Sean Stone03 July 2026

#410 - “A Demon Called Me” Ex-Freemason Comes Clean on Secret Societies

0Frameworks

15Insights

Episode overview

Danny Jones speaks with filmmaker Sean Stone about his politically charged upbringing, alternative interpretations of American foreign policy, and competing theories about the JFK assassination. Stone recounts joining Freemasonry, investigating haunted locations, and receiving disturbing calls he interpreted as contact from nonhuman entities. The conversation also explores occult history, secret societies, space-program skepticism, psychedelics, consciousness, and Stone’s belief that personal ethical and spiritual change can affect society.

Key ideas

Stone says traveling with his filmmaker father and encountering counter-mainstream political history shaped his worldview from childhood.
The guests discuss intelligence operations, war, organized crime, and several competing theories about the JFK assassination while repeatedly distinguishing motives from evidence.
Stone describes Freemasonry as an initiatory system whose rituals he believes may be observed or engaged with beyond ordinary physical reality.
Stone recounts alleged paranormal phone calls and argues that harmful entities operate through fear, ego, appetite, and other lower emotional states.
The discussion links Jack Parsons, L. Ron Hubbard, Aleister Crowley, the Babalon Working, and early UFO reports while presenting the connection as speculation.
Stone frames psychedelic experiences as portals that can enable insight or perceived entity contact but also carry psychological and spiritual risks.
Stone argues that empathy, forgiveness, accountability, and individual inner work are necessary foundations for broader social change.

Transcript available · source text is retained privately and is not published

People & resources mentioned

Attributed to the moment in the episode. Timestamps are approximate.

People · 18

William BlumMentionshe'd have like you know William Blum's book about the CIA and you know black ops
“he'd have like you know William Blum's book about the CIA and you know black ops”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
Scott HortonMentionsI just had Scott Horton in here telling me the whole story
“I just had Scott Horton in here telling me the whole story”
▶ Watch at ~11:30approx.
Danny JonesMentionswe'll do this after the podcast. All right, that's all. Goodnight folks.
“the Danny Jones podcast sent you”
▶ Watch at ~14:30approx.
John M. NewmanMentionsJohn Newman wrote like I don't know how many JFK books
“John Newman wrote like I don't know how many JFK books”
▶ Watch at ~36:00approx.
Dick RussellCoinedThe Man Who Knew Too Much, which was a great book by Dick Russell
“The Man Who Knew Too Much, which was a great book by Dick Russell”
▶ Watch at ~41:00approx.
Richard Case NagellMentionsFormer US intelligence officer and CIA contact claimed that the KGB hired him to assassinate Lee Harvey Oswald
“Former US intelligence officer and CIA contact claimed that the KGB hired him to assassinate Lee Harvey Oswald”
▶ Watch at ~42:00approx.
John KiriakouMentionsI was talking to John Keryaku a couple days ago
“I was talking to John Keryaku a couple days ago”
▶ Watch at ~45:30approx.
Alex GibneyCoinedproduced by Alex Gibney
“produced by Alex Gibney”
▶ Watch at ~55:00approx.
Alexis BloomCoineddirected by Alex Bloom
“directed by Alex Bloom”
▶ Watch at ~55:00approx.
Oliver StoneMentionsmy dad had three Oscars. I think you know he believed in him as a filmmaker
“my dad had three Oscars. I think you know he believed in him as a filmmaker”
▶ Watch at ~1:00:00approx.
Bart SibrelMentionsBart was it Bart Sabrell's documentary
“Bart was it Bart Sabrell's documentary”
▶ Watch at ~1:03:00approx.
Charlie DukeMentionsOne of the last Apollo astronauts to walk on the moon
“One of the last Apollo astronauts to walk on the moon”
▶ Watch at ~1:04:30approx.
David IckeMentionsDavid Ike's work, you know, and all these different secret societies
“David Ike's work, you know, and all these different secret societies”
▶ Watch at ~1:28:30approx.
Jim MarrsCoinedgetting books like Jim Mars Rule by Secrecy
“getting books like Jim Mars Rule by Secrecy”
▶ Watch at ~1:28:30approx.
Aleister CrowleyMentionsportals that have been opened by people like Alistister Crowley
“portals that have been opened by people like Alistister Crowley”
▶ Watch at ~1:36:30approx.
L. Ron HubbardMentionsHubard from the Scientologist
“Hubard from the Scientologist”
▶ Watch at ~1:37:00approx.
Jacques ValléeRecommendsI'm reading this book about Satan right now that Jacques Valet recommended
“I'm reading this book about Satan right now that Jacques Valet recommended”
▶ Watch at ~1:41:30approx.
Sean StoneMentionsSean Stone.info, my website
“Sean Stone.info, my website”
▶ Watch at ~2:24:30approx.

