<p>In this episode, Sam and Chase discuss one of the strangest things ever broadcast on television: a Soviet psychologist who claimed he could heal millions of people through hypnosis… over national TV. Viewers across the USSR sat in front of their televisions trying to cure illnesses while hospitals simultaneously reported spikes in panic attacks and medical emergencies. Was it mass placebo, mass hysteria, or something even stranger?They also explore obscure words that describe oddly specific human emotions—like the realization that every stranger is living a life as complex as your own, the eerie silence of normally crowded places, the feeling of being out of place in the world, and the awareness of how small your perspective is in the grand scheme of the universe.Along the way: fake job postings, AI interviews that might secretly be training models, viral news stories that turn out to be satire, NBA flopping and WNBA “mebounds,” disappearing traditions like Christmas light drives, weird modern weddings, kids refusing medicine they chose themselves, and the unsettling quiet of tourist towns during COVID.Unlimited for $5For $5, supporters get everything we have to offer - every podcast, live backdoor access to watch us record, video episodes, uncut episodes, all of our PLUS podcasts, early and ad-free, and more. Support 11:59 Media's vision to build our great creators. Visit ⁠11:59 Media on Patreon⁠ https://patreon.com/1159media to sign up now.Start your support, and access everything you've been missing.</p>