A superhuman escapeA superhuman escape
All In The Mind
Maude Julien was imprisoned by her father in an isolated mansion in France and subjected her to endless horrifying endurance tests in a plan to create a superhuman.
28:51•16 Jul 2017
A Superhuman Childhood and the Quiet Art of Escape
Episode Overview
- Psychological and emotional control can be more binding than physical confinement, and escaping it often takes many years.
- Animals, music and literature can provide crucial emotional support and a sense of connection when human care is absent.
- Curiosity is described as a powerful inner resource that opens doors and helps question an abuser's narrative.
- Small acts of silent disobedience and creating a private mental space can be early steps towards escaping a "predator".
- Reducing shame is vital, as shame often prevents victims from seeking help and believing they deserve support.
“I think that the most beautiful and helpful gift in the world is curiosity.”
Experience the emotional and inspiring tales of recovery as Maude Julien shares an almost unbelievable childhood shaped by her father's obsession with creating a "superhuman". Raised in an isolated mansion in northern France, Maude describes years of endurance tests — from gripping an electric fence without flinching to nights spent motionless in a rat-infested cellar — all in the name of becoming a "half-goddess". The episode blends calm, thoughtful conversation with the intensity of Maude's memories.
Host Lynne Malcolm keeps the tone accessible and sensitive, making space for Maude to explain how psychological and emotional control can be even more suffocating than physical imprisonment. This will particularly resonate with anyone trying to understand coercive control, trauma, or why breaking free from an abuser's hold can take many years. You'll hear how animals, music and literature became Maude's lifelines. Her ponies, dog and duck taught her that love is real, even when her father claimed otherwise.
Books by Dostoevsky and Dumas, meant to convince her the outside world was terrible, actually opened a mental window towards freedom. As she realises that the character in *Notes from the Underground* resembles her father, Maude starts to suspect that she might not be the mad one after all. The conversation moves from horror to healing as Maude, now a psychotherapist, explains how she supports people who feel trapped by a "predator".
She talks about tiny acts of silent disobedience, building a secret inner space the abuser can’t touch, and gently challenging the crushing shame that keeps victims silent. Despite lasting physical and psychological scars, Maude ends on an astonishing note of gratitude, saying she feels like "the luckiest girl in the world" simply because she got out.
If you're interested in how a person can survive sustained trauma and still say "life is wonderful", this episode might stay with you long after it ends.
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