Indrid Cold and the Mystery of the Smiling Man
Added 2023-07-13 14:57:21 +0000 UTCOn November 2nd, 1966, Woody Derenberger was driving home from a business trip when he encountered an extraterrestrial being named Indrid Cold.
Cold communicated with Woody telepathically, and the two went on to be lifelong friends. Other people close to Woody, including family, friends, and even his therapist claimed that they, too, had experiences with Indrid Cold.
Woody wrote and published a detailed account of his experiences, and never went back on his story. Since the 1960s, the legend of Indrid Cold has become one of the most famous in all of UFO lore.
Taken at face value, this story sounds strange.
But the *real* story … is even stranger.
Comments
I actively promote you to everyone I can. Love your show. You are the victim of your own awesomeness. I know you hate 1 hour shows but the fans love what you do so much we crave them. Lol sorry and not sorry for enjoying your work so much.
Lance mangum
2025-05-27 21:44:52 +0000 UTCWhen that lady lied on that interview and the SpongeBob wink noise came up I laughed my ass off. Anybody else? Hell yeah love this show man. Aj don’t ever stop being awesome but always remember you and your family comes first. Much love from a fellow friend and fan
John Cadena
2024-06-01 15:14:21 +0000 UTCJust because the thought of ignoring this comment is too painful to endure..... for the record, women are statistically better drivers than men which is why insurance rates are lower for them. Feel free to call any auto insurance on planet earth to verify that. 8) As to space pilots, I'll go with the supposition that the same attributes resulting in human female driving skill superiority are not limited to Earth!
Glitterwise
2023-07-19 10:13:19 +0000 UTCBad enough we have women drivers here on earth… but do we really want them in space too? The insurance premiums would be…..out of this world🤓
Joe Ragu
2023-07-17 02:30:07 +0000 UTCVery interesting topic this week. Thanks for all you do.
Don Stewart
2023-07-16 15:37:48 +0000 UTCInteresting I am skeptical with the same things AJ is, also why would women not be able to drive the ships? Haha
Ashley Grace
2023-07-16 15:27:49 +0000 UTCLoved this episode I saw an after files edition on YouTube but it just deleted? Will that be available on patreon?
Ashley Grace
2023-07-16 01:55:05 +0000 UTCWow great topic!! I’m from Cleveland !!! Have to keep an eye out huh!!! Lol
Nelson Roche Jr
2023-07-15 23:21:45 +0000 UTCExcellent as always, one thought you mentioned how he describes their tech by referencing our own tech. I read that if you have never seen something before it will be difficult to actually see it so referencing it would fall into a category where your mind is trying to sort the data and develop language descriptions on things it finds similar. If someone where to put an item in front of you that you have never seen or heard of (there is nothing like this item even in our collective unconscious) Can you see it, how would you describe it? I often wonder if this is the reason so many stories involving ET's or ufo's is simply A matter of not understanding what was seen or heard. A sufficiently advanced science would appear as magic to a lesser advanced race. Arthur C. Clark
Karl poff
2023-07-15 21:12:48 +0000 UTCLove your channel. Thank you.
tom snyder
2023-07-14 16:34:17 +0000 UTCFantastic show today! Keep up all of the solid training!!
Charles Caldwell
2023-07-14 14:57:41 +0000 UTCLoved this episode!
Tiph Tobie
2023-07-14 14:46:27 +0000 UTCSpear of Longinus would be a gooder!
Phoenix595
2023-07-14 06:26:30 +0000 UTCI think the creepy smile adds an eerie feeling that just won't leave you.
Phoenix595
2023-07-14 06:15:03 +0000 UTCGreat episode... me thinks that Woody got ahold of some of that 60s LSD...
Scott Crawford
2023-07-14 05:59:59 +0000 UTCGreat episode
HighStrangeness
2023-07-14 04:17:05 +0000 UTCSource?
