Otherworld – Episode 148: "Athena"

Release Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Jack Wagner
Guests: Athena, Kate
Theme: Paranormal experiences in a historic Richmond house and the personal, emotional, and philosophical aftermath.

Overview

In this episode, host Jack Wagner shares the story of Athena, a 34-year-old hospice worker who, while in college, endured an escalating series of disturbing, seemingly paranormal events after moving into a 120-year-old Richmond, Virginia home with friends. Detailing everything from unusual noises to physical harm, Athena’s account explores the challenges of being believed, the role of spirituality and family, and the lasting impact of unexplainable experiences. The episode features both Athena’s perspective and firsthand corroboration from her friend, Kate.

Key Discussion Points

1. Athena’s Background and Outlook on Death

• [05:58–09:41]
  • Athena, now 34, is a clinical social worker with five years’ hospice experience in Richmond, Virginia.
  • She reflects on the unique "in-between" state near death: "It's kind of such a liminal space where you're not here, you're not there... It's the closest you can get to this kind of in-between." (Athena, 06:31)
  • During hospice work, she witnessed intuitive moments from patients near death, but never "something profound."
  • Grew up without organized religion but described herself as "open" and "spiritual."

2. Moving Into the Haunted House

• [11:08–12:43]
  • In 2010, sophomore year of college, Athena moved into an 1890-built row house with four friends.
  • She chose a windowless room, which later became central to her experiences.

3. Early Strange Occurrences

• [12:43–15:59]
  • During a housewarming party, unexplained smoke alarm goes off at 4am in an empty room.
  • Housemates jokingly ask if the place is haunted; this builds camaraderie but quickly becomes more serious after a roommate witnesses a door slam shut.

4. First Ouija Board Session

• [15:59–20:14]
  • Athena is cautious but joins when her roommates suggest a Ouija board session, insisting it take place outside on the front porch.
  • The board provides accurate answers to historical questions and appears to know personal information about a roommate’s grandfather’s house.
  • "We did ask the Ouija board... if it was responsible for the smoke alarm and the slammed door... it did claim ownership over those two things." (Athena, 19:43)
  • Session ends uneventfully, but Athena’s uneasiness intensifies.

5. Escalation of Activity

• [20:14–25:03]
  • That night, Athena is woken again at 4am by the sound of running water; both sink taps are blasting with no explanation.
  • Her cat reacts in alarm; none of her roommates claim responsibility.
  • Athena attempts to “clear the energy” with sage and a makeshift prayer.
  • Immediately after, she’s locked in the bathroom for 45 minutes—her roommates have to remove the hinges to free her.

6. Second and Third Ouija Board Sessions

• [32:34–36:29, 50:22–53:05]
  • Athena, seeking validation, participates in another Ouija session, where the board claims responsibility for the disturbances and says it’s angry about the sage.
  • The roommates remain skeptical and more entertained than afraid.
  • In a third session—after kitchen cabinets open on their own (Athena witnesses all are open after being out of the room for 30 seconds: "There was no going back from that..." [44:13])—the board begins counting ("1x, 2x, 3x...") without clear meaning. Athena abruptly ends the session due to her unease.

7. Physical and Psychological Impact

• [36:29–41:11, 53:05–61:27]
  • Recurring disturbing events: electrical disruptions at 4am, terrifying guttural coughing sounds, shared misheard noises, and intensely frightening dreams of a weeping, rocking man outside Athena’s door.
  • Athena grows increasingly isolated as roommates dismiss the severity of her experiences: "It felt like we were living in two different realities. I was beginning to feel like I was in a movie." (Athena, 41:11)
  • Emotional toll leads to sleep disruption, needing a roommate to sleep in her bed, and eventual breakdown.

8. Corroboration from Friend Kate: The Physical Attack

• [53:05–61:27]
  • During a party, while Athena quietly recounts her story to childhood friend Kate, Athena feels a burning pain on her arm.
  • Three deep scratches appear, bleeding; both Athena and Kate watch as the scratches and blood "fade before our eyes" into nothing but a bruise.
    • "She kind of reached back to the back of her arm, said she was having some pain. And there were these blatant scratches... And she was really freaked out... She looks back at her arm, and it's just gone. Which is bizarre. I don't, to this day, don't know what that was, but I swear, like, I saw it, too." – Kate [59:12–60:50]
  • This is Athena’s breaking point; she leaves the house, unable to cope or continue.

