Cults to Consciousness

Bonnie Piesse shares the deeply personal story of how a successful acting and music career in Hollywood left her feeling spiritually empty, ultimately making her vulnerable to the promises of NXIVM. She was introduced to the organization by her future husband, Mark Vicente. What initially appeared to be an empowering self-improvement community instead slowly eroded her confidence through constant criticism, psychological manipulation, and a culture that encouraged members to relentlessly search for their own flaws while elevating Keith Raniere as the ultimate authority. Trusting her own intuition became the first step toward recognizing the group's darker reality, while Mark Vicente's willingness to believe her experiences helped spark the chain of events that eventually exposed NXIVM to the world.
Click here to watch on YouTube
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https://www.instagram.com/yourquantumlife/
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**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After our powerful conversation with former NXIVM insider and filmmaker Mark Vicente about The Narcissist's Playbook, we're sitting down with him once again for a special live discussion to go even deeper. This time, we're moving beyond understanding the mindset of narcissists to explore what happens when they're challenged. Why do narcissists react so intensely when confronted? What fears drive their rage, retaliation, and manipulation? How can survivors safely stand up to them—or should they at all?
Click here to watch on YouTube
Mark’s original interview
Find and support Mark!
Donate to & watch “Narcissist’s Playbook”: https://www.narcissistsplaybook.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/
Our Costa Rica Vacation has sold out! Join our waitlist in case of any cancellations
Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!
Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.
Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness
Venmo @sheliseann
Find us on Social media!
Instagram @cultstoconsciousness
Host Instagram @sheliseann
Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_
TikTok @cults.to.consciousness
Twitter @cultstocon
**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Filmmaker and former NXIVM member Mark Vicente returns to discuss his new documentary, The Narcissist's Playbook, using both his experience exposing NXIVM and years of research into narcissistic personalities to explain why destructive leaders across cults, abusive relationships, and even public life often follow the same psychological pattern. Drawing from his own journey through multiple spiritual movements before becoming one of the key figures who helped bring down Keith Raniere, Mark explores how idealistic, empathetic people are especially vulnerable to manipulation. He reflects on the emotional aftermath of discovering just how calculated Keith Raniere's deception had been and how that realization reshaped his understanding of evil.
Click here to watch on YouTube
Find and support Mark!
Donate to & watch “Narcissist’s Playbook”: https://www.narcissistsplaybook.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/
Our Costa Rica Vacation has sold out! Join our waitlist in case of any cancellations
Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!
Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.
Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness
Venmo @sheliseann
Find us on Social media!
Instagram @cultstoconsciousness
Host Instagram @sheliseann
Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_
TikTok @cults.to.consciousness
Twitter @cultstocon
**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Following up the enlightening interview with Ember Hudson, today she joins us LIVE to further discuss Native slavery, which is the least discussed aspects of early Utah history. Early Mormon settlement in Utah profoundly impacted Native communities through slavery, land displacement, and forced assimilation. After the Utah Territory legalized Native slavery in 1852, many Native chiIdren were purchased or taken into Mormon homes, where they were separated from their families, baptized, given English names, and raised within Mormon culture—practices that foreshadowed the later Indian Placement Program. At the same time, Mormon expansion transformed the landscape, disrupting traditional Native lifeways, displacing tribes from their ancestral lands, and accelerating the loss of Indigenous language, culture, and identity.
Click here to watch on YouTube
Watch our initial interview with Ember
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TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@wayward_lamanite
@wayward_lamanite also on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
website is: https://www.waywardlamanite.com
Ember’s book “Wayward Lamanite”
Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!
Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.
Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness
Venmo @sheliseann
Find us on Social media!
Instagram @cultstoconsciousness
Host Instagram @sheliseann
Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_
TikTok @cults.to.consciousness
Twitter @cultstocon
**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ember Hudson shares the deeply personal story of growing up as a Native American woman in the LDS Church, where Mormon teachings about Indigenous people left her struggling with identity, worth, and belonging. Raised between her tribal heritage and a predominantly white Mormon community, she recounts how doctrines surrounding the Lamanites, rac*st interpretations of skin color, and repeated messages that she needed to "repent more" caused years of emotional and spiritual conflict. The conversation also explores the LDS Church's historical treatment of Native Americans, including the Indian Placement Program, cultural assimilation, tokenization, and the lasting impact of portraying Indigenous peoples through the lens of the Book of Mormon. Her story is a powerful examination of reclaiming identity, healing from religious trauma, and rediscovering a cultural heritage that she believes was never meant to be erased.
Click here to watch on YouTube
Follow and support Ember!
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@wayward_lamanite
@wayward_lamanite also on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
website is: https://www.waywardlamanite.com
Ember’s book “Wayward Lamanite”
Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!
Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.
Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness
Venmo @sheliseann
Find us on Social media!
Instagram @cultstoconsciousness
Host Instagram @sheliseann
Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_
TikTok @cults.to.consciousness
Twitter @cultstocon
**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.