Carina Eriksson is an international matchmaker and dating consultant with over 20 years of experience. She runs Atlas International, a boutique firm helping accomplished individuals build meaningful relationships through her signature approach called "relational agility." Carina is also one of my mentoring clients, and our conversations have opened my eyes to so much about the divide between men and women.

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most urgent issues of our time: the devastating divide between men and women. Online hatred is at an all-time high, misunderstanding is rampant, and people are struggling to connect. Carina breaks down the fundamental differences between men and women—from how our brains are wired (testosterone's singular focus vs. estrogen's diffuse awareness) to why we keep projecting our own nature onto each other. We explore why women think men are "misbehaving women" and men think women are "irrational garden gnomes," the damage caused by casual sex, what each gender actually needs from the other, and why happy couples are terrible for capitalism. This conversation challenges modern dating culture and offers real wisdom for anyone seeking genuine connection.

Connect with Carina Eriksson: Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinaeriksson/

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The 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.

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I was at the gym when I looked up at the TV and saw my local weather duo doing their usual performative dance—fake smiles, scripted banter, corporate personas. That's when it hit me: this isn't just bad television, it's cult-like behavior.

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In this solo episode, I connect the dots between mainstream media's polished fakeness and the performative obedience I witnessed inside NXIVM. Everyone's playing a role, mass fawning to keep the system running, even though we all know it's broken.

I also break down why CBS's recent promise to "get real" is likely just another rebrand, and why the actual revolution in media won't come from corporations—it'll come from citizen journalists on the ground risking something to tell the truth.

People are starved for authenticity. The inertia of these broken systems is powerful, but the future belongs to those who drop the performance and speak unfiltered truth.

Raw, honest, and impossible to fake.

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The 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.

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In this episode, I delve into one of the most controversial and misunderstood programs in modern history: MK Ultra. Joined by Richard Grannon and screenwriter Adam Simon, we explore the reality versus the fiction of government mind control experiments, the psychology of brainwashing, and how these techniques have evolved into something far more insidious—mass manipulation through social media and modern media.

We break down the actual MK Ultra program, separate fact from Hollywood fiction, and discuss whether dissociative identity disorder can truly be weaponized. Richard brings his clinical expertise to challenge popular myths about "Manchurian Candidates," while Adam shares insights from his own experience leaving the Mormon church and his research into ongoing government programs.

But this conversation goes beyond historical CIA experiments. We examine how cult psychology, trance states, and trauma-based manipulation are being deployed at scale today—turning millions of people into willing participants in their own programming. From the commitment patterns used by religious organizations to the rage-inducing algorithms of social media, we explore how Chase Hughes acronym: fear, focus, emotion, agitation, and repetition (FEAR) create the perfect conditions for mass suggestibility.

Richard Grannon: https://www.instagram.com/richard.grannon/

Adam Simon: https://x.com/AdamGSimon

ADAM'S SHOWNOTES: www.markvicente.com/podcast/2025/12/21/9ooc5qcrmhi38ixf4hodegkdmbux6i

This conversation gets uncomfortable. We talk about government experiments on children, the normalization of political violence, and how we're all living inside the largest psychological operation in human history. If you're looking for easy answers or comfortable narratives, this isn't that episode.

Chase Hughes on Shawn Ryan Show
Derren Brown: The Assassin with Stephen Fry 

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The 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.

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After spending over 10 years in a cult, I became obsessed with recognizing the patterns. And now? I see them everywhere—especially in our political tribes.

Everyone's busy calling the other side a cult while refusing to examine their own behavior. In this episode of WTF is on my Mind?!, I'm asking you to do something uncomfortable: question YOUR side. Not theirs. YOURS.

Using “The Village” by M. Night Shyamalan as a metaphor, I break down how echo chambers work, how we justify our worst behavior, and why both sides think only the OTHER guys have been captured by extremists.

Here's the test: if you're listening to this thinking "yeah, but MY side is different" - you may have proved my point.

This isn't about left vs right. It's about recognizing when you've stopped thinking and started defending. When accountability becomes shunning. When influence becomes coercion. When you're so convinced you're fighting Nazis that you can't see your own reflection and everything becomes an option, including violence.

I went through this humbling. It was the best thing I ever did. And thousands of people are doing it right now—waking up and realizing what they believed was deranged.

Are you brave enough to look?

If this video made you uncomfortable, good. Share it with someone who needs to hear this. And if you're angry at me right now, I get it. Just ask yourself why.

Stay curious, my friends.

#politics #cult #echochamber #criticalthinking

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The 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.

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In this episode of WTF is on My Mind, I sit down with author and dark psychology educator Richard Grannon to explore something that’s been gnawing at my Patreon community: the disturbing rise of post-cult interviews where former NXIVM insiders speak as though they’re remorseful, but their words don’t always match their energy. My community senses there’s a difference between genuine accountability and what Richard and I refer to as cognitive empathy theater. And many survivors tell me they can feel any potential disconnect immediately, even when the language sounds “right.”

