March 3, 2025 • 66 mins
In this episode of Impolite Society, Laura and Rachel explore the bizarre 1960s counterculture practice of trepanation, where individuals drilled holes in their heads to achieve heightened consciousness. We discuss the historical roots, key figures like Bart Hughes, and the modern revival attempts by groups advocating for it. Blending humor with research, we delve into the motivations behind self-trepanation, the supposed benefits, and the disturbing accounts of DIY procedures. This episode is a wild ride into one of the most extreme and peculiar fads of the past century.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3640229/
https://www.scielo.br/j/anp/a/rsfbjBsF9RFVgMz3DwzsnkC/?lang=en
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/hole-in-the-head-trepanation/
https://cvltnation.com/head-lure-trepanation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1FHTJo4Bcg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJRA6EejY0U
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1173790/ pub: 2000
https://www.rcfp.org/abc-ordered-hand-over-unedited-head-drilling-tapes/
https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/28/turner.php
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/features/trepan.htm
https://www.thesantaclara.org/blog/trepanation
https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-english-countess-revolutionizing-psychedelic-drugs-research/
https://lundissimo.info/docs/trep/luck_hole.html
https://apocalypse-confidential.com/2022/07/30/through-the-blind-hole/
https://web.archive.org/web/20050407083517fw_/http://www.trepan.com/
https://news.bme.com/wp-conten
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (00:03):
The 1960s was a time of free love,
psychedelic music, expandingconsciousness, and drilling
holes in your skull to get high.
Yep, you heard that right.
Today we're exploring thepractice of trepanation, where
tripped out hippies believedthat creating a hole in their
skull could elevate their mindsto whole new heights.
(00:23):
We'll uncover the big players,their made up science, and the
cult like following of those whodare to drill for a higher state
of being.
That's what you're in for todayon Impolite Society.
(01:10):
Welcome back to ImpoliteSociety.
I am hard headed Laura.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (01:15):
And I am full skulled Rachel, I got
it all.
No holes.
Well, except for the eyes andthe nose and the mouth.
I guess the spinal column.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:25):
All the regular holes.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (01:26):
All the standard issued holes.
There and everywhere.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:32):
So I want to ask you a question,
Rachel, because I remember youmentioning you were also a fan
of the old Showtime show, DeadLike Me.
Do you remember Mason, theBritish kind of tripped out dude
from the 60s?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:48):
I do like this show.
I rediscovered it on Amazonrecently.
And I watched the first twoepisodes, bawled my eyes out at
the pilot.
That's not
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:57):
The pilot is the best.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (01:59):
That's not fair.
Why don't do that to me, please?
Was Mason in that or was that adifferent cute white guy that
they then replaced?
I feel like they switched cutewhite guys
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:08):
don't think they did, but it It's been
a while since I watched the fullseries, but I know he's in at
least the first couple ofepisodes.
Do you remember how he died?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (02:18):
No, I actually don't but I remember
he was like crushable.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:21):
Yes, yes, he was.
No, he was adorable.
Okay, so let me remind you, theGrim Reaper Mason, played by
Callum Blue, the show, he diedin 1966 in his attempt to
achieve a permanent high bydrilling a hole in his head with
a power drill.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (02:42):
Now, you would think I would remember
that.
So,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:45):
It's in like episode 3 or 4 because I
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (02:47):
Well, Amazon only gives you two
episodes for free.
I don't understand where, whythey did that, but.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:54):
So this show dead like me It was
the first time and honestlyPossibly the only time I had
ever heard of such a thing andthis show aired back in like
what?
2002 or whatever, but that imagehas always stuck with me in the
back of my brain thinking Whatthe fuck was that all about?
(03:16):
Is that a real thing?
Did people drill a hole in theirhead in the 60s to get high?
ladies and gentlemen, this iswhy we have this podcast.
So I have an excuse to look intothe internet archives, look into
the back of my brain and pullthis thing out from 2002 and
find out what the fuck is thisall about and report it back to
(03:40):
my friend Rachel.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (03:41):
And this one is definitely A
sleeper, because I would neverhave thought of this topic, I,
like, no idea, had no idea aboutit, and it's very interesting.
It's fascinating.
Where, uh, it, I, it's wild!This is.
insane! Well, I don't know howthe guys in the dollop haven't
(04:02):
done this yet, because I
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:03):
I know, right?
Um,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01 (04:06):
amateurs, and they're like, I forgot their
names, but like, you guys wouldeat it up.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:11):
yeah, definitely ripe for some improv
for sure.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (04:14):
Yeah, we don't have those skills, we
have internet research skills,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:18):
Yes.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (04:19):
and vague audio editing skills.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:23):
So, the short answer to my burning
question from 2002 is that yes,this is a real thing that people
did in the 1960s, and well.
Well, before then it's calledtree panning or also trepanation
or tree fenation.
(04:44):
Sometimes they make a P H and Fsound.
I don't know why maybe Britishto Dutch to whatever
translation.
I don't know, but it is asurgical procedure where a hole
is drilled into the patient'sskull and it is legitimately one
of the oldest surgeries that areknown to man.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (05:05):
My head is literally hurting
already.
As soon as you said drill a holeinto your head, the pain that I
feel, like, the headache isstarting.
I should have taken an Advil.
Before we started recording.
Cause I viscerally feel this.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (05:19):
oh, but I say drilled, but this
procedure has been taking placelong before we had power drills
or even hand drills, like thelittle like twisty twisty ones.
So in ancient cases, the holewas scraped into the skull.
And I just want you to let thatsettle over you and kind of
(05:42):
marinate for a moment.
Ancient human.
Letting someone scrape the boneof their skull away from their
brain with no anesthesia, or atleast not any good ones, right?
Because herbal medicine can onlytake ancient man so high.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (06:03):
Yeah, my head is definitely hurting
after thinking of that.
Oh my gosh, that's insane.
Seriously, what is wrong with usas a species?
Like, what?
As if life wasn't hard enoughfor prehistoric humans, right?
Threat of death, starvation,you're like, you can die any
second.
But, you know, let's just scrapeour fucking skulls away.
(06:24):
Why not, you know?
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (06:25):
Expose some brain matter, it's great.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (06:27):
That will only help, surely.
But okay, so but that was myfirst that's my gut reaction gut
reaction now that I'm thinkingabout it more I'm like humans
have always been Somewhatlogical right like cause and
effect, right?
Even if that logic doesn'ttranslate so the they didn't
just do this really unless thisis like some kind of torture
(06:49):
System, but I don't think it isThere had to have been a reason
they were doing it, right?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (06:55):
Yes.
Absolutely.
So, skeletons having theseholes, they've come up all over
the globe, all across humanhistory, oldest ones up to
about, uh, 6, 000 B.
C., roundabout.
And the reasons for trepanationare speculative, because, you
know, anthropologists, yeah, wecan only figure out so much.
(07:18):
And it's also going to varyaccording to culture.
So it could have been forspiritual reasons, like opening
a third eye, it could have beenprimitive care for head wounds.
And as we get into the MiddleAges, the reasons they, they
speculate, and honestly, fromsome legitimate writings, as
(07:39):
well as some, um, some art thatdone at the time, that the
reasons may have been to let outsome evil spirits or madness, or
as simple as to cure somemigraines.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (07:52):
You know, that's what I've heard,
right?
And I guess back then migrainescould have been considered evil
spirits, but any frame ofreference I had for drilling
holes in your head was from thelens of like, Oh, we think that
they did this to relievemigraines that people had
chronic migraines, which myhusband has really bad
migraines.
Luckily they've slowed down alot as he ages, but from how
(08:16):
I've seen him react, I'm sure ifyou had those all the time or
every day.
You might be willing to letsomebody scrape your skull away
because those are no fun.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (08:27):
And they do come across like a
pulsation, right, or like veryspecific, like in a very
localized area.
So it, it does kind of track,right?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (08:37):
My husband has been getting them
since he was like a little babybefore he could articulate what
was happening and he
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (08:44):
it's poor parrots, that's what I
think
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (08:46):
His mom was like, I never got to go
anywhere because I was always athome with the vomiting child.
Um, But how he articulated itbefore we had the language was
he said, my head goes beep,beep, beep.
And that broke my heart.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (08:59):
that is sad.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (09:01):
Because my husband, flawed human, we all
are, but him as a toddler,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:06):
Beep,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (09:07):
I would just, I was just like, oh,
that poor baby.
Nowadays, I'm like, come on,Papa Advil, you know,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:12):
get over it.
Move
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (09:14):
in the room.
Be like, you can get over this.
We have children to take careof.
But, you know, thinking of himas a child, I'm like, oh my
gosh, life is cruel.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:22):
that is,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (09:24):
And we don't know why.
Still don't to
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:26):
it's still don't.
Yeah.
We still have no idea whatfucking causes migraines, but
Dan, my, your husband might'vebeen in good company back in the
day because they were actuallyreally good at tripping a tree
panning, trip, tree panning.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01 (09:43):
Trepanig.
I like Trepanig.
I think that's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:45):
It's tree panning, I believe.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (09:47):
Oh my God.
I read it all as Trepanig.
I feel like that sounds smarter.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:52):
So, the, the skulls that have been
found with this process done,they have soft edges in the bone
holes.
So, it indicates toanthropologists that the wounds
had healed and the person hadactually lived for a good amount
of time after the procedure.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (10:10):
But at what cost?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (10:12):
Well, we'll get into that.
Okay.
What the, the cost of this couldpotentially be.
the secret to this kind ofprocedure and surviving it
successfully is actually to nottouch the brain.
They want to get into the Makessense.
They want to get to the skullonly.
(10:33):
So if the dura mater ispunctured, that is the most
outside layer of your meningesthat covers the brain.
So, you know, your brain is likeit's not just floating around
your skull.
There's like a sack basicallyaround your brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (10:46):
Mine is floating because it's like
full of fluid in there and thebrain is like, help!
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (10:51):
Well, it is floating, but it's a
floating in the, in this sack.
And if you puncture that sack,the dura mater.
You, you'd be done for becausethere's infection, your
cerebrospinal fluid is allleaking out and shit, and it's
no good.
So the idea is to only gothrough the skull and stopping
(11:12):
before you get to the brain andit's meninges.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (11:17):
that sounds like a very minimal
margin of error.
you Might say it was the world'sfirst game of operation.
Quite literally.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (11:27):
Bah! Bah!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (11:30):
of that sound, you just get sprayed
in the face with cerebral spinalfluid.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (11:35):
And a lot of blood.
Cause there's a lot of bloodgeysers in the research of this
episode.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (11:43):
No.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (11:44):
So, uh, but this is not all just
ancient history.
We still do trepanning today.
We don't call it trepanationthough.
Doctors might crack open a skullfor a living patient of Many,
many reasons.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:00):
And like, outside of brain surgery,
right?
Like, this is just breaking theskull for breaking the skull's
sake.
Cause like, getting into thebrain, like, to take out a tumor
or a clot or something.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (12:10):
that's part of it.
That, that is exactly part ofit.
So that the, start with thetrepanation and then move into
the brain if you're doing somesort of tumor ex, excisation,
what do you,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:19):
Oh, so that means my father in law
has had a trepanation.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (12:23):
Yeah, if, if they got into his skull,
absolutely, they opened it andthey, they cracked in there.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:28):
Now he's got a cow skull.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (12:30):
Um, one of the common surgeries to
do this process, again, underanother name, is a craniotomy.
And this is where a hole isdrilled in the skull to relieve
pressure and swelling on thebrain after some kind of head
trauma.
You know, swelling.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (12:45):
Like a TBI.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (12:46):
Exactly! Yeah, back to
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (12:48):
Laura always has a theme to her
episodes.
Like you could follow.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21 (12:52):
fixation.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:53):
can follow her train of thought.
At least we've moved fromgenitals and buttholes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (12:59):
I've moved on to something new, the
brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (13:03):
I like it.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (13:05):
So the, the key difference is that
in a craniotomy or these modernprocedures, like your father in
law, um, is that if a piece ofskull is removed, Which is
called a bone flap, FYI, and itis replaced as soon as possible.
So once the healing has begun,the swelling has gone down, it's
(13:26):
replaced so that the skull canmend itself, either with that
own piece of bone flap it tookout or apparently a cow skull.
And truly, I could do a wholeother episode on ancient tree
panning but I'm trying to focus,I'm trying to zero in on
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (13:43):
the topic at hand, which is.
A very specific reason for doingit.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (13:48):
exactly.
And in the 1960s, trepanationgot a whole new purpose, which
was getting high, man.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (13:59):
I, I cannot believe it.
I cannot believe it.
That one
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:02):
It does boggle your mind, right?
It's the 1960s, you know,beatniks, counterculture, sexual
revolution on the way.
What a fucking trippy ass timeto be alive.
Like the whole, I feel like thewhole of human society is just
like, Whomp!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (14:18):
turned upside down.
But with all that sexualliberation, can we not be sure
that they weren't just lookingfor another hole, man?
Like, for other reasons?
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (14:29):
Truly, you can't rule it out at
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (14:30):
Oh god, that made my head hurt even
more.
The idea of like,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:35):
Ah!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (14:36):
uh, uh.
Now that's a different kind ofpodcast.
That is a true crime podcast andyou do not get that shit here.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:42):
It's like Jeffrey Dahmer shit.
Okay!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (14:45):
We're not doing that.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:46):
Nope.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (14:47):
We're just doing the classy kind of
brain, like skull mutilationwhere the person lives, ideally.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:56):
All right.
So let me introduce you to thegrand pooba of the modern
trepanation movement, Mr.
Bart Hughes, or Hugus.
It depends on, he's Dutch, soI'm just going to say Hughes
throughout, but I've heard itpronounced both ways.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (15:14):
I barred the Hugus.
We want to date.
Oh, you want to date me?
Like you want another hole inyour head?
That can be arranged.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (15:23):
So, Bart Hughes, he was born 1934 in
Amsterdam, his father was adoctor.
And so naturally Bart went tomedical school, just like the
old man at the old university ofAmsterdam, but this is the
sixties baby, because turn on,tune in, drop out.
(15:44):
All the rage.
He started smoking a lot of potand doing acid.
And in fact, he named hisdaughter born around this time,
uh, as Maria Joana and decidedto jet set around the world.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (16:00):
That's a literal hate crime.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:02):
What?
Naming his daughter Maria Joana.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (16:05):
Yes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (16:06):
Apparently it got him kicked out of the
University of Amsterdam.
But I call bullshit on thatbecause he also failed one of
his exams.
So I think that's why it gotkicked him out.