DonnieDarko27
2023-07-14 02:41:08 +0000 UTCFkn love this whole channel. AJ just popped my blow up doll again with his debunking ❤️
John Hobart
2023-07-14 02:19:43 +0000 UTCI enjoyed the story, especially the points at the end. I wish we could figure out that we ARE one race, the human race. Thanks.
Keri Holmes Rojas
2023-07-14 01:26:26 +0000 UTCI love that he debunks so much of the nonsense. I’m not as much a believer as I used to be, but the only movie out there with some really hard evidence is called “the fourth kind”.
Joe Ragu
2023-07-14 01:22:43 +0000 UTCThe "aliens" in this story still look like us. That is a good sign. They are a version of us in the future. Then again, so are the greys. Different timelines. The greys are from a timeline where we screw up the planet with radiation. They survived living underground. And these avoided the nuke war. They left Earth to inhabit other planets. There are other beings out there, and most of them believe in doing the work of the creator. Helping life force to thrive.
Tony Williamson
2023-07-14 00:51:43 +0000 UTCExcellent. Thanks
SGW4K
2023-07-14 00:40:08 +0000 UTCI can’t imagine a grinning man staring down at me when I woke up. Actually, yes I can. That’s probably why I don’t sleep much, and usually in the daylight.
DS_the_RN
2023-07-13 23:51:02 +0000 UTCGreat story, looking forward to talking with my Heckelplushie.
william john travis morgan
2023-07-13 23:45:35 +0000 UTCwell said Bon !!
Aaron Boehmke
2023-07-13 23:45:15 +0000 UTCI can almost hear the snare drum followup
Bosco Lemonzit
2023-07-13 23:33:40 +0000 UTCI like that you show both sides of the story... You debunk what you can, but also if you can't you let us know thank you for being educational and entertaining
Bonnie Buck
2023-07-13 23:09:41 +0000 UTCAmazing as always, truly makes my week seeing these videos!
Rob Frederick
2023-07-13 22:58:33 +0000 UTCLove it- upbeat too which cheered me up! Thanks Aj and Team 🩵
Julia Fox
2023-07-13 22:26:51 +0000 UTCIt's 7.21am here on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia and I wake up to a notification that there's a new Why Files video 😁 What an AWESOME MORNING WAKE UP !! BODES WELL FOR THE REST OF THE DAY,especially as it's an alien based topic
Kellyeve Hammond
2023-07-13 21:26:02 +0000 UTCThe first few I felt hoodwinked, but yeah I really appreciate this format a lot now
The Dank Farmer
2023-07-13 21:25:58 +0000 UTCGreat story! As always your sound effects and music were on point. This was also a refreshing lighter story after the last terrifying one ❤️
7Heather7
2023-07-13 21:11:36 +0000 UTCWait, lyrics for the song at the end? YAHTZEE! I watched all the way through, just basking in the lovely creation that AJ hath wrought upon this Earth.
Michael Monroe
2023-07-13 21:00:47 +0000 UTCReally nice version of the outro song
Random Tranquil
2023-07-13 20:53:55 +0000 UTCAwesome as always AJ HF and Why Files Team! If any part of the original story is true, agree the message is most important. It seems a good follow-up to the AI dangers covered earlier this month. AI learns from us as it grows. How we treat each other is AI's model of thought and behavior.
B. Roxy Rogers
2023-07-13 20:53:12 +0000 UTCIf someone is really smart on Lanulos? Are they called “CunniLanglosus” 🤦🏻
Chip Snyder (chiphappened)
2023-07-13 20:39:42 +0000 UTCSooooooo worth the $4.00!!!! Thank you AJ and the gang! ❤️
Wilma Titzgreaux
2023-07-13 20:29:02 +0000 UTCExcellent story, thanks. I’m just hoping The Why Files doesn’t turn into The UFO Files. While they are interesting stories, YT is saturated with them, although none come even close to how well yours are done.
Joan Robinson
2023-07-13 20:23:02 +0000 UTC2nd time watch and as usual it was fantastic. You should get your own show on youtube... see you at the premiere!
