MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
The human body is a miracle. But when it’s not working, it can be the stuff of nightmares. On this new series from master storyteller MrBallen, we’re sharing medical horror stories and diagnostic mysteries that are surgically calibrated to make your blood run cold.
From bizarre, unheard-of diseases and miraculous recoveries to strange medical mishaps and unexplainable deaths — you’ll never hear the phrase “heart-stopping” in the same way again. MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between MrBallen and Wondery, the award-winning company behind Dr. Death.
Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 57-64 early and ad-free on Amazon Music.
Wondery+ subscribers can listen ad-free--join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.
Our Editor's Take
MrBallen's Medical Mysteries is a combination of true crime and horror. The stories the podcast shares all happened in real life. They are also all terrifying. They discuss what MrBallen considers to be the scariest place of them all. It's a place every listener knows well, and they can never escape it—the human body.
Host MrBallen (Jonathan B. Allen) is a former Navy SEAL who likes to tell unsettling (and true) tales. This podcast has stories similar in tone to those on his other podcast, MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories.
What makes the tales on this podcast so unnerving is that they could happen to anyone. Rare medical conditions can affect people of any economic status, race, and sexuality. While some of them are more common for certain people, everyone is at risk of their body betraying them. Anyone listening might find themselves in a situation where the best doctors and scientists in the world don't have answers. Listening to MrBallen's Medical Mysteries might provide them some comfort. By listening to the weirdest medical situations, listeners can learn the symptoms. They can understand what to do in such situations and how to advocate for themselves.
Episodes of MrBallen's Medical Mysteries are about 30 minutes. In each one, the host follows the investigation of an unusual medical issue. In one episode, the protagonist wakes up and hears voices around them. The voices say they are in a coma. The protagonist tries to tell them they're wrong but can't move or speak. That's when the listener realizes they are locked inside of their own body. In a different episode, an entire town loses its mind. People are hallucinating and jumping out of windows, but no one can figure out why. A third story follows a person with a pain in their stomach. Doctors think it's a tumor, but when they operate, they find something so much worse.
MrBallen's Medical Mysteries is both a captivating and horrifying podcast. Listeners might feel their stomachs wrench but still might find it hard to press pause.
Episodes