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This Is Actually Happening

Wondery

What if your mother left to follow a cult… or you woke up in a morgue… or if your boat got caught in a storm and began to sink -- what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who finds out a celebrity crush isn’t who she seems to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next.

What if your mother left to follow a cult… or you woke up in a morgue… or if your boat got caught in a storm and began to sink -- what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who finds out a celebrity crush isn’t who she seems to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next.

Location:

Oakland, CA

Networks:

Wondery

Description:

What if your mother left to follow a cult… or you woke up in a morgue… or if your boat got caught in a storm and began to sink -- what would you do? This is Actually Happening brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events told by the people who lived them. From a man who finds out a celebrity crush isn’t who she seems to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens next.

Language:

English

Episodes

What if you had a ten-year nightmare? [Rebroadcast - #103]

7/20/2021
"The hardest part is that I still don't have any answers...what came into my house that night?" Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A musician is sideswiped by a sudden break into a nightmarish world that will not let him go This episode is part of the Summer 2021 rebroadcast series, featuring listener favorites from the back catalogue. All episodes in this rebroadcast series were released prior to episode #130, which are currently exclusive to the Wondery Plus. Today’s...

Duration:00:53:38

Step into the minds of killers...

7/14/2021
When a shocking crime occurs, people ask “WHY?” Was it about power, ego, or revenge? On KILLER PSYCHE, former FBI criminal profiler Candice DeLong draws on her decades of experience to reveal why these murderers and criminals committed these acts. She will reveal fascinating new details about what drove these people, including cases she worked on first-hand. Listen to Killer Psyche at: wondery.fm/KP_ActuallyHappening See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Duration:00:06:57

What if you transitioned into an alternate reality? [Rebroadcast - #124]

7/13/2021
“It’s almost as if like I could feel my whole self just changing at this point and just changing in the way that I trust people…and questioning myself and everything.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: After a chaotic upbringing, a man assigned female at birth finds a new community with caring mentors, when their mental illness threatens to unravel his entire reality. This episode is part of the Summer 2021 rebroadcast series, featuring listener favorites from the back...

Duration:00:56:44

What if the happiest place on earth was your worst nightmare? [Rebroadcast - #79]

7/6/2021
“It’s almost like you can’t stand the meaninglessness of the situation, and so you justify it by saying ‘well this must be all my fault.'” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman recounts her childhood dealing with a mentally ill father obsessed with Disneyland. This episode is part of the Summer 2021 rebroadcast series, featuring listener favorites from the back catalogue. All episodes in this rebroadcast series were released prior to episode #130, which are currently...

Duration:00:40:59

Wondery Presents: The Generation Why Podcast

7/1/2021
If you’re obsessed with crime mysteries and unsolved murder cases, the Generation Why podcast from Wondery has it all. Hosts Aaron and Justin have discussed unsolved cases from all angles: they break down theories, dive deep into forensic evidence, and share some shocking opinions. Often, cold cases that they bring to light finally find resolution. You won’t want to miss Aaron and Justin’s take on each perplexing case, especially from their most recent episode about Kadie Major. At the age...

Duration:00:07:56

What if her ex-boyfriend tried to kill you? [Rebroadcast - #114]

6/29/2021
“All of a sudden within a hundred meters of your house that’s where the worst thing happens and suddenly the world becomes different…you can’t go back to who you were.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A man is relentlessly stalked by his girlfriend's ex. This episode is part of the Summer 2021 rebroadcast series, featuring listener favorites from the back catalogue. All episodes in this rebroadcast series were released prior to episode #130, which are currently exclusive...

Duration:00:55:19

196: What if you went missing?

6/22/2021
“It was just full chills over my body, tears in my eyes, it was that moment of I don’t know, I don’t understand, I don’t know.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock Episode Summary: A woman who seeks awakening through myriad healing practices finds her ultimate challenge when she goes missing in a Maui forest. Today's episode featured Dr. Amanda Eller. You can find out more about Amanda by going to AmandaEllerPT.com. You can also find her on Instagram: @amandaeeller And on...

Duration:01:12:08

195: What if you never stopped searching?

6/15/2021
“The not knowing is awful, and it’s awful from day one and it’s awful thirty years later, but every day that goes by you get more and more in reality.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock Episode Summary: Decades after her brother disappeared in the early 1980s, a woman becomes deeply involved in the search for a missing friend. Today’s episode featured Sarah Haynes. Somebody out there knows something about her brother Jon Haynes, who went missing in Boulder July 1981 just days...

Duration:01:01:26

194: What if you ran but couldn't hide?

6/8/2021
“It planted a seed in my mind that has never ever gone away even now that people might not be who they say they are.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: A woman is haunted by a relentless threat of danger when her pursuit of safety turns into obsession. Today’s episode featured Hannah. Hannah is a writer living in California. If you’d like to reach out, you can email her at hannahwrites08@gmail.com Website for Andrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/ Social...

