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A new YouGov survey reveals just how many Americans believe in the supernatural—and how many have experienced something they can't explain. With Halloween approaching, ghosts and haunted houses are getting their annual moment in the spotlight. But according to a new national survey, Americans are even more likely to believe in demons.
In this episode of Slingshot Nation Live, we investigate the darker side of the music industry, exploring controversial performances, disturbing symbolism, mysterious lyrics, and questions surrounding some of the biggest names in entertainment. From Taylor Swift's comments about ritualistic elements in her concerts to Miley Cyrus's mysterious song lyrics, we explore the growing conversation surrounding occult imagery, alleged satanic rituals, and the spiritual implications of modern music and entertainment. Are these performances simply artistic expression and theatrical symbolism, or could there be deeper spiritual meanings behind what millions of people are watching and participating in?
The following written confession was submitted via email:
This experience happened in ten mile tn a small rural town I was 16 and just got my license and my first car me and a friend were looking for something to do one night in a town with virtually nothing to do we got on the subject of the hanging tree rumored that’s where they used to hang people back in the day my friend asked if I had ever been I said no and that’s when he asked if I’d like to go of course I said hell yes let’s go he said he was pretty sure he could get us there or could find it so we took off it was very dark on this particular night . . .
What’s happening at the suspected Noah’s Ark site in Turkey? Tony sits down with the lead investigator of the Durupinar site for an exclusive interview about the latest developments and the ongoing search for Noah’s Ark. Slingshot Nation, we’re switching things up today. Tony had an opportunity to go straight to the source and talk about the news coming out of Turkey, so we’re bringing that conversation to you in place of our usual format. What are investigators reporting, what could it mean, and how close are we to getting answers about this mysterious formation? Watch the interview, hear the update firsthand, and let us know where you stand. Could the Durupinar site hold the remains of Noah’s Ark?
Tony Merkel sits down with Tim Pool for a discussion on the unexplained, spiritual mysteries, and the unknown. Together, they dive into cryptid encounters, supernatural forces, government cover-ups, and the possibility that our understanding of reality is far from complete.
Loch Ness is seeing a sharp rise in reported monster encounters this year. In August, the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register had logged nine sightings for 2026, putting the year just one report behind the 10 sightings recorded during all of 2025. Now, only about a month later, the 2026 total has climbed to 17.
The latest UFO disclosure drop may be connecting dots that have been sitting in plain sight for decades. We dive into newly released UAP material involving strange craft encounters, unexplained injuries, warp-drive concepts, wormholes, government contractors, and the $22 million program connected to Skinwalker Ranch—where researchers investigated everything from UFOs and orbs to poltergeist activity and Bigfoot-like creatures. But what if these stories aren’t separate at all? We examine reports of massive cloud-like UAPs, government research into breakthrough propulsion, Bigelow-linked programs, and the possibility that the most important data has never been made public. From Skinwalker Ranch to interdimensional theories and secret aerospace research, this episode asks whether the latest disclosure is finally revealing pieces of a much larger picture.
September 26, the last Saturday of the month, is National Ghost Hunting Day, a perfectly normal occasion dedicated to voluntarily entering dark places and asking unseen occupants to make themselves known. Whether you think haunted locations are genuinely active, psychologically unsettling, historically interesting, or some combination of all three, there are still a few approaches that seem unnecessarily ambitious. So in honor of the day, here are ten things we would strongly consider not doing.
Researchers investigating the boat-shaped Durupınar formation in eastern Türkiye have moved beyond radar scans and surface surveys and are now physically drilling into the site, producing one of the most direct tests yet of claims surrounding the possible location of Noah’s Ark.
The Pentagon has released its sixth batch of records on unidentified anomalous phenomena, adding 71 files to the government’s growing public archive of UFO-related material. The release includes 55 PDFs, 15 videos and one audio recording, with documents dating from 1952 through 2025. Most contain at least some redacted information. Among the most notable records are documents connected to the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program, or AAWSAP, a Defense Intelligence Agency initiative established in 2008 to examine advanced aerospace threats and technologies that could emerge through 2050.
Something strange is happening at the top of the AI industry. OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and xAI’s Elon Musk are suddenly sounding similar warnings about the pace of advanced AI development. At the same time, former OpenAI and Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon is raising alarms about the race toward artificial superintelligence. In this episode of Slingshot Nation, Tony, Jack, and Derek break down the AI 2027 scenario, self-improving AI, the global race with China, government systems like Sentient, and the growing concern that AI may soon advance faster than anyone can control. Are these warnings simply preparation for what’s coming—or have the people closest to the technology already seen something that changed the conversation?
