In this episode of WTF is on My Mind?!, I explore the concept of ideological infection—the psychological trap where we become so emotionally attached to our beliefs, movements, or public figures that any challenge to them feels like a personal attack.I break down why this happens, from cognitive biases like confirmation bias and motivated reasoning to the fight-or-flight response triggered when our worldview is questioned. I also dive into the five steps to break free from ideological capture and how to retrain our thinking to be more open, thoughtful, and independent.This is a deep dive into how dogma, tribalism, and media manipulation shape our beliefs—and how we can resist falling into the trap.Breaking Free: Five Steps to Escape Ideological CaptureStep 1: Recognize Emotional TriggersStep 2: Engage With Opposing IdeasStep 3: Adopt a Mindset of InquiryStep 4: Detach Identity From BeliefsStep 5: Understand Your Brain’s BiasesBonus Tip: Turn Off the NewsSupport the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode of WTF is on My Mind?!, I sit down with Dr. Jaime Zuckerman, a licensed clinical psychologist and national expert in narcissistic abuse. We dive deep into the insidious nature of narcissistic relationships, the misconceptions surrounding narcissism, and what makes narcissistic abuse so earth-shattering for its victims. Dr. Z shares her insights on how to heal from narcissistic abuse, the playbook of narcissists, and the emotional toll these relationships take. This is a powerful, eye-opening conversation for anyone seeking to understand narcissism and its impact on relationships and mental health.https://www.drjaimezuckerman.com/Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode: I explore the concept of suppression and how it affects us personally, in families, and on a societal scale. We explore how suppressing ideas, emotions, and beliefs can lead to fragmentation and toxicity. Drawing from personal insights, psychological observations, and real-world examples, I discuss the dangers of censorship, fear-based control, and the societal consequences of suppressing inconvenient truths.Suppression and censorship in personal, family, and societal contexts.Narcissists, dissociation, and how suppression starts from childhood trauma.The psychological impact of suppressing emotions and ideas, and how therapy aims to reclaim lost parts of ourselves.How patriarchs or matriarchs suppress ideas within families to enforce control and perfection, leading to unhealthy dynamics.The parallels between family suppression and societal censorship, and the false belief that silencing ideas makes them disappear.Exploring how suppressed emotions and ideas fester, eventually leading to toxicity or explosive outbursts.The societal obsession with censoring ideas, and the dangers of labeling opposing views as "misinformation" or "disinformation."An examination of how corporations influence media narratives and the rise of propaganda.Historical examples of suppressed voices, the consequences of deplatforming, and the need to question official narratives.How suppressed societies eventually reach a breaking point, leading to revolts mislabeled as misinformation or conspiracy.A touching story of how unburdening suppressed emotions brought freedom to a dying friend.My thoughts on the societal revolt against censorship, suppression, and the control of narratives.A final reflection on the dangers of hiding truths and the importance of pushing against sacred cows in pursuit of authenticity.Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode:  I talk to two incredible women who are leading the charge to redefine how we think about and legislate consent—Joyce Short and Nina Lucas of the Consent Awareness Network, or CAN. If Joyce Short gets her way, both “Yes Means Yes” and “No Means No” will be stricken from our laws. She is a sexual assault survivor and the author of 4 books that can turn our human right to consent into a civil right backed by law. She is the founder and Chief Executive of the Consent Awareness Network and a TEDx Talk Presenter. She has been an expert witness and the architect of several legislative bills that can radically change how our justice system deals with consent. Joyce has been featured on Nightline, CBS News, BuzzFeed, Inside Edition, the NY Times, and more, and she’s been quoted in books and journals, including “The Moment” by Andrea Constand, and has been honored as a 'Woman of Distinction" by the NY State Assembly. Nina Lucas serves as Chief of Staff and a Consent Outreach Ambassador for the Consent Awareness Network (CAN). She is also an activist with Never Alone Advocacy, founded to fight back against abuse of power in the military. As a classically trained singer, Nina's secret superpower is opera and she is dedicated to applying her robust voice to inform, educate and empower however she can in all efforts to #CodifyConsent WEBSITE: www.consentawareness.net Joyce's TEDx TALK: https://bit.ly/DefineConsent Joyce's Book: Your Consent: The Key to Conquering Sexual Assault (revised edition): bit.ly/ConsentRevised ACTION ITEM - SIGN THE PETITION: http://bit.ly/BillPetition DONATE: https://consentawareness.net/donate/ OTHER CULT/CONSENT podcast appearances: A Little Bit Culty Something Was Wrong CONTACT US: bit.ly/ConsentAmbassador #FGKIA - freely given, knowledgeable informed agreement (by a person with the capacity to reason) #CodifyConsent Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode: How my film, "What the Bleep Do We Know?!" led to a weird encounter with a clinical psychologist on a yacht. My eventual induction into NXIVM and my confusion about Keith Raniere's 'Sex Den'. I talk about death anxiety, power dynamics, and the behavior of leaders who claim to have achieved a higher state of consciousness yet engage in questionable practices. Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

