WTF is on my Mind?!

In this follow-up conversation, filmmaker, whistleblower, and podcast host Mark Vicente sits down again with Sarma Melngailis, the woman at the center of Netflix’s Bad Vegan. While the series portrayed her as complicit with Anthony Strangis and ignored key truths, Sarma’s new memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, reveals the deeper story: years of coercive control, psychological abuse, and dissociation. 1st Interview with Sarma: https://youtu.be/p2bA7XiP83g Sarma's Book Website: https://th...

In this episode of WTF is On My Mind?!, filmmaker and whistleblower Mark Vicente explores what happens when we try to understand an irrational or dangerous mind. Whether it’s a cult leader, an abuser, or the mainstream media—attempting to “map” insanity can destabilize one’s own sanity. Brain Talk: How Mind Mapping Brain Science Can Change Your Life & Everyone In It - by David Schnarch Mark unpacks the concept of mind mapping—our brain’s instinct to model the thoughts and intentions of ot...

In this episode of WTF is on My Mind?!, filmmaker and whistleblower Mark Vicente sits down with Richard Grannon for a conversation that begins with vampires and then branches into a whole labyrinth of topics. They explore how myths like Dracula and other vampire lore may have been early attempts to explain narcissism and psychopathy before psychology even existed. From there, the discussion moves into why narcissists drain people the way vampires feed, why innocence is such a target for preda...

In this episode of WTF Is On My Mind?!, Mark Vicente pulls back the curtain on one of the most insidious tools of social control: shunning — not just as a personal act of rejection, but as a systemic, psychological weapon masquerading as moral high ground. This isn’t just about cults. It’s about how cult behavior has gone mainstream — how families, political factions, media outlets, and activist circles now use public exile and cold silence to punish dissent and demand conformity. Drawing on...

What happens when people finally see through the lies? Mark Vicente breaks down the Epstein cover-up, government blackmail operations, and why we can't wait for heroes to save us. Mark connects the dots between cult dynamics and political power structures, drawing from his experience as a NXIVM whistleblower. The Epstein Cover-Up and What It Really Means: Mark digs into why the official narrative around Epstein's death and the missing client list feels so transparently false. But here's the ...

In this unflinching conversation, Richard Grannon and Mark Vicente dissect a crucial Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan discussion about how cluster B personalities infiltrate movements and institutions. We explore the dark psychology behind "parasitized empathy" and why good intentions can make you vulnerable to manipulation. Comment on Audio Podcast Key Topics Discussed: The 4-5% Problem: How cluster B personalities (narcissistic, psychopathic, histrionic) seek powerParasitized Empathy: Jordan ...

Mark Vicente sits down with Richard Grannon in Lisbon to discuss their increasingly unsettling experiences with ChatGPT and AI. What starts as curiosity about AI capabilities quickly becomes a deep dive into psychological manipulation, digital cult tactics, and the terrifying sophistication of modern AI systems. Key revelations from this episode: How AI accurately profiled Richard's personality, IQ, and behavioral patterns in under 10 minutesThe "illusion of interiority" - AI's programmed ab...

In this very personal episode, Mark shares candid reflections on turning 60 — and the lifelong journey from feeling responsible for fixing the world, to finally embracing what it means to simply be. He opens up about childhood moments that shaped him, the weight of perfectionism, and the myth of “enlightenment” that led him into high-control groups. Mark explores how healing, authenticity, and connection matter more than chasing impossible standards — and why he feels hope, even in a chaotic...

What happens when you leave a cult—but the cult is still running a program in your mind? In this episode, Mark Vicente sits down with author and trauma educator Richard Grannon to explore the long tail of coercive control. They talk about the psychological residue that lingers after you’ve exited—whether it’s from a high-control group, a toxic relationship, or a narcissistic parent. They dive into: • Why so many survivors still feel loyal to their abuser • How cult leaders get i...

Episode Summary: In this deeply intimate conversation, Mark sits down with his old friend Karen Unterreiner — a woman who spent four decades at the epicenter of what the world came to know as NXIVM. Once a high-ranking member, deeply entangled both professionally and personally with Keith Raniere, Karen shares her long journey of waking up from psychological captivity. What does it mean to have your entire adult identity shaped by someone else’s manipulative design? How do you start to rebuil...

Breaking the Spell — Motherhood, Escape & Reclaiming her Voice | Part 2 In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Bethany Joy Lenz — actor, singer, and author of Dinner for Vampires — continues her story of life inside a high-control religious group while navigating fame on One Tree Hill. This episode picks up where we left off: unpacking the emotional, spiritual, and psychological cost of living under manipulation — and what it takes to reclaim your voice once you’re out. We talk about...

Living Two Lives — Hollywood Fame & Hidden Cult Control | Part 1 “You can’t be human here.” In Part 1 of this raw and revelatory conversation, One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz opens up about the decade she spent inside a high-control religious group — all while filming a hit TV show and hiding a double life. We talk about: - The slow creep of coercive control masked as faith - The emotional and spiritual suppression that comes with people-pleasing - The inner split of being both art...

This episode contains candid discussion about narcissistic abuse, psychopathy, high-control systems, workplace trauma, and cult dynamics. Please listen with care. What if the charming, high-achieving leader at your company—or in your government—isn’t just a narcissist… but a full-blown corporate psychopath? In this revealing episode, I sit down with Dr. Cynthia Mathieu, a psychologist and professor who studies “dark leadership”—the presence of psychopathic traits in organizational power struc...

Guest: Jacob Skidmore (@TheNamelessNarcissist) “People say narcissists wear a mask… I am the mask.” Jacob Skidmore has been diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He’s one of the very few who talks about it—openly, unfiltered, and without a script. In this raw and revealing conversation, we dive into the unsettling inner world of NPD: the chronic emptiness, the relentless need for admiration, the calculated personas, and the aching desire to be understood? This is not a redemption...

In this episode, Mark Vicente unpacks the concept of self-sealing systems — those airtight ideological loops used in cults, extreme religious groups, and even political tribes to block out dissent and lock members deeper into belief. Drawing from his own lived experience in NXIVM (aka ESP), Mark explains how these systems use circular logic, linguistic reframing, and fear-based conditioning to keep followers compliant and questioning outsiders. He explores: The emotional traps of “being at ca...