From the High Desert

A cultural history of Art Bell and the world he broadcast into being.

Available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

Episode Archive

Art Bell Episodes Archive

Browse and listen by date, then move sideways into guest profiles, subject guides, and curated collections when a show opens a deeper thread.

1,399 episodes

22 years

Browse by Era

4 eras

1992-1996

High Desert Origins

The early national Coast era: open phones, militia anxiety, UFO witnesses, and the shape of the late-night archive taking form.

1996 · 83 1995 · 69 1994 · 29 1993 · 3 1992 · 1

185 episodes across 5 years

1997-1999

UFO / Y2K Boom

The archive at full cultural heat: Roswell aftershocks, Hale-Bopp, remote viewing, prophecy, Y2K, and internet-age paranoia.

1999 · 117 1998 · 140 1997 · 178

435 episodes across 3 years

2000-2009

Post-Millennium Coast

The 2000s run: post-9/11 geopolitics, surveillance, disclosure arguments, science fringes, and recurring Coast voices.

2009 · 12 2008 · 9 2007 · 55 2006 · 71 2005 · 60 2004 · 93 2003 · 38 2002 · 122 2001 · 143 2000 · 41

644 episodes across 10 years

2010-2016

Return and Midnight Era

Art returns through Dark Matter and Midnight in the Desert, revisiting old obsessions with a new internet-native audience.

2016 · 1 2015 · 98 2013 · 26 2010 · 10

135 episodes across 4 years

Recent Episodes

Newest year

March 11, 2016: Open Lines - Art's Final Show

Mar 11, 20162h 25m

Art Bell returns to the microphone one last time, filling in for Heather Wade on a Friday night for what would become his final broadcast. He opens with reflections on the discovery of gravity waves, the Apple encryption battle, and his love of drone technology before diving into the 2016 presidential race.Callers from across the country and around the world phone in to share their thoughts on Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and the state of American democracy. Art reads his own Facebook post about the establishment bringing Trump's rise upon themselves. Between political calls, listeners share UFO sightings from Arizona and Pahrump, discuss shadow people and haunted mirrors, and answer Art's question of the night: what would you do if you had no fear?Throughout the evening, Art is relaxed, funny, and fully himself, proudly mentioning his daughter Asia's spelling bee victory and his beloved Trans Am. Though neither he nor his audience knows it, this open lines broadcast from the high desert marks the end of an era. It is the last time Art Bell's voice would carry across the airwaves, closing a legendary chapter in broadcasting that touched millions of listeners worldwide.

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December 8, 2015: Alien Experimentation on Humans - Dr. David Jacobs

Dec 8, 20152h 22mDr. David Jacobs

Art Bell welcomes Dr. David Jacobs, retired Temple University history professor and longtime UFO abduction researcher, for his third appearance on the program. Art introduces Jacobs as the person who has made the most compelling case for both alien abductions and a quiet invasion of Earth.Dr. Jacobs describes a structured alien hierarchy consisting of insect-like beings at the top, gray aliens performing procedures, and various stages of human-alien hybrids. He explains that abductees undergo table procedures involving neurological control through eye contact, egg and sperm extraction, and forced interaction with hybrid offspring. Jacobs details how fertilized embryos are altered, implanted in women, then removed around nine to twelve weeks. Art reads a letter from an emergency room nurse describing a patient whose documented ten-week pregnancy vanished without any sign of miscarriage.The discussion turns to what Jacobs calls "hubrids," hybrids so human in appearance they are indistinguishable from ordinary people. These beings possess the ability to neurologically control human thoughts and actions. They are being settled on Earth, taught by abductees how to navigate daily life, and integrated into society. Jacobs warns this represents an existential threat he calls "the change," a gradual, silent takeover requiring no military force.

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December 7, 2015: Modern Mind Control - Neil Sanders

Dec 7, 20152h 22mNeil Sanders

Art Bell welcomes Neil Sanders, a British mind control researcher and author of Your Thoughts Are Not Your Own, for an expansive discussion on modern psychological manipulation. The conversation opens with Sanders describing his background as a qualified hypnotherapist and past life regressionist before turning to the night's central theme.Art frames the discussion around ISIS recruitment as a present-day example of mind control, questioning how violent propaganda distributed over the internet can transform ordinary people into radicalized killers. Sanders draws parallels between terrorist recruitment tactics and corporate advertising, explaining how cults and brands alike exploit feelings of inadequacy and the desire to belong. He outlines historical programs like MKUltra, Operation Chatter, and the Phoenix Program, detailing the use of truth serums, trauma-based conditioning, and psychological warfare on civilian populations.The conversation broadens into media manipulation, including the CIA's liaison office with Hollywood, embedded journalists at CNN, and the Tavistock Institute's role in shaping public perception through engineered fear. Sanders and Art debate Western foreign policy, Syrian regime change efforts, and how propaganda selectively paints world leaders as villains to serve economic interests.

