My Dad took me on graveyard picnics in the Pine Barrens — and I’ve never gotten over it
Category Archives: Joseph Matheny
THE COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF ALTERNATE REALITY GAMES: A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR PROFITABILITY AND SCALABILITY
From: THE COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF ALTERNATE REALITY GAMES: A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR PROFITABILITY AND SCALABILITY
LINK: https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/pstorage-ryerson-5010877717/28138491/Robertson_LeeStahr_G.pdf
However, preceding Publius Enigma was what expert Szulborski (2005) suggests was truly the first ARG experience, Ong’s Hat / Incunabula. The Ong’s Hat experience differed in that it intertwined two different narrative from both Ong’s Hat Ashram in the 1970’s as well as that of “Incunabla Papers” (Szulborski, 2005a). Moreover, this experience is only said to have precluded the modern ARG because it began so many years prior to the introduction of technologies that now characterize the genre. The experience was so large and spanned over so many years, that experts are unable to agree on when it actually began. Furthermore, this experience was so ahead of its time that it has been dubbed as a “literary/digital crossover” (Szulborski, 2005a) that incorporated mediums such as the CD-Rom, traditional print, bulletin boards and eventually, the internet(Szulborski, 2005a). In fact, a co-creator of the experience’s CD-Rom has suggested that Ong’s Hat included 23 complex puzzles, some of which have yet to be solved or even identified (Szulborski, 2005a). Consequently, many lessons were learned in this generation of ARGs that aided insofar as identifying feasible experiential scope, depth of cross-media convergence and appropriate timelines for the current generation. Additionally, because this generation of ARGs would effectively draw to a close in the early to mid 1990’s, a majority of the technologies that characterize the current generation of ARGs were beginning to emerge and shape the next generation.
Ghost Towns Used As Movie Filming Locations In New Jersey: Ong’s Hat and Other Mysterious Abandoned Settlements
By the mid-1930s, Ong’s Hat had been completely reclaimed by the Pine Barrens, leaving behind only crumbling foundations and forgotten artifacts.What makes it cinematically compelling is the layered narrative—from documented disappearances to internet-born urban legends about interdimensional portals and government secrecy. For location scouts, Ong’s Hat offers:
- Historical authenticity dating to 1778 with documented decline
- Unsolved mysteries including the Chininiski disappearances that haunted local law enforcement
- Digital folklore connecting 1980s conspiracy theories to modern ARG culture
- Remote Pine Barrens access providing isolation without extensive permitting obstacles
7 Famous Places That Don’t Actually Exist: Ong’s Hat
Ong’s Hat
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Tucked into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, Ong’s Hat may be found on actual maps from the early days of the region. The small town finds naming on maps but most likely, it was merely the site where Ong (presumed a farmer) parked in a hut (Ong’s hut) on regular long journeys to and from market. As late as the 1930s, Ong’s Hat appeared on maps but nothing could be done to prove the place ever existed, save finding the ruins of one single hut in the middle of the forest.
https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/7-famous-places-don-t-160000393.html?guccounter=1
Free Candy? A non-suss archive of freebies without the creepy white van
A non-suss archive of freebies without the creepy white van
Of Internets, seen and unseen
The Unseen Internet
The Unseen Internet
Conjuring the Occult in Digital Discourse
by Shira Chess
In 2003, I had this idea that a book should be written chronicling the influence that psychedelic drugs and magick had on the development of the early Internet. Granted, my “evidence” was all anecdotal. However, since I was in the trenches during the “dotcom” revolution, I thought I could build a strong case. I pitched it to a couple of publishers. The publishers in question were not convinced that this was really a thing. I think we’d call them “normies.” They also could not envision a marker for such a book. So, I dropped the idea and went about my tech career.
The truth is, I wasn’t the right person for the job. I can say that now. I was too engrossed in developing tech, working on infinite game theory, and championing ARG as a legitimate art form. It would not have received the treatment it deserved as a subject.
