Telekinesis, the GATE Program, and My Alien Clone | HORRORble Podcast

Episode Summary

Tara Rule joins the HORRORble Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about paranormal experiences, unusual dreams, illness, and the strange internet persona she created as a joke.

Experiences in Her Childhood Home

Tara begins with stories from her childhood home in upstate New York: phantom coin sounds on her bedroom floor, a phone call that seemed to come from the house itself, and—what finally pushed her family to leave—thousands of scratch-like marks appearing across a freshly painted ceiling.

Years later, while living in the house again during college, she experienced sleep paralysis, a shadow figure that terrified her roommate, glitchy security footage, and a shadow moving down the hall with no visible body. Asked whether she tried to debunk what was happening, Tara says she installed cameras partly to check whether a medical issue might explain her experiences. The final straw was footage that seemed to show something tugging her cat’s tail.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Telekinesis

Tara connects some of her experiences to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a connective-tissue disorder she shares with her mother. She describes a theory—not a proven scientific finding—that differences in connective tissue might affect sensitivity to electromagnetic energy, potentially explaining reported disturbances around people with EDS.

That leads to telekinesis. Tara says she has experimented with moving objects, including a paper balanced on a pin beneath a heavy glass jar, and that it seems to work often enough to intrigue her. She remains skeptical, joking that she would need a proper lab setup before feeling certain. The host imagines her progressing from pencils to basketballs, while Tara points out the obvious problem: she has not seen anyone move a bus with their mind.

Bruce, the Satirical Alien

Tara’s online character, Bruce, grew out of people noticing her resemblance to images associated with a supposed future-human species. She says Bruce is a fictional, satirical alien “descendant” who communicates with her telepathically—but the joke took on a life of its own. Despite her repeated disclaimers, some followers treated her like an extraterrestrial prophet, with one especially enthusiastic fan community apparently forming in Portugal.

The pair laugh about how every new detail seems to make the alien theory sound more convincing, including Bruce’s predictions. Tara says some came true, including the unexpected prospect of former Hills star Spencer Pratt running for public office. She also shares Bruce’s prediction of first contact with the general public in spring 2027, while stressing that the persona is satire.

Near-Death Experience and Spiritual Beliefs

The conversation turns serious when Tara recounts a neurological ICU stay caused by a severe illness. During a period when she was losing and regaining consciousness, she remembers feeling intense comfort and a sense of existing without a body. She felt she could either let go or keep fighting, and says she chose to return, promising God she would try to help others and pursue acting.

She woke to find her family relieved that she could speak again. The experience shifted her from staunch atheism toward a personal belief in God and higher consciousness, though she says she does not follow a specific religion.

Training as a Funeral Director

Tara also describes her former training as a funeral director, including the disturbing realities of embalming. She recalls a suction procedure going wrong and making it sound as though the body was making noise—an experience that left her screaming while everyone else laughed.

More than the physical demands, she says she struggled with the sales culture. She objected to pushing expensive caskets on grieving families and once directed a customer to cheaper options online. Her concern for the deceased extended to a coworker suggesting that a woman’s hair be shaved simply because funeralgoers would not see the back of her head.

GATE and “Mall World”

Tara recalls being pulled from class for odd exercises and tests as part of the GATE program, without her mother’s knowledge. She initially thought the sessions meant she was bad at math, only to learn later that the program was for gifted students. Her mother eventually objected and removed her.

Tara links those memories to “Mall World,” a recurring dream landscape that she and many others describe in strikingly similar terms. After seeing another person’s detailed dream map, Tara says she compared it with maps she had drawn for years and was stunned by how closely the locations matched. She also recalls her therapist reacting with alarm when she showed her the maps.

Tara and the host discuss whether GATE participants’ recollections and dream similarities point to anything unusual, but present these as personal memories and open questions rather than established conclusions.

A Strange Moment During Recording

During the recording, both Tara and the host hear a strange, repeated whistle from outside and try to identify it.

Closing Reflections

The episode closes with Tara’s reflections on illness, empathy, and perseverance. She says her experiences taught her not to assume what someone else is going through, and encourages people to keep hope alive and pursue meaningful “side quests,” as she puts it.

Personalities Featured

• Tara Rule — Artist and guest, known online for her satirical alien character Bruce
• Askia — Host of the HORRORble Podcast