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December 4, 2015: Open Lines - Inhuman Encounter Line

Dec 4, 20152h 20m

Art Bell opens Friday night with the latest news on the San Bernardino shooting, now confirmed as ISIS-inspired after the FBI reveals that Tashfeen Malik pledged allegiance to the Islamic State on Facebook moments before the attack. He also notes that Germany has voted to join the bombing campaign in Syria and that Britain has begun airstrikes.The open lines bring a wide range of calls. On a special Inhuman Encounter line, a caller from Kansas describes a red-eyed humanoid that leaped between treetops and dive-bombed his car on a muddy road near an old burial ground. A woman from Michigan recalls six siblings witnessing a horned, red-faced figure clawing at their second-story farmhouse window. Other callers report orange eyes in a ceiling vortex, violent banging from an empty locked bathroom, and a glowing sphere that emerged from a firefly.Between encounter stories, Art fields calls about gun rights, the Attorney General's remarks on anti-Muslim rhetoric, the prospect of one-world government, and the possibility of secret human cloning at an Idaho university. He also pranks his audience by pretending to eat a light bulb live on the air, inspired by guest Todd Robbins from earlier in the week.

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December 3, 2015: Legal Marijuana - Sally Vander Veer

Dec 3, 20152h 21mSally Vander Veer

Art Bell welcomes Sally Vander Veer, president of Medicine Man, one of the largest marijuana cultivation and dispensary operations in Colorado. Sally describes her transition from the pharmaceutical industry to the cannabis business, which her brother Pete started as a small medical caregiver grow in 2007. She explains how Colorado moved from medical-only sales to full recreational legalization and what the results have been after several years.The conversation covers the real-world impact of legalization in Colorado: tourism is at record highs, 10,000 new jobs have been created, drug arrests have dropped 40 percent, and violent crime has decreased. Sally addresses the federal Schedule I classification that prevents proper medical research and blocks banks from serving cannabis businesses, forcing most of the industry to operate on a cash-only basis at significant personal risk.Callers ask about pain relief, cancer treatment, opioid substitution, and the sexual and creative effects of different marijuana strains. Sally explains the difference between sativa and indica varieties and shares how her stores serve roughly 750 customers per day. She notes that teen marijuana use in Colorado has actually declined since legalization, and that the U.S. government itself holds a patent acknowledging the medicinal benefits of cannabis.

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December 2, 2015: Open Lines - San Bernardino Shooting

Dec 2, 20152h 23m

Art Bell cancels his scheduled guest to open the phone lines following the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, where 14 people were killed at the Inland Regional Center. As details emerge identifying suspect Syed Farouk and linking the attack to possible Islamic extremism, Art reads the latest reporting and shares his belief that this represents a new kind of terrorism on American soil.Callers from across the country and around the world weigh in on what should be done. Many advocate for armed citizens and increased security measures, while others urge caution against military overreaction that could serve as a recruiting tool for ISIS. A retired NYPD officer who worked with the FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force after September 11 describes the psychological toll of sustained threat levels and argues that Americans must prepare for a permanent increase in security.Forensic psychiatrist Dr. John Liebert joins the broadcast to offer his professional analysis, comparing this event to the hundreds of suicidal mass murder cases he has studied. He notes that coordinated husband-and-wife attacks are extremely rare and discusses cultural factors that may explain why mass violence is more prevalent in the United States than in other nations.

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December 1, 2015: Master of the Macabre - Todd Robbins

Dec 1, 20152h 22mTodd Robbins

Art Bell welcomes Todd Robbins, a New York City performer and creative artist who has spent decades immersed in the dark worlds of sideshows, magic, con artists, and seances. Todd shares how he became fascinated with arcane entertainment as a child in Southern California, from visiting a local magic shop to discovering the sideshow at a traveling carnival.The conversation turns to Todd's most famous feat: eating real light bulbs. He explains the anatomy and physics behind safely chewing and swallowing glass, revealing he has consumed roughly 5,000 bulbs over his career. He then eats a Sylvania bulb live on the air, crunching through it in seconds while Art and listeners react with a mixture of horror and fascination.Todd also discusses the Magic Castle in Hollywood, the decline of the traditional sideshow, his Investigation Discovery series True Nightmares, and a chilling coincidence involving a corporate event he performed at months before September 11, 2001. Art and Todd explore what draws people to the dark and mysterious, the nature of real magic, and whether truth and opinion are often confused.

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November 30, 2015: Flying Humanoids - Ken Gerhard

Nov 30, 20152h 23mKen Gerhard

Art Bell welcomes cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard for an exploration of flying cryptids reported around the world. Gerhard explains that while mainstream cryptozoology focuses on creatures like Bigfoot, flying humanoid encounters are overlooked despite hundreds of documented sightings. They discuss the Aswang of the Philippines, the Papabawa of Africa, and the chupacabra before turning to the most famous case.The Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia takes center stage, beginning with the 1966 Scarberry-Mallet sighting of a gray, winged figure with glowing red eyes that chased their car at nearly 100 miles per hour. Gerhard details the year-long flap of sightings preceding the Silver Bridge collapse, alleged men-in-black harassment of witnesses, and the recurring link between flying humanoid appearances and catastrophic events. He also covers the Owlman of Cornwall and unidentified flying humanoids filmed in Mexico.The conversation broadens to the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film, proving cryptid existence in the CGI era, and Gerhard's History Channel series Missing in Alaska. Callers share their own sightings, including a flying figure over El Paso and a giant bird-like creature near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Art highlights a photograph from September 11 appearing to show a massive prehistoric creature over New York.

