While Arthur Conan Doyle's infamous "Where there is no imagination, there is no horror" quote still resonates, some horror stories need no further imagination as they have already been translated into reality.

Ahead of the Halloween season, many scary stories have been in store in the form of books, movies, blogs, vlogs, and podcasts. While there is nothing new to horror stories put on record, these horror-related podcasts highlight the real-life spooky experiences shared by avid listeners.

Frightening, Alarming, Real Life Tales Show 

With over 80 episodes, "Frightening, Alarming, Real Life Tales Show" (FARTS) by Filipino besties Andrew Topinio and Niñaflor Fernandez, originally from Davao City, first aired pop-culture-themed podcasts. 

Yet, over the course of recording these episodes, it was Topinio who first thought of focusing on horror topics, true crime documentaries, and even real-life chilling experiences.

"We both share the love of horror, we both love to talk about the dramatics and the fear, the psychology of people and [horror] stories,” said Fernandez.

The podcast was originally made for just one season, but as of writing, it's nearly in its fifth season with 86 episodes.  

"Andrew and I, before a session starts, we do talk about the next season… So, let’s say for example in season X, it’s like serial killers. In season after or episode after that, it’s going to be, a cursed object or a haunted house… So, there’s a list that we sort of follow so that both of us would be able to keep track," Fernandez explained.

The FARTS podcast tackles real-life scary stories that both hosts have seen on the news or recorded in history such as true crime stories and documentaries. It started during the pandemic and grew through the help of a former podcast community they worked with.

"It gets scary at times kasi you're more sensitive na to those energies, especially kasi we do true crime, we also do paranormal stuff. Sometimes things set in," Topinio said.

"We're not saying that we've had experiences but there are some times when we feel like, oh wait, am I really alone?" he added.

Adding to this, Topinio narrated one horror experience while they were recording. "We record late at night. Like, close to the witching hour… I remember one recording kasi this was in my bedroom and it was my dead uncle's room. Now, my uncle and my lolo died in the house… I don't think I included it in the episode kasi it was too freaky…I feel like somebody's looking at me, outside the window," he recalled. 

Despite all this, Topinio stated that they want to try to keep the podcasts lighthearted by making fun of their horror escapades.

Ideally, FARTS releases 10 weekly episodes to cap off a season. According to Topinio, they end the season every Halloween, having one major episode before taking a hiatus -- except for this season where they decided to extend to make way for bigger stories they're working on.

Currently, the pair plans to do a spin-off, this time narrating fictional horror stories. They also hope to start another podcast reviewing horror movies, and one day do a live show where their listeners can gather and attend.

"It doesn't mean na it's horror like ghosts and stuff. It;s a very broad and evergreen na topic [selection] for us," Topinio explained.

Stories with Sapphire

Like Topinio and Fernandez, award-winning Fil-Am occultist Sapphire Sandalo goes beyond narrating chilling experiences, advocating for "more empathy" and representation for marginalized groups in the paranormal and horror communities. 

An occultist is someone who believes in or practices occult arts such as astrology, magic, alchemy, seances (attempts to make contact with the dead), and any other activities claiming the use of secret knowledge or supernatural powers or agencies.

Sandalo, who's been working on various TV series as a creator, animator, paranormal researcher, and historian in Los Angeles, has long accepted her "calling" as a spooky creator and storyteller. 

"I like to joke that my podcast began when I was a kid… One dinner, I recorded my grandpa sharing his creepy tales of ghosts, aswang, duwende, and more. Then back in 2016, I created a YouTube series and podcast where I told and animated my family's ghost stories," she said. 

Her podcast, "Stories with Sapphire," has over 130 episodes tackling true paranormal, supernatural, and horror stories with commentary. "I wanted to shift from telling only scary stories to also include meaningful supernatural stories because those were the types of experiences I was starting to have," she said.

Sandalo added that she wanted to focus more on Filipino culture, with the goal of showing how diverse the spirit world is -- that it is not just about creepy ghosts and demons, but also about ancestry and deities.

"I choose stories that make me feel something. Whether that's feeling creeped out, uplifted, heartbroken… I'm drawn to stories that give us insight into the human experience; the demons that motivated people to get their life together, the ghost sightings that inspired people to become more empathetic," she shared.

"Stories with Sapphire" has so far received eight nominations and seven wins from various award-giving bodies overseas. When asked if she ever experienced paranormal events, Sandalo stated: "Most of my paranormal experiences have been beautiful, like my Lola showing me signs that confirmed she was with me."

However, she added jokingly: "The only scary thing that's happened to me was when I woke up from a nightmare and a ghost woman was floating above me and humming a song. I had an eye mask on so I didn't see her, thankfully."

FARTS and "Stories with Sapphire" add variety to the growing interest of Filipinos in the horror podcast genre. These provide an avenue to redefine and recalibrate how spooky stories should be felt, even rebranding if horrors are "horrors" enough.

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