
What if you were trafficked into a cult...or were mauled by a grizzly bear...or were stabbed 27 times by a serial killer - 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 woke up in the morgue to a woman stranded in a Mexican desert fighting to survive, these stories will have you on the e... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 519 | Founded | 15 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | DocumentarySociety & Culture | |||

After burying his childhood marked by religious control and chronic abuse, a man turns to AI to process his trauma, but as validation becomes obsession, he spirals away from his family and reality before discovering the importance of genuine human co... more
A search for meaning leads a young woman into an all-consuming group that strips away her sense of self, but after escaping and trying to understand what happened, she discovers unsettling parallels between the forces that once controlled her and our... more
In this special episode, Whit joins Valerie Sizemore, co-leader of the grassroots organization StopAI, for a wide-ranging conversation about the growing influence of artificial intelligence and the risks they believe it poses to human life and societ... more
After surviving decades of illness, addiction, and abandonment before finally uncovering the rare condition that shaped his life, a man believes an extraordinary encounter with an AI entity gives him a new mission and returns him to the person he was... more
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I enjoy a lot of these stories, but every now and then there’s one that feels like listening to an older aunt. Tell a long rambling story you realize it’s boring, but by then you’ve already committed to hearing the whole thing. The one that really threw me off and it kind of bothered me was a psychic episode about Annette Bricca. I couldn’t find any articles about her alleged kidnapping or her claim about assisting the FBI. She made it very difficult to believe, kind of reminded me of Sylvia Bro... more
i've listened to thousands of podcasts and this right here is the best. particularly the episode with woman with cp who had the tbi
Love the podcast generally but miss me with narcissistic boomers who make bad choices and blame their four children for not speaking to them?! Demanding birthright respect after causing the family to lose everything?Yeah no. And I find it pretty tone deaf to set the stage for his crimes with a relatively privileged immigrant experience in these dark days.
5
I tend to like this podcast, it seems like people telling true stories about their life. However, the latest episode with the psychic who survived a horrible abduction as a child did not seem like a real story to me. Apologies if I’m off base here but I feel like there should be more thorough fact checking.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #197 | |
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Apple Podcasts | #28 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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This show curates intensely personal true-life stories told directly by the people who lived them, focusing on moments of crisis, resilience, and recovery. Episodes commonly center on survival—from dangerous ordeals to psychological traumas—alongside the aftermath: coping, meaning-making, and healing through therapy, mindfulness, or community. A notable strength is the intimate, unvarnished storytelling paired with mindful reflection, often shedding light on complex issues like abuse, trauma, and identity. The format tends to attract listeners who crave deep, character-driven narratives and practical takeaways on resilience, mental health, and navigating extreme life events.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with This Is Actually Happening:
1. What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
2. The Secret Room | True Stories
3. Something Was Wrong
4. What Came Next
5. Betrayal Weekly
This Is Actually Happening launched 15 years ago and published 519 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on This Is Actually Happening include:
1. Dan Frolec
2. Mirsad Solakovic
3. Mike Wolo
4. Lisa Phillips
5. Emily Caldwell
6. Azzah Ahmad
7. Katherine McElhinney
8. Dr. Amanda Eller
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