Resources · 27

Persona Non GrataMentionsdocumentary · Oliver Stone
“a documentary he was doing called Persona Nong Grata”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
JFKMentionsfilm · Oliver Stone
“the film JFK gets into it”
▶ Watch at ~5:00approx.
LondonistanMentionsbook · Melanie Phillips
“they wrote a whole book, Londonistan”
▶ Watch at ~8:00approx.
Report from Iron MountainMentionsbook · Leonard C. Lewin
“there was like a report from Iron Mountain that people don't know to this day like if it was a real report or not”
▶ Watch at ~8:30approx.
The Clash of CivilizationsCoinedpaper · Samuel P. Huntington
“his whole thing was like there are these countries that are fault lines”
▶ Watch at ~10:00approx.
SuperpowerRecommendscompany
“Head on over to superpower.com and use the code Danny for $20 off your membership”
▶ Watch at ~14:00approx.
The QuranMentionsbook
“you read the Quran and the Quran is all the story of Abraham”
▶ Watch at ~15:30approx.
The SopranosMentionstv show · David Chase
“America is Carmela from the Sopranos and Israel is Tony Soprano”
▶ Watch at ~22:30approx.
The GodfatherMentionsfilm · Francis Ford Coppola
“I love Godfather, but to me it was more a story of family”
▶ Watch at ~23:00approx.
AmanitaRecommendscompany
“go to amantara.com/go/dj and use the code djp22 for 22% off your first order”
▶ Watch at ~32:30approx.
The Man Who Knew Too MuchRecommendsbook · Dick Russell
“It's a great book. It's worth reading. The Men Who Too Much.”
▶ Watch at ~42:30approx.
ShopifyUsessoftware
“We use Shopify for our merch store and recently revamped all of our products”
▶ Watch at ~53:30approx.
Shopify SidekickMentionstool · Shopify
“Shopify has Sidekick built in. It's their AI assistant and it helps you troubleshoot, build, and keep moving”
▶ Watch at ~54:00approx.
The Bibi FilesMentionsdocumentary · Alexis Bloom
“I learned about him through watching the BB Files documentary”
▶ Watch at ~54:30approx.
JFK Revisited: Through the Looking GlassMentionsdocumentary · Oliver Stone
“another documentary series called JFK Through the Looking Glass”
▶ Watch at ~58:30approx.
NixonMentionsfilm · Oliver Stone
“he was supposed to make Nixon with my father”
▶ Watch at ~59:30approx.
Eyes Wide ShutMentionsfilm · Stanley Kubrick
“whether or not there were there were things cut out of that movie”
▶ Watch at ~1:00:30approx.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the MoonMentionsdocumentary · Bart Sibrel
“A funny thing happened on the moon. Funny thing happened on the way to the moon”
▶ Watch at ~1:04:00approx.
Palisades FireMentionsevent
“the night of the Palisades fire”
▶ Watch at ~1:09:00approx.
Greystone Park Psychiatric HospitalMentionsplace
“Greystone was a massive one”
▶ Watch at ~1:30:00approx.
The BibleMentionsbook
“the Bible talks about it”
▶ Watch at ~1:31:00approx.
Book of EnochMentionsbook
“the book of Enoch talks about it”
▶ Watch at ~1:31:30approx.
Jet Propulsion LaboratoryMentionscompany
“the JPL some people say JPL is actually not Jet Propulsion Lab it's Jack Parsons lives”
▶ Watch at ~1:37:00approx.
Babalon WorkingMentionsevent · Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard
“before that they did a working a Babylon working”
▶ Watch at ~1:37:30approx.
Dante's InfernoMentionsbook · Dante Alighieri
“the seven sins, it's all like, you know, Dante's Inferno”
▶ Watch at ~1:40:30approx.
Fear and Loathing in Las VegasMentionsbook · Hunter S. Thompson
“the vrina chrome in uh um Fear and Loathing”
▶ Watch at ~1:53:00approx.
SeanStone.infoCoinedwebsite · Sean Stone
“Sean Stone.info, my website”
▶ Watch at ~2:24:30approx.

