Inside the mystical TikTok universe of @ghosthoney’s Tyler Gaca

Dreams, eh? They’re funny things. One night you could be sunbathing on an idyllic island, the next you might be having brunch with Benedict Cumberbatch, eating, well, eggs benedict. What’s your psyche trying to tell you when it pops these images into your brain? We haven’t a bloody clue. But Tyler Gaca, AKA TikTok’s Ghosthoney, is figuring it out, with his new podcast Ghosthoney’s Dream Machine.

If you’ve not stumbled across Gaca’s irreverent TikTok videos yet, there are few things you should know. Firstly, he’s carved out a unique path on the platform, posting eclectic videos that range from comedy sketches to life updates and random musings to insight into his latest hobby, building tiny houses (yes, really). Secondly, his podcast Ghosthoney’s Dream Machine is like Headspace on acid: turning both his and his listeners’ dreams into witty tales, accompanied by soothing soundscapes that are sure to inspire bonkers Benedict dreams of their own. Last but not least, he has really good hair. It’s a triple-threat combo that’s earned him more than three million followers on the platform, including the one and only Madonna.

“I would describe my podcast as a fully sound designed mystery that unfolds little by little with each episode. I feel like it’s equal parts spooky and sweet, but also relaxing,” Gaca explains of his latest venture. ​“I’ve been taking all of these characters and ideas that I’ve created over the past three years on TikTok and expanding on them and connecting them. I really feel like I’m creating my own little cinematic universe.” Eat your heart out, Marvel.

So, what does Gaca get up to when he’s not immersed in his very own mystical cinematic universe? We picked his brains to find out.

The last article I found myself thinking about was…

I read an article this morning about the Sesshoseki, also known as ​“The Killing Stone”. It’s a gigantic and ancient rock in Japan that is supposed to hold a malevolent 1000-year-old fox spirit. It was recently found split in half, with the rope wrapped around it cast aside, which is very ominous… But I’m sure we’ll be fine, probably.

The last new artist I discovered on Spotify was…

Late last year I found Samia on Spotify. Well, I saw her open for Sylvan Esso at The Greek [in Los Angeles] and fell in love with her music. Even though I didn’t find her music until October, she was still my number one artist on my Spotify wrapped for the year. I love her album The Baby.

The last podcast I spent hours listening to was…

My own! There’s so much sound design involved, so we have to listen to it multiple times to make sure everything sounds good. It’s sometimes hard because the notes I have are like: ​“At this point the vampire bursts into a giant swarm of bats, but can we still make sure we hear the thunder and lightning outside too?”

I still make sure I have time to listen to Morbid: A True Crime Podcast. I love the hosts, Ash and Alaina. They had me on [it] last year to talk about demonic children and it was so fun. I’ve loved watching them succeed and climb the podcast charts. They’re absolutely killing it.

The last picture I liked on Instagram was…

The new album cover Florence [Welch] posted. I’m so excited. I feel like her albums are always tied to specific chapters in my life. I’ve been a Florence + the Machine fan for so long. My first tattoo was lyrics from her second album Ceremonials.

The last TikTok I sent to a friend was…

Ooof. A lasagna recipe that I sent to my friend very late at night. They rolled the lasagna noodles into roses and it looked so good. My ​“For You” page is so chaotic, but at its core, it’s food and animal videos.

The last series I binged (or watched a lot of) was…

I watched both seasons of Euphoria in two days while I was working on an art project. My husband kept walking in while I was watching and asking me what was happening, so I watched both seasons again with him lol. We were both screaming at the TV during the season two finale. Sam Levinson, please notice me. I can be gay comedic relief in season three.

The last Reddit thread I got sucked into was…

I try to avoid Reddit at all costs. I’ve seen my videos blow up on the TikTok Cringe thread a few times, which I guess isn’t necessarily a bad thing (I’ve been reassured that it’s not a thread for just cringey TikToks anymore). But I’ve scrolled through the comments there on my videos multiple times and gotten my feelings really hurt, so I try to avoid it for my own mental stability.

The last book I stayed awake reading was…

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. It has such beautiful imagery and a real slow burn gay romance. The world building in it is so unique and refreshing too. Also, there’s magic! I’m usually pretty into anything that has magic and two guys kissing. I’m maybe only half way through it, but I highly recommend so far.

The last new word I learned was…

好久不见, which means ​“long time no see”. My husband is from China and I’ve been trying to learn conversational Mandarin from him. I really want to sign up for an entry level mandarin class, though. He also taught me 滚开 recently, which means ​“fuck off”. Love to use that one.

The last meme that made me laugh aloud was…

It was a picture of the guy from Hot Ones, but sitting across from him eating wings was Marina Abramovic from her performance The Artist Is Present. I love a contemporary art meme. Reminds me of my art school days. I don’t know if The Artist is Present is still on Netflix, but I really love that documentary. I remember being a freshman in art school and watching it in class, and it really just blew my mind. I came home from winter break and made my parents watch it. I don’t think my mum finished it, but my dad was really into it.

Dive into Tyler Gaca’s mystical cinematic universe by listening to Ghosthoney’s Dream Machine on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.