Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
‘The Paranormal Is Simply The Catalyst’ For Jim Perry
As editor of What’s Up!,I absolutely love making podcasts with the wonderful artists, actors, musicians and makers of Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley. But listening to podcasts? Not so much — until a series of synchronicities brought me to “Euphomet,” a podcast by Jim Perry.
Here’s the background: I watch ghost shows — you know, “Ghost Adventures,” “Haunting in the Heartland,” “Kindred Spirits” — and finding a new one is like finding a $20 gold piece in my Cracker Jack box. Enter “Hellier,” an indie series created by Greg and Dana Newkirk which is available on Amazon Prime. Documentary filmmaker Karl Pfeiffer had heard about the potential for a great story he wanted to tell via a “Euphomet” podcast, and that was enough to get me listening. Through the magic of the internet, where you can meet people around the country, let me introduce you to Jim Perry in this week’s podcast Q&A.
Perry, a veteran of the advertising business, lives on the “more rugged edge” of the Oregon coast and says “Euphomet” is his day job.
“I have other projects I’m intimately involved in (like alternative wrestling promotion DEFY, and some freelance creative direction for brands) but I happily work on ‘Euphomet’ documentaries for a good majority of my time and see some financial stability come from it. I encourage folks to check out ‘Euphomet’ wherever you listen to podcasts and also consider giving a listen to ‘Stories With Sapphire,’ ‘Somewhere in the Skies,’ ‘Astonishing Legends,’ ‘American Hysteria,’ ‘Me And Paranormal You,’ ‘The Cosmic Nod,’ ‘Amenti’ and ‘Visitations.’”
Q. What and when was your first personal experience with the paranormal? And how did that affect your life going forward?
A. The first strange experience I remember happened when I was around 4 years old. I was sitting watching TV on my greatgrandparents’ floor when a vibrant blue ball of hot electricity slowly emerged from the screen. I followed it as it passed me into the kitchen and out the door, taking a fairly sharp turn in order to escape. I learned later that it could have been ball lightning, but its movement and maneuvering seemed strangely intelligent.
Q. I’ve heard you mention “Ghost Hunters Academy,” I think. Were you a participant? If so, how did that affect your life going forward?
A. I was not, but my collaborator on the short film series for “Euphomet” from Planet Weird, Karl Pfeiffer, was and it’s certainly informed his approach to the filmed investigation. I think he even won?
Q. When and how was “Euphomet” born?
A. Being a sort of excited, sleepless kid, I would listen to “Coast to Coast AM” with Art Bell every night, and it fueled a great curiosity for the strange while also making me fall in love with radio. So, as an adult and in the midst of a successful but very stressful career in advertising, I set out to ease some of that by creating projects that felt special to me. “Euphomet” was one of those outlets, and that started in 2014 as an online talk radio show, soon moving onto FM in Seattle where in addition to long-form conversation with guest experts on the phenomena we included short audio documentaries. In 2018, “Euphomet” relaunched as an audio documentary podcast, foregoing long conversation for intimate portraits of humans dealing with paranormal events that have shaped their lives.
Q. What are the parameters of things you want to talk about? And how did you decide them?
A. The show now is really about things like change, fear, acceptance; it’s about the human experience. The paranormal is simply the catalyst. What’s interesting to me is finding personal stories that include a startling, surprising or ironic transformation that involves the supernatural. I’m always looking for more personal stories, so I encourage readers to contact me after listening to the show!
Q. What did “Hellier” blowing up do to/for “Euphomet”?
A. “Hellier” blowing up has certainly driven new listeners to “Euphomet,” but I’m most pleased that my friends have created a project that has activated so much curiosity and seeking of the strange. It’s made an impact all over the world, and I can’t help but believe books by John Keel and others have also seen the benefit of the “Hellier-effect.”