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Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster1:03:00

Why Sean Stone doubts the Apollo moon landing footage, not the landing itself

Stone explains he believes humans likely did reach the moon, but doubts the official footage is authentic, citing the Van Allen radiation belts as unresolved and describing a tense on-show confrontation between filmmaker Bart Sibrel and Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke, who said radiation was never discussed in mission planning.

Stone distinguishes between doubting the moon landing occurred and doubting the released footage is authentic
Cites the Van Allen radiation belts as a technical problem raised by researcher Bart Sibrel
Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke reportedly said radiation belts were never discussed in mission prep
References footage allegedly showing Earth's apparent size changing inconsistently through a capsule window

“I think we went to the moon. I don't think we went with the technology that they showed you.”
Sean Stone · 1:03:00

“He said they never discussed them.”
Danny Jones, on Charlie Duke and the radiation belts · 1:06:00

#moon-landing#apollo#conspiracy

Hot Take· 2

Hot Take08:30

The Iron Mountain report and why societies are organized around a 'villain'

Stone references the disputed Iron Mountain report, arguing that war and having an external villain function as the unifying ethos of a society. He connects this to the US becoming a permanent national security state after 1947, needing a rotating enemy (Soviets, then Islamic terrorism) to justify surveillance and endless intervention.

Iron Mountain report claimed the 'unifying ethos' of a society is war
Since 1947 the US became a 'national security state' requiring a perpetual enemy
Soviets played the villain role for roughly 50 years before being replaced by other threats
Huntington's 'clash of civilizations' theory reframed conflict as cultural/religious after the Cold War

“The unifying ethos of a society essentially is for war.”
Sean Stone · 08:30

#geopolitics#national-security-state#history

Hot Take1:23:30

Mandatory facial scanning and the quiet expansion of the surveillance state

The hosts discuss TSA's move toward mandatory facial recognition for air travel and the disappearance of paper customs declaration forms, framing it as part of a broader shift toward total digital identification and monitoring that has accelerated since COVID.

TSA reportedly moving to mandatory facial scanning for air travel
Paper customs declaration forms have largely disappeared, replaced by facial recognition at re-entry
Stone frames this as part of a push toward 'total digital identification' and tracked habits
Connects it to broader concerns about digital currency and loss of financial privacy

“It's a total digital identification. We all have digital avatars. We all are tracked and monitored.”
Sean Stone · 1:23:30

#surveillance#privacy#technology

Explainer· 5

Explainer03:00

How US, British and Israeli intel allegedly fermented Islamic extremism

Sean Stone lays out his view that Western and Israeli intelligence agencies have repeatedly cultivated radical Islamist groups (Muslim Brotherhood against Nasser, the mujahideen against the Soviets, jihadist networks in the Balkans and Iraq) then discarded them once they stopped being useful. He argues the strategy has consistently been to overthrow secular nationalists and exploit religious fault lines to manufacture conflict.

Muslim Brotherhood was allegedly promoted against secular nationalist Nasser in the 50s-60s
US worked with the mujahideen (including bin Laden) against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 80s
Religious fault lines (Yugoslavia, Lebanon) are described as the easiest way to manufacture conflict
Argues fear of Islam in America is disproportionate versus other threats like cartels

“We fment the terrorists. We allow them. We work with them... and we discard them when they're no longer valuable to us.”
Sean Stone · 04:00

#geopolitics#cia#islam#foreign-policy

Explainer27:00

Sean Stone's theory of who had motive to kill JFK

Stone walks through the overlapping motives for the JFK assassination: the CIA-mafia relationship over Cuba, the military-industrial complex wanting escalation in Vietnam, the Federal Reserve angle after Kennedy issued treasury-backed currency, and Israel's opposition to nuclear inspections. He argues too many parties wanted Kennedy dead to point to one single culprit.

