Hosted by Emmy-winning journalist Alice Hines and writer Zoë Lescaze, the series explores the untold story of the world’s most influential therapy you’ve never heard of

New episodes air on Tuesdays starting January 20, 2026

Listen to Trailer HERE; 

Download show art HERE (Photo Credit: Kaleidoscope & iHeartPodcasts); Download host's photo HERE (Photo Credit: Will Cotton)

NEW YORK, NY – January 15, 2026 – Kaleidoscope, the New York-based media company redefining science and technology storytelling, and iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher according to Podtrac, today announced the launch of Mind Games, a new investigative podcast series that unpacks the surprising origins, cultural reach, and troubling abuses of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, a radical form of hypnotherapy that has quietly shaped industries, institutions, and belief systems around the world. Listen to the official trailer now, here.

Created and hosted by journalists and best friends Alice Hines and Zoë Lescaze, Mind Games traces NLP from its beginnings at a New Age commune in 1970s California to its spread through Fortune 500 boardrooms, U.S. Army training programs, professional sports, wellness culture, and notorious organizations like the sex cult NXIVM. Though largely unknown to the public, NLP’s techniques have been used by therapists, life coaches, pickup artists, cult leaders, and self-help gurus such as Tony Robbins, The Wolf of Wall Street’s Jordan Belfort, pickup artist Ross Jeffries, and NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman. The widespread, unregulated applications of these methods raise urgent questions about persuasion, power, and manipulation.

Part science experiment, part investigation, and part true crime thriller, Mind Games follows Hines and Lescaze as they put NLP to the test themselves, approaching its bold promises with curiosity, skepticism, and an open mind. As they experiment, the series reveals effects that are difficult to dismiss. The deeper they go, the more intriguing the possibility becomes that NLP may actually work. 

“Kaleidoscope thrives on telling unique stories from the most interesting niches of science and technology, and Mind Games is the perfect new addition to our slate, allowing listeners to unlock the truth behind one of psychology’s most underground and controversial topics,” said Kate Osborn, the show’s executive producer and chief strategy officer of Kaleidoscope. “Mind Games explores the renegade psychological phenomenon of NLP through a story that’s experimental and open-minded. We’re thankful for our continued partnership with iHeart, which allows us to bring thoughtful, meaningful science and technology storytelling like Mind Games to a wide range of audiences.”

Creator and co-host Alice Hines is an Emmy-winning news correspondent, investigative journalist, and documentary producer whose reporting is known for exposing hidden subcultures and abuses of power. She executive-produced Prime Video’s Desperately Seeking Soulmate Escaping Twin Flames Universe, a docuseries based on her Vanity Fair reporting about an accused internet cult. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and New York Magazine, among other publications.

“Neuro Linguistic Programming is one of those forces that hides in plain sight,” said Alice Hines, creator and co-host of "Mind Games." “It promises agency, confidence, and control over your own mind, yet it has been used by cults and other nefarious actors to manipulate people and deliver the exact opposite of those promises. What drew us to this series was that tension. NLP can genuinely change lives, but it can also quietly take them over.”

Creator and co-host Zoë Lescaze is a writer and editor known for stories that reveal unlikely intersections between art, science, and technology. A regular contributor to The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, and T Magazine, she is also the author of Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past, the most comprehensive book to date on how artists and scientists have depicted the primordial world. She lectures widely and has curated history of science exhibitions at museums and universities across the United States and Europe.

“As a journalist, I was naturally skeptical of the wild claims surrounding NLP,” said Zoë Lescaze, creator and co-host of "Mind Games." “People swear these techniques can cure everything from stage fright to cancer, that they can make you happier, more persuasive, or irresistibly seductive. One of the most exciting parts of reporting the series for me was myth-busting some of these claims, and experimenting with NLP for ourselves. We separate the snake oil from legitimately helpful methods I’ll continue to use.”  

Mind Games is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is the latest addition to Kaleidoscope’s growing slate of premium audio storytelling, which brings rigorous reporting and cinematic production to the biggest questions shaping modern life. New episodes will be released weekly every Tuesday on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

For more information on Kaleidoscope, please visit www.k-scope.com. 

About Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is the leading science and technology podcast network, telling thrilling stories of consequence that unpack the new scientific renaissance. Founded by Oz Woloshyn and Mangesh Hattikudur in 2022, Kaleidoscope's network reaches millions of listeners and is home to hit shows including On Musk: with Walter Isaacson and The Last Soviet: with Lance Bass. Visit www.k-scope.com for more information