This week's episode discusses the history of the New Jersey State Insane Asylum from World War I until just before the Great Depression. Find out what circumstances led to the on-the-job death of the superintendent and find out what changes wer...

This week's episode examines the first couple decades of the State Asylum for the Insane in Morristown, New Jersey. Find out what an average day was like at the asylum, what treatments and entertainments were offered, and how long it took for t...

This week's episode looks at the final decades of Volterra Lunatic Asylum through the lens of three different physicians who each left a lasting impact on the hospital: Dr. Claus Schilling, Dr. Franco Basaglia, and Dr. Gino Basci. Find out whic...

This week's episode covers a particularly turbulent time in Italian history: from WWI to WWII and the birth of the Republic. Find out how Volterra Lunatic Asylum fared during wartime and why it began to help feed the surrounding city of Volterr...

In this week's episode, we head to Tuscany, Italy, to the hilltop town of Volterra. Learn about the early history of the Volterra Lunatic Asylum, the political climate of Italy at the time, and the controversial treatments of the first asylum d...

This week's episode is perfectly-timed for Halloween! Learn about Rolling Hills Asylum as a haunted attraction and what draws people to the site. Find out about the staff and patients who lived at the poor farm and whose spirits are said to roa...

This week we discuss the history of Rolling Hills Asylum, which was known as the Genesee County Poor Farm while it was in operation. Learn about the historical context that shows why poorhouses started in New York. Find out about the doctor tha...

This week's episode tells the stories of six survivors of Ireland's Magdalen laundries and orphanages. Learn what their typical work day was like, what punishments they experienced, and what the long-term consequences were of incarceration at t...

This week's episode discusses the history of Magdalen Asylums (also called Magdalen Laundries) in England and Ireland. Focus lies primarily on the history of these laundries in Ireland. Find out how and why these asylums started, how many there...

This week's episode features the story of "Tammy," a survivor of Goodna/Wolston Park Mental Hospital, in her own words. The focus of her story lies in the aftermath of her time spent in institutions and how her hospitalization has affected the ...

This week's episode tells the story of Jean, who later went by Erin, and her experience at multiple adolescent treatment facilities in Queensland, including Goodna/Wolston Park Mental Hospital. She also discusses the lasting effects her childho...

This week's episode examines the history of Goodna Mental Hospital, which also went by Brisbane Mental Hospital, Brisbane Special Hospital, and Wolston Park Mental Hospital during the years between 1937 and its closure in 2001. Find out what co...

This week's episode discusses the early history of Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum/Goodna Hospital for the Insane. Find out why the asylum had to be moved and rebuilt several times during its early years. Learn about the superintendents that were cruci...

This week we head down under to Queensland to learn about Ipswich Mental Hospital, which went by many other names during its 120 year history. Find out which name is the reason this hospital was selected (I promise you'll be able to tell!). Dis...

This week we travel to South Korea to the defunct Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, which was once named the third most haunted place in South Korea and one of the freakiest places in the world. Learn about the legends and myths surrounding the fac...

This week's episode concludes the series on Seacliff Mental Hospital and the story of New Zealand writer Janet Frame. Find out why Frame was sent to Seacliff, how many psychiatric hospitals she would be admitted to, and how her writing actually...

This week's episode examines the childhood and young adulthood of New Zealand writer Janet Frame. Learn what it was like for Frame growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, all while hoping to learn to develop and perfect the cra...

This episode features one of Janet Frame's short stories, "Gorse is not People," which was featured in The New Yorker on August 25, 2008. Link here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/09/01/gorse-is-not-peopleReferences to ...

This week's episode discusses the life, crime, and escapes of Lionel Terry. Find out what brought him to New Zealand and why he committed this hate crime. Learn about how he escaped from both Sunnyside Mental Hospital and Seacliff Mental Hospit...

This week's episode examines the history of Seacliff Mental Hospital after the tenure of Sir Truby King until the closure of Seacliff and Cherry Farm. Learn about how people who had been diagnosed as "mentally defective" were treated. Brace you...

This week's episode looks at the history of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum during the tenure of superintendent Dr. Truby King. Find out what improvements he made to the asylum and what clinical interests sidetracked him along the way. Learn some of th...

This week's episode examines a lot of history that led to the construction of the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum in New Zealand. Learn why New Zealand had six asylums built within a 20 year span in the mid-1800s and still required more space. Find out...

This week's episode examines the life and crimes of "Jolly Jane" Toppan. Find out why Jane is considered the first female serial killer in the U.S. and how she escaped detection for almost 20 years.The main source for this episode is

This week's episode examines the past century of treatment at Taunton State Hospital and explores the changes that have occurred during that time.This episode borrows heavily from the book A Brief History of Taunton Lunatic Hospi...

This week's episode examines 40 years of the history of Taunton State Hospital. Find out what notorious true crime story may (or may not) have a connection to the hospital. Learn how treatment at Taunton was ahead of its time in so many ways.