CIA and mafia both had grievances after the failed Bay of Pigs and lost Cuban casino income
Kennedy resisted committing ground troops to Vietnam, angering the military-industrial complex
In 1962 Kennedy issued currency directly from the Treasury, bypassing the Federal Reserve
Israel did not want inspection of its nuclear program, giving another possible motive
Historian John Newman's cable evidence shows an FBI 'flash' was removed from Oswald's file the day before the shooting

“Everyone wanted him dead. Everyone was happy to see him go.”
Sean Stone · 30:30

“Oswald being on that route is the equivalence to a flea being at a Lysol convention.”
Sean Stone, citing John Newman · 37:30

#jfk#assassination#cia#history

Explainer1:25:30

Why Sean Stone says a Federal Reserve note isn't 'your' money

Stone explains his view that cash in a Federal Reserve note is a promissory note belonging to the Fed, not constitutional money, which he defines strictly as gold and silver. He argues bank accounts and even cash can effectively be seized, and ties this back to Kennedy's 1962 move to issue currency from the Treasury instead of the Fed.

Constitutional money is defined as gold and silver only
Federal Reserve notes are described as promissory notes belonging to the Fed, not the holder
Bank accounts are described as subject to seizure or 'bail-in'
Kennedy's 1962 Treasury-issued currency is framed as an attempt to bypass the Fed

“It's a Federal Reserve note. It belongs to the Fed. It's a promissory note. It's not constitutional money.”
Sean Stone · 1:25:30

#federal-reserve#monetary-policy#finance

Explainer2:01:00

The Catholic Church as the surviving Roman Empire

Stone argues that the Catholic Church is effectively a continuation of the Roman Empire, with the Pope replacing the emperor and the Roman Curia replacing the Senate, allowing Rome to survive institutionally by adopting a spiritual rather than military form of power. He notes the Church remains among the wealthiest institutions in the world.

Frames the Papacy as an institutional continuation of the Roman emperor role
The Roman Curia is compared to the old Roman Senate
Argues Rome 'survived' by converting from a military empire to a spiritual one
Notes the Catholic Church is likely one of the wealthiest organizations in the world today

“The Roman Empire has survived in the form of the Catholic Church.”
Sean Stone · 2:01:00

#catholic-church#rome#history

Explainer2:22:00

The Johns Hopkins study that gave religious leaders psilocybin

Stone references a Johns Hopkins study in which religious leaders from Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam were given psilocybin, with their resulting visions and experiences closely mapping onto their existing religious frameworks. He uses it to raise a 'chicken or egg' question about whether psychedelics reveal universal truth or simply reflect a person's prior belief system.

Religious leaders from multiple faiths were given psilocybin in a documented Johns Hopkins study
Participants' psychedelic experiences were shaped by and mapped onto their existing religious background
Stone frames this as a chicken-or-egg question about belief shaping experience versus revealing truth
Connects it to a broader idea that people incarnate into a belief system to explore it as a soul

“All of their experiences were basically mapped by their religious belief and their religious background.”
Sean Stone · 2:22:00

#psychedelics#psilocybin#religion#consciousness

Story· 5

Story1:34:00

The phone call Sean Stone says came right after his Masonic initiation

Stone describes receiving an unnerving phone call from an unknown number immediately after his first Masonic initiation ritual, in which a male then a 'witchy' female voice indicated they had been watching him. He frames Masonic ritual as something observed on a higher, possibly multi-dimensional, level rather than purely symbolic theater.

Stone was initiated into Freemasonry after years of researching secret societies with his father's book collection
He describes ritual as a 'play' that he believes is observed multi-dimensionally
Received a call from an unknown number right after his first initiation asking 'How did you like the meeting?'
A second, more 'demonic' sounding female voice followed on a related call

“How did you like the meeting?”
unknown caller, per Sean Stone · 1:35:00

#freemasonry#paranormal#occult

Story1:36:30

Jack Parsons, L. Ron Hubbard, and the 'Babylon Working' ritual

Stone recounts the story of rocket scientist Jack Parsons (a founder of JPL) and L. Ron Hubbard performing the 'Babylon Working,' an Aleister Crowley-derived ritual intended to invoke the 'Scarlet Woman.' He ties this to speculation that the ritual, performed in 1946, opened a spiritual 'portal' shortly before the 1947 UFO sightings wave and the Roswell incident.

