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Peter Bebergal on Occult Technology & Strange Frequencies

October 24, 2018 by Jason Louv Leave a Comment

Peter Bebergal Strange Frequencies

Peter Bebergal, author of Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story of the Technological Quest for the Supernatural, stops by the show to discuss the liminal zones between mysticism and technology, and the odd and wonderful things he has found there.

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I speak with author Peter Bebergal, whose new book Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story of the Technological Quest for the Supernatural uncovers the mysterious liminal world between mysticism and technology.

We discussed:

  • Taking a hacker and maker’s approach to mysticism, and jail-breaking technology for spiritual ends;
  • His experiences with the weird world of spiritualism, table-tapping and mediumship;
  • Electronic Voice Phenomena and the work of Konstantin Raudive;
  • Occult technologies like Brion Gysin’s Dreammachine;

And much, much more.

Here’s a bit more about Peter, via his author page at Penguin Random House. (You can follow him on Twitter here.)

Peter Bebergal writes widely on the speculative and slightly fringe. His essays and reviews have appeared in NewYorker.com, The Times Literary Supplement, Boing Boing, The Believer, and The Quietus. He is the author of Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll; Too Much to Dream: A Psychedelic American Boyhood, and The Faith Between Us: A Jew and a Catholic Search for the Meaning of God (with Scott Korb). Bebergal studied religion and culture at Harvard Divinity School. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

And about Strange Frequencies:

A journey through the attempts artists, scientists, and tinkerers have made to imagine and communicate with the otherworldly using various technologies, from cameras to radiowaves.

Strange Frequencies takes readers on an extraordinary narrative and historical journey to discover how people have used technology in an effort to search for our own immortality. Bebergal builds his own ghostly gadgets to reach the other side, too, and follows the path of famous inventors, engineers, seekers, and seers who attempted to answer life’s ultimate mysteries. He finds that not only are technological innovations potent metaphors keeping our spiritual explorations alive, but literal tools through which to experiment the boundaries of the physical world and our own psyches.

Peter takes the reader alongside as he explores:

• The legend of the golem and the strange history of automata;

• A photographer who is trying to capture the physical manifestation of spirits; 

• A homemaker who has recorded voicemails from the dead;

• A stage magician who combines magic and technology to alter his audience’s consciousness;

• and more.

You can pick up the book here.

Peter Bebergal Strange Frequencies

Oh, and by the way: This podcast now has its very own Patreon. There’s only one supporter tier—I’ve kept it simple—and you get tons of goodies for helping to keep this show going. First and foremost, you get access to the raw audio of upcoming interviews as soon as I record them (there’s already one up there), meaning you get to hear new interviews weeks in advance. You also get special status on the Magick.Me Discord, and the joy of knowing that this show will continue long into the future! Check out the Patreon and become a supporter here.

Check out the brand new Ultraculture podcast minisite to subscribe to the show, and please become a supporter on Patreon! Enjoy the show!

The music used in this show was created by The High Masters.

Check it out here!

About Jason Louv

Jason Louv is the editor-in-chief of Ultraculture and has written for Boing Boing, VICE News, Motherboard and more. His books include John Dee and the Empire of Angels, Ultraculture Journal, Queen Valentine, Thee Psychick Bible and Generation Hex.

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