WTF is on my Mind?!

Author, Speaker, Whistleblower and award-winning Director Mark Vicente was behind the sleeper hit “What The Bleep Do We Know?!” Several books have been written about the film’s remarkable grassroots marketing campaign, which led to its unprecedented success.

Mark was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1965. Taking his first photograph at age four, he quickly discovered his passion for being behind the camera. After attending film and drama school in South Africa, he began working his way up the ranks of the camera department, from Assistant to Operator to Cinematographer. His first big break came as Director of Photography on the musical “SARAFINA,” starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1992, he set his sights on Hollywood and relocated to Los Angeles to shoot his first studio picture for Disney;  “FATHERHOOD,” starring Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry. At the age of 26, he became one of the youngest cinematographers to shoot a big-budget studio picture. 

Over the next few decades, he went on to shoot an additional 14 feature films and numerous documentaries, music videos and commercials. Mark soon found there were in him, untold stories he desperately wanted to express as a Director. He was driven by the conviction that tales of greatness, nobility and introspection could be exciting and financially successful. 

Perhaps because of the very obvious race and class iniquities in South Africa, he found himself propelled to question certain fundamental assumptions at a very young age. Beliefs about human behavior, cosmology, religion, existentialism and mysticism. Along the way, he stumbled into a few situations where leaders with malignant pathologies (masquerading as saintly philosophers) spoke the talk of self-improvement but did untold damage to their followers... and him. 

Looking back, he can now say he has been in at least two cults. His last foray into personal growth and his defection from NXIVM was chronicled in the HBO series “The Vow”. Mark and a few plucky whistleblowers exposed the criminal activities of the organization, resulting in multiple arrests and indictments. He doesn’t consider himself a cult expert, but by his own admission, “I’m an expert in being screwed over, waking up, and knowing how to spot them.” He’s got a pretty salty approach to most things and is fascinated by the myriad patterns in the human psychodynamic that create the best and the worst in civilization. 

Join Mark as he unpacks a whole range of topics to do with: Psychology, Consciousness, Morality, Narcissistic Abuse, Spirituality, Cults, Propaganda, Science, Filmmaking, and Philosophy.You never quite know what you’re going to get, as it really does depend on… WTF is on his mind?!

Recent Episodes

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Recent Reviews

SlimSexySU

Love this podcast

Mark’s voice is so soothing.
luckyfish256

Awesome, but…

Love this podcast. My only critique is that there should be MORE foul language.
Sarasuebeedoo

Phenomenal

I just listened to the most recent episode with Africa and it was so so good. I could listen to you two talk for hours. So honest and insightful
Reflective Joy

Excellent

Honest, deep, thought-provoking, empathetic. Mark, I’m not sure if you’ll see this, but thank you for honestly sharing your experiences, insights and hard lessons learned. I’ve been working through Complex PTSD from more long-term emotional trauma from several people (who bear similar traits of KR), and PTSD from being struck by a speeding car as a child and very nearly being lost to this world. I’ve followed your story through The Vow, and while there are only a select number of voices I know that I can both trust and respect, yours is one of them. Thank you for living your life with integrity and grace, but also for being willing to offer your unbiased take on some of these complex issues. I’m one of your proud Patreon supporters, and am so excited to see what the future holds for you and Bonnie! -Katie Joy
wnhagan1

Great listen

I discovered Mark after watching The Vow and wanted to hopefully hear more about NXIVM. Instead, I stayed for the great dialogue! Mark broaches big hairy topics, with and without guests, and really gets me thinking. I don’t always agree, but I always find myself learning something.
zombie0651

Love Mark

Mark is awake! The best of the best.
Helpersonety

He lets his guests speak

Such a rare podcast where the host is not central to the conversation. Mark completely shuts up and lets the guest speak.
Makiki's

Captivating

Brilliant work Mark. I am amazed by you and Bonnie, who didn’t ignore her intuition. You two have done incredible and very courageous work. I have never been in a cult but I spent years in personal development and I absolutely see how good people with aspirations can be pulled in. That moment when you talk about how emaciated the women were and KR says “you know there was a study about people who see zombies” to derail the subject!!! Wow! I enjoy listening to your podcast and I look forward to future episodes.
WisdomAnne

Vital Discussions

As I work my way through deconstructing my experience of having been in the inner circles of a large LGAT type seminar company these discussions have been vital in my understanding what I witnessed and experienced. Mark the way you are discussing the underlaying phenomena at play is phenomenal. Especially the work your doing on understanding narcissism. Regarding your question I think an important aspect of unwinding is we must learn how to listen to and trust our internal systems. This has been a huge part of my own evolution. In the LGAT I was subtly taught to NOT listen to my intuition and internal warning systems. I was told those where immature aspects of my personality or just plain noise. I have learned to hear and sense the difference between my super ego type noise and that quiet steady voice of care and love. I have learned to sense my emotions and work with them to figure out what my body and soul is trying to alert me to. This is not easy or fast but a path worth following I have found. The group I was part of is very main stream and the exploitation I now see I experienced there was subtle. Looking forward to what more I open up as I continue to deconstruct. Anne P
mel7236

Truth Telling

Love this podcast thought provoking and very necessary for the times we live in.
momstar1

Incredible Podcast by an intelligent & thoughtful gentlemen!