But he blames naming his childMarijuana.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (16:18):
think they care what you name your
kid.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:20):
Yeah.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (16:20):
In college.
Maybe they're like, don't have akid while you're in college.
But that's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:25):
Well, he's like grad school, you know,
like doctor, like kind of
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (16:28):
Well who, I imagine it wasn't his
wife that he was knocking up atthis point.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (16:34):
There's a lot of revisionist history
going on as you'll see kind ofthroughout
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (16:38):
Well, he can't think, he has a hole in
his head.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:43):
So Bart, or Mr, Mr.
Huge,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (16:48):
Mr.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (16:49):
sorry,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (16:50):
I, yeah, Huge Bart.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:54):
he, he went to travel the world and
I'm sure that he would say thathe was finding himself, right?
Finding the truth of theuniverse and all that hippie
shit that people say.
But this isn't in politesociety.
Let's talk a little plainly.
This is the judgment zone.
I am owning it.
This is a rich kid who is now anadult taking his fucking trust
(17:18):
fund and going on vacation andgetting high.
He went to fucking Ibiza forGod's sakes.
Time is a, it's a flat circle.
Things never change.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (17:28):
Hey, hey, Ibiza is the central hub of
enlightenment in the Old World,did you know?
I heard that the Catholic Churchwas considering setting up their
headquarters there before theylanded on Vatican City.
But then they thought, oh, italready has the name, so we
might as well do it there.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (17:48):
don't think that's historically
accurate.
So
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (17:52):
Does accuracy matter in this day and
age?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (17:55):
Whatever you say is true is true!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (17:58):
If you believe it, it's your
reality.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (18:00):
that's 100%.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (18:01):
is reality.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (18:02):
That's 100 percent what Barney would
say.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (18:05):
I'm getting in the mindset.
Or like the missing mindset.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (18:09):
a missing skull set.
So, in Ibiza, Bart met a bunchof other trust fund dropouts who
are getting high.
And Bart had a revelation thatgetting high wasn't really about
drugs.
Don't don't get them wrong.
I mean drugs are pretty cool.
(18:30):
It was about blood in the brainbrain blood volume more blood
equals more high Or moreexpanded consciousness.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (18:44):
so this is kind of like that we
only use 20 percent of our brainin any given moment type
situation.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (18:50):
exactly.
Because let's not be pedestrianand say, we like doing drugs
because it's fun.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
His goal's so much loftier.
He wants to expand humanconsciousness.
Open everyone's eyes.
Third eye and change the world,man!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (19:09):
Oh, I don't think I need a third
eye.
I've, I've seen enough.
Honestly, I see enough.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (19:17):
Well, Bart would say you already have
your third eye opened, actually.
If you're like a moreenlightened soul already, you
probably don't need trepanation,trepanation because you are
already enlightened.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (19:29):
I'm an enlightened soul.
laura_2_01-03-2025_ (19:31):
Apparently, it, eh, it's variant.
I'll talk about that in aminute.
Okay.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (19:36):
soul.
I'm not light.
This is a
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (19:39):
Nothing light over here.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (19:40):
You're right.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (19:41):
So Hughes, he was an academic after
all.
So he wrote his.
His own thesis, but on a scroll.
So he's not writing on atypewriter like some kind of
square.
He wrote it out and like, youknow, like big dramatic
lettering, like very creativewriting scroll.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (19:59):
Like a monk.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (20:00):
Yes.
Uh huh.
And his hypothesis was on quotethe fall of man that by evolving
to walk on two legs We greatlyimpacted the blood flow to our
brains in a negative way.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (20:16):
So he's saying that, that horse
girl's right?
That girl who gallops around onall fours like a horse?
And does jumps and shit?
She's, she's the ideal specimenof humanity.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (20:27):
He would fucking love her a hundred
percent
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (20:30):
God damn.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (20:31):
because gravity was the enemy to higher
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (20:35):
things.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (20:36):
Yeah, the tits and the brain.
So we would be a whole newspecies with this problem
corrected.
We would be homeo sapiens.
And there was also a bunch ofother shit that he espoused at
this time, that this time aboutsugar and metabolism and how to
(20:59):
avoid a bad trip with LSD.
You need to eat a pound ofsugar.
I didn't look too far into thatone, but you know, take it for
what
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (21:10):
So like the opposite of modern
thinking about sugar.
Co co co co co.
But no, that, that's a prettywild take because yeah, you
know, bipedalism, that's reallybeen a detriment to our species.
That's why we're doing so poorlyoverall, especially compared to
our closest biologicalrelatives, the great apes.
(21:32):
Like they're crushing it
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (21:36):
That's.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (21:36):
and we're falling behind.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (21:37):
You're getting into the hubris of this
kind of way of thinking of therich entitled
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (21:44):
insane.
Ha ha ha ha.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (21:49):
So he also theorized that children and
babies, they are so full ofwonder, curiosity, imagination.
It's all because they haveplenty of blood in their brains.
So because our skulls aren'tfully fused until around 20 to
25 years old, depending on theperson, uh, the fontanelles and
(22:10):
other.
open sutures in children'sskulls allow the brain to
pulsate with every heartbeat.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (22:19):
So that's why kids can see ghosts.
They're coming into their brainsthrough the holes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (22:26):
That
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (22:26):
That's canon to me now.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (22:28):
That, that's the kind of thing that
Bart would absolutely agree withbecause they have this expanded
consciousness.
They can like see other planesand other dimensions because of
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (22:38):
eye open.
I'm good.
I don't need a hole.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (22:40):
You're good.
You're just like John Lennon.
We'll get to that.
So
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (22:44):
think I am.
That's the man in me.
Ha ha ha ha! That's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (22:50):
the idea is that there is a static
pressure of cerebrospinal fluidand blood that it doesn't
increase or decrease with anyheartbeat.
You know, like you pump in bloodinto your vessels in your brain
and then cerebrospinal fluidkind of comes out and like
there's a homeostasis.
But with kids, or those with ahole in their head, the pressure
(23:13):
changes with each beat.
So when more blood can come intothe vessels in your brain, more
cerebrospinal fluid can kind ofbe pushed out of the way through
this hole.
So it's basically, it comes downto like relieving pressure.
Just like if you have aconcussion, then the doctors
need to do a craniotomy.
But this is just for everydayliving.
(23:34):
With every beat, you get more.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (23:40):
Which is, like, just a thing about the
nature of children, right?
They have all this extra spacein their brain for blood, but
the more I'm around children,the tighter my skull seems to
fit.
It's like it shrinks.
And they just s s s s suck thatout of you.
Ah,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (23:59):
think Bart would say that maybe you
are not third eye open then atthat point.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (24:03):
I kid, I kid.
But, I mean, he's a rich dude.
Who left his child.
He doesn't know what it's liketo be around a toddler all
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (24:10):
He does not.
He does not.
He went to fucking Ibiza.
So, Bart tried standing on hishead to get more blood to the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (24:20):
start.
Fair start.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (24:22):
Yeah, that was hard work.
Rich kids, they don't like hardwork.
He thought the next best thingwould be opening a hole in his
skull so that his brain canexpand, fill with more blood,
and live in this permanent stateof childlike wonder.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (24:41):
Okay.
So he made a couple big jumpsthere.
Right?
Like I could think of like topof my head, at least four
different things to try beforecutting a hole in your head.
I'm not going to list it.
Oh,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (24:54):
want them.
I want them.
I want to hear your top fourideas against drilling a hole in
your head to get more blood inyour brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (25:01):
all the time.
My head lay down.
Two, we don't be like a baby?
Crawl everywhere.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (25:06):
Sounds
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (25:07):
Down the street of Ibiza.
Crawl.
Um, sleep like a bat, perhaps?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:14):
Oh, you can get one of those things
where
squadcaster-4a47_2_0 (25:16):
Inverters?
Yeah, be a bat.
Be a vampire.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:20):
Be
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (25:21):
Vampire brat.
Brat.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:24):
Brat.
No, no, that's not right.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (25:26):
Ha ha ha.
Last one.
Do cardio.
Get your blood pumping.
Get more blood to your brain.
Right?
Cardio moves your blood.
Obviously.
I mean, is that a picture of himyou have in the notes?
Yeah, that man doesn't work out.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:40):
He's just like a, just giant, string
bean.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (25:44):
Yeah, he does not lift, bro.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:47):
Yeah.
He does not lift.
He does not lift.
So Bart's biggest obstacle wasfinding a doctor.
That would do this procedure forhim, and shocker, he did not get
any takers, even in the 60s, sohe decided to do it himself.
And in 1965, he gathered anelectric drill, a surgical
(26:07):
knife, and a syringe full oflocal anesthetic, and bro got to
work.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (26:13):
And hopefully he also had like a
mirror or something because I'mlike thinking about the
logistics of this.
Unless that third eye is veryspecifically placed.
Like I can't see my head.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:22):
He did.
He did do it in front of the,the mirror.
And in fact, that picture thatyou're looking at, that is him
in front of a mirror.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (26:27):
Is that him doing it?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:29):
Yes.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (26:30):
Weird.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:32):
We'll post that somewhere,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (26:34):
I thought he was air bl I thought
he was airbrushing paint ontohim.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:38):
Nope, that is legitimately him
drilling a hole into his head.
I think it's a dentist drill.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (26:44):
and he just went straight for the
top.
Wow.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:48):
it took 45 minutes.
But Bart was now the firsthomeosapien correctus in the
modern age.
He said that about four hoursafter the procedure, the feeling
came rushing in.
He is as light as a feather.
He feels 14 again.
Had no hang ups or no neuroses.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (27:10):
14?
Like that's his ideal age?
laura_2_01-03-2025_ (27:13):
Apparently.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (27:14):
That's a bold take.
That's bold.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (27:17):
feel like 14 is a little bit too old,
but then again, this is the 60slike kids grew up like a little
bit slower Yeah, so like maybethink like 10.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (27:26):
10.
Okay, like I could do 10, like 8maybe I would say is the ideal.
8 seems like a good age.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (27:32):
Well, he publicly unveiled his new
evolved state.
It was in some kind of publicevent.
I wasn't quite clear on it.
It seemed like it was some sortof street performance.
There was no
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (27:46):
the show.
What an asshole.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (27:48):
There was no, there was no press
there, there was no pictures ofit, in any case that anybody
could find.
Um, but where he unwound hisbandages to reveal the whole and
reveal to society what he haddone.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (28:04):
like a superhero movie playing where
the supervillain comes in and islike, LOOK AT ME NOW! And
everyone's like, AHHHHHH!
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:12):
One of the articles I read, this is
the most joker thing I've everseen in my entire life.
And fun fact, actually, in eachlike row of the bandage that he
undid, it said, ha, ha, ha inpsychedelic colors.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (28:25):
Oh, so he's just mentally ill.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:29):
one might think,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (28:30):
I mean, if you didn't guess it so
far, the ha ha has really sealedthe deal.
Like, maybe his dad should havejust paid attention to him.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:38):
so, Bart Hughes, he was
involuntarily committed for afew days after this.
So apparently somebody got wordof it.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (28:47):
They're like, eugh.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:48):
Yeah, but eventually they, they did in
fact, let him go.
he was not invited back to hisuniversity in Amsterdam.
And in fact, he was banned fromentering the UK.
Ever again.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (29:00):
I mean, that seems kind of harsh.
Like, it's not a contagiousdisease.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (29:05):
This is like, like, Cold War shit,
right?
Like, hippies and communism and,like, all this kind of shit of,
like, we don't want these, like,counterculture people
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (29:14):
These weirdos.
Get out of here, ya weirdos!
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (29:17):
Precisely.
So, our enlightened man doeswhat he does best.
He goes back to Ibiza to partywith some other drugged out rich
kids.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (29:27):
I mean, who wouldn't?
If they could.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (29:29):
Precisely.
And he starts talking about treepanning a lot.
He even tried to convince, JohnLennon, uh, of the Beatles about
this process, though he did tellJohn Lennon, like I said, that
he didn't think that he neededit.
John Lennon needed it because hewas so creative and open minded
and He was probably alreadyliving in a state of expanded
(29:52):
consciousness.
Yeah, like maybe his skulldidn't fully fuse when he was,
you know, when he was 25 orwhatever.
But, John Lennon did considerit, and he talked to Paul
McCartney about it, and asked ifhe wanted to try it with him,
but, Paul declined, andeventually, so did John,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (30:12):
Well, that's good, I guess.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (30:14):
but Hughes did get another convert
eventually, a gentleman of thename of Joseph Mellon.
So Mellon, he was a member ofBritish nobility.
He attended Eaton and Oxfordcollege.
And I imagine he probably had agreat big trust fund or whatever
the nobility version of a trustfund in the 60s.
(30:36):
I don't know.
He had money.
So Mellon and Hughes, they madequite the dynamic duo.
They made it their mission totell the world about tree
panning.
And they imagined a whole newworld made in their image with
every ill of society cured.
But before they did that, ofcourse, Mellon had to take the
(30:57):
plunge as well.
And Mellon attempted to selftrapan.
Count them four times.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (31:04):
god.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (31:05):
First, he used a hand trepan, like the
ones that were used in theMiddle Ages, which is basically
like a corkscrew.
Like, yeah, imagine like a winecorkscrew.
Yeah, it didn't work.
But also he was high on LSD anddidn't quite have the stick to
it ness to do it.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (31:21):
Yeah, I just like poked his head once
and I was
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (31:23):
Second time he managed to get a helper,
but he fainted from the bloodloss and it is a lot of, a lot
of blood guys because headwounds bleed like a son of a
bitch.
the third time they thought theyhad done it because he felt
pain.
And heard the gurgle of bloodand cerebrospinal fluid from the
(31:49):
hole.
Just like imagine popping a corkof champagne, right?
Like, and then you feel thewhoosh,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (31:57):
And it, but it just like drizzles
and like runs down their face.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (32:01):
yep.
Uh, but no, actually, turns outhe had not completely broken
through.
And he was not fully.
Turpaned until 1970, how hesurvived in such a homeo sapien
fashion while surrounded by suchgeniuses, I'll never know.
but you can't build an expandedconsciousness society with only
(32:25):
two people, Rachel.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (32:27):
Of course not.
But like, man, I want to be sorich that I'm so bored that the
only thing I can think of to dois drill a hole in my head.
Like, they had, literally theycould do anything and that's
what they chose to do.
Wild.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (32:41):
I think it's the drugs.
Honestly, I do.
I think it's the LSD.
And I think it's like the wholelike counterculture movement and
like all this thing about howwe're not living to our full
potential and life could besomething totally different.