John Edgeworth
2023-07-13 20:07:11 +0000 UTCAll hail the message of Indrid Cold.
MikeD
2023-07-13 19:25:02 +0000 UTCInteresting story. I agree about the Truth of the Universe: either we are alone or we are not alone, and both are frighteniing.
Laurie D'Souza
2023-07-13 19:24:33 +0000 UTCHaha usually I'm really grateful for that especially the scary ones :)
Bellville Piet
2023-07-13 19:19:33 +0000 UTCyou know, I really like your videos for the first, i dunno, 70%, then its back to life, back to reality ;)
imoutnigga
2023-07-13 19:07:41 +0000 UTCA great “wash up” at the end, I tend to agree with you…
Patch
2023-07-13 19:01:38 +0000 UTCI know you already covered this a bit, but I would literally watch you talk about anything! ❤️
Fizzgig
2023-07-13 18:59:15 +0000 UTCHas anyone read Ami Child of the Stars by Enrique Barrios? It’s a children’s book and very reminiscent of this episode! It also has an intriguing message! 👽💕
Miyo
2023-07-13 18:51:59 +0000 UTCwhy is aj lookin like a clone this episode
Master Baytes
2023-07-13 18:35:42 +0000 UTCFascinating and your in-depth look at debunkers for Woody's stories was also interesting. I like how you are so balanced.
Kazren
2023-07-13 17:50:38 +0000 UTCThis is intriguing. An open mind is required.
David Smith
2023-07-13 17:36:24 +0000 UTCThank you!
Douglas Pieper
2023-07-13 17:21:07 +0000 UTCAlways loved this story, gonna love AJs long take. See what the rest of the story is. Hay AJ that's a great tag line for your reveal: "And that's the rest of the story" Idk sound catchy could become a cultural icon ic phrase. I think I'm on to something here.
Kevin Via
2023-07-13 17:12:34 +0000 UTCAwesome as usual, gents. For the record, I'm quite bad at source monitoring too and I'm in my 40s :)
Maff Bowers
2023-07-13 17:09:21 +0000 UTCGreat episode as always, but I'm not sure you should have done this one. It's just too fake and obviously made up. Covering stories like this is like covering any other work of fiction. Outside of the first encounter, there's nothing that may possibly be true. No uncertainty or hanging questions. Plus, didn't you debunk this story already in an earlier episode? Still though, you did a hell of a job telling the story.
Chase Schleich
2023-07-13 17:01:18 +0000 UTCAs a personal rule of thumb it always seems like the stories that are harder to believe, tend to carry just a little more credence
Brian Jackson
2023-07-13 16:52:21 +0000 UTCI loved this one!!!! You reeled me in, and then the endings are always my favourite part. The realness. BTW I cannnnn back up into a stall. lol 😆
Chelsea Laine
2023-07-13 16:49:44 +0000 UTCI've seen the old filmed interview with Woody Derenberger. There would be no reason for a working man back in that decade to risk his family and financial security by lying about something like this. Considering others have had experiences, they claim, with Indrid Cold I'm inclined to believe Woody. Thanks so much for another incredible episode. There are not enough words to describe how excellent your work is. The WF team knocks it out of the park every single time! AJ, your technical and creative instinct is consistently some of the best I've had the pleasure of viewing. I spent a couple of decades with National Geographic on the documentary side as videographer/editor, occasional producer. Cranking these episodes out every.single.week. takes some effort. Thank you, we appreciate you so much.