Duration:01:03:30

Introducing: The Devil Within

6/8/2021
It’s a case that has haunted Jefferson Township, New Jersey, for more than 30 years. On a snowy January night, 14-year-old Tommy Sullivan did the unthinkable: he murdered his mother in cold blood, set fire to their house, and then took his own life. Out of the flames of this horrible tragedy, investigations revealed that Tommy was, himself, a part of a Satanic Cult, sparking a nationwide hysteria now known as the “Satanic Panic” This monumental moment in American culture led to communities...

Duration:00:07:16

193: What if your deepest secret was shared with the world?

6/1/2021
“I felt like I was sort of drifting along as something besides human, like I had stepped onto another planet inside my head.” Producers: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A man haunted by an early childhood trauma finally establishes his own identity only to be sideswiped by another unwanted, shocking exposure. This episode featured Michael McAllister. He's a writer working on a book-length memoir, and you can find out more about him at his blog, dogpoet.com, or on Instagram at...

Duration:01:08:04

192: What if one wrong turn meant life or death?

5/25/2021
“You are in absolute darkness, and until you are in that kind of situation it’s hard to understand what darkness is.” Producers: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A lifelong traveler heads out for a quick bike ride in the Swiss Alps and finds herself lost in a dark, icy unknown. Today's episode featured Ava Chisling. Ava is a media lawyer and writer from Montreal. You can find out more about her on her website, avachisling.com. Waiting for herd immunity before she can travel again, Ava...

Duration:00:49:57

Wondery Presents: The Vaping Fix

5/19/2021
Two young Silicon Valley entrepreneurs set out to rid the world of smoking with an incredible new product. The device stands to disrupt the tobacco industry and make them rich, until it falls into the wrong hands and lives are ruined. From classrooms to hospitals, boardrooms to the Oval Office, what can be done to protect teenagers and is it too late? From Laura Beil, the reporter behind Dr Death and Bad Batch, comes The Vaping Fix, the inside story of the rise of Juul and the making of a...

Duration:00:06:14

191: What if you suffered from trichotillomania?

5/18/2021
“The person who was pulling was just stronger than the person who wanted a perfect life.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: Growing up with a close, religious family a young woman’s aspiration for perfect beauty turns her into the very image of herself she was afraid of. Today’s episode featured Caroline. To learn more about Trichotillomania, go to www.bfrb.org. There you can find additional information about Trichotillomania and other body-focused repetitive...

Duration:00:39:59

190: What if your fairytale was finally within reach?

5/11/2021
“I was really lost and I was so incredibly desperate for someone to love me…and to fill the void that had kind of been opened in me .” Producers: Whit Missildine, Matt Volla Episode Summary: Following an early childhood trauma, a woman seeks to fill the void with a series of unhealthy relationships, until a fairytale romance promises to be everything she ever wanted Today's guest prefers to remain anonymous, but if you'd like to reach out to her directly, you can email at...

Duration:00:50:58

189: What if you couldn't stop shining?

5/4/2021
“That feeling that you get when you find out an important piece of information, that ‘aha moment’ was happening constantly. I felt as if somebody put my brain into a microwave.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: Growing up in a home of abandonment and neglect, a teenager finds a grand, new reality in the rabbit hole of addiction until they can no longer find their way back. Today’s guest prefers to remain anonymous, but if you’d like to reach out to them, you...

Duration:00:52:24

Introducing Confronting: Columbine

5/4/2021
Listen now: wondery.fm/CC_ActuallyHappening The events of April 20th, 1999 shaped our nation and altered the American narrative. One of America’s deadliest school shootings took place in a small town in Colorado, leaving thirteen dead and another twenty-one severely injured. And it was all broadcast over national tv for the nation to see. The second season of Confronting takes on one of the most prolific tragedies in American history: the Columbine High School massacre. It was a...

Duration:00:10:13

188: What if you spent four years inside?

4/27/2021
“I was just left fighting this invisible thing inside me, the root of which I didn’t know.” Producers: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman grows up with an idyllic childhood in Scotland, when a phobia of mysterious origin begins consuming her thoughts and eventually her future Today’s episode featured Rachel Balcarek. You can find out more about Rachel on Instagram @bearscenario. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Wondery...

Duration:00:56:25

Wondery Presents: In God We Lust

4/21/2021
A woman named Becki is lounging by the pool at the Fontainebleau Hotel when she decides to proposition a strapping pool attendant. Go on a date with her...and her husband. What begins as an unconventional proposition will soon throw them all into the international spotlight. And that’s because the couple is none other than Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife Becki, two of the most powerful figures in Evangelical America. Wondery presents In God We Lust, hosted by Brooke Siffrin and Aricia...

Duration:00:05:57

187: What if you were trapped all over again?

4/20/2021
“In horror movies there’s this beautiful moment for the protagonist where the monster’s real, everyone can see it…but a lot of times in real life, there isn’t a neatly wrapped up ending.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Jason Blalock Episode Summary: A young man growing up in an abusive home falls into a whirlwind romance that throws him into another cycle of chaos Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Jason Blalock:...

Duration:00:53:32

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