I also feel like the time is right for this story, with the advent of LLMs and the ongoing misunderstanding of what AI is, what consciousness is, and why corporations are trying so hard to convince us we need that as a feature in our everyday lives. This book would make a great companion piece to Ong’s Hat: COMPLEAT.
When Shira called me a few years ago and said she was interested in writing such a book for MIT, I was overjoyed and quickly began rattling off names of people she should contact. I also told her stories about my own experiences developing “occult tech,” as well as the cultural milieu that literally built the Internet in the 90s through the mid 2000s. I am really glad that the right person for this job stepped up and kept this story from falling down a memory hole.
I won’t kick it to death by categorically reviewing this book’s contents, but rather, I will give it a full-throated endorsement and assure you that you will be in capable hands. The book finally found the right person and the right co-conspirators at the right time to tell this tale.
A added note; if you’re one of those people who can’t get your head around how Ong’s Hat was a game, read this book.
Included in the interviews, acknowledgements, and profiles (besides your’s truly) are friends, acquaintances, and co-conspirators: Nick Herbert, Tiffany Lee Brown, Jon Lebkowsky, Robert Anton Wilson, Klint Finley, R.U. Sirius, Richard Metzger, Don Webb, Timothy Leary, and Douglas Rushkoff, to name a few. I’m sure I left someone out, but it wasn’t on purpose.
LINK: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262553889/the-unseen-internet/
Shira on Substack:
Ong’s Hat: The Ghost Town That Became an Internet Legend
FROM
Why Locals Flock To Pine Barrens Towns In New Jersey To Explore Folklore And Legends
Article By: Esme Whitman | January 13, 2026
Ong’s Hat is one of the most enigmatic locations in the Pine Barrens, and its legend has spread far beyond New Jersey thanks to the internet.
Located at the intersection of Magnolia Road (Route 70) and Turkey Buzzard Bridge Road in Pemberton Township, this ghost town is nearly invisible today, with almost nothing left but a clearing in the woods.
In the 1980s, an elaborate urban legend emerged claiming that renegade scientists had created an interdimensional portal here, allowing travelers to slip between realities.
The story spread like wildfire online, becoming one of the earliest and most enduring internet conspiracy theories.
Whether you believe in portals or not, visiting Ong’s Hat is a surreal experience.
The emptiness of the site adds to its mystique, and the surrounding forest feels dense and watchful.
Hikers and curiosity seekers come here to stand in the clearing, take photos, and imagine what might have been.
There are no markers, no signs, and no commercial development, which only deepens the sense of mystery.
Some visitors report strange sensations or unexplained sounds, while others simply enjoy the quiet solitude of a place that feels forgotten by time.
The legend of Ong’s Hat is a fascinating blend of folklore, science fiction, and internet culture, making it a must-visit for anyone interested in modern mythology.
Bring a GPS or a good map, because the intersection is easy to miss, and cell service can be spotty.
Wear sturdy boots and be prepared for uneven terrain.
Ong’s Hat won’t offer you answers, but it will give you plenty of questions, and sometimes that’s exactly what makes a legend worth chasing.
In a world where everything is documented and explained, Ong’s Hat remains beautifully, stubbornly mysterious.
Ong’s Hat – Early Internet Conspiracy Theory
Ong’s Hat: The NJ Ghost Town That Invented Alternate Reality Games
Random Weirdness — Ong’s Hat
You might expect to find frogs in the Pine Barrens of NJ, not to mention the Jersey Devil, but what about a ghost town that is an interdimensional portal? The now abandoned town of Ong’s Hat is very real, but the internet is riddled with stories about this place that are weird to the core. There are apparently documents called the Incunabula Papers that talk of the town being the starting point for interdimensional travel. Most believe this story to be an elaborate ARG, but there are still those who think that Ong’s Hat might be the starting point for the journey of a lifetime.
LINK: https://vocal.media/horror/the-paranormal-digest-for-nov-29-2025