilling stories from around the globe. 2:50
The story of how the Darkwoods Paranormal Podcast began. 6:10
"You find your group." Raven's reflections of Missouri Paracon. 8:43
"I think it's really important for people to have people out there willing to listen to them, that say, 'You know what? We believe you.'" 11:03
Raven's interest in both the paranormal and true crime goes back to childhood. 16:15
A matter of being open to experiences. 21:42
Raven considers herself an empath. 26:22
The Villisca Axe Murder House. Plus more on the Darkwoods Paranormal Podcast. 30:46
Loving being in your 40s! 37:55
Possible future episodes. 38:52
Paranormal pet peeves. 40:46
Raven's final thoughts, lots of upcoming events, and where to find more Darkwoods Paranormal content, including interviews with Dustin Pari and Richard Estep! 43:17
Outro 46:12
Resources:
YouTube: @DarkwoodsParanormalPodcast
Instagram: @DarkwoodsParanormalPodcast
Facebook: Darkwoods Paranormal Podcast
The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!
Dr. Olivia Cacchione, a musicologist, sat with Patrick in the parlor to discuss her current work and study of music and sound in Victorian seances. Olivia also shared about years of uncomfortable out-of-body experiences and hearing voices that led to her being diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Plus skepticism, haunted listening, enchantment, possibility vs. disbelief, Victorians and the accordion, the channeled music of Rosemary Brown, and asking the question, "How does music haunt us?" Visit BigSeance.com/257 for more info.
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In this episode:
Intro :00
Dr. Olivia Cacchione studies the sounds of ghosts and hauntings throughout history. She's a musicologist who earned her PhD at Northwestern University and received a Mellon Fellowship to conduct her extensive archival research across England and America. She is currently working on a book that highlights the role of music and sound in Victorian seances. Olivia's dissertation examined the cultural history of hearing, questioning how music haunts us, with an emphasis on the lived experience of the Victorian-era spiritualist séance. She covered Daniel Dunglas Home's accordion, the Davenport Brothers' musical cabinet, and lesser known mediums like Jennie Lord, who practically invented the musical seance. And Olivia wants you to know that she has a cat who is proudly named Madame Blavatsky. You can learn more about Olivia Cacchione and her work by visiting welcometotheseance.com. :45
What is a musicologist? 2:02
From harp performance to a PhD in musicology. 3:44
Patrick once again nerds out about the theremin. 6:12
More on where this interest in Victorian Spiritualism came from, and the pushback from her colleagues regarding her chosen area of study. 7:32
Hearing Voices. "When I was 15, I began 'hearing things.' It took me ten years to receive a diagnosis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy." 10:51
Olivia's voices and out-of-body experiences. Are they paranormal? Or are they just symptoms of her diagnosis? 15:24
Enchantment. 16:45
"[The episodes were] very dark and quite scary, actually." 18:05
Possibility vs Disbelief. 19:03
Victorian Spiritualists and Seances. For Victorians, it was really dark at night! 21:49
Haunted Listening. 27:56
Patrick reminisces about experiences years ago with his "rapper" from doing EVP research and experiments. 29:28
"How does music haunt us? What does it mean to be haunted, mesmerized, enchanted, or spellbound by a work?" 32:24
Check out Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 1985 film, The Explorers. 35:40
"[Victorians] simply had a different relationship with music." 39:09
Music as a trigger. 41:11
Victorians and the accordion. 42:47
Residual music from the Bird Cage Theatre. 43:57
A Musical Seance featuring Rosemary Brown, who claimed to channel music from the great composers. 46:01
Alfred Russel Wallace. 48:28
"Before I was diagnosed, I absolutely thought, 'Maybe I'm psychic.' I wanted to lean in that direction with it." 50:07
"People hear what I'm studying and they immediately want to tell me their own ghost stories. And you realize just how many people have ghost stories, and I love hearing them." 51:12
Olivia's final thoughts. 54:40
Outro 56:27
Resources
The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!