Podcast Summary: Haunted Cosmos

Episode: Cryptid Birds, Smiling Men, and Premonitions (S7, E1)

Hosts: Ben Garrett & Brian Sauvé
Release Date: April 1, 2026

Episode Overview

The Season 7 premiere of Haunted Cosmos plunges into the eerie world where the supernatural brushes against catastrophe. Ben and Brian explore recurring motifs of bird-like harbingers of doom, unsettling humanoid visitors, and uncanny premonitions experienced before tragedies. Drawing parallels between tales like the infamous Mothman, legends from Chernobyl and Pripyat, and harrowing first-hand accounts from both folklore and history, the hosts ask: What warnings do we receive from beyond, and do we recognize them? The episode also examines how myth sometimes arises from calamity, blending fact, fiction, and our need to find larger meaning.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Harbinger of Chernobyl: Birds of Pripyat

(00:01–20:41, Cold Open Narrative)

• The hosts present a dramatized retelling of the Chernobyl disaster, focusing on rumors of a monstrous black bird seen by workers before the meltdown.
• Multiple first-hand-like accounts are recounted—engineers see a huge, shadowy bird with glowing red eyes, disturbing calls, and strange dreams and prophetic phone calls follow.
• The motif mirrors tales of the Mothman in Point Pleasant, WV—a creature seen as a warning before disaster strikes.
• Ben and Brian discuss the uncertainty surrounding the "birds of Pripyat" stories: were they real, creepypasta, or historical portents?

"Some believe this beast, this fallen elemental, served as a harbinger of the doom sealed into the fate of Chernobyl and Pripyat. Some mourn the lack of action taken in response to such high strangeness. But honestly, what would any of us have done?" (19:37, Ben–narration)

• The link between disaster and supernatural warning is a recurring theme across time and places.

2. Birds as Supernatural Portents

(28:02–33:01, Discussion)

• Ben draws from myth and biblical precedent—crows, ravens, and other birds often symbolize prophecy, doom, or divine intervention.
• The hosts riff on mythological figures (Odin’s ravens, dragons, thunderbirds) and the intelligence of crows.
• Brian ponders why birds recur as omens in so many cultures.
• Ben: "There’s this kind of ancient significance to the bird figure with dragons, with angels, with chimera from old myths. And I think that those things had some basis in reality." (33:01)
• They relate bird portents to biblical events, like the angel executing judgment over Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 21).

3. Men in Black, Smiling Men, and Indrid Cold

(43:12–67:47, Storytime & Analysis)

Indrid Cold and the Smiling Man Encounters

• Brian recounts Woody Derenberger’s 1966 encounter with Indrid Cold—a humanoid with a wide, fixed smile and telepathic powers, preceding the Mothman and Silver Bridge collapse.
• Albert Bender’s story (founder of the first UFO bureau) and his chilling encounters with "three men in black":
  • Telepathy, putrid odors, freezing sensations, dreamlike states.
  • Repeated visitations leading Bender to shut down his organization.
• The Jersey City Smiling Man: Two boys encounter an impossibly tall smiling figure in a green suit—a sight occurring simultaneously with UFO sightings.
• Brian: “We are embodied souls. We have the capacity to be aware of evil and to even discern spirits.” (59:41)
• Discussion of the psychological phenomenon the "uncanny valley"—how things that are almost human but not quite cause deep unease.

Skepticism and Myth-Making

• The hosts caution against unwavering credulity, noting some stories are creepypasta or embellished over time, while others feature corroborated, consistent eyewitness accounts.
• Ben: "As you look into these things, you don't want to be like overly gullible or naive. You want to still be sober minded and try to think through what if this is the human tendency to project more importance onto a thing than is actually there?" (96:33)

4. Premonitions and Dreams Before Disaster: Aberfan Tragedy

(76:17–91:08, Story & Reflection)

• The story shifts to factual tragedy—the collapse of a Welsh coal tip in 1966 that killed 144, mostly children at Pantglas School.
• Multiple children reportedly had recurring nightmares and shared strange statements or drawings foretelling the disaster—well-documented by psychiatrist Dr. John Barker in the aftermath.
• They note, unlike biblical premonitory dreams, these warnings offered no fruit (salvation or prevention)—raising theological and philosophical questions about their purpose.
• Brian: "The thing can happen…So it’s not insane or impossible, but it is uncanny. So strange." (89:46)