Jack Parsons ran the Agape Lodge (OTO) in Pasadena and co-founded JPL
L. Ron Hubbard partnered with Parsons before founding Scientology, and later took Parsons' girlfriend
The pair performed the 'Babylon Working,' an Enochian-magic ritual to invoke the 'Scarlet Woman'
Some believe the 1946 ritual opened a portal linked to the 1947 UFO wave and Roswell
Stone claims he personally read an Enochian incantation and received an odd phone call 30 minutes later

“I read the incantation, then meditated, and 30 minutes later I got a phone call from one of these unknown numbers... are you a sorcerer?”
Sean Stone · 1:43:30

#occult#ufo#enochian-magic#history

Story1:11:00

Sean Stone's account of seeing a 'TR-3' triangle craft during the LA Palisades fires

Stone describes driving near the 405 the night the Palisades fires broke out and witnessing a streak of light cross the sky accompanied by a sonic-boom-like shockwave that shook his car. He connects the sighting to speculation about classified 'black program' triangle aircraft (TR-3) and suggests footage showed lights moving near power lines just before the fires spread.

Sighting occurred while driving north on Sepulveda during the start of the Palisades fires
Described a fast-moving streak of light with an audible, car-shaking 'boom'
Speculates it may have been a classified TR-3 'black triangle' craft
Suggests footage showed a moving light near power infrastructure before fires spread, implying possible arson-by-craft

“A streak of light appears across the entire sky... we feel like the sonic boom of energy almost shake the car.”
Sean Stone · 1:12:00

#ufo#conspiracy#palisades-fire

Story2:06:30

The painting allegedly made with a French king's heart

Stone recounts a story from a French coroner, Philippe Charlier, who examined a red pigment in a painting rumored to have been made using the blood or heart tissue of King Louis XIII or XIV, whose heart was allegedly sold on the black market centuries earlier. Charlier reportedly found actual heart fibers matching royal DNA within the paint's red pigment.

A French coroner, Philippe Charlier, has examined remains of historical figures including Napoleon
Story centers on a painting whose red pigment allegedly contains King Louis XIII/XIV's heart tissue
DNA testing reportedly confirmed heart fibers consistent with the royal lineage in the pigment
Framed as an example of historical elite practices treated as taboo or suppressed today

“It was the actual heart fibers in the red pigment of the painting that belonged to that king.”
Sean Stone · 2:07:30

#history#royalty#forensics

Story2:09:30

Declassified files and the theory Hitler escaped to South America

Stone discusses claims tied to recent declassified files suggesting Hitler may have escaped Germany and faked his suicide, potentially fleeing to Argentina. He connects this to earlier forensic work showing that a skull long held by Russia and claimed to be Hitler's was actually determined by DNA testing to belong to a woman.

References new declassified files alluding to Hitler surviving the war and escaping to South America
Cites earlier DNA testing on the jawbone/skull held by Russia showing it belonged to a woman, undercutting the official suicide narrative
Notes Argentina's president Javier Milei authorized declassification of related Nazi-era documents
Frames Bormann and other top officials' escapes via 'rat lines' as precedent

“That's where it says that the DNA tests show that was a woman's skull.”
Sean Stone · 2:12:30

#wwii#hitler#declassified-files

Q&A· 1

Q&A1:40:00

Sean Stone's definition: a demon is a 'low vibrational frequency'

Asked directly what a demon actually is, Stone describes it as a low-vibrational entity that cannot operate from a place of 'heart and love' and instead feeds on human appetites and lower impulses. He argues the more a person operates from greed, lust, or cruelty, the more such entities can attach to and feed on them.

Demons are described as operating from 'lower' frequency states tied to the seven deadly sins
They are said to feed on appetite, ego, and lack of accountability
Awareness, forgiveness, and reciprocity in relationships are framed as the antidote

“A low vibrational frequency... they're going to feed on our appetites, our lesser appetites.”
Sean Stone · 1:40:00

#demonology#spirituality#occult

Takeaway· 1

Takeaway1:55:30

Sean Stone's case for bottom-up spiritual change over fighting 'the system'

Stone argues that global corruption persists because it is collectively tolerated, and that the only real lever for change is individual inner work rather than trying to fight external systems directly. He frames this as a 'be the change you want to see' philosophy applied to conspiracy-aware audiences who feel disempowered.

Argues dark systemic behavior persists because it is collectively accepted or ignored
Frames individual accountability and inner work as the only real point of leverage
Rejects blaming 'them' without first doing personal inner work
Ties the idea to historical parallels like King David needing to reconcile with God after wrongdoing

“If we all clean up our own mess, the reality will change... it's the only way. Be the change you want to see in the…”
Sean Stone · 1:56:30

#spirituality#personal-responsibility#philosophy