Mistletoe
2023-07-13 16:42:25 +0000 UTCThis was a cool episode. I concur with you AJ. About the message that Indrid Cold is used to deliver. We are seeing a repeat of some of the same civil discourses and divisions that have already happened. Even today? We see the pattern getting out of hand. With the rise of discrimination and inequality on both Black and Asian people. Just like during the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And the ramifications and effects of the Vietnam War. And that is just one pattern. The pattern of people not bering treated equally on loop. And its the same people who have been treated as less then Human. When in actuality? We are all living on the same planet. We are all human. And the sooner we embrace our diversity as a collective species? The sooner we see Humanity as Human? The sooner we can achieve what maybe the message of Ingrid Cold and the people Lanyulos as a metaphor? If we look at that message from a metaphorical point of view? However we as Human being can collectively understand the same message? The sooner we can reach a point in time where both diversity and synonymity can live in peace. As idyllic as it sounds? It all; begins with an idea. And most things that already are we one upon a time? Just that. And idea. And thus? Maybe? Maybe that idea can give us and out planet a chance. If people have to believe in out species and our planet in a united way using the perspective of a metaphor from fiction to get on top of it? So long as enough of us can agree that we are tied of hatred. And just want love and equality? So what if it had to be aliens to get enough people on that bandwagon and train. If the message of equality stops the sick cycle that is killing out planet? Then maybe is not such a badf thing. One thing is for certain. I am looking forward to my Hecklfish Plush. As I already preordered mine. I am glad I did. Especially if they are running out as fast as you mentioned. Fun episode for sure. AJ is King.
Saturn's Dad.
2023-07-13 16:41:29 +0000 UTCWhy can't I Love this comment like 3 more times‽
Bobbie Zarate
2023-07-13 16:36:51 +0000 UTCHellz Yeah! Thursday is my new Friday! I take my WF? Very seriously! Scheduled in my calendar, phone on dnd, distractions eliminated... 💯% glued and focused for this 5hr dinner date😍 Love my WF? Team 🥰
Bobbie Zarate
2023-07-13 16:35:54 +0000 UTCYooo early episode!! In the words of the great hecklefish - Yahtzee!!! Seriously tho AJ thanks for the early upload 🙏
Chris Conlan
2023-07-13 16:33:23 +0000 UTCFar fetched but a good story, thanks!
Benjamin Rogers
2023-07-13 16:23:43 +0000 UTCA better channel simply doesn’t exist
Jake G
2023-07-13 16:20:18 +0000 UTCI hit the button before I was finished.😋 Great job! Been fascinated by the Indrid Cold story for a very long time. Wonderful to see it explored this way. Thank you!
Kat Gamage
2023-07-13 16:04:11 +0000 UTCVery nicely done, cheers!
thormusique
2023-07-13 16:01:58 +0000 UTCIs that a new song??? Nice!
Jackson
2023-07-13 16:00:31 +0000 UTCWhen I ordered my Heck plush, they said they'd had to order more. Congrats! Can't wait to get mine!
Jan Bounds
2023-07-13 15:53:45 +0000 UTCHecklefish, my dear, I am very very good at backing into parking spaces.
Kat Gamage
2023-07-13 15:52:41 +0000 UTCThank you Hecklefish for Why Files, this made a good breakfast story
Saina Xyne
2023-07-13 15:49:08 +0000 UTCLook into secret societies teachings and most all claim to be working for a unified peaceful great society. Knowledge is the goal of pursuit and love is the guiding light. When one considers the Freemason organization you can see spin offs of their organization in religions like Mormons and all Christianity. Are these all connected and ufology just another try by these societies to begin a culture of peaceful prosperity and cultural enlightenment? Most seem to me to be financial schemes and political power grabs using the gullibility of innocents really looking for truth as their proof of story.
Mark william lane
2023-07-13 15:45:05 +0000 UTCIT'S WHY FILES NIGHT! WOOT
Sibyle
2023-07-13 15:35:01 +0000 UTCGreat story.
rob denton
2023-07-13 15:32:31 +0000 UTCWhy does this stuff never happen to me? I'd ask to ride in the craft and visit their planet. It would be exciting as hell
Chase Schleich
2023-07-13 15:23:20 +0000 UTCCold world
Dustin
2023-07-13 15:13:11 +0000 UTCOr is it a Cold story 😉
Shepard Book
2023-07-13 15:11:32 +0000 UTCCool story, thanks!
John Seychel
2023-07-13 15:10:38 +0000 UTCYES! I love this story.
Dennis Brekke
2023-07-13 14:58:53 +0000 UTC