Is demonic possession becoming more visible in public? In this episode of Slingshot Nation, Tony, Jack, and Derek examine several disturbing recent stories, including Jonathan Cahn’s attack on an airplane, the Lindsay Clancy case, and the shocking Times Square stabbing in New York involving a woman armed with large knives who continued advancing after police deployed Tasers. The guys ask whether these incidents could point to something deeper happening spiritually or whether there are other explanations that need to be considered. The conversation will break down the signs of demonic possession, demonic influence, spiritual oppression, unusual behavior, hostility toward God, and other traits traditionally associated with demonic activity in Scripture and Christian teaching. How can believers distinguish between mental illness, criminal behavior, spiritual warfare, demonic oppression, and possible possession without jumping to conclusions? This episode explores demonic possession, spiritual warfare, demons, deliverance, Jonathan Cahn, Lindsay Clancy, the Times Square stabbing, biblical demonology, and supernatural encounters, while asking one central question: Are we witnessing a rise in demonic possession?
Messianic rabbi and author Jonathan Cahn says a disturbing confrontation aboard a commercial flight took on a supernatural significance for him after an apparently friendly conversation with another passenger suddenly turned violent.
What happens when entire islands appear, disappear, and leave behind no trace? Today on Slingshot Nation, Tony, Derek, Jack, and Brian (Tony & Jack’s dad) are diving into the mysteries of floating islands, the Philadelphia Experiment, MH370, UFOs, and the possibility that secret technology could be crossing the boundaries between worlds. They’ll also explore strange manuscripts, occult knowledge, supernatural encounters, and the idea that humanity may have gained access to things it was never meant to understand. Could these disappearances be connected, and are we seeing evidence of something moving through the veil?
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What if an entire island nation is hiding a supernatural reality the rest of the world knows nothing about? Missionary Joanna Lee joins Tony to reveal disturbing accounts emerging from the Solomon Islands, where locals claim giants still inhabit the mountains and mysterious crafts travel beneath the ocean. As Joanna and her family minister to the people, they encounter violent demonic manifestations that challenge everything they thought they understood about spiritual warfare. Testimonies from a former witch doctor expose an alleged hidden world where ancient bloodlines and forbidden rituals are deeply connected to the island's supernatural mysteries. Could the Solomon Islands be concealing a spiritual stronghold preparing for something far greater?
What if the four alien species repeatedly mentioned by UFO insiders have a connection to something written in the Bible thousands of years ago? Tony Merkel sits down with Pastor Larry Ragland to explore a startling theory linking the Nordics, Greys, Mantids, and Reptilians to the four levels of spiritual authority described in Ephesians 6. With prominent voices in the UFO disclosure community reporting the same four types of beings, Larry believes the similarities deserve a closer look. Could these entities be manifestations of an ancient spiritual hierarchy operating behind the scenes of human history? Tony and Larry examine what Scripture reveals about unseen powers and question the true intentions behind the growing push for extraterrestrial disclosure. If these beings are not what humanity has been led to believe, what happens when the world finally encounters them?
How do you know the spirit speaking to you is telling the truth? In this episode, Tony sits down with Larry Ragland to examine spiritual discernment and the danger of entities that mix truth with deception. They discuss false voices, NHI, testing supernatural claims through Scripture, and why discernment requires more than simply trusting an experience because it feels good or sounds convincing. The conversation ultimately turns to salvation, evangelism, and the responsibility Christians have to recognize deception and point people toward the truth of Jesus Christ.
What does it look like when God calls you to something before you fully understand what you’re being called into? Tony looks back at the path that led him to start The Confessionals. At first, he thought he was simply following a call to podcast. Over time, the stories he heard began to collide with experiences of his own. The deeper he went, the harder it became to dismiss what was happening. Strange encounters became personal. Spiritual warfare became real. What once felt like curiosity began to look like preparation. That journey ultimately forced Tony to confront a much bigger question about the world around us and the forces operating within it. Those conclusions became the foundation for The Confessionals: Exposing Warring Kingdoms.
Could something ancient still be hiding in the mountains of East Tennessee? Tony Merkel talks with Tabitha Prock about her family’s encounters with the mysterious White Thing and her father’s story of witnessing the excavation of an enormous skeleton. As they dig deeper, the conversation begins to connect these strange accounts to the history of the land and the unsettling stories that have been passed down through generations. Tabitha explains why she believes these experiences are more than just local folklore and why certain places in the region seem to carry something unusual about them. The deeper they go, the harder it becomes to separate legend from forgotten history—and this conversation makes it clear there is still much more waiting to be uncovered.