And it's just like this ZekeGeist, right?
Like it all rolls together intothis storm of insanity.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (33:03):
baby.
Trying to sell you a betterlife.
He's like, I could fix it all.
If you give me money and let medrill your head.
Okay.
But how are they going to growthis?
How are they going to get morepeople?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:13):
So.
Our little cult clearly needed athird.
It was getting to be quite thesausage party, at least, at
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (33:20):
well, how are you going to breed more
holy head babies
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:24):
So they added a woman to the gang.
Uh, Amanda Felding.
She started out dating Hughes.
Then she began a relationshipwith Mellon.
I have to imagine that theseguys all fucked a lot,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (33:35):
and together?
And yeah.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:38):
This is the 60s, they're not into
traditional anything, let alonetraditional relationships.
So you know this was like, onebig like, you know, thruple and
all this
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (33:46):
mean, there was probably more people
involved.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:48):
Oh, on numerous occasions,
definitely.
So, Felding, she was fromBritain and she is in fact,
Countess Amanda Felding, and sheis related to the Habsburgs.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (33:59):
Oh, we remember them.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:02):
Maybe she's in Britain a little bit.
We could count that on her.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (34:05):
Girl never stood a
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:06):
So, Felding was the helper that
assisted Mellon with his initialcork popping party.
And it was her turn to take theplunge.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (34:18):
As a member of the Habsburg clan,
may I suggest, if you'reinterested in removing bone,
perhaps, perhaps start with thejaw, chin area.
Like, chisel that off before youstart on your skull.
Just a
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:34):
she actually, I mean, I've seen
videos and pictures of her.
She does not have the crazy, soshe must be like, you know,
several removed.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (34:40):
got some good genes in there.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (34:43):
she's, she's, she's solid,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (34:46):
Well, not in her skull.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:49):
but it really does take a woman to
get things done.
Right.
Doesn't it?
Because she did it perfectly thefirst try.
I mean, it might help that shehad two other people to learn
from during this time, but youknow, here nor there.
But best of all, she and Mellonfilmed it.
They made a short movie aboutthis whole process,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (35:07):
No.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (35:09):
and the movie is about what you'd
expect it to be.
It's about a woman standing infront of a mirror, taping her
hair back, putting on a showercap, and a, you know,
sterilizing all of her shit,drilling into her own Head,
blood, everywhere.
Cause as we said, head woundsbleed like a bitch.
You can't view the whole thing.
(35:29):
You can only view clips of itonline.
It's never been fully released.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (35:34):
That's probably for the best.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (35:37):
Amanda, who is now older and wiser, she
does not think that autotrepanation is a good idea
anymore.
She doesn't kind of want itgoing out as a self guide, and
also the few people that sheshowed it to in a showing passed
out, which I believe, there wasa lot of blub, a lot of blood.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (35:56):
So, okay.
Where do they, where does this,so many questions.
Where does it go?
Where is the hole?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:02):
Think third eye.
Like, so like right underneathyour hairline or like right at
your
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (36:07):
So it's just, they drill right
there.
Whatever reason I was thinkingit was like at the back of the
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:11):
No, not in the back.
It's, it's more in the front,like top of the forehead.
All these
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (36:16):
soft spot where the babies have that
soft spot, they're just likereopening
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:20):
No, the soft spot is like right on
the top.
Like this is like right here.
So they're auto trepending.
They're doing it themselves.
So they have to be able to seeit right in the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (36:29):
I was thinking it was like up
there, I
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:31):
No, it's, it's like right center
forehead.
So again, like think right whereyour hairline is, or if you want
to shave back a little bit, likeright, right there.
So it's, it's definitely in theforehead region.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (36:43):
then what happens, it's done.
You did it.
You have a hole in your head.
What do you just do?
How do you go back to life?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:51):
So they cut and then fold it back.
The, like the, skin flap.
So think about it in the sensethat actually this is not a
hugely painful procedure becauseyour skin And the, the, the
muscles attaching your skull toyour muscles, you know, that
(37:14):
allow your forehead to move andall this different kinds of
stuff that has feeling.
Your skull has no nerve endingsas well as your brain.
And then like the meninges,which hopefully you're not
touching, has no nerve endings.
So by injecting the localanesthesia,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (37:32):
just for the skin.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (37:33):
that's just for the skin and the
muscle, as long as you getenough.
And for me who had my, uh,lipoma removed from my neck with
again, only local anesthesia,you can, you can withstand it,
right?
So you put that anesthesia in,you cut the flap, fold it down,
and then you start the drillingprocess.
(37:54):
And then once you're done, onceyou've broken through, you flip
it up and just kind of put a bigold bandaid on it and it heals.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (38:06):
But isn't there like an indentation
or
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:08):
Yes, there will be and in the videos
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (38:11):
I'm sure wearing a hat hurts, too.
Like, that can't be comfortable.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:14):
well it depends on where it hits I
guess depends on where the hathits, but if you guys really
want to get deep
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (38:20):
And like what if you hit your head
on something?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:22):
Oh, no, that's legitimate, because
like, if you have a skullinjury, your skull is,
basically, it's, it's, has less,integrity.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (38:32):
Shock absorption?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:34):
know, your skull can crack more
easily, because it's got afucking hole in it.
Like, it can't absorb the samekind of pressure, so there,
there is definitely a dangerinvolved in it.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (38:44):
Oh my god.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (38:46):
Structural integrity is, uh, degraded by
this whole
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (38:49):
So if somebody walked in with one
of these, you could see, youcould tell.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:53):
You'd have to look for it in, in the
videos that I watched.
If you guys wanna dive deep intothe research, which you know, I
did for this fucking episode.
The, the, the links are fuckingfascinating, especially the
YouTube, documentaries.
This is like from the lateeighties.
Um, and you can see these peoplethat they're interviewing, they
have like this little dent
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (39:13):
Oh, so it's small.
I don't know why I'm imagining
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (39:16):
Oh no, yeah.
No, no, no, no.
It's small.
It's like a, like maybe an inchif that like hole.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (39:23):
So then, does it close up?
Do they have to re up it, orwhatever, after a
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (39:27):
No, it won't close.
It won't close on its own.
Your bone will not regrow it.
No.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (39:32):
Oh, I thought that the, that's what
was a sign of like, the peoplelived it, survived it in the
past, was that there was, like,bone
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (39:39):
the edges that were softer, right?
So, the, it wasn't just likestraight drill so they knew that
they had died on the table.
Like, there's a certain amountof wear that's gonna happen if
you live, you know, with your,your skull being partially
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (39:57):
Why did I think that it was like,
healed?
That was information Imisunderstood.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (40:02):
No, that's good.
It's good to have questions onthis one because it is a very
like, I've been doing, I've doneat least eight hours of research
on this topic.
So please
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (40:14):
This is like the wildest one.
I'm
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (40:17):
one.
I am.
I'm fucking obsessed.
So.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (40:21):
were they all doing this to
themselves?
Why did I not get somebody elseto do it?
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (40:25):
Because they couldn't, they couldn't get
a legitimate surgeon to do thisfor them.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (40:29):
No, I'm talking about, well, I guess
if the guy fucked it up threetimes, and then you were like,
hmm, maybe you shouldn't do myhead.
But like, the fact that, like,why would you just not let one
of the other two guys drill yourhead?
Why
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (40:39):
I think for Amanda, it was more of
a performance art thing, youknow, like she filmed the whole
thing and did the, the wholelike voiceover and all that kind
of thing.
And one thing about this moviethat was not expected was the
inclusion of her bird.
In many of these shots, soBirdie was her beloved pet and
(41:02):
it was a pigeon and I, do meanvery literally that it was
beloved.
She and Birdie had, uh,according to her, a passionate
love affair in which theycommunicated telepathically.
And just so you know, this wasbefore the hole in the head.
it's just her regular.
(41:23):
High life or just regular crazy.
Who's to say?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (41:27):
Yeah, this person needed some help.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (41:29):
I think so.
Yeah.
She's, she's kind of changedthings up in her life, at least
a little bit.
Felding was quite the advocatefor a trepanation and she went
on to run for parliament twiceas a supporter for the key
issues that were gripping theBritish people, like the lack of
government funded holists inyour heads.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (41:51):
Aww.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (41:54):
Her platform was trepanation for the
national health.
And shocker, no one bit.
And her attempts at governmenthad failed, but she Since then,
has founded what seems to be asemi credible foundation, the,
the Backley Foundation, whichstudies the beneficial uses of
psychoactive substances, likesome of those, these more recent
(42:18):
research about shrooms andketamine and,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (42:20):
The Mormon moms.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (42:21):
for, for depression and those kinds
of things for mental health.
this is the kind of work that,that she doesn't lives in and so
good for her using her, youknow, nobility and money to do
those things.
And.
Her love of trepanation isn'texactly a secret.
I mean, she, she did make amovie about it and she does
sometimes do interviews aboutit, but she does kind of
(42:45):
downplay it.
So it's not a part of her quotebrand.
It's not a part of herfoundation and their research at
the Beckley Foundation.
So despite her hole in the head,she does seem to have some sense
at this point and is trying tokeep her foundation legitimate.
By not advocating for this kindof procedure.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (43:05):
And she has bangs, so nobody would
know she's got a hole in herhead.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:10):
Yes, that's it.
It, she does have a little bitof bang if I'm not remembering
incorrectly.
Yeah.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (43:16):
Yeah, to cover up the hole in her
head, I'd imagine.
This makes it a little bit morepalatable.
Because I looked up that guy andit made me viscerally ill a
little
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:25):
You saw the little depression
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (43:27):
that's, that's not something I would
want to look at day in, day out,personally.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:32):
and he's bald.
So it's like extra, you know,prominent.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (43:35):
Yeah.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:37):
So,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (43:38):
his fault, I guess.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:39):
no, the bald isn't his fault.
The hole in head a hundredpercent is fault.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (43:43):
Yep.
Actually, like, I want you tocommit to it.
I admire him.
I don't want to look at him, butI admire him.
Like, covering it up with bangs.
Boo.
Like, cut a hole.
Cut a little hole.
Yeah, pin it back.
You, you drilled a hole in yourhead, lady.
Own it.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (44:00):
So Mellon and Felding, they had two
children together in theirrelationship.
They did, uh, they, they weremarried and eventually they
separated on good terms.
They were remarried then toseparate new spouses and
wouldn't you know it, those twonew spouses got trip ends as
well.
So what a lovely little cultthey have grown.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (44:22):
I Do they have, like, some magical
genitals that they're workingwith?
Because I swear to God, I can'teven get my husband to watch the
same show that I want to watch.
Like, and they're convincingthese people to go drill holes
in their heads.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (44:37):
Some people are just, they just want
to be led.
You know what I mean?
I don't
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (44:41):
They're fodder for cults.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (44:43):
truly.
And around this time, Hughes, hefound another little priest in
Peter Halverston.
Peter was another rich kid, butplot twist, this one's an
American.
He dropped out of the Universityof Cincinnati in 1968.
He went globetrotting,eventually got chummy with
(45:04):
Hughes in Amsterdam, who Iimagine was a little bit
depressed because his, you know,love of his life ran off with
Melon and had a bunch of kidsand drilled her own hole in
their head and said, I don'tneed you anymore.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (45:14):
Yeah,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (45:15):
So Hughes, he recommended
Halverston find a doctor to havethe procedure done.
He would not help him do ithimself, maybe because of
potential legal issues orbecause Hughes was kind of done
with the whole thing at thispoint.
I don't know.
And if you take away anythingfrom this episode, guys,
seriously, let it be.
(45:35):
That you need a buddy to drill ahole in your head.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (45:41):
system.
Tried and true.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (45:44):
but Halverson, he said fuck it.
I got some detailed instructionsfrom a surgeon he met somewhere
who told him how to do it and hegot to work on himself and in a
1972 hotel
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (45:58):
hotel room That's disrespectful.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:02):
Rich kids, man.
They don't give a fuck.
And so he knew that he hadsucceeded when he felt that
gurgle and pop from his brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (46:14):
I mean, straight to jail for that
surgeon.
Who gave him the means to do
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:19):
It was the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (46:20):
He should lose his
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:21):
whole new time.
I'm sure it was under the table,unofficial.
Nobody got, nobody got a co paidfor this
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (46:29):
Yeah.
but the first do no harm,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:31):
Uh, That's a question.
Is it harming or is it expandingconsciousness?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (46:37):
mean, when brain fluid is flying,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:39):
Well, brain fluid shouldn't be flying.
It's, it's, it's the change inpressure of your brain fluid
that they're feeling.
So you take out that bit ofskull and your brain fluid can
kind of like rush forward intothat area and
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (46:52):
he
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:53):
he felt it happen.
And he also, I, was it him orMelon that when they, he, Took,
uh, when they finally succeededand got through and took it out
like there was like a geyser ofblood that came out And he's
like, oh fuck like I went intomy brain But it wasn't it was
you know, just the it was thearteries and veins and such that
(47:15):
are Through your forehead andskull,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (47:18):
to your brain.
Oh God.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (47:22):
Yep.
So Halverson, he eventuallyfounded the international
trepanation advocacy group atsome point.
It was hard to nail down thedates here.
This is where I was getting deepinto it.
Like the internet archives, allthat kind of shit.
1997, gathered his own followerson the, the new invention known
(47:44):
as the internet.
And the group's website, trepan.
com, now defunct.
Had to go to theinternetarchives.
com to see it.
Highly, highly recommend.
I mean, pure 1998 websitenonsense.
Do you remember visitorcounters, Rachel?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (48:04):
Uh, remember, we have one on
impolitesocietypodcast.
com.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:08):
No, we do not, you
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (48:10):
day we wanna hit the triple
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:12):
ha, ha.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01- (48:14):
kidding.
We don't.
And I'm sure we have,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:18):
So the site leads with Third eye
innocent and open wide.
For the first time on thisplanet, you are free to have
maximum fulfillment.
It is no longer necessary tofollow a path and search for
your true greatness.
Also, let me just call out theridiculousness of that
(48:39):
statement.
You no longer have to follow apath and search for, like,
answers.
Fuck that.
Just drill a fucking hole inyour heads.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (48:47):
It's also very sparse I was I thought
there'd be
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:49):
Oh, you got to click into it.
You have to go into the sitethere's a video intro if you
want to see that.
And then you have to like clickaround.
It's not like a navigation likewe have nowadays.
It's very antiquated.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (49:03):
oh and now it's playing sounds
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (49:05):
Yeah, it's a trip, right?
I definitely recommend it.
