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Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford
This is Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford from Therapy for Black Girls. You know that Amazon has millions of books, so you can find one that gives you just the reading feeling you're looking for. You know, like if you're looking for a relaxed feeling, like with a beach read, Amazon has got it covered. Or if you're looking for more of a terrified ah with evil twins or things lurking in the woods or something, Amazon's got you. I mean, even if you want an aw teen romance, Amazon has it covered too. Amazon Books. That reading feeling awaits.
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Aaron Manke
Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full of the unexplainable and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of curiosities. The late 19th century in Europe, often referred to as the Victorian era, was a time of rapid scientific development. But as much as Victorian Europe embraced science, there was also a social movement in the opposite direction, embracing spiritualism or mysticism. Seances were a popular part of this movement. Friends and family would gather around a table and attempt to contact the dead. They were such a commonplace practice that the lines between mysticism and science often blurred as researchers were attracted to seances to learn if there was any truth to them or if it were all just a hoax. In 1896, 21 year old Carl Gustav, or CG as his friends called him, was invited to the home of his cousin Heli Preisberg. She was a medium known for conducting seances. Although CG was a medical student, he had an open mind when it came to the supernatural. He was raised in a religious home and had been plagued by strange, vivid dreams from a young age. Both science and religion had always failed to explain his dreams. They were frightening episodes, full of monsters, ghosts and twisted imagery. If anyone could help him get to the bottom of these visions, perhaps it was his cousin Helle. It was said that she could not only contact the dead, but travel between different realms, maybe even into the realm of his dreams. Helle was a frail 15 year old girl, but she and CG got along well. They had a shared enthusiasm for the supernatural and so when they conducted this first seance together, they took it very seriously. At first, they attempted to contact the dead. They laid their fingers on an upside down glass over a sheet of paper covered with letters. Helle then channeled the ghosts in the room, asking them to identify themselves by using her body to move the glass and spell out their names. A spirit soon took control of her and revealed itself to be their late grandfather, the Reverend Samuel Preisberg. Helle suddenly fell to the ground. CG rushed to her side, shaking her, asking the spirit to free her. But when Helle spoke next, it didn't sound like her at all. Her voice was deep and mature, like that of their grandfathers. Do not fear, See, I am with you every day, it said. I am your grandfather Samuel, who dwells with God. Pray to him, the Lord, and ask him that my dear grandchild reaches her goal. What was her goal, you might ask? Well, apparently their grandfather had sent Helly's spirit to the Americas, where their relative Bertie was, and I quote, in danger from having a baby with a black man. He wanted Helle to somehow stop it, because, unfortunately, it seems that racism continues on into the afterlife. Helle returned to her body, claiming that she was unsuccessful in her mission to stop Birdie from having the baby. CG obviously found all of this very strange. But he found it even stranger weeks later when he received a letter from Birdie revealing that she had indeed had a baby. CG and Helle continued their seances for years, with Helle explaining more and more about the supernatural realms that she supposedly visited. But when CG finished his undergraduate and he moved on to the blossoming world of psychology, he began to read the works of Sigmund Freud and learned about the idea of the unconscious mind. The part of our brain that we don't have access to, that's filled with dark imagery and forgotten memories. And CG saw similarities between his dreams, Helly's spirits, and Freud's descriptions of the unconscious. It made more sense to him that he and Helle were both experiencing psychological rather than supernatural phenomena. And this became even more apparent a few years into the seances when CG caught Helly hiding objects in her dress that she would throw across the room, trying to make it look like the spirits were doing it. He spent the first several years of his psychotherapy career writing about Helle and how he believed that her spirits were just manifestations of her unconscious mind. Her ability to know things that she shouldn't was either outright deception or just simple coincidence. And CG's skepticism grew to the point where he eventually challenged his own mentor, Sigmund Freud, and Freud's obsession with human sexuality as the driving force of all psychological behavior. Eventually, even CG's work would meet with some criticism from his successors. But again, that's just how science works. Regardless, CG or Carl Jung as he's better known today, was one of the founding fathers of modern psychiatry. He ensured that reason, not superstition, emerged as the prevailing force of the Victorian era. