Tag: joseph matheny

Tales of perpetual fire, demons and ghosts haunt these creepy US towns

It’s that time of the year again! Every Samhain, the Internet lights up (or darkens?) with spooky stories and inevitably, Ong’s Hat gets thrown into the mix. Here’s an entry from this year’s mentions. Expect more. New Jersey’s Pine Barrens The Pine Barrens of New Jersey encompass several towns and counties, and in the most… Continue reading Tales of perpetual fire, demons and ghosts haunt these creepy US towns

Sidetracked – Ong’s Hat, Incunabula, and Online Legend Trips

This episode deviates slightly from the stories of ghosts and demons featured in most episodes to discuss one of the internet’s earliest conspiracy theories. This story contains travel to alternate Earths, encounters with paranormal phenomena, mysticism and chaos magic, shadowy government agents bent on stripping humanity of freedom, and lots of drugs and sex. It… Continue reading Sidetracked – Ong’s Hat, Incunabula, and Online Legend Trips

Unfolding Alternate Realities, Ong’s Hat, Synchronicity and more with Joseph Matheny

LINK: https://consensusunreality.podbean.com/e/unfolding-alternate-realities-ongs-hat-synchronicity-and-more-with-joseph-matheny/ A deep and roving interview with the great artist and writer Joseph Matheny. We talk: the origins of his legendary Ong’s Hat project in the very early days of the internet; mail art, collaboration,  and finding new media; the trajectory of ARGs and the internet; the power of synchronicity and art in driving a… Continue reading Unfolding Alternate Realities, Ong’s Hat, Synchronicity and more with Joseph Matheny

LEAKED Portal Experiments in New Jersey?

“Ong’s Hat” might be the most bizarre early internet story that’s ever existed. It’s a mystery named after a ghost town called Ong’s Hat in New Jersey—a mystery revolving around mad science experiments in the woods, a portal to another world, and a trail of leaked information online that some believe reveals the truth of… Continue reading LEAKED Portal Experiments in New Jersey?

Ong’s Hat: The Internet Myth That Became a Reality

The strange saga of Ong’s Hat is one of the earliest and most enduring legends of the internet — an elaborate blend of fact, fiction, and possibility. Born in the early days of online bulletin boards, the “Ong’s Hat” story told of a secret interdimensional travel project hidden deep in the New Jersey Pine Barrens,… Continue reading Ong’s Hat: The Internet Myth That Became a Reality

EarMobPodcast Ep. 27 I Read It On The Internet So It Must Be True w. Joseph Matheny

https://youtu.be/7qiEMoc6G04 p. 27 I Read It On The Internet So It Must Be True w. Joseph Matheny. Joseph joins us to discuss Ong’s Hat, and how the Internet caused his social experiment to have a life of it’s own. A fun little interview I did with EarMobPodcast 08/11/25, just having some fun and reliving some… Continue reading EarMobPodcast Ep. 27 I Read It On The Internet So It Must Be True w. Joseph Matheny

Ongs Hat Compleat – Official Soundtrack

LINK: https://polypores.bandcamp.com/album/ongs-hat-compleat-official-soundtrack Also, a great write-up of this project: https://moonbuilding.substack.com/p/issue-73-1-august-2025 The soundtrack to the audiobook version of Ong’s Hat: Compleat New addition: Hat Complete soundtrack! The dl now includes a PDF of the text version of the book, kindly provided by Joseph Matheny. It’s full of links to take you down that rabbithole. If you’ve already got it, just… Continue reading Ongs Hat Compleat – Official Soundtrack

Invention on Mubi

From an interview- CH: The most surprising insight I found was in terms of examining the concept of ‘conspiracy’ itself. I was pretty heavily researching things like ‘Ong’s Hat,’ which was one of the first well-known internet-based conspiracy theories. Invention On MUBI   Love this from the AMA: Callie: Fun Fact — no one knew it… Continue reading Invention on Mubi