Mark Vicente is a much needed voice in a world where critical thinking is being suppressed and echo chambers and high control situations are entrapping more and more people. Mark is extremely intelligent, thoughtful, and is skilled in navigating potentially polarizing topics and ideas in a way that prevents alienating members of any particular group. It’s brilliant and will ensure he reaches the very people that need to hear his message the most. After each episode of his podcast, I am counting the minutes until the next one.
Fairness and Truth

Brilliant

Every time Mark speaks, my brain lights up with something I had not thought of before. He is such a refreshingly compassionate, smart, and kind voice in this space.
DianaSue1

Sooo Good!

Love this podcast so much! Marks ability to actually listen to his guests is such a pleasure. He has such great and informative discussions. Keep it up Mark, we appreciate you!
Come on!...Please!

YES

Mark, you are so wonderful to listen to. All the stuff you and Bonnie have been through…. And you are still together! The experience is so hard to see when you are the “fish in the water” and someone happens to ask you, “How’s the water.” What water? Kudos to you for standing up for justice and embracing your humanity in front of the world. You and Bonnie both inspire me.
yenny.3

5 words

Keep Doing What Your Doing Ps smear campaign comments are so obvious because they are these odd long essays and stick out like a sore thumb.
NFU123456

Amazing

Mark, you are such a good, good man. Thank you for the true light you bring to this world.
Jessicanell

Mark

No one has done a deeper dive into control than Mark. His healing has been visceral.. like nerves firing on the outside. But he’s fierce and willing to dive into ego and how we fail ourselves and each other. Can’t wait to see his film!
catemcaran

Mark Rocks

I have first new of Mark w/ What the Bleep, watched in college and was so intrigued. We even owned the DVD. Didn’t know about NXIVM until I came across Escaping NXIVM / Rise & Fall of NXIVM. After that I was hooked on his take on the journey. I love that he is doing this! And can’t wait for his upcoming film(s).
MyT

Meandering pseudo psychological stream of consciousness

I loved The Vow and have always been interested in cults like Scientology and Mormonism. I like learning about the people that created them, the types of people who join, etc. I appreciated Mark’s role in the series even if I was a little confused how he heard one story about a brand and seemingly flipped a switch and went from blind advocate to vicious opponent. And after listening to a couple of episodes I think I got my answer. Mark is a “deep thinker” who has a great desire to help other people. However, he lacks the scientific/educational context to accurately direct or draw conclusions from his observations and musings. So he often ends up on tangents based from the beginning on a misunderstanding. I believe he’s spent much of his time after leaving his cult thinking about sociopathy and psychology and how he was drawn in by a sociopath. And to his credit, this exploration and his new documentary on narcissism are his attempt to get more information about those types of people out there to raise awareness of the dangers they pose even if Raniere isn’t a narcissist. And here’s where he loses me. His stream of consciousness, which often sounds like someone rambling on weed, is obviously not scripted, and so not researched, and thus full of misunderstandings/misinformation. Narcissism and psychopathy/sociopathy are two totally different and unrelated things. And humans aren’t blank slates. We evolved as individuals and groups. That means a diversity of personalities evolved on purpose, because it gave us an advantage to have both people more willing to hurt others for example as those more willing to not. In the end, Mark is a good soul with noble ideals, but he is frankly naive and I think his unintended misinformation is more likely to do more harm than good.
abigailgraceo

Amazing podcast

Ex nxim members are the best. They are focused on educating the public and they have a refreshing and humorous way of doing so. I’ve felt so much less alone since listening to this podcast.
geig123

Thank you Mark and Dr Ingrid

Wow! Thank you for sharing your experiences of fawning. Something I haven’t been able to put a name to now has a name. Can’t wait to read Dr Ingrid’s book. Thank you!!
wfhound

Self absorbed

He had a guest. Spent over 30 minutes talking about HIMSELF. I was interested in hearing from the guest. Worthless.
ardenrick

Thank you so much

Incredible podcast You may have some enemies but you have many many more “friends” Your info on spiritual bypassing was amazing and so helpful All the best to you and Bonnie
IslandMahini

Your Bravery is Golden!