5. How Myths Arise: The Angels of Mons

(97:47–End, Hot Close)

• The Battle of Mons (WWI): Amidst British defeat, rumors spread of angelic archers (the “Angels of Mons”) turning the tide—hundreds of soldiers claimed to witness them.
• Origin traced to Arthur Machen’s fictional story ("The Bowman"), showing how myth and hope emerge from trauma and become accepted as truth.
• The hosts muse on humanity’s impulse to seek meaning or supernatural intervention in tragedy:

"The story stands as a testament to the power of myth and the human mind and soul's desire to impose greater meaning upon the events of their lives." (107:20, Narration)

• They ponder if such stories—real, embellished, or inspirational—serve as moral and spiritual reinforcement in times of crisis.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Birds and Portents:
  "In the Slavic mind…birds, I think it’s either crows or ravens, are harbingers of doom."
  (28:22, Brian)
• Smiling Men:
  “He could still see, standing a few feet inside the door, were three figures made of darkness. They moved toward him, but their movement was…It was just wrong.”
  (49:58, Narration, Bender story)
• On Evidence and Skepticism:
  "I gotta keep it a hundred. I gotta keep it a dollar bill with you. What does Emmer say? 100. Cash. Got to keep it cash money with you guys… a lot of the Birds of Pripyat stories…was creepypasta from the early 2000s. Not original 1980s material."
  (25:13, Brian)
• Philosophy of Warning:
  “Disaster does not befall a city unless the Lord in His Providence, at the minimum, governs all things…we know that when disaster strikes, man is actually authorized to read it and to say, like, what are we supposed to take from this?”
  (36:04, Brian)
• On Aberfan and Premonition:
  “You could say that it’s a post hoc ergo proctor hoc, you know…”
  (85:59, Ben)
• Children's Premonitions:
  “There were dozens of examples of people finding notes that their child had written and hadn’t told anyone about. And it was akin to two weeks die, die, die. Really dark stuff and otherwise well adjusted, happy children…”
  (87:09, Ben)
• On Human Myth-Making:
  “The story stands as a testament to the power of myth and the human mind and soul’s desire to impose greater meaning upon the events of their lives.”
  (107:20, Narration)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01 – Cold Open: The landscape, history, and hauntings of Pripyat
• 07:44 – Chernobyl disaster retelling & supernatural bird sightings
• 13:20 – Modern-day paranormal investigations in Pripyat
• 17:40 – Pre-disaster omens: dreams, calls, and visions
• 20:41 – Official Season 7 intro, banter, and motifs overview
• 28:02 – Deep dive: Mythic birds, biblical and folkloric symbolism
• 33:28 – Reliability of witnesses, connection to Mothman lore
• 43:12 – Story: Indrid Cold and other Smiling Men encounters
• 58:35 – “Devil in the Diner” story, the uncanny, human perception of evil
• 67:47 – Uncanny valley, AI and false consciousness
• 76:17 – Aberfan: detailed retelling and premonitory dreams of children
• 85:00 – Aftermath and analysis of Aberfan, the mystery of "fruitless" warnings
• 91:34 – Children’s uncanny statements: stories for levity and reflection
• 97:47 – Hot close: The Angels of Mons and the mechanics of myth
• 107:20 – Reflection: The enduring power of stories and belief

Episode Tone & Highlights

• Atmospheric storytelling—the hosts narrate with cinematic detail, from haunting landscapes to unease of encounters.
• Playful banter and meta-humor, especially around ads, internet culture, and engagement with their own mythos.
• Thoughtful theological reflection, balancing skepticism with open-mindedness about supernatural phenomena.
• Engagement with listeners’ stories, promising more crowd-sourced tales in the future.

For fans of supernatural lore, Fortean mysteries, and thoughtful explorations of metaphysical themes, this episode stands as a strong, spooky, and searching start to Haunted Cosmos Season 7.