The Joe Rogan Experience podcast may divide listeners (remember that scandal over his vaccine comments?) - but it's also got over 14 million of them, making it the number one podcast in the world.
That is, until now.
Despite smashing the charts at the latter-end of 2024, Joe Rogan's offering has now been overtaken by an arguably even more controversial podcast.
'The Telepathy Tapes' is a new show hosted by filmmaker Ky Dickens and psychiatrist Dr Diane Hennacy Powell, and according to their website, explores the "profound abilities of non-speakers with autism".
"These silent communicators possess gifts that defy conventional understanding, from telepathy to otherworldly perceptions, challenging the limits of what we believe to be real", the description continues.
"For years, their parents and teachers have quietly witnessed these remarkable abilities, knowing that the time to share their truth would eventually come."
The Telepathy Tapes
The duo claim to have spent no money marketing the podcast, and say "the courage, sacrifice, love, curiosity, purpose and miracle witnessed by the families" is simply "resonating" with others.
For some, it's opening up their minds to possibilities outside of their own worlds. However, there have already been concerns raised about the legitimacy of the research used to draw Dickens' and Powell's conclusions in the episodes.
Dickens has even mentioned scandals around topics such as facilitated communication in the 90s, but apparently puts it down to the 'poor training' of the people conducting it.
However, Rogan himself has admitted to listening to The Telepathy Tapes, speaking about it on his own podcast: "I think some telepathy is real.
"I'm only on episode two, but it's really fascinating, man, because it's a dismissed thing - it's a woo woo thing - but if it's real, shouldn't scientists study it?"
This is only one of a few times Rogan has been knocked back to number two on the charts, with another briefly being by Kylie Kelce, wife of former Kansas City Chiefs' player Jason Kelce, with her show, 'Not Gonna Lie'.
Here's what people are saying about it...
The telepathy tapes is blowing my mind
— Kaila (@kailavansumer) December 28, 2024
The podcast is even bringing comfort to some parents
let me just say, having a non-communicative / late talker toddler
The Telepathy Tapes just hits different
you should listen pic.twitter.com/VPQPg2qfAe
— Kelly Schricker (@KSchricks) January 3, 2025
While for others, it shifted their perspectives
I am on the 8th show of The Telepathy Tapes. Highly recommend, but hard to stomach as a teacher. I have had kids with autism in my classroom that I know were highly intelligent but couldn’t communicate effectively. It is heartbreaking. They have abilities beyond what we can
— Billy (@Bleaps77) January 2, 2025
While there's no telling how long the success of The Telepathy Tapes will last - it's definitely piqued the interest of listeners, and opened up a whole new conversation about how we communicate.
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