Podcast Summary

Podcast: EXTRA ANORMAL
Host: Paco Arias
Guest: Christopher Durden
Episode: Mi Abuelo Era UN NAHUAL | Historias siniestras de Campesinos
Date: October 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this chilling episode of EXTRA ANORMAL, host Paco Arias welcomes paranormal storyteller Christopher Durden for a deep dive into sinister and supernatural stories from Mexican campesinos. The conversation explores legends, personal accounts, and the enduring mysticism linking rural life, ancestral beliefs, and unexplained phenomena. Through vivid storytelling, Paco and Christopher present harrowing tales—including those of brujos, nahuales, luminous creatures, cursed treasures, brujas (witches), and encounters with unexplainable forces—blending personal reflections, community testimonies, and a profound respect for the folk traditions of the Mexican countryside.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Unique Mysticism of the Mexican Countryside (00:00–11:30)

• Paco sets the tone, noting the heightened sense of mystery rural areas offer:
  "Los campesinos han sido testigos de lo inexplicable... experiencias que no se olvidan y que nos recuerdan que el campo, lo místico y lo terrenal siempre han estado entrelazados." (00:21, Paco)
• Christopher shares his personal journey into paranormal narration and his fascination with Mexican legends.

2. Why the Strongest Stories Come from Ranchos and Pueblos (06:04–11:30)

• Both agree rural life, with its isolation and connection to tradition, offers fertile ground for paranormal phenomena: "El terror real radica en que puede estar en la cotidianidad escondido…"
• Community customs: Taping mirrors, tying scissors as protective crosses, and rituals that reflect a syncretism of faith and superstition.

3. Don Seferino: El Abuelo Brujo—Levitation, Bilocation, and Curses (11:30–24:25)

• Story Highlight:
  Don Seferino, an infamous brujo reputed to levitate and be in two places at once. He helps people but also carries out dark tasks if asked, justified as part of a "universal plan."
• Possession Case:
  A desperate father brings his possessed daughter to Don Seferino. The exorcism ritual, involving a cow and resulting in the cow’s death after it utters words, becomes a community legend. (Approx. 14:00–21:00)

  “Don Zeferino empezó a hacer unos cánticos... y todos vieron como un animal, como esta vaca habló, dijo palabras y después de que habló cayó muerta.” (Approx. 19:45, Paco narrating)

• The act leaves Seferino weakened; after his death, his symbolic back birthmark disappears, and only his boots—rumored to retain his presence—are inherited by the grandson.

4. Family Legacies of Power and Sensitivity (24:25–28:27)

• Christopher reflects on inherited paranormal sensitivities in his family, recounting anecdotes of mind manipulation and predictive dreams.

5. Las Víboras que Brillan: Serpiente y el Tesoro Oculto (28:27–36:22)

• Legend: Shining snakes guarding revolutionary-era treasures.

  "Tienes que fijarte de estas culebras porque generalmente están cuidando un tesoro..." (29:55, Christopher)

• Personal account of the process: using a blessed or marked garment to reveal a hidden fortune, tied to rural Catholic mysticism and oral traditions.

6. La Luz Mala: Encounter on the Cerro (39:08–54:39)

• Julio Romero’s firsthand story: a "Luz mala"—fiery orb transforming into a burning woman—immobilizes and nearly kills him on a misty hill. The intervention of a non-devotional medallion inherited from his grandfather potentially saves his life.

  "De pronto una luz azul salió de mi pecho... y fue entonces cuando se apagaron las luces, se desvaneció." (Approx. 53:00, Paco narrating)

• Reflective discussion on the power of intention and inherited objects as sources of protection.

  "Es el poder tuyo el que le es otorgado a ese objeto, pero realmente te proteges con tu propio poder.” (53:58, Paco)

7. Brujas y el Ritual de los 12 Nudos (55:35–67:36)

• Tale of the tatarabuela, a famed witch-hunter. Using a consecrated bell rope and the prayer of “Las 12 verdades del mundo,” she traps a shapeshifting bruja (giant turkey), protecting her gifted newborn brother.

  "En el momento en el que se hace el tumulto... lo que hay ahí es una mujer que reconocieron... y para ese momento ya había perdido la vida." (62:30, Christopher)

• Details the profound folk rites around faith, intention, and protection from malevolent forces.

8. El Vendedor de Llantas y la Gárgola del Pueblo (67:36–84:15)

• Arturo’s account: In need of money for his sick son, he enters an isolated village lined with crosses and saints for protection. Townsfolk warn him of a monstrous entity, later experienced as a literal demonic creature attacking his truck at night. Scratches and scars left on the truck serve as chilling proof of his ordeal.

9. Nahuales: Encounter with a Shape-shifting Ancestor (84:17–94:47)

• Recent Case: A campesino with the power to shape-shift is kidnapped for ransom. He escapes by transforming into a nearby cat, later bringing spiritual "justice" on his captors. The fortune amassed through supernatural means disappears after his death, teaching lessons on legacy and consequences.

  “Uno de los precios de tener poder es no saber cuándo detenerte. Y empiezas a querer usarlo y usarlo…” (89:10, Christopher)

10. Reflections and Closing Thoughts (95:56–end)

• The episode closes with the hosts marveling at the intensity and breadth of Mexican rural folklore—and its blend of terror, spirituality, and even comfort.

  "El terror, el misterio, lo paranormal, lejos de atemorizarme me trae una paz, una tranquilidad..." (95:56, Christopher)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of intention:

  "Es el poder tuyo el que le es otorgado a ese objeto, pero realmente te proteges con tu propio poder."
  (53:58, Paco Arias)

• On the effect of the supernatural:

  "Uno de los precios de tener poder es no saber cuándo detenerte. Y empiezas a querer usarlo, usarlo, usar."
  (89:10, Christopher Durden)

• On legacy and faith:

  “Muchos me preguntaron sobre la misteriosa luz azul de mi pecho... esa luz venía de una medalla, fue un obsequio de mi abuelo el día de su fallecimiento...”
  (54:39, Paco narrating quote from Julio Romero)

• On rural fear and protection:

  "Me llamó la atención... todas las casas, entre las ventanas y la puerta, tenían una cruz de cal..."
  (71:39, Paco narrating)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–06:04 — Introduction, podcast setup, theme overview
• 11:30–24:25 — Don Seferino, brujo legendario; possession and exorcism story
• 28:27–36:22 — The legend of shining snakes and buried treasure
• 39:08–54:39 — La Luz Mala: the burning woman on the mountain
• 55:35–67:36 — Witch-hunting ancestral ritual and the 12 knots ritual
• 67:36–84:15 — The tire salesman and the demon/gargoyle on rural roads
• 84:17–94:47 — The nahual grandfather who escapes kidnappers
• 95:56–end — Reflections and closing remarks

Final Reflections

The episode acts as both a collection of supernatural folk wisdom and a meditation on the enduring power of stories passed through rural generations. Listeners are left with a vivid catalogue of eerie experiences underscored by the belief that, in the Mexican countryside, the boundary between the mundane and the mystical is often barely there—guarded only by the faith, love, and resilience of those who call it home.