What It Was Like

By Superreal

Conversations with people who have lived through extreme events. Some stories are dark and twisted, others are light and funny. In all cases, we get an intimate portrait of 'what it was like'

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4.3

361361 ratings

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FAQs about What It Was Like:

How many episodes does What It Was Like have?

The podcast currently has 82 episodes available.

What It Was Like episodes:

June 27, 2026 I Escaped an Abusive Polygamist Cult… and Became a Millionaire
Pamela Jones was born into a fringe splinter group of Mormonism. By her early 30s she had nine children, while her husband had five other wives. But one day something inside her broke. In this ep, Pamela describes how she escaped — penniless and illiterate — and built a multimillion-dollar business and a whole new life.
Hire Pamela to speak at your next event here
Read her incredible memoir, The Dirt Beneath Our Door: My Journey to Freedom after Escaping a Polygamous Mormon Cult

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1h
June 21, 2026 A Fatal Search for a Lost City of Gold in the Amazon
In 1981, an Israeli backpacker named Yossi Ghinsberg met a man in Bolivia who told him about a lost city of riches buried in the jungle. Four of them went into the Amazon to search for the city. Two came out. Yossi tells us how he survived and what he learned about the darkness within.
Hire Yossi to speak at your next event here
Read his incredible memoir, Jungle, here

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This is a Superreal production

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1h 5min
June 13, 2026 My Terrifying (and Oddly Funny) 25 Hours Kidnapped in New York
On the eve of his 38th birthday in 1998, a lawyer named Stanley Alpert was plucked off the street by three armed men. For the next 25 hours he sat blindfolded in a corner of their Brooklyn apartment, listening to their strange lives play out around him, and carefully absorbing their stories so he could have them jailed, should he ever escape.
For more, check out Stan’s book The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production

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59min
June 07, 2026 I Discovered Snowtown's Bodies in Barrels (Classic)
In May 1999, police found eight bodies decaying in barrels in a disused bank vault in Snowtown. Four men were eventually jailed for 12 murders. Former senior constable Gordon Drage was the first to discover the vault and tells us what he saw.. We're re-running this 2023 interview because the youngest of the four, James Vlassakis, has just been approved for parole. It’s a decision that’s being fought out in the South Australian Supreme Court.
If you’re a subscriber, please contribute your episode ideas and questions here.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production

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49min
May 29, 2026 I Was an Undercover Cop With a Death Wish
Todd Maguire was happy-go-lucky Australian policeman until his girlfriend died by suicide and everything changed. From there, Todd became a heavy drinking undercover cop chasing life-and-death situations to bury his trauma. This is Todd’s story of going to hell but somehow finding his way back.
Check out Todd’s memoir: Donny: An undercover cop with a deathwish.
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production
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50min
May 23, 2026 How Do You Survive a Cyber-Stalking Cult?
In 2018, sci-fi writer Patrick Tomlinson posted a Tweet that attracted the attention of a group of far-right internet trolls. As their harassment escalated, Patrick called the police, who did nothing. Now, nearly eight years later, Patrick’s life has been upended via a campaign of doxing, swatting and relentless terrorising. On this ep, he explains how this nightmare can happen to anyone.
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production

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55min
May 15, 2026 How I Became a Cult Recruiter
In 2019, Matthew Thomas thought he was joining a Bible study group. Instead, he was sucked into Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive Korean cult known for coercive control and bankrupting its members. Over the next four years, Matt lost himself and eventually became a recruiter tasked with drawing others in.
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production
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1h 1min
May 10, 2026 I Committed a School Shooting
In 2004, Jon Romano brought a shotgun to school intending to take his own life. One person was injured before he was tackled to the ground. Today, Jon reflects on the path that led him there—and what he wishes he’d told the people around him sooner.
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1h 3min
May 02, 2026 I Got Caught Fabricating Stories for the New York Times
In 2003, Jayson Blair was a rising star in journalism, until he got caught plagiarising stories and inventing details. What followed was one of the most high-profile downfalls in modern media. In this ep, Jayson reflects on why he lied, how he got away with it for so long, and how it felt when everything collapsed.
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
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This is a Superreal production
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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41min
April 25, 2026 I Woke From a Coma to a Man Claiming to Be My Boyfriend
After Brooke Knisley fell from a tree, she couldn’t walk, talk, or remember anything—or anyone. So when a man appeared claiming to be her boyfriend, she believed him. What followed was months of manipulation, as she slowly uncovered who he really was.
This is a recent episode from our other show, The Sex That Changed My Life. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.
You can follow Brooke on Instagram here and TikTok here.
Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast
Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast
This is a Superreal production
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
53min

FAQs about What It Was Like:

How many episodes does What It Was Like have?

The podcast currently has 82 episodes available.

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