Listener, if you have some free
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (49:13):
We'll link it in the show notes I have
to turn it off because of themusic sorry, it's like
overpowering
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (49:19):
Yeah, but the site, it's super culty.
It's got a lot of triangles,acronyms, yes, the I's, the
third I, a lot of vaguepromises, and this culty facet
seems to come from Bart Hugheshimself, which is, you know,
again, the grandfather of allthis bullshit, the first guy.
And as Bart got older, he becamea bit of a hermit.
(49:42):
He didn't even have a phone andwhen people came to him to ask
about trepanation, because thisis kind of like a thing, right?
It's like
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (49:48):
Well, if you're, yeah, if you're going
to Trepanation, like, you gottago to the OG man himself.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (49:53):
Exactly.
He would not even speak topeople unless he memorized his
scroll, his thesis, right, onthe fall of man.
If these people could recite it,write it out by memory, repeat
it ten times to him while ontheir knees.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (50:10):
Who's got time for that?
That's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:13):
does.
And
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (50:14):
nuts.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:16):
But Halverston seemed to have taken
these culty kind of weird ideas,espoused them on his site.
Definitely a guy, in my opinion,that is trying to create his own
little soliciting money frompeople to fund his.
research.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (50:33):
wow.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:34):
So he promised people that Trepanning
would increase people'syouthfulness, creativity, and
even their testosterone levels.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (50:43):
Why am I not surprised?
It all comes back to boners.
Every
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:48):
I thought, I thought, the same
thing.
I was like, what a dude thing todo.
We gotta talk about bonerssomewhere in
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (50:55):
Yeah, it just makes your penis harder.
And harder more often.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:00):
And, and then he also said, of course
it was safe, guys.
It's the oldest surgery in theworld, so it can't be bad for
you or dangerous.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (51:10):
I mean, they amputated people's
legs with bone saws in the WildWest.
Like, just because they did it along time ago doesn't make it a
good idea.
It was the best they had.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:21):
So, Halverson went on a press tour
of sorts for his littlemovement.
Yes.
He managed to get on the HowardStearns show in 1998, and the TV
version of Ripley's Believe Itor Not, and he even got a 2020
special.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (51:37):
They'd just be giving those out,
apparently.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:41):
And apparently this all did work to
some degree.
The website.
He was actively recruitingpeople for a pilot study to be
done in Mexico and he got 15people to actually do it.
Some idiots
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (51:56):
a considerable amount of people.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:58):
I know, right?
Some idiots who heard about iton Howard Stern or whatever
else, I don't know.
They paid Peter money, they wentto Mexico, they fuckin had their
Skulls drilled into and I founda really old article from a
college newspaper.
It was pretty buried Where theyinterviewed the people who had
this done and oh my god, it isbleak People who have been on
(52:23):
psych holds Schizophrenics someguy who was spending his money
buying Eternal Youth Water, oneguy who clearly had a massive
man crush on Halverston, likewas this little bitch and like
wanted to be exactly like him.
And then the spouses of thesecrazies, and it's just, oh, it
was so sad.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (52:44):
Well, did the youth water work?
Is this guy still kicking it?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (52:48):
I mean, it was 1999, so maybe, I
don't know.
I don't know.
It's hard to find enough shit onthese people, this website is
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (52:59):
I've, yeah.
Uh, Hey, we're all looking forsomething to believe in, though.
Right?
We're just all looking forsomething to believe in.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (53:08):
But turns out this publicity was
actually a bad idea because thisattention, it got Peter
Halvorson into some legal hotwater, um, drilling into the
skulls of crazy people is boundto get one in trouble,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (53:21):
One would hope.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (53:22):
and in 2000, Halvorson was arrested
in the U.
S.
for practicing medicine withouta license when one of the
parents of his victims, uh, I'msorry, I mean patients, raised
hell after their daughtertraveled from England to the U.
S.
to have her hole drilled into bythis totally not a doctor kind
of guy.
(53:43):
And the court gave him threeyears of probation.
squadcaster-4a47_2_0 (53:47):
Probation.
That does not seem like a lot.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (53:50):
I, I know, right, like at first I was
thinking, like, really, fucking,that's it, that's it, that's all
you're going to give this guy?
Um, but then I thought there, Idon't know, are there some
deeper questions here about thefreedoms of society, right?
If you're willing to pay somerando to drill a hole in your
head, is that your right?
I don't know.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (54:09):
I mean, if you, can you willingly
offer up your body for acannibal to kill and eat?
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (54:14):
That's a great question.
So the popularity of thiswebsite and the pilot study in
Mexico, DIY tutorials popping upon the internet, um, considered
dangerous enough for the Britishmedical journal to issue a
formal warning in the year 2000,that people not drill a hole in
their head.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (54:34):
Oh, thank fucking God that the
British Medical Journal put thatout because I wouldn't have
known not to drill a hole in myhead if they had not given a
warning.
Thank you.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (54:46):
And super well read, right?
The British Medical Journal,like everyone's
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (54:50):
I mean, that's just where I
browse.
Every morning I open my phoneand I go to the British Medical
Journal for life advice.
Who doesn't?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (54:59):
So the International Trepanation
Advocacy Group website waseventually taken offline in
2018.
Whether that's through a lack ofinterest or being shut down, I
genuinely don't know.
there isn't much out there aboutthis movement right now,
nowadays.
A lot of new articles beingwritten.
There were a few from Vice inthe late 20 teens, which clearly
one of the writers went down therabbit hole on this, like I
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (55:21):
They're like, guys, you gotta check out
this insane shit, man.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (55:25):
totally.
But all this kind of makes methink that this is insanity
might be due for a comebacksometime soon, right?
with a lot of depressed,desperate people out here who
don't trust the medicalcommunity, don't feel like
they're being heard.
I'm sure there are a lot ofpeople who are willing to take
this bait.
And I don't know what PeterHalvorsen is up to nowadays.
(55:47):
I can't find any recent articlesabout him, but I do know that
Bart Hughes, the creator of allthis nonsense, he did die in
2004 from alcoholism and relatedhealth issues.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (56:01):
Sounds like he needed more holes.
Holes somewhere.
More holes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (56:05):
Apparently his consciousness, uh, was not
as expanded as he thought.
But after all, He fell to allthe same bullshit as the rest of
us whole headed rubes, right?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (56:17):
Right?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (56:18):
So what do doctors think about
this?
You know, like real doctors withmedical degrees.
Do they think there's anyvalidity in their saying about,
you know, blood brain volume andpumping blood, blah, blah, blah.
No, no, they do not.
It's all nonsense made up by oneconvincing hippie in the
(56:40):
sixties.
Someone so convincing, That theplacebo effect is in full swing
with all these people, right?
So if you think you are going toexperience this intense high,
you are going to feel it.
I mean, think back on that firsttime you ever drank any alcohol.
I know me.
I had two swigs of a beer in mysophomore year and I was like,
(57:02):
I'm so drunk, man.
So imagine if you had takenthese insane leaps to get to
this point, of course you aregoing to feel elation.
You're going to feel whatevereffect you think you're going to
feel.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (57:17):
So I can thank myself high, man.
That's the ultimate drug, man.
Your brain.
The human brain.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (57:25):
That's, uh,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (57:26):
That's my third eye opening up right
there.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (57:29):
It's already open, Rachel, I can tell
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (57:31):
It's wide open.
It sees everything.
It's in the back of my head,though.
That's how I watch my kids.
I say, Hey! Get that out of your
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (57:38):
ha! Ha ha! Ha ha ha!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (57:40):
Hey! Don't kick your sister!
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (57:43):
Because, I mean, if you've gotten this
insane surgery done and youdidn't think it would make a
difference, what the fuck wouldyou think of yourself, right?
You put yourself at risk forinfections, skull fractures,
death, all this for nothing, forsomething that wasn't
scientifically proven.
So really, in the end, the brainis doing what it does best, ego
(58:04):
protection, baby.
That holy noggin is justprotecting you from the most
awful truths of itself.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (58:12):
I mean, that just sums up the
human condition, man.
That's why I tell people, don'tsweat the decisions.
Don't sweat the choices you'llmake.
Because your good buddy, yourbrain, is just gonna smooth it
all over.
It's gonna tell you, you've madethe right choice.
I was gonna say, this is how itwas meant to be.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:30):
That is exactly right.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (58:31):
So just do what you want.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:33):
Yeah, don't think too hard unless
you're going to drill a hole inyour brain and then maybe think
real hard about it
squadcaster-4a47_2_ (58:39):
dissidence.
Well, they seemed happy with it,so do it.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:42):
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe there was that alsolinked in the show notes.
Please don't drill.
He'll drill a hole in your head.
People.
This
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (58:50):
Well, if you are gonna drill a hole in
your head based off one podcastyou listened to, like that's on
you.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:57):
But there is a, uh, blog entry from
like 2000 that I dug upsomewhere and the guy is talking
about how he did it all himselfby himself and did all these
things and he's like, it's sogreat.
It's so great.
It's so great.
And then after a month he'slike, yeah, it's not great.
I totally faked myself out aboutit and I was like, well, I guess
(59:19):
good for you that you
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (59:20):
This Yeah.
Was so, it was like it was bador he was just like, it's no
different.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:24):
It's no different.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (59:25):
Aw.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:26):
Yeah, I know.
It was, it
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (59:28):
It's kind of like getting a puppy.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:30):
it's kind of a trip again.
I recommend going through thesource notes on this one, guys.
It's, it's fun.
All right.
So before we wrap up, becausewe're fucking long, this was
just, this was a trip in, in thebest way, not in an LSD
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (59:46):
like a hole in your head trip.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:49):
I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (59:49):
I, feel enlightened.
Childlike
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:51):
to, I'm just going to, dip my, my
toe into a little bit ofphilosophizing here about
retaining the lightness ofcuriosity of childhood, right?
That these people seem to belonging for.
And my overwhelming thought was,yeah, it's great, but we can't
all stay kids forever.
(01:00:13):
I mean, eventually our brains,they need to mature.
They literally need to solidify.
It's in like clothes.
In a way, uh, our thinking orbelief, like we have to
eventually land on something, beopen to change, but also keep
some of those things as core.
And I, I was just thinking as Iwas doing this research is maybe
(01:00:37):
the future of our society isn'tthe movie idiocracy as I had
always thought, just adultsgetting dumber, dumber, dumber,
until we're all the blind,leaving the blind.
And maybe.
It will be a world full of adultchildren who've refused to grow
up, refused to make choices, andwho are just herded and governed
(01:00:58):
by those of us who have decidedto grow up.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (01:01:02):
See, I'm with you up until that point
because I feel like what growingup is to do with survival,
right?
It's when You have to actually,like, function in the world.
And I go back to domestication,where domestication is keeping
animals in
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:01:19):
about that all the fucking
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (01:01:21):
type state.
And I think about it a lot withmy, my dumb dogs.
Is I like, they're so, theythrow their bodies around for
like a morsel of food.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:01:30):
A molecule! A molecule! Marker
food!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (01:01:35):
When are they, I ask them all the
time, when are you all gonnawise up?
Because a wolf pack would nottolerate this kind of nonsense.
Like, think about wising up,you're seven.
Like, come on.
And it's just like, that's theydon't have to.
But, the people who have lifehard are the ones who are forced
(01:01:56):
to then mature.
So, theirs aren't really theones who are governing.
And like, telling us what to do.
But I do think that we aredrastically accelerating towards
domestication for humans, whichis why we have these new stages
of life called childhood, calledadolescence, teenagers, young
adulthood.
Now people are rejecting theidea of being an adult until
(01:02:21):
they're 30, right?
And so then eventually they'llbe like, I'm just a 40 year old
teenager, right?
And it's just like, we'll nevergrow up.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:02:29):
Yeah.
And that's, that's the futurethat this whole thing made me
think of and it made me sad.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:02:36):
I mean, it's fun to be a kid, but
like, I don't know, am I grownup?
Who knows?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:02:40):
I think you're pretty grown up.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:02:41):
I don't want to drill a hole in my
head if that's any indication,
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (01:02:46):
That's the litmus test.
In which case,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (01:02:49):
it makes sense because these are
the, when you think of like thatdomestication angle, like these
are the rich kids.
They don't have to fight forsurvival.
They don't have to make choicesand like boom, bam, boom,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:00):
They got too much fuckin time on
their hands.
They're navel gazing all the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (01:03:03):
So that's why it's like, I, yeah,
it's more about, they have theluxury of not having to grow up
and, like, wanting to recapturethat.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:13):
Yep.
All right, that's it.
That's my trip for the week.
This one was a fuckin blast.
Fucking doozy.
I had a ton of fun on this one.
Write me your questions.
Cause I feel like I didn't, thiswas long as is, and I'm open to
more questions and more talkingabout this because I did a lot
(01:03:36):
of research.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (01:03:37):
mean, I still have several, but, you
know, I'll email them to you,and you get back to me in three
to five business days,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:43):
Root at ImpoliteSocietyPodcast.
com.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (01:03:46):
Or text us, there's a link in the
show notes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:48):
yeah.
Text us your quick questions.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (01:03:51):
Quick questions and we'll answer them
on another show.
Maybe we can incorporate somekind of call and response into
the chats.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:58):
Oh, yeah, in the society chats.
I got it now, took me a second.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (01:04:02):
Yeah.
They're new.
We're learning.
But
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:04:05):
a chat?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:04:06):
A chat, a chat, a chat, a cahat,
but check those out.
And you know what gives us asense of euphoria more than a
hole in the brain?
When you rate and review us onyour podcasting app of choice,
that is how we grow our cult ofpeople who have holy brains or
(01:04:31):
holy entire whole brains,entire,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:04:35):
thou.
That was one thing I saw in oneof the articles I read.
And I was like, that's
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (01:04:39):
that's kind of, that's there, uh,
holier than thou.
Colts, and if you really want tohelp do that, be sure to
recommend this podcast tosomebody who you think needs a
little bit more brain or alittle bit less brain, because
this topic is all about that.
We also are on YouTube, which ifyou're listening there, shout
out, God bless thatdiscoverability feature.
(01:05:01):
So if you're listening onYouTube, thank you for joining
us.
If you prefer YouTube, forjoining us.
Get rid of Spotify, get rid ofPodcast Addict, and find us
there.
We'll be back in two weeks withanother rude topic.
And until then, stay curious.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:05:17):
And keep marching to the beat of
your own drum.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:05:23):
I
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:05:23):
And also, let us know if you think
that the next alternative healthtreatment from the Alex Jones
crowd is going to be a hole inyour head.
Because I'm telling you, I thinkit's due for a comeback.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (01:05:33):
they're nobody's gonna be brave enough
for that.