9. Aftermath & Cleansing Ritual

• [61:27–71:20]
  • Athena’s mother and grandmother arrange an in-person and remote spiritual cleansing of the house.
  • Athena’s grandmother, shrouded in family mystery, claims that the entity was too deeply connected to the house to be banished and instead "contained it below the staircase":
    • "It wasn't of this earth... it had been banished just below the staircase and could do no harm to me while I was there." (Grandmother via Athena, 74:26)
  • The atmosphere quiets, and Athena is able to finish the lease.
  • The experience is never discussed again with her roommates; a silent truce forms, akin to avoiding politics at the dinner table.

10. Long-Term Impact and Reflection

• [76:15–81:04]
  • The event leaves Athena with lasting awe and questions, fueling both fear and wonder.
  • It transforms her outlook on life and death, helping her through existential moments in her hospice career:
    • "This is an experience that I have drawn on more than one occasion... to ground me back and help me remember that there's... this isn't just meaningless..." (Athena, 80:06)
  • She continues to feel that her mother and grandmother are deeply connected to something mysterious and powerful.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• (On being drawn to hospice work):
  "It's kind of such a liminal space... the closest you can get to this kind of in-between." – Athena [06:31]

• (Ouija board’s claim of responsibility):
  “We did ask the Ouija board... if it was responsible for the smoke alarm and the slammed door... it did claim ownership over those two things.” – Athena [19:43]

• (Feeling the shift from reality to horror):
  "There's no words to describe the sense of a reality shift that was happening to me... Like, the sky is blue, and all of a sudden you learn the sky is actually red." – Athena [40:11]

• (Kate corroborates disappearing scratch):
  "There were these blatant scratches on the back of her arm... And she was really freaked out... She looks back at her arm, and it's just gone. Which is bizarre... But we both saw it." – Kate [59:12–60:50]

• (Grandmother's chilling explanation):
  "It wasn't of this earth and it was too connected to this house, so it could not be banished completely, but it had been banished just below the staircase and could do no harm to me while I was there." – Athena’s grandmother (via Athena) [74:26]

• (On living with lasting uncertainty):
  "It's just kind of like a splatter of events. And the moral of the story, listen to your grandmother. I don't know..." – Athena [79:33]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Athena’s hospice background: 05:58–09:41
• Moving into the house: 11:08–12:43
• First strange event (housewarming): 12:43–15:59
• First Ouija session: 15:59–20:14
• Locked in the bathroom after using sage: 25:03–27:11
• Second & third Ouija sessions: 32:34–53:05
• Kitchen cabinets all found open: 44:13–46:37
• Physical attack & disappearing wound (with Kate): 53:05–61:27
• Mom and grandmother cleanse the house: 66:29–71:20
• Grandmother’s revelation: 74:26–76:15
• Athena reflects on meaning: 76:15–81:04

Tone and Language

Athena’s narration is articulate, introspective, and vulnerable, shifting from cautious skepticism to mounting horror, and finally to awe. Host Jack Wagner maintains his signature open-minded, lightly humorous, but empathetic tone. Kate’s corroboration is matter-of-fact, adding weight and realism to Athena’s experience.

Summary

"Episode 148: Athena" dives deep into the human response to the inexplicable. Athena’s story of a string of disturbing, personal hauntings—from eerie sounds to a wound that disappears before her eyes—is not only a chilling account of possible paranormal activity, but also a meditation on isolation, belief, and the search for help in impossible circumstances. Her mother’s and grandmother’s intervention, and her eventual reckoning with the experience, foreground both the terrors and the wonders that can lie hidden in old houses—and in the unknown.

For Listeners

This episode provides both a gripping personal narrative and food for thought about the boundaries of experience, the strength found in family, and the importance of believing those who share the unexplainable. If you're interested in the lines between fear, reality, and wonder, "Athena" is a must-listen.