These Horror Stories Will Send Chills Down Your Spine - MrBallen (4K)

MrBallen is a storyteller, YouTuber, and a former United States Navy SEAL. Why are we drawn to fear? This fascination often balances us the edge of life and death, infused with a dash of excitement. From his beginnings as a Navy SEAL to becoming a renowned YouTuber, Mr. Ballen possesses a unique storytelling talent. He captivates us with some of the most spine-chilling true stories, drawn both from his experiences and the lives of others. Expect to learn why so many people are obsessed with True Crime and scary stories, the 3 terrifying but true stories MrBallen has prepared in this episode today, what being a NAVY Seal taught MrBallen about life & the backlash he has gotten from the NAVY Seal community by sharing his story, what it means to live a good life, if there is life after death, how to reinvent your entire life, what it takes to tell a good story and much more... - 00:00 From Navy SEAL to Storyteller 04:14 Why People Love Gruesome True Crime 07:24 The Best Story MrBallen Has Ever Told 18:56 Living a Double Life in a Coma 22:56 Developing a Storytelling Style 32:37 Biggest Mistakes in Telling a Great Story 36:47 Audience Reactions at Live Shows 39:15 The Story With the Biggest Reaction 49:45 Where MrBallen Finds His Stories 58:46 Who Was MrBallen Before the SEALs 1:08:32 Advice for People Stuck in a Rut 1:11:54 Getting Through SEALs Training 1:24:23 The Worst Element of Hell Week 1:30:13 What it Feels Like to Be Hit By a Grenade 1:49:49 Rewatching the Video of the Hit 2:00:46 Adjusting From War to Home 2:07:52 MrBallen’s View on a Good Life 2:14:24 Principles for When Life Gets Hard 2:19:45 The Most Terrifying First Date Ever 2:26:44 The Most Evil People 2:32:49 Tom DeLonge’s Alien Obsession 2:37:21 Receiving Backlash for Sharing Stories 2:43:00 Why the Military Has an Issue With MrBallen 2:54:06 Speaking in Depth About Military Experiences 3:04:26 Dealing With Rapid Growth 3:12:15 MrBallen’s Favourite Storytellers 3:20:34 What’s Next for MrBallen? 3:26:01 Where to Find MrBallen - Get up to 32% discount on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout). Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours with your first box at https://www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout) Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period from Shopify at https://www.shopify.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout) Get $500 discount on Fountain Life at https://fountainlife.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Check our MrBallen's YouTube channel here: http://bit.ly/MrBallenYT Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostMrBallen (John Allen)guestGuest (unidentified third participant)guest

Apr 22, 20243h 27mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 22, 2024
Duration: 3h 27m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

MrBallen is a storyteller, YouTuber, and a former United States Navy SEAL. Why are we drawn to fear? This fascination often balances us the edge of life and death, infused with a dash of excitement. From his beginnings as a Navy SEAL to becoming a renowned YouTuber, Mr. Ballen possesses a unique storytelling talent. He captivates us with some of the most spine-chilling true stories, drawn both from his experiences and the lives of others. Expect to learn why so many people are obsessed with True Crime and scary stories, the 3 terrifying but true stories MrBallen has prepared in this episode today, what being a NAVY Seal taught MrBallen about life & the backlash he has gotten from the NAVY Seal community by sharing his story, what it means to live a good life, if there is life after death, how to reinvent your entire life, what it takes to tell a good story and much more... - 00:00 From Navy SEAL to Storyteller 04:14 Why People Love Gruesome True Crime 07:24 The Best Story MrBallen Has Ever Told 18:56 Living a Double Life in a Coma 22:56 Developing a Storytelling Style 32:37 Biggest Mistakes in Telling a Great Story 36:47 Audience Reactions at Live Shows 39:15 The Story With the Biggest Reaction 49:45 Where MrBallen Finds His Stories 58:46 Who Was MrBallen Before the SEALs 1:08:32 Advice for People Stuck in a Rut 1:11:54 Getting Through SEALs Training 1:24:23 The Worst Element of Hell Week 1:30:13 What it Feels Like to Be Hit By a Grenade 1:49:49 Rewatching the Video of the Hit 2:00:46 Adjusting From War to Home 2:07:52 MrBallen’s View on a Good Life 2:14:24 Principles for When Life Gets Hard 2:19:45 The Most Terrifying First Date Ever 2:26:44 The Most Evil People 2:32:49 Tom DeLonge’s Alien Obsession 2:37:21 Receiving Backlash for Sharing Stories 2:43:00 Why the Military Has an Issue With MrBallen 2:54:06 Speaking in Depth About Military Experiences 3:04:26 Dealing With Rapid Growth 3:12:15 MrBallen’s Favourite Storytellers 3:20:34 What’s Next for MrBallen? 3:26:01 Where to Find MrBallen - Get up to 32% discount on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout). Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours with your first box at https://www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout) Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period from Shopify at https://www.shopify.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout) Get $500 discount on Fountain Life at https://fountainlife.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Check our MrBallen's YouTube channel here: http://bit.ly/MrBallenYT Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
MrBallen (John Allen)
guest
Guest (unidentified third participant)
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and MrBallen (John Allen), These Horror Stories Will Send Chills Down Your Spine - MrBallen (4K) explores ex–Navy SEAL Explains Viral Horror Stories, Near-Death, And Evil Former Navy SEAL John "MrBallen" Allen explains how failed early social media experiments led to his accidental breakout as a viral strange‑dark‑mysterious storyteller, starting with a rough 60‑second TikTok on the Dyatlov Pass that hit five million views in hours. He and host Chris Williamson dissect why people find true crime and horror comforting, how narrative structure and withheld details create powerful twists, and what separates good storytelling from mediocre retellings. Allen shares harrowing personal experiences—from SEAL training and combat in Afghanistan, including being nearly killed by a grenade—to how those shaped his philosophy on fear, purpose, and death. The conversation also touches on the culture and backlash around ex‑SEALs going public, building Ballen Studios as a home for elite storytellers, and the psychological cost and reward of doing terrifying things anyway.

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