What happens when spiritual warfare becomes something you can actually see and fight on the other side? Tony Merkel sits down with Jade to explore his extraordinary experiences in the Second Heaven, where he describes dark strongholds and terrifying encounters with Dogman entities during battles that feel every bit as physical as our own reality. Jade reveals what he believes is happening beyond the veil and why these encounters may have implications for the spiritual warfare taking place here. But when he ventures deeper into this hidden realm, he encounters something far more massive and disturbing than the Dogmen.
Can Christians have demons—or does salvation mean demonic influence is no longer possible? In this powerful conversation, Tony Merkel sits down with evangelist Ben Hughes to explore Christian deliverance, spiritual oppression, the Holy Spirit, and the supernatural power of God. Ben shares his dramatic conversion story, his first encounters with deliverance, and what he says he has witnessed after decades of ministry—including demons leaving Christians, miraculous healings, and lives radically transformed by Jesus.
The conversation also tackles one of the biggest questions facing the modern Church: Does Jesus still heal today? Ben recounts stories of blind eyes seeing, deaf ears opening, people leaving wheelchairs, and his own family walking through severe sickness while continuing to believe God for healing. Tony also opens up about spiritual warfare surrounding his own calling and ministry. Whether you’re skeptical of deliverance, convinced the gifts of the Spirit continue today, or simply trying to understand what Scripture says about the supernatural, this conversation will challenge you to take another look.
What could make a man abandon everything he believed and risk his life to follow Jesus? Tony Merkel sits down with Steve Kang to hear his incredible journey from a radical Buddhist upbringing to becoming a passionate follower of Christ. After a devastating spiral led to a life-threatening crisis, Steve says he experienced the terrifying reality of Hell before his life took a dramatic turn toward Jesus. His transformation would eventually take him into underground churches in China, where he witnessed Christians risking everything for their faith. This is a powerful story of redemption, radical faith, and what it truly means to surrender everything to follow Jesus.
Can something follow a family for generations without anyone fully understanding what it is? Tony Merkel sits down with Kathryn to unpack a disturbing encounter at her parents’ home that turned an ordinary night into a terrifying confrontation with something she couldn’t explain. What happened next forced her to confront the reality of spiritual warfare and ultimately discover the power and protection found in Jesus Christ. As they dig into her family’s history, the more it appears her encounter may not have started with her.
How deep can someone go into witchcraft before there seems to be no way back? Jenny Joy joins Tony Merkel to share a disturbing journey through childhood trauma, occult practices, demonic encounters, and an underground witchcraft temple that pulled her deeper into darkness. Even after coming to Jesus, Jenny says the spiritual battle was far from over, leading to a series of intense deliverance experiences that exposed just how much torment had followed her for years. Her story moves from terrifying encounters and spiritual bondage into a fight for freedom, healing, and a completely transformed life. This is a powerful testimony of deliverance, spiritual warfare, and what happened when a former witch finally broke free.
What if the spiritual war around us is happening in a realm we can’t see? Tony Merkel revisits the incredible experiences of Hunter, Jade, and Caleb, three men whose encounters with the Second Heaven begin connecting in ways that are difficult to ignore. From Dogman and mysterious portals to direct encounters with spiritual warfare, their stories suggest that the supernatural world may be far more active—and much closer to our reality—than most people realize.
As their experiences begin lining up, Tony explores what these encounters could reveal about the unseen battle taking place around us and why understanding the darkness ultimately points back to the protection, authority, and hope found in Jesus Christ.
Could the truth behind alien abductions be far more disturbing than the public has been led to believe? The Confessionals host Tony Merkel sits down with Karin Wilkinson, author of Stolen Seed, Evil Harvest, to hear her chilling testimony of a lifetime of encounters that began in childhood and eventually led her into what she describes as a hidden underground program. As her memories became clearer, Karin began questioning who these beings really were, what they wanted from humanity, and why she believes the truth is being hidden behind the growing UFO disclosure narrative. Her search for answers ultimately led her to a terrifying conclusion about the spiritual nature of these entities and the deception surrounding them. But Karin’s story doesn’t end in fear. She reveals the moment everything changed when she turned to Jesus Christ and discovered that the beings she had feared her entire life no longer had power over her.
Something is shifting, and what happened behind the scenes at The Confessionals has the team convinced the battle is becoming more real. After an intense Second Heaven roundtable, a violent storm moves in as disturbing dreams and unexplained experiences begin unfolding across multiple homes. The timing and similarities are difficult to ignore, leaving Tony and the team questioning just how much spiritual warfare is taking place beyond what we can see. But as the darkness becomes more tangible, so does their understanding of the authority and power found in Jesus Christ. This raw conversation pulls back the curtain on a remarkable twenty-four hours that may mark the beginning of an entirely new chapter for The Confessionals.