Episode Summary: "Where Things Stand in Up and Vanished"

Podcast: Up and Vanished (Tenderfoot TV)
Host: Payne Lindsey
Date: February 11, 2026

Overview of the Episode’s Main Theme

In this special check-in episode, Payne Lindsey provides listeners with an update on the Up and Vanished investigations, emphasizing significant behind-the-scenes developments in the show’s hallmark cold cases. While not offering a full case update just yet, Payne reassures listeners that progress is being made and an in-depth episode is coming soon. The latter half of the episode features a personal recommendation and sample from his other investigative podcast, High Strange, which delves into UFO and unexplained phenomena with the same journalistic rigor as Up and Vanished.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Status Update on Up and Vanished Cases

• Behind-the-Scenes Progress: Payne outlines that recent episodes have covered heavy topics and that efforts to advance the cases are ongoing with law enforcement agencies and families.
  • "A lot's been happening since then. Conversations with different agencies, ongoing steps with the families." [00:24]
• Commitment to Transparency: Payne promises listeners the show will continue to document and share all developments authentically.
  • "Make no mistake at all, we are going to show and we're going to share all of it." [00:31]
• Forward Momentum: There is real, positive movement in several cases due to continued listener support and involvement.
  • "Things are finally moving in the right direction. You've helped keep these stories alive." [00:36]
• Promise of An Upcoming Major Update:
  • “We’re currently preparing for an even more extensive update. ... The next update is coming and when it drops, you'll understand why we took our time.” [00:37], [07:36]

2. Introduction and Rationale for High Strange

• Payne pitches his personal project, High Strange, which pivots from true crime to thoroughly investigating UFOs and other unexplained events. He stresses that the series maintains the same standards in journalism, production, and narrative as Up and Vanished.
  • "It's me applying the same investigative lens, the same production value, the same storytelling discipline you expect from Up and Vanished." [00:55]
• He encourages skeptical listeners to keep an open mind before discounting the subject matter.
  • "Before you roll your eyes and hit stop, just hear me out. It's real, raw journalism." [00:47]
• Personal Connection: Payne characterizes High Strange as a “passion project.” [00:43]

3. Excerpt from High Strange (Story Sample)

• The episode shifts to a suspenseful audio segment from High Strange featuring a first-person account of a possible abduction.
• Narrative Highlights from the Hypnotized Subject:
  • The subject recounts a 1985 experience: waking in an unfamiliar place, immobilized, surrounded by entities resembling “gigantic insects” with “big black eyes.” [01:21–05:58]
  • Describes intense fear and confusion, and the presence of a “mechanical voice” asking, “What can we do to help you? Stop screaming.” [05:24]
  • Remembers a looming medical procedure involving a “needle … put in the side of my head.” [06:17]
  • Insight into hypnosis and forensic memory retrieval, referencing Dr. Donald Klein, a noted forensic hypnotist. [03:38]
  • The segment is atmospheric, unsettling, and pushes listeners to confront the boundary between credible memory and the unexplained.
• Atmosphere and Tone: The sound design, narration, and rawness of the subject’s story underscore Payne’s claim of High Strange being gripping, investigative journalism.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Payne Lindsey reassures and sets expectations:
  • "This is not the big Up and Vanished update you were probably hoping it was. But it's coming and it's coming carefully." [00:10]
• On audience impact:
  • “You’ve helped keep these stories alive.” [00:36]
• On the integrity of his new project, High Strange:
  • "It's real, raw journalism." [00:47]
• From the hypnotized subject’s alien abduction narrative:
  • "I found myself in a room full of what looked like gigantic insects. It was horrifying." [03:07]
  • "They showed me a needle. They're gonna put it in the side of my head." [06:17]
  • “I remembered those faces and they weren’t human.” [04:49]
  • "They would move very slowly and then very quickly. They were not of this world at all." [04:29]
  • "What can we do to help you? Stop screaming." [05:24–05:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:08–01:00: Payne’s update on Up and Vanished, commitment to updates, intro to High Strange
• 01:21–06:48: High Strange—subject’s hypnotic recollection of an alien encounter
• 07:05–07:36: Payne’s sign-off, reiteration of updates to come, reminder to check out High Strange

Conclusion

This episode bridges an interim period for Up and Vanished listeners: Payne offers transparency about ongoing investigations and promises significant forthcoming information, while also inviting listeners to explore the unexplained with High Strange. He maintains the serious, investigative tone fans expect, and the included audio sample is deeply evocative—demonstrating his commitment to storytelling and compelling audio journalism regardless of the subject matter. The episode is a testament to the show's evolving mission: to pursue truth, whether in vanished persons or "high strangeness."