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In 1991, cruise ship performers Moss and Tracy Hills found themselves on a sinking ship. As the MTS Oceanos floundered, passengers waited for the crew to take charge. Finally, Moss and Tracy stepped in, and ultimately rescued over 500 passengers. On this ep, Moss tells the story of becoming an accidental hero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's subscriber episode takes us back to February 2020, where Kent Frasure found himself confined to his cabin on the Diamond Princess due to COVID. It was a preview of the pandemic to come: the slow response, the gap between regular people and authority, and the limits of money against a million year-old virus. Subscribe to WIWL PLUS+ to hear the full episode and get access to loads more exclusive content. Join our membership on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In February 2020, Kent Frasure found himself confined to his cabin on the Diamond Princess due to COVID. It was a preview of the pandemic to come: the slow response, the gap between regular people and authority, and the limits of money against a million year-old virus. Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whatitwaslikepodcast/ This is a Superreal production: https://superreal.com.au/

Through the 1990s, a group of men in Australia’s southernmost state began training as ninjas. It was a kind of proto-manosphere that slowly became part cult, part domestic terrorist cell. They stole explosives, stockpiled guns, and plotted to kidnap local businessmen, until their leader was murdered in 1997. On this ep, Journalist Claire Sullivan walks us through this bizarre and forgotten saga. Pre-order Claire’s book: Criminally Bad The 100% true story of Tasmania’s most inept crime ring Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do ordinary, intelligent people end up in cults, and how do they get out? In this subscriber ep preview, we talk to Ingo Michehl, who spent six years in the Moonies before a single phrase from a friend set him free. He later did a master’s in psychology with a thesis on mind control. He tells us about his journey in and out, and we unpack the eight criteria of “ideological totalism”. Get in touch with Ingo at Balance With Ingo. Subscribe to WIWL PLUS+ to hear the full episode and get access to loads more exclusive content. Join our membership on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do ordinary, intelligent people end up in cults, and how do they get out? In this subscriber ep, we talk to Ingo Michehl, who spent six years in the Moonies before a single phrase from a friend set him free. He later did a master’s in psychology with a thesis on mind control. He tells us about his journey in and out, and we unpack the eight criteria of “ideological totalism”. Get in touch with Ingo at Balance With Ingo: https://www.balancewithingo.com/ Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whatitwaslikepodcast/ This is a Superreal production: https://superreal.com.au/

Sophia Greenwood was adopted as a baby. She had no contact with her birth parents, until she met her biological dad in her 20s. They both experienced a sense of profound connection and fell into a relationship that ended in pregnancy. In this ep, Sophia talks about knowing she was in a relationship with her dad, yet unable to switch off the attraction, and why that’s more common than you'd think among adoptees. Sophia's book, Forbidden Love, is on Amazon here. This week’s episode was originally featured on our sister show Sex Confessions. Watch it on Spotify or listen on Apple Podcasts Instagram ⁠@sexconfessionspod Tiktok ⁠@xconfessionspod Youtube ⁠@SexConfessionsPod Host Laura Roscioli ⁠@lauraroscioli⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s story will likely be hard for many listeners to wrap their heads around, which is why we're unpacking the science behind it in this week’s subscriber episode.This is an excerpt from Julian’s discussion with Dianne Mathes, a Canadian therapist who specialises in the phenomenon of adoptees feeling attracted to biological family members. By her estimate, it's actually the majority of her cases, and she shares her own experience as an adoptee. Subscribe to WIWL PLUS+ to hear the full episode and get access to loads more exclusive content. Join our membership on Spotify here or on Apple Podcasts here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's main episode explores the sexual attraction that can sometimes arise between adopted children and their biological family. We unpack this psychological phenomenon with Dianne Mathes, a Canadian therapist who specializes in the area. By her estimate, it's actually the majority of her cases and she shares her own experience as an adoptee. Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whatitwaslikepodcast/ This is a Superreal production: https://superreal.com.au/

At 15, Maggie Malloy was abducted at gunpoint during running practice near her home in Galion, Ohio. A few hours later, she was found with multiple gun shots to the head, but alive. This week, Maggie shares how she survived and how faith and facing her past helped her to heal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1983, 3-year-old Lori Poland was abducted from her front yard. Days later she was found at the bottom of an abandoned outhouse. Now a therapist and trauma researcher, Lori brings her clinical and experience-backed perspective to healing from childhood trauma. Check out Lori’s book: I Live Here (https://endcan.org/lori-poland-memoir-press-kit/) Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whatitwaslikepodcast/ This is a Superreal production: https://superreal.com.au/

This week we are revisiting one of our favourite stories. In 2015, Hurricane Joaquin roared over the Bahamas and sank a cargo ship called the El Faro, drowning all 33 people onboard. It was a mystery how a modern US-flagged ship could sail into a hurricane until its black box was found. In this episode, Julian examines the black box transcript to discover a crew that ignored all their own instincts. Transcript from the El Faro's black box is here. The US Coast Guard's report is here. And here is an article and a book that was hugely helpful in researching this case: “The Clock Is Ticking”: Inside the Worst U.S. Maritime Disaster in Decades by William Langewiesche Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of El Faro by Rachel Slade Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Alice Weaver Flaherty’s twins died at birth, she developed an overwhelming compulsion to write about the experience. Soon, Alice had developed hypergraphia, a rare condition that causes sufferers to write morning and night. She explains what happened to her and what it reveals about the brain and creativity. Check out Alice’s book, The Midnight Disease Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sadie Dingfelder had always been prone to social gaffes. She’d mistake strangers for her husband or fail to recognise friends. Then she discovered she had prosopagnosia, or facial blindness, and suddenly her whole life made sense. She explains what it’s like to navigate the world without recognising the faces of people you know. Check out Sadie’s book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sadie-dingfelder/do-i-know-you/9781668640050/?lens=little-brown Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whatitwaslikepodcast/ This is a Superreal production: https://superreal.com.au/

In 1990, 14-year-old Tyler Pelke was home alone in Altona, Canada, watching a movie with a friend. Then the local bully, Earl Giesbrecht, showed up at the door. Hours later, Tyler’s friend was dead and his house was on fire. Years later, Tyler confronted Earl in prison to ask “why?”. Get Tyler to speak at your next event: tylerpelke.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.