The following written confession was submitted via email: …My wife woke me up and said that she thought something was in our backyard. We both go to the kitchen window that the dog was barking at and when we look out towards the back left corner of our fence we both see this white form clear our 7 foot fence as if it was hopping over a puddle. When I asked my wife if she saw it she said yes. As I looked out in the backyard in a tired confusion I could see two white objects laying in the yard. It was very dark but there was enough ambient moonlight that I could see something….

In this crossover episode, Tony from The Confessionals Podcast joins the crew at Ninjas Are Butterflies for a deep dive into the unknown. The conversation spans government UFO cover-ups, suppressed evidence, and recent disclosure claims that hint at a far bigger mystery. From UFO conspiracies and alien agendas to cryptid legends and terrifying real-life encounters — If you’re drawn to the shadows of the unexplained, you won’t want to miss this one.

Every state in America has its own share of strange legends, mysterious creatures, and stories that blur the line between myth and memory. From swamp beasts in the bayous to ghostly hitchhikers on desolate highways, the U.S. is a patchwork of paranormal lore. And what better state to start with than the one we call home—Tennessee. With its ancient mist-covered mountains, deep lakes, and centuries of layered history, the Volunteer State is teeming with cryptid tales that refuse to die. Below are some of the most legendary monsters said to roam Tennessee’s woods and waters.

The following written confession was submitted via email: …When I was 18 or 19 yrs old I saw something at 1 or 2 am on Skyline Drive in Virginia, just north of the swift run entrance which is on Rt 33. I went up there during that winter night to listen to distant cb traffic in my car. If I'm not mistaken it was January or February of 1991. I had not long returned home from Ft Benning Georgia after completing basic training. I had driven 1 or 2 miles north after entering the drive and did a U turn to pull off at an overlook to listen to my Cb radio…

Tony Merkel uncovers eerie connections between Dogman, ancient burial sites, and the Nephilim—including a chilling 1936 encounter where the creature spoke the word “Gadara.” From AI’s bizarre hallucinations and cryptid connections to the rising number of Dogman sightings near cemeteries, Tony dives deep into the supernatural.

The following written confession was submitted via email: …[Y]ears ago when I was a teenager, a small group of neighborhood boys and I were chased out of a cornfield that butted up against our subdivision. The thing (for lack of a better word) was Jet black and hunched over like an ape or some kind of beast. It was staring at us from about 20-30 feet away and practically motionless…

If you’ve ever found yourself in a cozy cabin on a snowy night, gazing out into the frosty wilderness, you might have wondered what might be lurking just beyond the trees. Maybe a bear, maybe an Abominable Snowman, or maybe the Winter Werewolf, a beast both feared and revered in wintry folklore!

The following written confession was submitted via email: To put in perspective I’m from northwestern pa this happens yrs ago the first story I was with my grandmother who is this 4’11 full blooded sioux she always cranky and she’ll smack a smile off a grizzly well one night we were sitting at the table eating dinner mind you she liked her whiskey could drink everclear straight kind of women so as we’re sitting at the table we start hearing this weird like grunting sounds coming from the outside like a mixture of a dog an a pig…

The following written confession was shared via email: …I was drawn to and at the edge of the woods at this point when all of a sudden heard a low grumbling growl in the darkness. It was so dark and our phone flashlights wouldn't reach too far. I felt instant fear and an urgency to leave but I needed to know I had actually heard something so I walked away slowly back towards the group. But as I took just a couple steps away from the wood line I heard it again…

The following written confession was submitted via email: …Shortly after passing Oakley North houses and getting to where the woods were on both sides, I began hearing something large in the woods, walking as I would walk, and if I'd stop it would stop…

Tony Merkel sits down with Larry Ragland on The Big Picture to dive into the mysterious world of the paranormal and supernatural. They tackle questions that have intrigued high strangeness believers for generations, from werewolves and Bigfoot, to open portals and Skinwalker Ranch, to extraterrestrial beings and more.

The following written confession was submitted via email: I have a story where I saw something very unusual as a teen with my parents while driving on our country road. It was only a few seconds but I’ve never forgotten it…

The following written confession was submitted via email: I live in Redding ca about an hour south of mount shasta. Last Tuesday ago around 9 pm I was driving home and came inches away from hitting a dog man. Most terrifying moment of my life….

The following written confession was submitted via Reddit: …If I remember correctly it was the 2nd of May 2022 and as I said I was in the forest near the village of Giron to pick berries. I was alone there was no one around but it was not something strange because it's a very sparsely populated part of France. The thing that felt strange was the fact that I did not see any animals. No deer, no wild boars, no foxes. It was silent…

The following written confession was submitted via email: Long story short I had heard a local, old cemetery was guarded by a dogman. Me and my buddy went and snuck to the back where this dogman/cryptid was supposedly found. This cemetery has older gravesites at it from about the late 1800s in the back where we were. We had read it was found around the children's stones. On the walk there I'm looking in the tree line to my right and I see an odd silhouette…