Episode 016 - Changelings: Spirits, Science, and the Self

What if your child wasn’t really your child?In this haunting episode of Hauntings and Happenings, we unravel the centuries-old myth of the changeling—a creature said to be left in place of a stolen human child by fairies, trolls, or spirits. But beneath the folklore lies something far more human: fear of difference, grief without explanation, and the desperate search for answers.Join Kasey as she explores the chilling origins of changeling stories, their eerie parallels to autism spectrum disorder and Capgras Syndrome, and the way this myth still echoes in modern horror, psychology, and pop culture. With insights from historical accounts, neurodivergent perspectives, and cultural theory, this episode asks:Was the changeling ever real—or are we still making the same mistake today?Part folklore. Part psychology. All unsettling.Work Cited: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EvJDrmXArbJ_GcBF2d3XcQez4JtWqA9842rVtj9HCvk/edit?usp=sharing