About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "The Hypnotist, Part 1 (Revisited)" from PRETEND follows a personal attempt to use regressive hypnosis to recover a memory from infancy — the moment, at eight months old, when a rice cooker full of boiling water and oil spilled down the left side of the body, leaving third-degree burn scars that remain today despite no conscious memory of the event. To explore whether that lost memory can be retrieved, a session is booked with a hypnotherapist in Raleigh.
Before undergoing hypnosis, the episode pauses to ask a broader question: what is hypnosis, really? Listeners share accounts of how it helped them quit smoking, change careers, or get through childbirth without an epidural, while a practicing hypnotist explains what she believes the mind is capable of healing. The episode blends a deeply personal investigation with a wider examination of hypnotherapy's claims and limits, setting up the regression session itself as the central experiment of the story. The full account, including the case details explored across the investigation, is cataloged under The Hypnotist.
Hosts and release
Javier Leiva hosts PRETEND, an investigative true crime podcast described as exploring the psychology and real stories behind swindlers, con artists, and their victims. New episodes are released weekly, and this episode runs 52 minutes. The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and Overcast.