We can't be that uncomfortable.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (01:05:36):
People are going to do it.
I
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:05:38):
I don't think so.
My favorite part of this episodeis when you said, you're like
John Lennon.
And I said, yes, it's like offthe top of my head.
I'm like, yeah, I am like JohnLennon.
I'm a visionary and mind of ageneration.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:06:08):
So he promised people that trep
trepanning, trepanning,trepanning, I can't, fucking all
this research, I can't evenfucking say it.
The 1960s was a time of free love,
psychedelic music, expandingconsciousness, and drilling
holes in your skull to get high.
Yep, you heard that right.
Today we're exploring thepractice of trepanation, where
tripped out hippies believedthat creating a hole in their
skull could elevate their mindsto whole new heights.
(00:23):
We'll uncover the big players,their made up science, and the
cult like following of those whodare to drill for a higher state
of being.
That's what you're in for todayon Impolite Society.
(01:10):
Welcome back to ImpoliteSociety.
I am hard headed Laura.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (01:15):
And I am full skulled Rachel, I got
it all.
No holes.
Well, except for the eyes andthe nose and the mouth.
I guess the spinal column.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:25):
All the regular holes.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (01:26):
All the standard issued holes.
There and everywhere.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:32):
So I want to ask you a question,
Rachel, because I remember youmentioning you were also a fan
of the old Showtime show, DeadLike Me.
Do you remember Mason, theBritish kind of tripped out dude
from the 60s?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:48):
I do like this show.
I rediscovered it on Amazonrecently.
And I watched the first twoepisodes, bawled my eyes out at
the pilot.
That's not
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:57):
The pilot is the best.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (01:59):
That's not fair.
Why don't do that to me, please?
Was Mason in that or was that adifferent cute white guy that
they then replaced?
I feel like they switched cutewhite guys
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:08):
don't think they did, but it It's been
a while since I watched the fullseries, but I know he's in at
least the first couple ofepisodes.
Do you remember how he died?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (02:18):
No, I actually don't but I remember
he was like crushable.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:21):
Yes, yes, he was.
No, he was adorable.
Okay, so let me remind you, theGrim Reaper Mason, played by
Callum Blue, the show, he diedin 1966 in his attempt to
achieve a permanent high bydrilling a hole in his head with
a power drill.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (02:42):
Now, you would think I would remember
that.
So,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:45):
It's in like episode 3 or 4 because I
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (02:47):
Well, Amazon only gives you two
episodes for free.
I don't understand where, whythey did that, but.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (02:54):
So this show dead like me It was
the first time and honestlyPossibly the only time I had
ever heard of such a thing andthis show aired back in like
what?
2002 or whatever, but that imagehas always stuck with me in the
back of my brain thinking Whatthe fuck was that all about?
(03:16):
Is that a real thing?
Did people drill a hole in theirhead in the 60s to get high?
ladies and gentlemen, this iswhy we have this podcast.
So I have an excuse to look intothe internet archives, look into
the back of my brain and pullthis thing out from 2002 and
find out what the fuck is thisall about and report it back to
(03:40):
my friend Rachel.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (03:41):
And this one is definitely A
sleeper, because I would neverhave thought of this topic, I,
like, no idea, had no idea aboutit, and it's very interesting.
It's fascinating.
Where, uh, it, I, it's wild!This is.
insane! Well, I don't know howthe guys in the dollop haven't
(04:02):
done this yet, because I
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:03):
I know, right?
Um,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01 (04:06):
amateurs, and they're like, I forgot their
names, but like, you guys wouldeat it up.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:11):
yeah, definitely ripe for some improv
for sure.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (04:14):
Yeah, we don't have those skills, we
have internet research skills,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:18):
Yes.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (04:19):
and vague audio editing skills.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (04:23):
So, the short answer to my burning
question from 2002 is that yes,this is a real thing that people
did in the 1960s, and well.
Well, before then it's calledtree panning or also trepanation
or tree fenation.
(04:44):
Sometimes they make a P H and Fsound.
I don't know why maybe Britishto Dutch to whatever
translation.
I don't know, but it is asurgical procedure where a hole
is drilled into the patient'sskull and it is legitimately one
of the oldest surgeries that areknown to man.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (05:05):
My head is literally hurting
already.
As soon as you said drill a holeinto your head, the pain that I
feel, like, the headache isstarting.
I should have taken an Advil.
Before we started recording.
Cause I viscerally feel this.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (05:19):
oh, but I say drilled, but this
procedure has been taking placelong before we had power drills
or even hand drills, like thelittle like twisty twisty ones.
So in ancient cases, the holewas scraped into the skull.
And I just want you to let thatsettle over you and kind of
(05:42):
marinate for a moment.
Ancient human.
Letting someone scrape the boneof their skull away from their
brain with no anesthesia, or atleast not any good ones, right?
Because herbal medicine can onlytake ancient man so high.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (06:03):
Yeah, my head is definitely hurting
after thinking of that.
Oh my gosh, that's insane.
Seriously, what is wrong with usas a species?
Like, what?
As if life wasn't hard enoughfor prehistoric humans, right?
Threat of death, starvation,you're like, you can die any
second.
But, you know, let's just scrapeour fucking skulls away.
(06:24):
Why not, you know?
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (06:25):
Expose some brain matter, it's great.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (06:27):
That will only help, surely.
But okay, so but that was myfirst that's my gut reaction gut
reaction now that I'm thinkingabout it more I'm like humans
have always been Somewhatlogical right like cause and
effect, right?
Even if that logic doesn'ttranslate so the they didn't
just do this really unless thisis like some kind of torture
(06:49):
System, but I don't think it isThere had to have been a reason
they were doing it, right?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (06:55):
Yes.
Absolutely.
So, skeletons having theseholes, they've come up all over
the globe, all across humanhistory, oldest ones up to
about, uh, 6, 000 B.
C., roundabout.
And the reasons for trepanationare speculative, because, you
know, anthropologists, yeah, wecan only figure out so much.
(07:18):
And it's also going to varyaccording to culture.
So it could have been forspiritual reasons, like opening
a third eye, it could have beenprimitive care for head wounds.
And as we get into the MiddleAges, the reasons they, they
speculate, and honestly, fromsome legitimate writings, as
(07:39):
well as some, um, some art thatdone at the time, that the
reasons may have been to let outsome evil spirits or madness, or
as simple as to cure somemigraines.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (07:52):
You know, that's what I've heard,
right?
And I guess back then migrainescould have been considered evil
spirits, but any frame ofreference I had for drilling
holes in your head was from thelens of like, Oh, we think that
they did this to relievemigraines that people had
chronic migraines, which myhusband has really bad
migraines.
Luckily they've slowed down alot as he ages, but from how
(08:16):
I've seen him react, I'm sure ifyou had those all the time or
every day.
You might be willing to letsomebody scrape your skull away
because those are no fun.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (08:27):
And they do come across like a
pulsation, right, or like veryspecific, like in a very
localized area.
So it, it does kind of track,right?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (08:37):
My husband has been getting them
since he was like a little babybefore he could articulate what
was happening and he
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (08:44):
it's poor parrots, that's what I
think
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (08:46):
His mom was like, I never got to go
anywhere because I was always athome with the vomiting child.
Um, But how he articulated itbefore we had the language was
he said, my head goes beep,beep, beep.
And that broke my heart.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (08:59):
that is sad.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (09:01):
Because my husband, flawed human, we all
are, but him as a toddler,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:06):
Beep,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (09:07):
I would just, I was just like, oh,
that poor baby.
Nowadays, I'm like, come on,Papa Advil, you know,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:12):
get over it.
Move
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (09:14):
in the room.
Be like, you can get over this.
We have children to take careof.
But, you know, thinking of himas a child, I'm like, oh my
gosh, life is cruel.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:22):
that is,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (09:24):
And we don't know why.
Still don't to
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:26):
it's still don't.
Yeah.
We still have no idea whatfucking causes migraines, but
Dan, my, your husband might'vebeen in good company back in the
day because they were actuallyreally good at tripping a tree
panning, trip, tree panning.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01 (09:43):
Trepanig.
I like Trepanig.
I think that's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:45):
It's tree panning, I believe.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (09:47):
Oh my God.
I read it all as Trepanig.
I feel like that sounds smarter.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (09:52):
So, the, the skulls that have been
found with this process done,they have soft edges in the bone
holes.
So, it indicates toanthropologists that the wounds
had healed and the person hadactually lived for a good amount
of time after the procedure.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (10:10):
But at what cost?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (10:12):
Well, we'll get into that.
Okay.
What the, the cost of this couldpotentially be.
the secret to this kind ofprocedure and surviving it
successfully is actually to nottouch the brain.
They want to get into the Makessense.
They want to get to the skullonly.
(10:33):
So if the dura mater ispunctured, that is the most
outside layer of your meningesthat covers the brain.
So, you know, your brain is likeit's not just floating around
your skull.
There's like a sack basicallyaround your brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (10:46):
Mine is floating because it's like
full of fluid in there and thebrain is like, help!
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (10:51):
Well, it is floating, but it's a
floating in the, in this sack.
And if you puncture that sack,the dura mater.
You, you'd be done for becausethere's infection, your
cerebrospinal fluid is allleaking out and shit, and it's
no good.
So the idea is to only gothrough the skull and stopping
(11:12):
before you get to the brain andit's meninges.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (11:17):
that sounds like a very minimal
margin of error.
you Might say it was the world'sfirst game of operation.
Quite literally.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (11:27):
Bah! Bah!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (11:30):
of that sound, you just get sprayed
in the face with cerebral spinalfluid.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (11:35):
And a lot of blood.
Cause there's a lot of bloodgeysers in the research of this
episode.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (11:43):
No.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (11:44):
So, uh, but this is not all just
ancient history.
We still do trepanning today.
We don't call it trepanationthough.
Doctors might crack open a skullfor a living patient of Many,
many reasons.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:00):
And like, outside of brain surgery,
right?
Like, this is just breaking theskull for breaking the skull's
sake.
Cause like, getting into thebrain, like, to take out a tumor
or a clot or something.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (12:10):
that's part of it.
That, that is exactly part ofit.
So that the, start with thetrepanation and then move into
the brain if you're doing somesort of tumor ex, excisation,
what do you,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:19):
Oh, so that means my father in law
has had a trepanation.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (12:23):
Yeah, if, if they got into his skull,
absolutely, they opened it andthey, they cracked in there.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:28):
Now he's got a cow skull.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (12:30):
Um, one of the common surgeries to
do this process, again, underanother name, is a craniotomy.
And this is where a hole isdrilled in the skull to relieve
pressure and swelling on thebrain after some kind of head
trauma.
You know, swelling.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (12:45):
Like a TBI.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (12:46):
Exactly! Yeah, back to
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (12:48):
Laura always has a theme to her
episodes.
Like you could follow.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21 (12:52):
fixation.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (12:53):
can follow her train of thought.
At least we've moved fromgenitals and buttholes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (12:59):
I've moved on to something new, the
brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (13:03):
I like it.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (13:05):
So the, the key difference is that
in a craniotomy or these modernprocedures, like your father in
law, um, is that if a piece ofskull is removed, Which is
called a bone flap, FYI, and itis replaced as soon as possible.
So once the healing has begun,the swelling has gone down, it's
(13:26):
replaced so that the skull canmend itself, either with that
own piece of bone flap it tookout or apparently a cow skull.
And truly, I could do a wholeother episode on ancient tree
panning but I'm trying to focus,I'm trying to zero in on
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (13:43):
the topic at hand, which is.
A very specific reason for doingit.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (13:48):
exactly.
And in the 1960s, trepanationgot a whole new purpose, which
was getting high, man.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (13:59):
I, I cannot believe it.
I cannot believe it.
That one
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:02):
It does boggle your mind, right?
It's the 1960s, you know,beatniks, counterculture, sexual
revolution on the way.
What a fucking trippy ass timeto be alive.
Like the whole, I feel like thewhole of human society is just
like, Whomp!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (14:18):
turned upside down.
But with all that sexualliberation, can we not be sure
that they weren't just lookingfor another hole, man?
Like, for other reasons?
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (14:29):
Truly, you can't rule it out at
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (14:30):
Oh god, that made my head hurt even
more.
The idea of like,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:35):
Ah!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (14:36):
uh, uh.
Now that's a different kind ofpodcast.
That is a true crime podcast andyou do not get that shit here.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:42):
It's like Jeffrey Dahmer shit.
Okay!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (14:45):
We're not doing that.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:46):
Nope.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (14:47):
We're just doing the classy kind of
brain, like skull mutilationwhere the person lives, ideally.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (14:56):
All right.
So let me introduce you to thegrand pooba of the modern
trepanation movement, Mr.
Bart Hughes, or Hugus.
It depends on, he's Dutch, soI'm just going to say Hughes
throughout, but I've heard itpronounced both ways.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (15:14):
I barred the Hugus.
We want to date.
Oh, you want to date me?
Like you want another hole inyour head?
That can be arranged.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (15:23):
So, Bart Hughes, he was born 1934 in
Amsterdam, his father was adoctor.
And so naturally Bart went tomedical school, just like the
old man at the old university ofAmsterdam, but this is the
sixties baby, because turn on,tune in, drop out.
(15:44):
All the rage.
He started smoking a lot of potand doing acid.
And in fact, he named hisdaughter born around this time,
uh, as Maria Joana and decidedto jet set around the world.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (16:00):
That's a literal hate crime.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:02):
What?
Naming his daughter Maria Joana.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (16:05):
Yes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (16:06):
Apparently it got him kicked out of the
University of Amsterdam.
But I call bullshit on thatbecause he also failed one of
his exams.
So I think that's why it gotkicked him out.
But he blames naming his childMarijuana.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (16:18):
think they care what you name your
kid.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:20):
Yeah.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (16:20):
In college.
Maybe they're like, don't have akid while you're in college.
But that's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:25):
Well, he's like grad school, you know,
like doctor, like kind of
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (16:28):
Well who, I imagine it wasn't his
wife that he was knocking up atthis point.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (16:34):
There's a lot of revisionist history
going on as you'll see kind ofthroughout
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (16:38):
Well, he can't think, he has a hole in
his head.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:43):
So Bart, or Mr, Mr.
Huge,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (16:48):
Mr.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (16:49):
sorry,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (16:50):
I, yeah, Huge Bart.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (16:54):
he, he went to travel the world and
I'm sure that he would say thathe was finding himself, right?
Finding the truth of theuniverse and all that hippie
shit that people say.
But this isn't in politesociety.