Mark, I grew up in a cult (Mormonism) mascarading as a religion. After eating both seasons of the Vow I am so thankful that my parents allowed me to get out and be my own person. I look at many things differently now. My kundalini yoga class became so uncomfortable-with the dress code requirements and so many other ways of mind control. When I became uncomfortable with it I left. Thank you so much for enlightening people. May you and your very brave Bonnie have a wonderful informed life. Ren Paradise Valley Montana
BWM3

Speaking out

Thank you for standing up for truth! As a survivor of a different cult I can identify with a lot of what you speak of.
LibraForJustice

Evil Cannot Create

Thank you, Mark, for sharing your soul by allowing us to hear your remarkable story and see it in The Vow. Your and the other survivors’ resilience is fascinating. You, Bonnie, Sarah and others could have just curled up into a ball and not leave your homes after what Keith put you through but instead you all dug deep and fought back. If this isn’t a modern day David and Goliath story, I don’t know what is. You obviously had to be asleep in cults so that you could wake up for the purpose of helping others to wake up from the house of mirrors that is cults & covert narcissism. Remember: Evil is not able to create which is why Keith’s curriculum & rhetoric can be found in countless other cults & or self-help books. PS: Bonnie’s voice and that hat song EVERYTHING! 🎶 ♥️
GigiMilan22

Fascinating, Vulnerable inside look at NXIVM and The Vow

Mark is a dude that probably thinks too much for his own good, but in this instance it serves very well. He shares insights and personal inside stories about the darkly fascinating NXIVM cult that you can’t get anywhere else. If you think you know everything about about this organization and it’s leader Keith Raniere from watching The Vow or other Docu series, think again. Very good stuff. I was very grateful I had this to keep me awake through a very long drive! Thanks Mark!
deepaget

Enlightening

I empathize so deeply with Mark. When he talks about his experiences and the emotions, the betrayal and the manipulation, I feel like he’s taking words out of my brain that I’ve never been able to formulate properly. I like how this podcast is Mark explaining much of his experience to us, but you can tell it’s also healing for Mark to have these conversations with himself. The reality is that even years later you come to new conclusions and have new epiphanies about the trauma, abuse, and manipulation that you suffered. Thank you for sharing this part of yourself with us Mark. I feel deeply for you and the rest of the bunch.
katfishlaf

Love his honest and real talk.

I have enjoyed this podcast so much. Mark has a soothing voice and is never afraid to be honest about how he’s feeling and say it like it is.
GDG10011

You’re perspective is so helpful

Thanks for sharing so much to help us understand the complexity of what you went through in such an open way. I am so curious your thoughts about Nancy because the Vow makes it hard to decide how to feel about her. She seems defensive while slowly unpacking the gravity of the pain she caused and tentatively considering to feel guilt. It’s so perplexing to watch. Reading your statement in her trial was helpful to understand her role in this.
communitynewspodcast

i'm fascinated by cults

and how people get into them. Then again, are we all in some type or level of cult one way or another? My favorite comedy podcast is "Community News with Paul and Sasha.". I never miss an episode. I am obsessed with them and their show. Does that make me a part of a cult or mean that I'm more susceptible to one? I mean i don't necessarily want a leader or a group, Bur i do desperately want to be connected and part of something bigger than myself. Anyway, i really enjoy your podcast.
Brooklyn Gal 78

Thoroughly Enjoyable

Mark seems like a sweet person who got wrapped up in a cult, and I enjoy listening to him unpeel the onion. I look forward to more episodes and his forthcoming book.
Jimi A-66

So Psychologically Refreshing to Listen To

Mark just has a way of cutting away all the fat and getting right down to the bones of how cults operate, their leaders motives, the characteristics of narcissism, human psychologic processes, human motivation, and the most important, how to heal from trauma. Mark is obviously done the work and walks the talk! Highly recommended!!
CMC118

Answering a lot of questions

The more I listen to this podcast, the more I am understanding The Vow I and II. As interesting and as thought-provoking as those docs are, I had some confusion as to why the tech really did seem helpful (at first) and why the participants seemed empowered and healthy (at first), compared to then later and why all of that dissolved. I came away from the docs with so many questions and Mark is answering them a lot of them…to the point that I’m looking at my own life now and 1. Realizing how susceptible I would have been in my twenties to a cult (it is humbling to think about this) and 2. Understanding why I walked away from a church I was involved with for a number of years (walking away caused so much pain for me and I couldn’t put it into words why I had to…until now). I'm understanding that the reason why the helpfulness of the NXIVM tech dissolved is because it wasn’t there to begin with. Mark goes into this in many of these podcast’s episodes, but a good place to start is Spiritual Bypassing. I need to look at this subject in my own life. Thank you, Mark, for being vulnerable so that others like me can stand to be vulnerable enough to explore and ultimately become empowered and healthy, but in a sustainable way and on our own terms.
Whizbang17

Brilliant podcast

I love listening to Mark. He’s so introspective, intelligent, connected, and curious. His experience in NXIVM provides so many valuable insights on how these insidious cults work and how one can watch out for them. Highly recommend!
cinthia324

Thank you!