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. How do you stay cozy during the winter months? For some, wrapping up in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolates or watching a movie with family is the best way to spend the month of December. Me, I'd love to get a fire going in the fireplace, grab a good book and settle in. That said, therapy is a great way to bring yourself some comfort that never goes away, even when the seasons change. So consider this a little reminder to say thank you to the people in your life, including yourself. Need help finding the courage or strength to do that? That's where therapy can be a big help. I know how important and helpful therapy can be, and it isn't just for folks who have experienced major trauma. Therapy truly can empower you to be the best vers of yourself. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with the licensed therapist and switch therapists anytime for no additional charge. Find comfort this December with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.comCuriosities today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E L P.comCuriosities this episode is sponsored by Capital One. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks, Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC if reality TV has taught us anything, it's that humans can make a competition out of just about anything. Food is no exception. Whether it's in the breezy tent of the Great British Bake off or the bowels of Hell's Kitchen, we love watching chefs go toe to toe in culinary battles. The incredible popularity of these shows might lead you to think that cook offs are a modern invention, but that couldn't be further from the truth. We can trace them back centuries, all the way back to medieval Baghdad. During the 9th century, the city was one of the culinary capitals of the world. It was perfectly situated between Europe and Asia, giving its chefs Access to spices and recipes from the four corners of the globe. Meanwhile, the Caliph, or ruler of Baghdad, was a massive foodie and a decent amateur chef in his own right. Well, one day, the Caliph got into an argument with his brother over which of them was a better cook. Determined to prove himself, he sent his servants to the market with orders to bring back the ingredients for a feast. There was lamb and chicken, eggplants and apricots, salt, saffron, honey, half a dozen kinds of oils and spices from China and India. With everything assembled, the Caliph told his brother that they would each prepare a dish of their own choosing, using any ingredients they pleased. In the palace's state of the art kitchen, a panel of the best chefs in the city would serve as their judges. There would be no prize, though, you see, the brothers would simply be competing purely for bragging rights. But they weren't working alone. They would each be supported by an assistant pulled from the Caliph's cooking staff. And herein lay the Caliph's secret. For his assistant, he selected a young chef named Ibadah. The young man was talented, but had a reputation in the kitchens for being difficult to work with. The other cooks said that he was devious and not above sabotaging his coworkers to get ahead. And the Caliph knew that Ibata couldn't be trusted. And that's why he wanted him on his team. As the brothers got to work, the kitchen became a storm of activity. The assistants rushed back and forth, stoking the ovens and chopping herbs with abandon. Soon, fragrant aromas were wafting from opposite corners of the room. The Caliph grinned as he tasted his dish, confident that he would be crowned the victor. But his assistant Ibata wasn't so sure. The smell coming from their opponent's area was unbelievable. Better than anything prepared in that kitchen before. Worried, he drifted over, making a show of inspecting the competitor's dish. The Caliph's brother looked proud until Ibata wrinkled his nose in an expression of disgust. With a sigh, he remarked how unfair it was that the Caliph had neglected to share their secret ingredient. Hearing this, the Caliph's brother scowled. Of course, it was just like his brother to goad him into a competition, only to cheat. Furious, he demanded to know what secret ingredient the Caliph was using. Ibadah glanced back at the Caliph to make sure he wasn't watching, and then handed over a small jar of fermented sauce. It was only fair, he said, that everyone had access to the same materials, even if it lost him the competition. The brother's eyes flashed with triumph as he added the sauce to his dish, but within seconds its fragrant smell had become a noxious odor. The brother immediately realized that he had been tricked, but it was too late to salvage the dish. They were out of time, and upon tasting it, the judges unanimously proclaimed the caliph the winner. The ruler was so pleased by the victory, he immediately promoted his assistant to head chef. Ibadah left the kitchen feeling quite clever, but it wasn't long before he paid the price for his trickery. The Caliph died a few years later and his brother took the throne. The new ruler had never forgiven Ibadah and came dangerously close to having him executed. In the end, he decided the chef wasn't worth the trouble and simply exiled him. So, as brutal as modern competitions might seem, Ibadah's story shows that things could be a lot worse. In the world of medieval cook offs, you could go from top of the pack to the bottom in the blink of an eye. The stakes were sometimes a matter of life and death, and one wrong move could get you chopped. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting curiositiespodcast.com this show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it over@theworldoflore.com and until next time, stay curious.