Ong’s Hat, or The Incunabula Papers, is a conspiracy theory that arose on the early internet. Combining cutting-edge science, mysticism, and obvious hokum, it intrigued thousands of people who tried to find out what it all meant. Today we uncover the secrets of Ong’s Hat, the man behind it, and the new art form it inadvertently birthed.
In this video, we explore the fascinating story of the Ong’s Hat deception and what it can teach us about the intersection of AI and urban myths. From its origins as a mysterious online forum to its enduring legacy as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked technological progress, the Ong’s Hat story is a gripping and thought-provoking case study in the power of storytelling and the perils of misinformation.
Ever start telling a story as a joke and it gets out of hand? People believe it no matter how much you swear you made it up and try to destroy your life? No, just Joseph Matheny? This week we tackle Ong’s Hat, the internets first honest to goodness hoax that took on a life of its own and to this day has people believing it is all true. They also believe the man claiming responsibility is just a government shill planted to throw us off the truth. And the story has everything: Weird religious cults, quantum physics, dimensional travel, hidden laboratories, luxurious silk top hats, carpet salesmen… We are banging on all cylinders! All that and more this week on the podcast that knows a thing or two about other dimensions… at least the Lower 4th Dimension… Hysteria 51!
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In this video were going to jump down the rabbit hole of the worlds first internet conspiracy theory and what happens when the actual creator of the hoax comes forward and admits that its just that. A big fat hoax.
In the 1980s, a writer and transmedia artist called Joseph Wayne Matheny, who was born on Christmas Eve in the early sixties, wrote The Incunabula Papers, a tale that follows a series of narratives about time travel, and tells the story of a gateway to a parallel dimension at Ong’s Hat. When Matheny stated that the books were mere fiction, many saw these denials as evidence of government intervention and suppression, and they continue to this day to accept the gateway as fact, despite the improbability of a door to another world.
The truth of Ong’s Hat will probably never be known, and its rise and fall – if it ever rose and fell – is lost to the decades that have wiped the town from today’s maps.
The series will premiere on BBC 4 Radio Limelight on air and then as a podcast after every Friday broadcast for five weeks. It was a five-part series titled The Incident at Ong’s Hat.
Disclaimer: The Incident at Ong’s Hat was not written by me. It is a true crime podcast story using the Ong’s Hat narrative and elements taken from my personal life. This is part of the reason I am sharing the interviews behind this story. I think seeing both sides, the facts and the fiction, will illuminate the process. I do not endorse or recommend the series.