People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast NLP pseudoscience and its use by Chase Hughes and other con artists and deceptive faux-gurus
Oct 20, 2025
Zach Elwood, a behavior researcher and the mind behind People Who Read People, dissects the world of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and its dubious champions. In a gripping discussion, Zach shares his firsthand experiences in the NLP industry and exposes the deceptive tactics of figures like Chase Hughes, linking their popularity to platforms like Joe Rogan’s. The conversation dives into the mix of legitimate therapeutic ideas and pseudo-science within NLP, highlighting the dangers of misinformation, cult-like recruitment, and the psychology behind why people buy into these modern grifts.
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Inside The NLP Seminar World
- Zach Elwood worked six months inside the NLP seminar industry in 2008 and went down a rabbit hole investigating its methods and people.
- That experience led him to research and later publicly debunk figures like Chase Hughes for exaggeration and unethical claims.
NLP's Lineage To Modern Gurus
- Chris Shelton connects Chase Hughes and NLP back to 1970s origins and the human potential movement, noting Tony Robbins popularized the approach.
- He frames modern gurus as repackaging old playbooks for YouTube and online courses.
How NLP Became A Commercial Playbook
- NLP began as modeling therapists like Milton Erickson but lacked scientific rigor and became a commercial playbook for entrepreneurs like Tony Robbins.
- The mix of anecdote, plausible psychology, and spectacle made NLP a durable vehicle for influence without peer-reviewed validation.