What happens when the subconscious drags you back into the cult you’ve left behind? In this episode, I share a vivid dream where I was back in the cult—a surreal journey that left me reflecting and exploring the parallels between my dream and the troubling patterns I see in the world today. This episode isn’t just about a dream; it’s about what the dream represents. It’s about confronting the relationships between my cult experiences and the societal “rules” that feel eerily similar, and unpacking the challenges of living authentically in a world rife with ideological capture and judgmental intolerance. Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode: I use the comic, Asterix and Obelix as a metaphor to explore societal beliefs and the consequences of questioning established norms. I talk about how the fear of the sky falling and the invention of the 'special helmet' mirrors contemporary issues of belief and conformity. Also, we talk shit about the skydeniers and the anti-helmets.Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode, I explore the concept of fear-based manipulation and control, discussing how fear and trauma have historically been used to bind individuals to leaders, ideologies, and movements. I reference key thinkers like Matthias Desmet and Hannah Arendt, providing historical examples such as the Cultural Revolution in China, Stalin's Great Purge, and the Salem witch trials. I emphasize the role of media in shaping perceptions of fear and the psychological dynamics of coercive control and trauma bonding. At the end, I offer some strategies for recognizing and resisting fear tactics.Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

Former Hollywood actor, David Sutcliffe discusses his journey of self-discovery, transitioning from acting to somatic therapy, and the struggles of authenticity and identity. He talks about the role of pain in healing, the complexities of the victim mentality, and the acceptance of both good and evil within ourselves. The conversation emphasizes the importance of emotional awareness and personal growth, highlighting the challenges and rewards of facing one's inner darkness. We delve into the complexities of human nature, exploring the darker impulses that reside within us all and the importance of acknowledging and embracing these aspects to foster personal growth and deeper connections. We discuss the challenges of masculinity in contemporary society and the need for men to find safe spaces to express their vulnerabilities. Through personal anecdotes and insights, David emphasizes the significance of authenticity, emotional intelligence, and the balance between masculine and feminine energies in navigating life.Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/

In this episode: Richard Grannon and I delve into the complexities of ideology, exploring its definitions, psychological impacts, and its relationship with beliefs. We discuss the nuances between having beliefs and being ideologically captured, the role of utopianism in ideology, and how these concepts relate to cult dynamics and narcissism. We also touch on the importance of developing an internal locus of control and the personal journey of understanding one's beliefs and ideologies. We explore the themes of ideological capture, dissociation, and the psychological dynamics of narcissism and the shame and self-betrayal experienced by individuals who have been ideologically captured, drawing parallels to cult dynamics. The conversation delves into the pain of existence and the struggle to confront reality without the comfort of ideology. Richard critiques the misconceptions surrounding Buddhism and emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment. We also address the role of ideology as a coping mechanism for existential angst and the dangers of losing oneself in ideological narratives. In our chat, we explore the complexities of human behavior, the dynamics of cults versus tribes, and the importance of compassion in social interactions. We discuss the compulsive nature of ideology, the awakening from cultural complacency, and the balance between individual agency and collective responsibility. I reflect on personal growth after leaving a cult, the dangers of ideological certainty, and Richard emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of political discourse.Support the showThe views and opinions expressed on WTF is on my Mind?! do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast or Mark Vicente. Any content provided by guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MarkVicenteWebsite: www.markvicente.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@markvicente7Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/X: https://x.com/markvicenteTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_vicenteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markvicente/