Let's talk a little plainly.
This is the judgment zone.
I am owning it.
This is a rich kid who is now anadult taking his fucking trust
(17:18):
fund and going on vacation andgetting high.
He went to fucking Ibiza forGod's sakes.
Time is a, it's a flat circle.
Things never change.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (17:28):
Hey, hey, Ibiza is the central hub of
enlightenment in the Old World,did you know?
I heard that the Catholic Churchwas considering setting up their
headquarters there before theylanded on Vatican City.
But then they thought, oh, italready has the name, so we
might as well do it there.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (17:48):
don't think that's historically
accurate.
So
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (17:52):
Does accuracy matter in this day and
age?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (17:55):
Whatever you say is true is true!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (17:58):
If you believe it, it's your
reality.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (18:00):
that's 100%.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (18:01):
is reality.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (18:02):
That's 100 percent what Barney would
say.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (18:05):
I'm getting in the mindset.
Or like the missing mindset.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (18:09):
a missing skull set.
So, in Ibiza, Bart met a bunchof other trust fund dropouts who
are getting high.
And Bart had a revelation thatgetting high wasn't really about
drugs.
Don't don't get them wrong.
I mean drugs are pretty cool.
(18:30):
It was about blood in the brainbrain blood volume more blood
equals more high Or moreexpanded consciousness.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (18:44):
so this is kind of like that we
only use 20 percent of our brainin any given moment type
situation.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (18:50):
exactly.
Because let's not be pedestrianand say, we like doing drugs
because it's fun.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
His goal's so much loftier.
He wants to expand humanconsciousness.
Open everyone's eyes.
Third eye and change the world,man!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (19:09):
Oh, I don't think I need a third
eye.
I've, I've seen enough.
Honestly, I see enough.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (19:17):
Well, Bart would say you already have
your third eye opened, actually.
If you're like a moreenlightened soul already, you
probably don't need trepanation,trepanation because you are
already enlightened.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (19:29):
I'm an enlightened soul.
laura_2_01-03-2025_ (19:31):
Apparently, it, eh, it's variant.
I'll talk about that in aminute.
Okay.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (19:36):
soul.
I'm not light.
This is a
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (19:39):
Nothing light over here.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (19:40):
You're right.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (19:41):
So Hughes, he was an academic after
all.
So he wrote his.
His own thesis, but on a scroll.
So he's not writing on atypewriter like some kind of
square.
He wrote it out and like, youknow, like big dramatic
lettering, like very creativewriting scroll.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (19:59):
Like a monk.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (20:00):
Yes.
Uh huh.
And his hypothesis was on quotethe fall of man that by evolving
to walk on two legs We greatlyimpacted the blood flow to our
brains in a negative way.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (20:16):
So he's saying that, that horse
girl's right?
That girl who gallops around onall fours like a horse?
And does jumps and shit?
She's, she's the ideal specimenof humanity.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (20:27):
He would fucking love her a hundred
percent
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (20:30):
God damn.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (20:31):
because gravity was the enemy to higher
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (20:35):
things.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (20:36):
Yeah, the tits and the brain.
So we would be a whole newspecies with this problem
corrected.
We would be homeo sapiens.
And there was also a bunch ofother shit that he espoused at
this time, that this time aboutsugar and metabolism and how to
(20:59):
avoid a bad trip with LSD.
You need to eat a pound ofsugar.
I didn't look too far into thatone, but you know, take it for
what
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (21:10):
So like the opposite of modern
thinking about sugar.
Co co co co co.
But no, that, that's a prettywild take because yeah, you
know, bipedalism, that's reallybeen a detriment to our species.
That's why we're doing so poorlyoverall, especially compared to
our closest biologicalrelatives, the great apes.
(21:32):
Like they're crushing it
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (21:36):
That's.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (21:36):
and we're falling behind.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (21:37):
You're getting into the hubris of this
kind of way of thinking of therich entitled
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (21:44):
insane.
Ha ha ha ha.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (21:49):
So he also theorized that children and
babies, they are so full ofwonder, curiosity, imagination.
It's all because they haveplenty of blood in their brains.
So because our skulls aren'tfully fused until around 20 to
25 years old, depending on theperson, uh, the fontanelles and
(22:10):
other.
open sutures in children'sskulls allow the brain to
pulsate with every heartbeat.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (22:19):
So that's why kids can see ghosts.
They're coming into their brainsthrough the holes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (22:26):
That
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (22:26):
That's canon to me now.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (22:28):
That, that's the kind of thing that
Bart would absolutely agree withbecause they have this expanded
consciousness.
They can like see other planesand other dimensions because of
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (22:38):
eye open.
I'm good.
I don't need a hole.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (22:40):
You're good.
You're just like John Lennon.
We'll get to that.
So
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (22:44):
think I am.
That's the man in me.
Ha ha ha ha! That's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (22:50):
the idea is that there is a static
pressure of cerebrospinal fluidand blood that it doesn't
increase or decrease with anyheartbeat.
You know, like you pump in bloodinto your vessels in your brain
and then cerebrospinal fluidkind of comes out and like
there's a homeostasis.
But with kids, or those with ahole in their head, the pressure
(23:13):
changes with each beat.
So when more blood can come intothe vessels in your brain, more
cerebrospinal fluid can kind ofbe pushed out of the way through
this hole.
So it's basically, it comes downto like relieving pressure.
Just like if you have aconcussion, then the doctors
need to do a craniotomy.
But this is just for everydayliving.
(23:34):
With every beat, you get more.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (23:40):
Which is, like, just a thing about the
nature of children, right?
They have all this extra spacein their brain for blood, but
the more I'm around children,the tighter my skull seems to
fit.
It's like it shrinks.
And they just s s s s suck thatout of you.
Ah,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (23:59):
think Bart would say that maybe you
are not third eye open then atthat point.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (24:03):
I kid, I kid.
But, I mean, he's a rich dude.
Who left his child.
He doesn't know what it's liketo be around a toddler all
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (24:10):
He does not.
He does not.
He went to fucking Ibiza.
So, Bart tried standing on hishead to get more blood to the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (24:20):
start.
Fair start.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (24:22):
Yeah, that was hard work.
Rich kids, they don't like hardwork.
He thought the next best thingwould be opening a hole in his
skull so that his brain canexpand, fill with more blood,
and live in this permanent stateof childlike wonder.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (24:41):
Okay.
So he made a couple big jumpsthere.
Right?
Like I could think of like topof my head, at least four
different things to try beforecutting a hole in your head.
I'm not going to list it.
Oh,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (24:54):
want them.
I want them.
I want to hear your top fourideas against drilling a hole in
your head to get more blood inyour brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (25:01):
all the time.
My head lay down.
Two, we don't be like a baby?
Crawl everywhere.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (25:06):
Sounds
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (25:07):
Down the street of Ibiza.
Crawl.
Um, sleep like a bat, perhaps?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:14):
Oh, you can get one of those things
where
squadcaster-4a47_2_0 (25:16):
Inverters?
Yeah, be a bat.
Be a vampire.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:20):
Be
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (25:21):
Vampire brat.
Brat.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:24):
Brat.
No, no, that's not right.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (25:26):
Ha ha ha.
Last one.
Do cardio.
Get your blood pumping.
Get more blood to your brain.
Right?
Cardio moves your blood.
Obviously.
I mean, is that a picture of himyou have in the notes?
Yeah, that man doesn't work out.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:40):
He's just like a, just giant, string
bean.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (25:44):
Yeah, he does not lift, bro.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (25:47):
Yeah.
He does not lift.
He does not lift.
So Bart's biggest obstacle wasfinding a doctor.
That would do this procedure forhim, and shocker, he did not get
any takers, even in the 60s, sohe decided to do it himself.
And in 1965, he gathered anelectric drill, a surgical
(26:07):
knife, and a syringe full oflocal anesthetic, and bro got to
work.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (26:13):
And hopefully he also had like a
mirror or something because I'mlike thinking about the
logistics of this.
Unless that third eye is veryspecifically placed.
Like I can't see my head.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:22):
He did.
He did do it in front of the,the mirror.
And in fact, that picture thatyou're looking at, that is him
in front of a mirror.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (26:27):
Is that him doing it?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:29):
Yes.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (26:30):
Weird.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:32):
We'll post that somewhere,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (26:34):
I thought he was air bl I thought
he was airbrushing paint ontohim.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:38):
Nope, that is legitimately him
drilling a hole into his head.
I think it's a dentist drill.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (26:44):
and he just went straight for the
top.
Wow.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (26:48):
it took 45 minutes.
But Bart was now the firsthomeosapien correctus in the
modern age.
He said that about four hoursafter the procedure, the feeling
came rushing in.
He is as light as a feather.
He feels 14 again.
Had no hang ups or no neuroses.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (27:10):
14?
Like that's his ideal age?
laura_2_01-03-2025_ (27:13):
Apparently.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (27:14):
That's a bold take.
That's bold.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (27:17):
feel like 14 is a little bit too old,
but then again, this is the 60slike kids grew up like a little
bit slower Yeah, so like maybethink like 10.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (27:26):
10.
Okay, like I could do 10, like 8maybe I would say is the ideal.
8 seems like a good age.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (27:32):
Well, he publicly unveiled his new
evolved state.
It was in some kind of publicevent.
I wasn't quite clear on it.
It seemed like it was some sortof street performance.
There was no
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (27:46):
the show.
What an asshole.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (27:48):
There was no, there was no press
there, there was no pictures ofit, in any case that anybody
could find.
Um, but where he unwound hisbandages to reveal the whole and
reveal to society what he haddone.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (28:04):
like a superhero movie playing where
the supervillain comes in and islike, LOOK AT ME NOW! And
everyone's like, AHHHHHH!
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:12):
One of the articles I read, this is
the most joker thing I've everseen in my entire life.
And fun fact, actually, in eachlike row of the bandage that he
undid, it said, ha, ha, ha inpsychedelic colors.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (28:25):
Oh, so he's just mentally ill.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:29):
one might think,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (28:30):
I mean, if you didn't guess it so
far, the ha ha has really sealedthe deal.
Like, maybe his dad should havejust paid attention to him.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:38):
so, Bart Hughes, he was
involuntarily committed for afew days after this.
So apparently somebody got wordof it.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (28:47):
They're like, eugh.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (28:48):
Yeah, but eventually they, they did in
fact, let him go.
he was not invited back to hisuniversity in Amsterdam.
And in fact, he was banned fromentering the UK.
Ever again.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (29:00):
I mean, that seems kind of harsh.
Like, it's not a contagiousdisease.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (29:05):
This is like, like, Cold War shit,
right?
Like, hippies and communism and,like, all this kind of shit of,
like, we don't want these, like,counterculture people
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (29:14):
These weirdos.
Get out of here, ya weirdos!
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (29:17):
Precisely.
So, our enlightened man doeswhat he does best.
He goes back to Ibiza to partywith some other drugged out rich
kids.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (29:27):
I mean, who wouldn't?
If they could.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (29:29):
Precisely.
And he starts talking about treepanning a lot.
He even tried to convince, JohnLennon, uh, of the Beatles about
this process, though he did tellJohn Lennon, like I said, that
he didn't think that he neededit.
John Lennon needed it because hewas so creative and open minded
and He was probably alreadyliving in a state of expanded
(29:52):
consciousness.
Yeah, like maybe his skulldidn't fully fuse when he was,
you know, when he was 25 orwhatever.
But, John Lennon did considerit, and he talked to Paul
McCartney about it, and asked ifhe wanted to try it with him,
but, Paul declined, andeventually, so did John,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (30:12):
Well, that's good, I guess.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (30:14):
but Hughes did get another convert
eventually, a gentleman of thename of Joseph Mellon.
So Mellon, he was a member ofBritish nobility.
He attended Eaton and Oxfordcollege.
And I imagine he probably had agreat big trust fund or whatever
the nobility version of a trustfund in the 60s.
(30:36):
I don't know.
He had money.
So Mellon and Hughes, they madequite the dynamic duo.
They made it their mission totell the world about tree
panning.
And they imagined a whole newworld made in their image with
every ill of society cured.
But before they did that, ofcourse, Mellon had to take the
(30:57):
plunge as well.
And Mellon attempted to selftrapan.
Count them four times.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (31:04):
god.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (31:05):
First, he used a hand trepan, like the
ones that were used in theMiddle Ages, which is basically
like a corkscrew.
Like, yeah, imagine like a winecorkscrew.
Yeah, it didn't work.
But also he was high on LSD anddidn't quite have the stick to
it ness to do it.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (31:21):
Yeah, I just like poked his head once
and I was
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (31:23):
Second time he managed to get a helper,
but he fainted from the bloodloss and it is a lot of, a lot
of blood guys because headwounds bleed like a son of a
bitch.
the third time they thought theyhad done it because he felt
pain.
And heard the gurgle of bloodand cerebrospinal fluid from the
(31:49):
hole.
Just like imagine popping a corkof champagne, right?
Like, and then you feel thewhoosh,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (31:57):
And it, but it just like drizzles
and like runs down their face.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (32:01):
yep.
Uh, but no, actually, turns outhe had not completely broken
through.
And he was not fully.
Turpaned until 1970, how hesurvived in such a homeo sapien
fashion while surrounded by suchgeniuses, I'll never know.
but you can't build an expandedconsciousness society with only
(32:25):
two people, Rachel.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (32:27):
Of course not.
But like, man, I want to be sorich that I'm so bored that the
only thing I can think of to dois drill a hole in my head.
Like, they had, literally theycould do anything and that's
what they chose to do.
Wild.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (32:41):
I think it's the drugs.
Honestly, I do.
I think it's the LSD.
And I think it's like the wholelike counterculture movement and
like all this thing about howwe're not living to our full
potential and life could besomething totally different.
And it's just like this ZekeGeist, right?
Like it all rolls together intothis storm of insanity.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (33:03):
baby.
Trying to sell you a betterlife.
He's like, I could fix it all.
If you give me money and let medrill your head.
Okay.
But how are they going to growthis?
How are they going to get morepeople?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:13):
So.
Our little cult clearly needed athird.
It was getting to be quite thesausage party, at least, at
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (33:20):
well, how are you going to breed more
holy head babies
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:24):
So they added a woman to the gang.
Uh, Amanda Felding.
She started out dating Hughes.
Then she began a relationshipwith Mellon.
I have to imagine that theseguys all fucked a lot,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (33:35):
and together?
And yeah.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:38):
This is the 60s, they're not into
traditional anything, let alonetraditional relationships.