Thank you for sharing with us your thoughts. I love listening. Your insight into this world is just so great to hear.
patsyjeannine

Very informative, but…

I’ve been so impressed with Mark and Bonnie’s story since season 1 of The Vow. When season 2 came out and I happened upon Mark’s podcast, I was so interested in the episode debriefs. They have great parts, but there’s so much fluff. If it’s an actual episode debrief and over half isn’t even about the episode, it can get a bit boring. I find myself skipping over so much just to hear his thoughts on The Vow episodes. When he does speak about it, it’s so informative and eye opening. When he talks just to hear himself talk, I find myself drifting.
Hi-line

Doing the work he was meant to do

Mark, who’s a wonderful film maker, knows how to tell a story. He’s adept at making a point. This podcast, coupled with the 2 seasons of the The Vow, will be amongst his most important work to help humanity. I’m so grateful and fascinated. This may save some lives
Peanut in ca

Excellent, Informative and Authentic

Thank you for opening our eyes to what you personally experienced under the influence of pure evil. Your wife, yourself and the others before you are all forerunners. Your love for those who were still stuck in the idiots quicksand and wanting to get them out display the authentic signs of leadership rather than dictatorship. I love that you provide resourceful links for your listeners to get thoroughly informed and educated. If you have ever been a minion for a cunning, lying, greedy, manipulative power-hungry person, You will surely gain an education from this podcast that will bring clarity to your situation. Just for the record, it takes a LONG TIME to get out of the mud. I flipped the bird on my situation over 12 years ago and this podcast is like the tow truck to help me to finally get away from the mud hole and move forward. Make sure to tap into the resources provided with each episode!
DarbsBC

On my list of faves now

I’m so glad that Mark is doing this podcast - compelling, honest and amazing insights. Cannot wait to hear more from him. Frankly, I love his voice so much that I would probably listen to him read a phone book (sorry Bonnie)… in any event, great content. This pod is now at the top of my list!
kewy12345

Compelling and fascinating

This podcast is one of the best, an intricate, complicated, dark story that Mark tells so well. This story of coercion and manipulation has broad application in today’s world. We should all be grateful to Mark for sharing his journey, I sure am (also special thanks to Bonnie for figuring things out first!).
TheMan9876

Sensitive Fighter

If there was a Mt Rushmore that honored cult busters, Mark Vincenti would on it with Leah Remini, Mike Rinder & Sarah Edmondson.
StefffAnn

Well done!

Mark fills in so many blanks and shares experiences that will answer a lot of questions about the show. Thank you for being so vulnerable and raw. Im hooked.
Sarigodmother

Amazing

Such amazing people: both Mark and his wife Bonnie Piesse. Their journey has been harrowing and inspiring. Bonnie’s bravery and Mark’s ability to not turn away from her when her revelations were blowing his world apart is an epic love story.
Sara_Smile_

Courageous

I so appreciate your Vow episode debriefs. It is so incredible the work you and all the survivors have done to bring awareness and education to all of us about cults, help people in getting out, changing the justice system to prevent these abuses from continuing to happen, and putting that monster in jail for 120 years. I live less than a mile away from Knox Woods and I’m baffled at the horrific abuse that was happening for years just around the corner. I often to listen to your podcast episodes and Sarah and Nippy’s while taking walks at the Halfmoon town park walking past “volleyball“ and just can’t wrap my head around what happened at these locations. Thank you for sharing this with us Mark. Prayers for continued healing.
asc0502

mark vicente

compelling detail on life in the inside. excellent & powerful reflections on the madness that was this cult. he is so bright and articulate, lovable and so human.
W_148

Quality

Honest, raw and brave. Thank you. Bonnie’s song and lyrics are very touching. My new favorite podcast.
Grannyman1583

Thoughtful and Necessary

Mark Vicente is a thoughtful, intelligent, self-reflective human who is shining a light on narcissistic abuse and high control groups. Everyone who holds a power position in any organization (church, nonprofit, gym) would benefit by listening and learning about red flags for narcissism and abuse. Wonderful work!
jattzl

So Courageous. So Powerful

I can feel the impact of what you all went through. Before I understood what he did but now I can feel the cruelty. Fascinating again to hear your insight.
sophia11roma

Excellent

I love hearing your thoughts and wisdom on everything that you’ve experienced/learned in the aftermath of NXIM. Bonnie’s song “Unraveling” truly touched my heart, such a beautiful spirit she has! Thanks for all that you are!