Spooked: “Los Awichus”

Podcast: Spooked (KQED + Snap Studios)
Host: Glynn Washington
Date: January 9, 2026
Featured Storyteller: Ladoysca
Episode Theme: Supernatural encounters and indigenous wisdom, told through an immersive firsthand story in Lake Titicaca, Peru.

Episode Overview

This episode of Spooked, titled “Los Awichus,” explores the intersection of ancient indigenous spirituality and eerie supernatural experience. Host Glynn Washington sets the tone with a mysterious Amazonian legend before transporting listeners to Isla Amantani on Lake Titicaca, Peru. The main story, told by Ladoysca, details her endeavor to help the local community and her chilling encounter with the island’s ancestral spirits—the Awichus. The episode weaves together themes of mystery, respect for tradition, and the unknown forces that watch over certain places.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Indigenous Knowledge and Mysticism

• Ancient Medicine in the Amazon:
  • Glynn Washington begins with a vivid legend of the Kashinawa people, who discovered a powerful frog medicine (kambo) through divine revelation rather than science.
    • “How do they know? Don’t have microscopes, centrifuges... Trial and error? Possible. Statistically. So the scientists, they sit with the elders...The elders answer. They say, the grandmother's spirit told us.” (05:34)
• Cultural Clash:
  • Western scientists are mystified by how tribes could possess such knowledge, underscoring the gap between empirical research and spiritual tradition.
    • “The scientists...ask very politely, how did your people figure this out?...The elders blink back...one of them finally says, what part of the grandmother spirit do you not understand?” (06:24)

2. Arrival at Isla Amantani and Embracing Andean Traditions

• Setting and Community:
  • Ladoysca arrives with plans to build a library but is met with both warmth and unease. The island’s traditions—like chewing coca leaves and local greetings—are explained in detail, highlighting the sacredness of local customs.
    • “There are kids playing around, wearing their little fleece chiito hats...The other locals are wearing colorful traditional costumes...There’s a sense of peacefulness that I can’t describe.” (08:14)
  • Sacred Rituals:
    • “In this community, coca leaves aren’t just a remedy, they are sacred...Together, these three leaves are called akintu.” (11:12)

3. The Legend of Los Awichus: Drawing the Line Between Living and Spirit

• Told by Locals:
  • Ladoysca is told about the Awichus—ancient ancestor spirits punished by the sun god and buried in the island, guardians of sacred spaces, to be left alone at night.
    • “The Awichos are the ancestors of our ancestors...They had their own laws, their own religion...But at some point, they disobeyed...The Sun God Inti burned them alive...” (13:59)
    • “The day is for the living and the night is for the spirits. The Awichos don’t bother us during the day. Why would we bother them at night?” (15:43)

4. Firsthand Supernatural Encounter

• Building Tension:
  • Ladoysca begins to feel profoundly watched on the island, a sensation she tries to rationalize as stress or cultural difference.
    • “I have this feeling of being watched. There’s a tingling down my spine...I don’t know where this feeling is coming from, but it’s as if someone is watching and wondering.” (09:43)
• Eerie Event at the Sacred Spring:
  • After a long, difficult day, Ladoysca visits a sacred spring and loses track of time. She encounters an old, dirt-covered woman who appears inexplicably behind a stone wall.
    • “There’s a short woman behind that stone wall...I can’t see her face...She starts trying to climb over the wall...I extend my hand and ... she ignores me.” (20:09–20:47)
  • The woman performs a strange ritual with coca leaves, whispering in Quechua, then vanishes into a sudden whirlwind.
    • “Her eyes are so black, dark and deep...She starts whispering and with her right hand she picks up a kirby leaf and then a round one ... She looks me right in the eye and starts talking. She’s speaking in Quechua so I can’t understand a thing.” (22:38–23:17)
    • “Suddenly. A really, really strong wind picks up...I close my eyes for a split second, open them. The wind stops and the woman is gone.” (24:13)

5. Local Interpretation & Aftermath

• Reactions of the Host Family:
  • The family listens gravely, but Papa Juan smiles and reassures her.
    • “The ancestors have given you their welcome and their blessings. You should feel accepted and joyful.” (27:55)
  • Encounter is framed both as a warning (“now you might get sick...”) and a blessing, depending on intentions and respect.
  • Transformative Outcome:
    • After the encounter, obstacles to the library project vanish; the community rallies and funding comes through.
      • “After this encounter, the project all of a sudden was back on track. The funding for the library came through...It just felt like the doors opened.” (28:36)
      • “For some, seeing an Awichu is bad luck, but for others it can be a welcome, a blessing.” (29:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Indigenous Knowledge vs. Science:
  “The grandmother spirit told us...What part of the grandmother spirit do you not understand?” (06:26) — Kashinawa elder (as relayed by Glynn Washington)

• Ladoysca’s First Impressions:
  “There’s a sense of peacefulness that I can’t describe.” (08:07) — Ladoysca

• On the Feeling of Being Watched:
  “It’s as if someone is watching and wondering: what are you doing here? Who are you?” (10:02) — Ladoysca

• On the Awichus:
  “They are the ancestors of our ancestors...They guard that land because not everyone is welcome there...” (13:59) — Local Community Member via Ladoysca

• Supernatural Encounter:
  “Her eyes are so black, dark and deep...her gaze is so heavy, so piercing, it’s like she’s looking right through me.” (21:40) — Ladoysca

• Community’s Response:
  “The ancestors have given you their welcome and their blessings. You should feel accepted and joyful.” (27:55) — Papa Juan

• Reflection:
  “This is an answer I wasn’t expecting. My rational mind is saying, wait, this is impossible.” (28:15) — Ladoysca

Key Timestamps

• 00:08–07:59: Glynn Washington’s opening; Amazonian frog medicine legend; the limits of scientific rationalism.
• 07:59–12:35: Ladoysca’s arrival, introduction to Isla Amantani, reception by local family.
• 13:04–15:43: Dinnertime; introduction to the legend of Los Awichus; warnings about the spirits.
• 16:08–20:13: Daily challenges; preparations for project; visit to sacred spring.
• 20:13–24:32: Ladoysca’s mystical encounter at the spring; mysterious old woman, ritual, and disappearance.
• 26:16–29:42: Aftermath; recounting the event to her hosts; community’s interpretation and blessings.
• 29:42–30:04: Resolution; sense of belonging; ongoing relationship with the island’s spirits.

Conclusion

“Los Awichus” is a deeply atmospheric episode about indigenous knowledge, spiritual guardianship, and the uneasy space between belief and skepticism. Through immersive storytelling, it asks: What unseen forces shape our destinies when we open ourselves to genuine connection and respect for ancient traditions? For Ladoysca, a brush with the supernatural becomes a turning point, unlocking possibility and binding her story to the island’s.

Memorable Final Thought:
“For some, seeing an Awichu is bad luck, but for others it can be a welcome, a blessing. Even today, there’s still work to do on Isla Amantani. Every time I visit, I still get this feeling of being watched... But I know who they are and they know me too.” (29:14–29:42 — Ladoysca)