So you know this was like, onebig like, you know, thruple and
all this
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (33:46):
mean, there was probably more people
involved.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (33:48):
Oh, on numerous occasions,
definitely.
So, Felding, she was fromBritain and she is in fact,
Countess Amanda Felding, and sheis related to the Habsburgs.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (33:59):
Oh, we remember them.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:02):
Maybe she's in Britain a little bit.
We could count that on her.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (34:05):
Girl never stood a
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:06):
So, Felding was the helper that
assisted Mellon with his initialcork popping party.
And it was her turn to take theplunge.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (34:18):
As a member of the Habsburg clan,
may I suggest, if you'reinterested in removing bone,
perhaps, perhaps start with thejaw, chin area.
Like, chisel that off before youstart on your skull.
Just a
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:34):
she actually, I mean, I've seen
videos and pictures of her.
She does not have the crazy, soshe must be like, you know,
several removed.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (34:40):
got some good genes in there.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (34:43):
she's, she's, she's solid,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (34:46):
Well, not in her skull.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (34:49):
but it really does take a woman to
get things done.
Right.
Doesn't it?
Because she did it perfectly thefirst try.
I mean, it might help that shehad two other people to learn
from during this time, but youknow, here nor there.
But best of all, she and Mellonfilmed it.
They made a short movie aboutthis whole process,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (35:07):
No.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (35:09):
and the movie is about what you'd
expect it to be.
It's about a woman standing infront of a mirror, taping her
hair back, putting on a showercap, and a, you know,
sterilizing all of her shit,drilling into her own Head,
blood, everywhere.
Cause as we said, head woundsbleed like a bitch.
You can't view the whole thing.
(35:29):
You can only view clips of itonline.
It's never been fully released.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (35:34):
That's probably for the best.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (35:37):
Amanda, who is now older and wiser, she
does not think that autotrepanation is a good idea
anymore.
She doesn't kind of want itgoing out as a self guide, and
also the few people that sheshowed it to in a showing passed
out, which I believe, there wasa lot of blub, a lot of blood.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (35:56):
So, okay.
Where do they, where does this,so many questions.
Where does it go?
Where is the hole?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:02):
Think third eye.
Like, so like right underneathyour hairline or like right at
your
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (36:07):
So it's just, they drill right
there.
Whatever reason I was thinkingit was like at the back of the
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:11):
No, not in the back.
It's, it's more in the front,like top of the forehead.
All these
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (36:16):
soft spot where the babies have that
soft spot, they're just likereopening
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:20):
No, the soft spot is like right on
the top.
Like this is like right here.
So they're auto trepending.
They're doing it themselves.
So they have to be able to seeit right in the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (36:29):
I was thinking it was like up
there, I
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:31):
No, it's, it's like right center
forehead.
So again, like think right whereyour hairline is, or if you want
to shave back a little bit, likeright, right there.
So it's, it's definitely in theforehead region.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (36:43):
then what happens, it's done.
You did it.
You have a hole in your head.
What do you just do?
How do you go back to life?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (36:51):
So they cut and then fold it back.
The, like the, skin flap.
So think about it in the sensethat actually this is not a
hugely painful procedure becauseyour skin And the, the, the
muscles attaching your skull toyour muscles, you know, that
(37:14):
allow your forehead to move andall this different kinds of
stuff that has feeling.
Your skull has no nerve endingsas well as your brain.
And then like the meninges,which hopefully you're not
touching, has no nerve endings.
So by injecting the localanesthesia,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (37:32):
just for the skin.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (37:33):
that's just for the skin and the
muscle, as long as you getenough.
And for me who had my, uh,lipoma removed from my neck with
again, only local anesthesia,you can, you can withstand it,
right?
So you put that anesthesia in,you cut the flap, fold it down,
and then you start the drillingprocess.
(37:54):
And then once you're done, onceyou've broken through, you flip
it up and just kind of put a bigold bandaid on it and it heals.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (38:06):
But isn't there like an indentation
or
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:08):
Yes, there will be and in the videos
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (38:11):
I'm sure wearing a hat hurts, too.
Like, that can't be comfortable.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:14):
well it depends on where it hits I
guess depends on where the hathits, but if you guys really
want to get deep
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (38:20):
And like what if you hit your head
on something?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:22):
Oh, no, that's legitimate, because
like, if you have a skullinjury, your skull is,
basically, it's, it's, has less,integrity.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (38:32):
Shock absorption?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:34):
know, your skull can crack more
easily, because it's got afucking hole in it.
Like, it can't absorb the samekind of pressure, so there,
there is definitely a dangerinvolved in it.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (38:44):
Oh my god.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (38:46):
Structural integrity is, uh, degraded by
this whole
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (38:49):
So if somebody walked in with one
of these, you could see, youcould tell.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (38:53):
You'd have to look for it in, in the
videos that I watched.
If you guys wanna dive deep intothe research, which you know, I
did for this fucking episode.
The, the, the links are fuckingfascinating, especially the
YouTube, documentaries.
This is like from the lateeighties.
Um, and you can see these peoplethat they're interviewing, they
have like this little dent
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (39:13):
Oh, so it's small.
I don't know why I'm imagining
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (39:16):
Oh no, yeah.
No, no, no, no.
It's small.
It's like a, like maybe an inchif that like hole.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (39:23):
So then, does it close up?
Do they have to re up it, orwhatever, after a
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (39:27):
No, it won't close.
It won't close on its own.
Your bone will not regrow it.
No.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (39:32):
Oh, I thought that the, that's what
was a sign of like, the peoplelived it, survived it in the
past, was that there was, like,bone
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (39:39):
the edges that were softer, right?
So, the, it wasn't just likestraight drill so they knew that
they had died on the table.
Like, there's a certain amountof wear that's gonna happen if
you live, you know, with your,your skull being partially
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (39:57):
Why did I think that it was like,
healed?
That was information Imisunderstood.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (40:02):
No, that's good.
It's good to have questions onthis one because it is a very
like, I've been doing, I've doneat least eight hours of research
on this topic.
So please
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (40:14):
This is like the wildest one.
I'm
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (40:17):
one.
I am.
I'm fucking obsessed.
So.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (40:21):
were they all doing this to
themselves?
Why did I not get somebody elseto do it?
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (40:25):
Because they couldn't, they couldn't get
a legitimate surgeon to do thisfor them.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (40:29):
No, I'm talking about, well, I guess
if the guy fucked it up threetimes, and then you were like,
hmm, maybe you shouldn't do myhead.
But like, the fact that, like,why would you just not let one
of the other two guys drill yourhead?
Why
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (40:39):
I think for Amanda, it was more of
a performance art thing, youknow, like she filmed the whole
thing and did the, the wholelike voiceover and all that kind
of thing.
And one thing about this moviethat was not expected was the
inclusion of her bird.
In many of these shots, soBirdie was her beloved pet and
(41:02):
it was a pigeon and I, do meanvery literally that it was
beloved.
She and Birdie had, uh,according to her, a passionate
love affair in which theycommunicated telepathically.
And just so you know, this wasbefore the hole in the head.
it's just her regular.
(41:23):
High life or just regular crazy.
Who's to say?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (41:27):
Yeah, this person needed some help.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (41:29):
I think so.
Yeah.
She's, she's kind of changedthings up in her life, at least
a little bit.
Felding was quite the advocatefor a trepanation and she went
on to run for parliament twiceas a supporter for the key
issues that were gripping theBritish people, like the lack of
government funded holists inyour heads.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (41:51):
Aww.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (41:54):
Her platform was trepanation for the
national health.
And shocker, no one bit.
And her attempts at governmenthad failed, but she Since then,
has founded what seems to be asemi credible foundation, the,
the Backley Foundation, whichstudies the beneficial uses of
psychoactive substances, likesome of those, these more recent
(42:18):
research about shrooms andketamine and,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (42:20):
The Mormon moms.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (42:21):
for, for depression and those kinds
of things for mental health.
this is the kind of work that,that she doesn't lives in and so
good for her using her, youknow, nobility and money to do
those things.
And.
Her love of trepanation isn'texactly a secret.
I mean, she, she did make amovie about it and she does
sometimes do interviews aboutit, but she does kind of
(42:45):
downplay it.
So it's not a part of her quotebrand.
It's not a part of herfoundation and their research at
the Beckley Foundation.
So despite her hole in the head,she does seem to have some sense
at this point and is trying tokeep her foundation legitimate.
By not advocating for this kindof procedure.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (43:05):
And she has bangs, so nobody would
know she's got a hole in herhead.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:10):
Yes, that's it.
It, she does have a little bitof bang if I'm not remembering
incorrectly.
Yeah.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (43:16):
Yeah, to cover up the hole in her
head, I'd imagine.
This makes it a little bit morepalatable.
Because I looked up that guy andit made me viscerally ill a
little
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:25):
You saw the little depression
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (43:27):
that's, that's not something I would
want to look at day in, day out,personally.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:32):
and he's bald.
So it's like extra, you know,prominent.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (43:35):
Yeah.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:37):
So,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (43:38):
his fault, I guess.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (43:39):
no, the bald isn't his fault.
The hole in head a hundredpercent is fault.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (43:43):
Yep.
Actually, like, I want you tocommit to it.
I admire him.
I don't want to look at him, butI admire him.
Like, covering it up with bangs.
Boo.
Like, cut a hole.
Cut a little hole.
Yeah, pin it back.
You, you drilled a hole in yourhead, lady.
Own it.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (44:00):
So Mellon and Felding, they had two
children together in theirrelationship.
They did, uh, they, they weremarried and eventually they
separated on good terms.
They were remarried then toseparate new spouses and
wouldn't you know it, those twonew spouses got trip ends as
well.
So what a lovely little cultthey have grown.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (44:22):
I Do they have, like, some magical
genitals that they're workingwith?
Because I swear to God, I can'teven get my husband to watch the
same show that I want to watch.
Like, and they're convincingthese people to go drill holes
in their heads.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (44:37):
Some people are just, they just want
to be led.
You know what I mean?
I don't
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (44:41):
They're fodder for cults.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (44:43):
truly.
And around this time, Hughes, hefound another little priest in
Peter Halverston.
Peter was another rich kid, butplot twist, this one's an
American.
He dropped out of the Universityof Cincinnati in 1968.
He went globetrotting,eventually got chummy with
(45:04):
Hughes in Amsterdam, who Iimagine was a little bit
depressed because his, you know,love of his life ran off with
Melon and had a bunch of kidsand drilled her own hole in
their head and said, I don'tneed you anymore.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (45:14):
Yeah,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (45:15):
So Hughes, he recommended
Halverston find a doctor to havethe procedure done.
He would not help him do ithimself, maybe because of
potential legal issues orbecause Hughes was kind of done
with the whole thing at thispoint.
I don't know.
And if you take away anythingfrom this episode, guys,
seriously, let it be.
(45:35):
That you need a buddy to drill ahole in your head.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (45:41):
system.
Tried and true.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (45:44):
but Halverson, he said fuck it.
I got some detailed instructionsfrom a surgeon he met somewhere
who told him how to do it and hegot to work on himself and in a
1972 hotel
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (45:58):
hotel room That's disrespectful.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:02):
Rich kids, man.
They don't give a fuck.
And so he knew that he hadsucceeded when he felt that
gurgle and pop from his brain.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (46:14):
I mean, straight to jail for that
surgeon.
Who gave him the means to do
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:19):
It was the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (46:20):
He should lose his
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:21):
whole new time.
I'm sure it was under the table,unofficial.
Nobody got, nobody got a co paidfor this
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (46:29):
Yeah.
but the first do no harm,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:31):
Uh, That's a question.
Is it harming or is it expandingconsciousness?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (46:37):
mean, when brain fluid is flying,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:39):
Well, brain fluid shouldn't be flying.
It's, it's, it's the change inpressure of your brain fluid
that they're feeling.
So you take out that bit ofskull and your brain fluid can
kind of like rush forward intothat area and
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (46:52):
he
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (46:53):
he felt it happen.
And he also, I, was it him orMelon that when they, he, Took,
uh, when they finally succeededand got through and took it out
like there was like a geyser ofblood that came out And he's
like, oh fuck like I went intomy brain But it wasn't it was
you know, just the it was thearteries and veins and such that
(47:15):
are Through your forehead andskull,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (47:18):
to your brain.
Oh God.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (47:22):
Yep.
So Halverson, he eventuallyfounded the international
trepanation advocacy group atsome point.
It was hard to nail down thedates here.
This is where I was getting deepinto it.
Like the internet archives, allthat kind of shit.
1997, gathered his own followerson the, the new invention known
(47:44):
as the internet.
And the group's website, trepan.
com, now defunct.
Had to go to theinternetarchives.
com to see it.
Highly, highly recommend.
I mean, pure 1998 websitenonsense.
Do you remember visitorcounters, Rachel?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (48:04):
Uh, remember, we have one on
impolitesocietypodcast.
com.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:08):
No, we do not, you
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (48:10):
day we wanna hit the triple
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:12):
ha, ha.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01- (48:14):
kidding.
We don't.
And I'm sure we have,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:18):
So the site leads with Third eye
innocent and open wide.
For the first time on thisplanet, you are free to have
maximum fulfillment.
It is no longer necessary tofollow a path and search for
your true greatness.
Also, let me just call out theridiculousness of that
(48:39):
statement.
You no longer have to follow apath and search for, like,
answers.
Fuck that.
Just drill a fucking hole inyour heads.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (48:47):
It's also very sparse I was I thought
there'd be
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (48:49):
Oh, you got to click into it.
You have to go into the sitethere's a video intro if you
want to see that.
And then you have to like clickaround.
It's not like a navigation likewe have nowadays.
It's very antiquated.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (49:03):
oh and now it's playing sounds
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (49:05):
Yeah, it's a trip, right?
I definitely recommend it.
Listener, if you have some free
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (49:13):
We'll link it in the show notes I have
to turn it off because of themusic sorry, it's like
overpowering
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (49:19):
Yeah, but the site, it's super culty.
It's got a lot of triangles,acronyms, yes, the I's, the
third I, a lot of vaguepromises, and this culty facet
seems to come from Bart Hugheshimself, which is, you know,
again, the grandfather of allthis bullshit, the first guy.
And as Bart got older, he becamea bit of a hermit.
(49:42):
He didn't even have a phone andwhen people came to him to ask
about trepanation, because thisis kind of like a thing, right?
It's like
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (49:48):
Well, if you're, yeah, if you're going
to Trepanation, like, you gottago to the OG man himself.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (49:53):
Exactly.
He would not even speak topeople unless he memorized his
scroll, his thesis, right, onthe fall of man.
