From public confrontations with Ray Martin, shock factor skits with Mormons, Masons and mission to unvcover some of the most taboo and quirkiest of subject matter, you may remember the hilarious moments John Safran has brought us over the years.
Today, he’s fallen in with the wrong crowd, again. He has spent months among sorcerers, satanists, and exorcists and he’s spilling the beans in a new podcast. Forget gentle white witches and tarot card readers. John packs his bag and fearlessly heads off to places where black magic leads not only to exorcisms but… murder. He flies to the US and investigates a gang who murdered a teenage girl for disturbing their satanic shrine. He sails to remote islands in Vanuatu, where laws have been passed to quash witchcraft and contravening them can lead to a public hanging or exile. Back in his hometown of Melbourne, he spends time with a Muslim professional who, convinced she is possessed by spirits, seeks an Islamic exorcism. John discovers that a belief in Black Magic can hold people together, and tear people apart. But why, in this world of science and rationality, are so many around the world still fearful of dark spirit realms? And what are police and psychologists meant to do to rein all this in?
Amazon Audible released some statistics to coincide with comedian and satirist John Safran’s new podcast which looks at the state of black magic, satanic practices and spiritual supernatural activity in Australia and around the world.
Some of the finds reveal:
- 52% of all Aussies have taken part in some sort of black magic (communicating with the dead, casting spells or curses, fortune telling and more)
- 52% would put a curse on someone if they had the chance, with politicians (26%) the most likely to get hit with a hex, followed by strangers who annoy them (19%) and bad drivers (19%).
- 42% have experienced divination or having their fortune read (tarot card reading, palm reading, etc. at 43%) is the most common occult activity, followed by communicating with the dead (e.g. Ouija board) (27%) and casting a spell (16%)
- Millennials (12%) and men (12%) are more likely to use magic if they could to make their partner more attractive
- A third (36%) of women would use magic if they could to eat whatever they want and not gain weight
The out of this world topics coupled with John’s sense of humour promises one rollercoaster of a journey. You can listen to the free audiobook with the Amazon Audible app or click through below for a sample listen.
