What It Was Like

Brett Grimes, a blue-collar worker from Montana who at 19 was hired to dig a secret shaft on Mount Shasta. He recounts finding a massive, unexplained hole, the tense crew dynamics, hidden guns and midnight removals. The story probes cult rumors, strange rocks pulled from ash-dark boulders, and the growing fear that made him flee.

Fé Seymour, a participant on the 1973 Akal "Sex Raft" voyage who later moved to Alaska, recounts a harrowing Atlantic crossing. She describes life aboard the cube raft, a leader’s affair and eroding authority, tense crew dynamics that led to talk of mutiny, a hurricane that tested them, and a haunting encounter with transatlantic history.

Robert Powell, a British yachtsman who had his sailing boat methodically attacked and sunk by a pod of orcas off Iberia in 2024, tells the harrowing tale. He recounts loud strikes, a shattered rudder, organised whale behavior and the coast guard’s shocking advice. The conversation surveys local hush-ups, theories for why orcas target boats, and the wider risks to fishers and tourism.

Carol Vaughan, journalist and author who covered the Bender case, walks through a jungle saga of wealth, isolation, and mystery. The story explores the Benders’ eccentric jungle home and lifestyle. It delves into escalating paranoia, violence, mental illness, and a baffling death. Trials, corruption, and the tangled aftermath are all teased in short, gripping scenes.

Connie Geldrich, a woman who survived a traumatic 1967 encounter with Theodore Bundy, shares her firsthand memory of meeting him as a teen. She recalls his charm, warning signs, escalation to violence, and the long silence that followed. The conversation touches on trauma, survivor guilt, recognition years later, and frustration with true crime fame.

A woman reinvents her life after a long relationship and radical health changes. She explores sexual awakening, reclaiming desire, and the mirror moment that transformed her self-image. That journey sparks a business offering female-focused erotic massage, workshops, and partner coaching. Stories center on pleasure, consent, and helping women learn to receive rather than perform.

Douglas Robertson was a teenager when his family set out to sail the world on a yacht. Seventeen months into the voyage, orcas sank the boat in the Pacific. In this ep, Douglas describes 38 days adrift in a small dinghy, surviving on turtle blood and rainwater.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Hogg was a Melbourne accountant who specialised in minimising tax by fabricating expenses. In 2018, it all imploded and Rick got five years in prison. In this episode, he explains how the scheme worked, why he crossed the line, and what the ordeal taught him about greed.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Kerbeck was a broke actor when he stumbled into corporate espionage. His job was to trick low-level employees into divulging company secrets, which he sold for big money. In this episode, he explains what the work taught him about lying and the shortcomings of American capitalism.Check out Robert's book: RuseFind us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa Mitchell thought she was buying the home of her dreams. Sure, it was a medieval prison for English peasants accused of witchcraft, but it was cute and within her price range. But then her possessions started vanishing and she found a mysterious pool of blood on the floor and three years later she was out, fleeing with her son. This is Vanessa's story of what happened.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcastFind us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcastFollow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcastThis is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.