If these people could recite it,write it out by memory, repeat
it ten times to him while ontheir knees.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (50:10):
Who's got time for that?
That's
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:13):
does.
And
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (50:14):
nuts.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:16):
But Halverston seemed to have taken
these culty kind of weird ideas,espoused them on his site.
Definitely a guy, in my opinion,that is trying to create his own
little soliciting money frompeople to fund his.
research.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (50:33):
wow.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:34):
So he promised people that Trepanning
would increase people'syouthfulness, creativity, and
even their testosterone levels.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (50:43):
Why am I not surprised?
It all comes back to boners.
Every
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (50:48):
I thought, I thought, the same
thing.
I was like, what a dude thing todo.
We gotta talk about bonerssomewhere in
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (50:55):
Yeah, it just makes your penis harder.
And harder more often.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:00):
And, and then he also said, of course
it was safe, guys.
It's the oldest surgery in theworld, so it can't be bad for
you or dangerous.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (51:10):
I mean, they amputated people's
legs with bone saws in the WildWest.
Like, just because they did it along time ago doesn't make it a
good idea.
It was the best they had.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:21):
So, Halverson went on a press tour
of sorts for his littlemovement.
Yes.
He managed to get on the HowardStearns show in 1998, and the TV
version of Ripley's Believe Itor Not, and he even got a 2020
special.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (51:37):
They'd just be giving those out,
apparently.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:41):
And apparently this all did work to
some degree.
The website.
He was actively recruitingpeople for a pilot study to be
done in Mexico and he got 15people to actually do it.
Some idiots
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (51:56):
a considerable amount of people.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (51:58):
I know, right?
Some idiots who heard about iton Howard Stern or whatever
else, I don't know.
They paid Peter money, they wentto Mexico, they fuckin had their
Skulls drilled into and I founda really old article from a
college newspaper.
It was pretty buried Where theyinterviewed the people who had
this done and oh my god, it isbleak People who have been on
(52:23):
psych holds Schizophrenics someguy who was spending his money
buying Eternal Youth Water, oneguy who clearly had a massive
man crush on Halverston, likewas this little bitch and like
wanted to be exactly like him.
And then the spouses of thesecrazies, and it's just, oh, it
was so sad.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (52:44):
Well, did the youth water work?
Is this guy still kicking it?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (52:48):
I mean, it was 1999, so maybe, I
don't know.
I don't know.
It's hard to find enough shit onthese people, this website is
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (52:59):
I've, yeah.
Uh, Hey, we're all looking forsomething to believe in, though.
Right?
We're just all looking forsomething to believe in.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (53:08):
But turns out this publicity was
actually a bad idea because thisattention, it got Peter
Halvorson into some legal hotwater, um, drilling into the
skulls of crazy people is boundto get one in trouble,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (53:21):
One would hope.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (53:22):
and in 2000, Halvorson was arrested
in the U.
S.
for practicing medicine withouta license when one of the
parents of his victims, uh, I'msorry, I mean patients, raised
hell after their daughtertraveled from England to the U.
S.
to have her hole drilled into bythis totally not a doctor kind
of guy.
(53:43):
And the court gave him threeyears of probation.
squadcaster-4a47_2_0 (53:47):
Probation.
That does not seem like a lot.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (53:50):
I, I know, right, like at first I was
thinking, like, really, fucking,that's it, that's it, that's all
you're going to give this guy?
Um, but then I thought there, Idon't know, are there some
deeper questions here about thefreedoms of society, right?
If you're willing to pay somerando to drill a hole in your
head, is that your right?
I don't know.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (54:09):
I mean, if you, can you willingly
offer up your body for acannibal to kill and eat?
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (54:14):
That's a great question.
So the popularity of thiswebsite and the pilot study in
Mexico, DIY tutorials popping upon the internet, um, considered
dangerous enough for the Britishmedical journal to issue a
formal warning in the year 2000,that people not drill a hole in
their head.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (54:34):
Oh, thank fucking God that the
British Medical Journal put thatout because I wouldn't have
known not to drill a hole in myhead if they had not given a
warning.
Thank you.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (54:46):
And super well read, right?
The British Medical Journal,like everyone's
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (54:50):
I mean, that's just where I
browse.
Every morning I open my phoneand I go to the British Medical
Journal for life advice.
Who doesn't?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (54:59):
So the International Trepanation
Advocacy Group website waseventually taken offline in
2018.
Whether that's through a lack ofinterest or being shut down, I
genuinely don't know.
there isn't much out there aboutthis movement right now,
nowadays.
A lot of new articles beingwritten.
There were a few from Vice inthe late 20 teens, which clearly
one of the writers went down therabbit hole on this, like I
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (55:21):
They're like, guys, you gotta check out
this insane shit, man.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (55:25):
totally.
But all this kind of makes methink that this is insanity
might be due for a comebacksometime soon, right?
with a lot of depressed,desperate people out here who
don't trust the medicalcommunity, don't feel like
they're being heard.
I'm sure there are a lot ofpeople who are willing to take
this bait.
And I don't know what PeterHalvorsen is up to nowadays.
(55:47):
I can't find any recent articlesabout him, but I do know that
Bart Hughes, the creator of allthis nonsense, he did die in
2004 from alcoholism and relatedhealth issues.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (56:01):
Sounds like he needed more holes.
Holes somewhere.
More holes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2 (56:05):
Apparently his consciousness, uh, was not
as expanded as he thought.
But after all, He fell to allthe same bullshit as the rest of
us whole headed rubes, right?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (56:17):
Right?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (56:18):
So what do doctors think about
this?
You know, like real doctors withmedical degrees.
Do they think there's anyvalidity in their saying about,
you know, blood brain volume andpumping blood, blah, blah, blah.
No, no, they do not.
It's all nonsense made up by oneconvincing hippie in the
(56:40):
sixties.
Someone so convincing, That theplacebo effect is in full swing
with all these people, right?
So if you think you are going toexperience this intense high,
you are going to feel it.
I mean, think back on that firsttime you ever drank any alcohol.
I know me.
I had two swigs of a beer in mysophomore year and I was like,
(57:02):
I'm so drunk, man.
So imagine if you had takenthese insane leaps to get to
this point, of course you aregoing to feel elation.
You're going to feel whatevereffect you think you're going to
feel.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (57:17):
So I can thank myself high, man.
That's the ultimate drug, man.
Your brain.
The human brain.
laura_2_01-03-2025_2147 (57:25):
That's, uh,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (57:26):
That's my third eye opening up right
there.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (57:29):
It's already open, Rachel, I can tell
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (57:31):
It's wide open.
It sees everything.
It's in the back of my head,though.
That's how I watch my kids.
I say, Hey! Get that out of your
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (57:38):
ha! Ha ha! Ha ha ha!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (57:40):
Hey! Don't kick your sister!
laura_2_01-03-2025_214 (57:43):
Because, I mean, if you've gotten this
insane surgery done and youdidn't think it would make a
difference, what the fuck wouldyou think of yourself, right?
You put yourself at risk forinfections, skull fractures,
death, all this for nothing, forsomething that wasn't
scientifically proven.
So really, in the end, the brainis doing what it does best, ego
(58:04):
protection, baby.
That holy noggin is justprotecting you from the most
awful truths of itself.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (58:12):
I mean, that just sums up the
human condition, man.
That's why I tell people, don'tsweat the decisions.
Don't sweat the choices you'llmake.
Because your good buddy, yourbrain, is just gonna smooth it
all over.
It's gonna tell you, you've madethe right choice.
I was gonna say, this is how itwas meant to be.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:30):
That is exactly right.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (58:31):
So just do what you want.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:33):
Yeah, don't think too hard unless
you're going to drill a hole inyour brain and then maybe think
real hard about it
squadcaster-4a47_2_ (58:39):
dissidence.
Well, they seemed happy with it,so do it.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:42):
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe there was that alsolinked in the show notes.
Please don't drill.
He'll drill a hole in your head.
People.
This
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (58:50):
Well, if you are gonna drill a hole in
your head based off one podcastyou listened to, like that's on
you.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (58:57):
But there is a, uh, blog entry from
like 2000 that I dug upsomewhere and the guy is talking
about how he did it all himselfby himself and did all these
things and he's like, it's sogreat.
It's so great.
It's so great.
And then after a month he'slike, yeah, it's not great.
I totally faked myself out aboutit and I was like, well, I guess
(59:19):
good for you that you
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (59:20):
This Yeah.
Was so, it was like it was bador he was just like, it's no
different.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:24):
It's no different.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-20 (59:25):
Aw.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:26):
Yeah, I know.
It was, it
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (59:28):
It's kind of like getting a puppy.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:30):
it's kind of a trip again.
I recommend going through thesource notes on this one, guys.
It's, it's fun.
All right.
So before we wrap up, becausewe're fucking long, this was
just, this was a trip in, in thebest way, not in an LSD
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (59:46):
like a hole in your head trip.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:49):
I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (59:49):
I, feel enlightened.
Childlike
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (59:51):
to, I'm just going to, dip my, my
toe into a little bit ofphilosophizing here about
retaining the lightness ofcuriosity of childhood, right?
That these people seem to belonging for.
And my overwhelming thought was,yeah, it's great, but we can't
all stay kids forever.
(01:00:13):
I mean, eventually our brains,they need to mature.
They literally need to solidify.
It's in like clothes.
In a way, uh, our thinking orbelief, like we have to
eventually land on something, beopen to change, but also keep
some of those things as core.
And I, I was just thinking as Iwas doing this research is maybe
(01:00:37):
the future of our society isn'tthe movie idiocracy as I had
always thought, just adultsgetting dumber, dumber, dumber,
until we're all the blind,leaving the blind.
And maybe.
It will be a world full of adultchildren who've refused to grow
up, refused to make choices, andwho are just herded and governed
(01:00:58):
by those of us who have decidedto grow up.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (01:01:02):
See, I'm with you up until that point
because I feel like what growingup is to do with survival,
right?
It's when You have to actually,like, function in the world.
And I go back to domestication,where domestication is keeping
animals in
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:01:19):
about that all the fucking
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (01:01:21):
type state.
And I think about it a lot withmy, my dumb dogs.
Is I like, they're so, theythrow their bodies around for
like a morsel of food.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:01:30):
A molecule! A molecule! Marker
food!
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2 (01:01:35):
When are they, I ask them all the
time, when are you all gonnawise up?
Because a wolf pack would nottolerate this kind of nonsense.
Like, think about wising up,you're seven.
Like, come on.
And it's just like, that's theydon't have to.
But, the people who have lifehard are the ones who are forced
(01:01:56):
to then mature.
So, theirs aren't really theones who are governing.
And like, telling us what to do.
But I do think that we aredrastically accelerating towards
domestication for humans, whichis why we have these new stages
of life called childhood, calledadolescence, teenagers, young
adulthood.
Now people are rejecting theidea of being an adult until
(01:02:21):
they're 30, right?
And so then eventually they'llbe like, I'm just a 40 year old
teenager, right?
And it's just like, we'll nevergrow up.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:02:29):
Yeah.
And that's, that's the futurethat this whole thing made me
think of and it made me sad.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:02:36):
I mean, it's fun to be a kid, but
like, I don't know, am I grownup?
Who knows?
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:02:40):
I think you're pretty grown up.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:02:41):
I don't want to drill a hole in my
head if that's any indication,
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (01:02:46):
That's the litmus test.
In which case,
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (01:02:49):
it makes sense because these are
the, when you think of like thatdomestication angle, like these
are the rich kids.
They don't have to fight forsurvival.
They don't have to make choicesand like boom, bam, boom,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:00):
They got too much fuckin time on
their hands.
They're navel gazing all the
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (01:03:03):
So that's why it's like, I, yeah,
it's more about, they have theluxury of not having to grow up
and, like, wanting to recapturethat.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:13):
Yep.
All right, that's it.
That's my trip for the week.
This one was a fuckin blast.
Fucking doozy.
I had a ton of fun on this one.
Write me your questions.
Cause I feel like I didn't, thiswas long as is, and I'm open to
more questions and more talkingabout this because I did a lot
(01:03:36):
of research.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (01:03:37):
mean, I still have several, but, you
know, I'll email them to you,and you get back to me in three
to five business days,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:43):
Root at ImpoliteSocietyPodcast.
com.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-202 (01:03:46):
Or text us, there's a link in the
show notes.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:48):
yeah.
Text us your quick questions.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (01:03:51):
Quick questions and we'll answer them
on another show.
Maybe we can incorporate somekind of call and response into
the chats.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:03:58):
Oh, yeah, in the society chats.
I got it now, took me a second.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03- (01:04:02):
Yeah.
They're new.
We're learning.
But
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:04:05):
a chat?
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:04:06):
A chat, a chat, a chat, a cahat,
but check those out.
And you know what gives us asense of euphoria more than a
hole in the brain?
When you rate and review us onyour podcasting app of choice,
that is how we grow our cult ofpeople who have holy brains or
(01:04:31):
holy entire whole brains,entire,
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:04:35):
thou.
That was one thing I saw in oneof the articles I read.
And I was like, that's
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03 (01:04:39):
that's kind of, that's there, uh,
holier than thou.
Colts, and if you really want tohelp do that, be sure to
recommend this podcast tosomebody who you think needs a
little bit more brain or alittle bit less brain, because
this topic is all about that.
We also are on YouTube, which ifyou're listening there, shout
out, God bless thatdiscoverability feature.
(01:05:01):
So if you're listening onYouTube, thank you for joining
us.
If you prefer YouTube, forjoining us.
Get rid of Spotify, get rid ofPodcast Addict, and find us
there.
We'll be back in two weeks withanother rude topic.
And until then, stay curious.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:05:17):
And keep marching to the beat of
your own drum.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:05:23):
I
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:05:23):
And also, let us know if you think
that the next alternative healthtreatment from the Alex Jones
crowd is going to be a hole inyour head.
Because I'm telling you, I thinkit's due for a comeback.
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-0 (01:05:33):
they're nobody's gonna be brave enough
for that.
We can't be that uncomfortable.
laura_2_01-03-2025_21473 (01:05:36):
People are going to do it.
I
squadcaster-4a47_2_01-03-2025 (01:05:38):
I don't think so.
My favorite part of this episodeis when you said, you're like
John Lennon.
And I said, yes, it's like offthe top of my head.
I'm like, yeah, I am like JohnLennon.
I'm a visionary and mind of ageneration.
laura_2_01-03-2025_214737 (01:06:08):
So he promised people that trep
trepanning, trepanning,trepanning, I can't, fucking all
this research, I can't evenfucking say it.
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