Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: "I Heard A Popping Sound"
Date: January 8, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
This episode features a deeply personal story from one of the hosts (Jack), recounting his 20-year journey of sobriety from alcoholism. The main focus is a riveting account of his battle with the urge to drink during a pivotal trip to Russia, culminating in an inexplicable and life-changing moment when his compulsion to drink vanished. The conversation explores themes of addiction, personal turning points, the power of support systems, and the mysterious forces—spiritual or psychological—that can drive profound change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Sobriety Milestone & Story Setup
- Jack reflects on the 20th anniversary of losing his desire to drink alcohol completely.
- He shares skepticism about mystical experiences but admits something inexplicable happened to him.
- The story is set during a vacation to Russia, precisely five months after starting sobriety.
- Quote (05:52): “Yesterday was the 20 year anniversary of me losing my desire to drink alcohol completely. And I'll explain how it happened that day and I don't understand. Makes no sense to me. If I heard somebody else talk about it, I would think they were a crackpot.”
The Battle Against Urge
- Jack details the intense psychological struggle upon departure:
- The moment the plane leaves San Francisco, he’s overwhelmed by the urge to drink.
- Describes the cyclical nature of the urge throughout the day—airport, hotel, sightseeing.
- Each encounter with alcohol (ordering a beer with lunch, nearly buying vodka at a store, entering a bar) ends with him walking away at the last second, gripped by both compulsion and resistance.
- Quote (07:24): “The only thing on my mind. I get to my hotel, I go to a ... I order a beer because I want to drink. ... The beer is sitting there. I'm watching the bubbles go up to the top of the glass while I eat my sandwich, wanting to drink with every fiber of my body. But I get up and I leave that. And I leave that beer behind.”
Out-of-Body Experience
- Jack recounts a surreal, almost cinematic moment of observing himself from above as he walks into a bar and orders a beer—interpreted as the internal split of his struggle.
- Quote (09:04): “I walk into a bar and I'm looking at myself from above like a cool artsy camera shot looking down on myself walking into the bar. ... I don't know what that means, my brain broke or something. Something weird's going on, but that's what happened to me.”
- Joe (co-host) notes: “You're of two minds, clearly. And the one he is walking up to the bar and the other one's looking at the guy walking up to the bar” (09:37).
Hitting the Wall & Seeking Help
- The situation intensifies as Jack wanders lost in the snow, his compulsion building.
- Calls a fellow sober friend who reminds him to seek out a support group—luckily, one was previously researched.
- Jack struggles to find the church in the dark, foreign city—isolated by language and environment.
The Turning Point — The “Popping Sound”
- In front of the locked church, Jack contemplates caving in to the urge and drinking at a nearby bar, interpreting the closed doors as a “sign from God.”
- At the last possible moment, a Russian man asks, “Alcoholic?” and directs him to the meeting, where another English-speaker greets him.
- The moment:
- At this critical point, Jack hears a literal popping sound in his head, feels a profound calm, and, from that moment on, loses all desire to drink.
- Quote (13:10): “And at that moment, I know, I know, God, I know. And at that moment, I heard a popping sound in my head. A feeling of calm came over me. And I haven't had the slightest desire to drink ever since. And that is my story.”
Aftermath, Meaning & Reflection
- The hosts consider whether this was divine intervention, a psychological break, or something else.
- “This is just my opinion, but I think you were healed.” (Co-host, 13:41)
- “Yeah, religious intervention there in that church in St. Petersburg. The hand of God. I don't know.” (13:55)
- Jack emphasizes the dramatic and permanent nature of his change after years of daily struggle.
- “There wasn't a moment I either didn't want to drink or I wasn't trying to get over the last hangover for 22 years. And then ... it's just completely gone.” (14:32)
- Both hosts express a wish that this sort of experience could be shared with those still struggling with addiction but lament that there’s no easy answer or method.
- “I wish I had more knowledge from that that could be of any help to... I don't even know why I don't drink anymore, so I could help anybody else.” (14:55)
The Existential & Metaphysical
- Joe muses on physical and metaphysical explanations, as Jack describes the visceral sensation of the urge leaving his body.
- “The fact that I heard a weird popping sound, and when I think about it, I can feel the feeling of just like it leaving my body from toe to head is weird.” (15:22)
- Jack speculates that, for him, drinking that day would have meant death—“I was gonna die. … It was like, are we gonna live or are we gonna die?” (15:51)
Closing & Gallows Humor
- The story ends with some levity about "signs from God" and real estate:
- “When you're walking around the church and you said to yourself, look, there's a bar. It's a message from God. God was thinking ... That's not a sign of anything. It's really a zoning thing. More of a ... it's more an economic opportunity than a sign from me.” (17:11)
Notable Quotes by Timestamp
- (05:52, Jack): “Yesterday was the 20 year anniversary of me losing my desire to drink alcohol completely. And I'll explain how it happened ...”
- (07:24, Jack): “The beer is sitting there. I'm watching the bubbles go up to the top of the glass while I eat my sandwich, wanting to drink with every fiber of my body. But I get up and I leave that. And I leave that beer behind.”
- (09:04, Jack): “I walk into a bar and I'm looking at myself from above ... I don't know what that means, my brain broke or something. Something weird's going on, but that's what happened to me.”
- (13:10, Jack): “And at that moment, I know, I know, God, I know. And at that moment, I heard a popping sound in my head. A feeling of calm came over me. And I haven't had the slightest desire to drink ever since.”
- (14:32, Jack): “There wasn't a moment I either didn't want to drink or I wasn't trying to get over the last hangover for 22 years. And then ... it's just completely gone.”
- (15:22, Jack): “The fact that I heard a weird popping sound, and when I think about it, I can feel the feeling of just like it leaving my body from toe to head is weird.”
- (15:51, Jack): “If I drank that day that was the end. I was gonna die. ... It was like, are we gonna live or are we gonna die?”
- (17:11, Joe): “That's not a sign of anything. It's really a zoning thing. More of a ... it's more an economic opportunity than a sign from me.”
Key Timestamps for Main Segments
- [05:52 – 08:00]: Introduction to Jack’s battle with addiction & the setup for the Russia trip.
- [08:00 – 10:00]: Increasing cravings and repeated near-misses with alcohol.
- [10:00 – 12:00]: Out-of-body experience and ultimate resistance in the bar.
- [12:00 – 14:30]: The encounter at the church, the “popping sound,” and immediate, permanent relief from desire.
- [14:30 – 16:00]: Reflections on what the experience means and its implications for others.
- [16:00 – 17:30]: Existential ruminations, concluding with lighthearted banter.
Summary
“I Heard A Popping Sound” is an intimate and powerful recounting of one man’s critical turning point in his fight with alcoholism. Spanning desperate cravings, surreal self-observation, and a profound, almost mystical moment of liberation, the episode bravely explores the mysterious mechanics of addiction and recovery. Jack’s story is told plainly and without embellishment—raw, honest, and ultimately hopeful, offering a glimmer of possibility for lasting change even when all logic suggests otherwise. Despite (or because of) its lack of easy answers, the episode stands as a testament to the unpredictable but real possibility of personal transformation.