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November 27, 2015: Open Lines - Anything Goes

Nov 27, 20152h 21m

Art Bell opens with breaking news about fast radio bursts detected at the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia, including an unprecedented double signal that astronomers compare to the famous Wow signal. He discusses the potential for extraterrestrial origins and notes this is the second major discovery within a month, following the ongoing mystery of Tabby's Star.Before taking calls, Art addresses the shooting incident and death threat targeting him and his family at his desert studio, describing three separate events since October that have disrupted his broadcasts. He also covers the Chicago police shooting controversy, the Blue Origin rocket landing, and a dome-shaped anomaly photographed on Mars. The open lines segment features four special caller categories: weird addictions, people who hate Art Bell, soulless individuals, and shape-shifters.Callers share a range of stories, from post-apocalyptic obsessions and Dungeons and Dragons addiction to a man in Japan collecting thousands of photos of an idol singer. A caller from Switzerland discusses the Australian signal, a Virginia ham radio enthusiast shares remote viewing memories from the fax era, and a caller from Tokyo describes his vintage video game collection. The night closes with continued speculation about the newly detected radio bursts.

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November 25, 2015: The Seres Agenda - R. Scott Lemriel

Nov 25, 20152h 22mR. Scott Lemriel

Art Bell welcomes researcher and author R. Scott Lemriel, who claims over 40 years of direct contact with benevolent extraterrestrial beings he calls the Seres. Lemriel recounts childhood experiences beginning at age three, when he left his body and perceived mathematical equations related to star charts and interdimensional travel. He describes later encounters involving telepathic communications from human extraterrestrials aboard craft near his home and over the Utah salt flats.Lemriel presents an alternative history of Earth, asserting that humans did not evolve on this planet but were seeded here by the Seres over millions of years. He describes a galactic treaty signed half a million years ago between benevolent races and tyrannical reptilian factions, with Earth caught in the middle. According to Lemriel, malevolent races have manipulated human leaders through subconscious implants, while benevolent forces have intervened multiple times to prevent nuclear war by disabling launch systems.The conversation covers Eisenhower's alleged meetings with two extraterrestrial groups, the origins of reverse-engineered technology from the Roswell crash, and a secret space program alongside NASA. Lemriel asserts the Seres have permanently suspended Earth's polar shift cycle and are preparing humanity for a transformation involving the recovery of suppressed memories and abilities.

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November 23, 2015: Dr. Michio Kaku

Nov 23, 20152h 24mDr. Michio Kaku

Art Bell welcomes theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku for a wide-ranging discussion on the frontiers of modern science. They begin with the mysterious dimming of Tabby's Star, where starlight dropped by an unprecedented 22 percent, leaving astronomers without a conventional explanation and keeping the possibility of an alien megastructure on the table.Dr. Kaku outlines his classification of civilizations by energy use, placing humanity at a Type 0.7 on the Kardashev scale and roughly a century from reaching Type 1 status. He identifies the internet, global trade blocs, and international sports as early markers of a planetary civilization, while noting that terrorism represents resistance to that transition. The conversation moves through nuclear weapons policy, third-generation warheads, and the legacy of scientists who built the atomic bomb.The discussion turns to neuroscience and the future of the mind, including recorded memories in mice, brain pacemakers for Alzheimer's patients, and the scientific verification of lucid dreaming. Dr. Kaku describes a coming era of Brain Net, where emotions and memories could be transmitted online. He also addresses fusion energy research at ITER, the stalemate at Fukushima, and the Large Hadron Collider's search for evidence of string theory and higher dimensions.

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November 20, 2015: Open Lines - Prepper's Line

Nov 20, 20152h 26m

Art Bell dedicates the Friday open lines to prepping, inviting callers to share what they are preparing for and why. He opens with updates on the terrorist siege at a hotel in Mali, the lockdown in Brussels, and the ongoing fallout from the Paris attacks. Art also highlights a listener's observation that the very smartphones capable of documenting UFOs are the same devices keeping people's eyes glued downward.A special prepper line draws a wide range of callers. One describes growing up nearly feral in the desert, learning to build water traps and identify edible plants from childhood. A recovering Y2K prepper reveals that his food supply from the late 1990s remains perfectly good. Others discuss solar power, bug-out bag weight, and the merits of different firearms for survival scenarios, with Art expressing his preference for the reliability of the AK platform.Between prepper calls, the conversation wanders into spontaneous human disappearances, residual hauntings that may contain actual spirits, a bilocation experience, and a live call from Beijing where an American expat confirms he receives the show without a VPN. A Las Vegas caller reports a formation of twelve UFO lights seen circling above the Luxor hotel beam.

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