We talk about the spectrum of remorse—why some people can name their actions with humility while others wrap themselves in self-pity and sentimentality. 

We unpack whether narcissists and psychopaths really don’t know what they’re doing, or if that confusion is actually part of the performance. We question the cultural habit of rushing to psychologize abusers, and we name the uncomfortable truth: trauma doesn’t cause cruelty. And empathy without discernment? That’s not compassion... it’s a liability. Sometimes even a form of self-betrayal.

This isn’t just about NXIVM. It’s about the larger conversation around power, denial, and the subtle rebranding of harm in public spaces. It’s about what happens when people who inflicted damage are given platforms to spin their story before they’ve truly reckoned with it. And it’s about what it means to hold that with clarity, without being consumed by bitterness.

My incredible Patreon members helped shape this conversation through their questions and insights. They’ve created a space where honesty, nuance, and emotional maturity still exist—and I’m grateful for it. If you’re looking for real talk about dark systems, manipulative personalities, and the ongoing work of recovery, this one’s for you.

You can access the uncensored, extended portion of this conversation—where I ask Richard the specific questions submitted by my Patreon community—at patreon.com/markvicente

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The 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/MarkVicente
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What does it really take to stop repeating toxic patterns? To finally choose yourself after trauma, addiction, and emotional chaos?

In this episode of WTF is on My Mind?!, I sit down with Jared Mello — aka The Wizard of Radical Self-Respect — to unpack the brutal, beautiful road to reclaiming yourself after abuse, addiction, and entanglement with toxic systems and people.

Find Jared Mello Online:

• YouTube: @jaredmello
• Website: https://radicalselfrespect.com
• Instagram: @wizard_of_radical_self_respect
• E-Book: “Radical Self-Respect: Avoid Falling for the Same BS”

Jared is a coach, content creator, and advocate for survivors of narcissistic abuse and coercive control. He brings lived experience: childhood dysfunction, undiagnosed neurodivergence, addiction, trauma, and relationships with narcissistic and borderline partners. Out of that crucible came a powerful philosophy: Radical Self-Respect — the inner work that helps you stop outsourcing your worth and start protecting your peace.

We cover:

• Jared’s journey from addiction and chaos to grounded leadership
• How narcissistic abuse shows up in romantic and family systems
• The overlap (and difference) between trauma and autism
• Male survivors, man-hating trends, and breaking silence
• Why clarity isn’t the same as healing
• Cults, image management, and sneaky-fucker-fish (yes, really)
• Small, concrete steps you can take TODAY to start respecting yourself

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The 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/MarkVicente
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In this episode, I sit down with Richard Grannon to ask the question that’s been on my mind for a while: What is Borderline Personality Disorder? And when you're trying to figure out someone's irrational behavior, is it BPD? Complex PTSD? Or Vulnerable Narcissism?

I’ve encountered some wildly confusing behavior in recent years—emotional whiplash, contradictions, disappearing boundaries—and I’ve been trying to make sense of it. This is not an academic exercise for me. It’s personal.

Richard and I unpack how BPD is often misdiagnosed, how it overlaps (and diverges) from narcissism, and why trauma is at the root of so many misunderstood behaviors. We also talk about the difference between having a moral core… and operating without one.

If you’ve ever felt crazy after dealing with someone whose personality seems to shapeshift—or if you’re trying to figure out what the hell just happened in a past relationship—this one might hit home.

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The 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/MarkVicente
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This conversation with Richard Grannon covers a topic I’ve been wanting to unpack for a long time: the tension between self-reflection and what often gets labeled as victim blaming. 

If you’ve experienced narcissistic abuse, coercive control, or cult manipulation, you’ve probably come up against this moment — where someone talks about agency or healing, and it lands like blame. I’ve felt that too. 

Richard and I dive into why that happens, what the term victim blaming originally meant, and how weaponized language online can derail the recovery process. We talk about grief, rage, childhood trauma, fawning, codependency, covert contracts, and why some of the most powerful healing comes after we stop outsourcing our agency — without ever denying the harm done. 

This isn’t about blaming survivors. It’s about finding a way back to power. 

To De-Cult your news feed, sign up for Ground News using my affiliate link. 40% off the normal price. https://ground.news/checkout/all?fpr=mark93

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The 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/MarkVicente
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What if narcissistic abuse doesn’t show up right away… but builds up like radiation in the body—silent, invisible, and devastating over time?

In this solo episode, recorded from Cape Town, I reflect on family lineage, legacy, and the long-term effects of being around narcissists—especially the malignant kind. Inspired by a visit to my family's grave site, I look at how the effects of unresolved pathology gets passed down through generations… and how it quietly shapes our choices, fears, and dreams (or lack of them).

We’ve been way too focused on diagnosing the “radioactive substance.” But what about the people slowly getting poisoned just by being in its presence?

Check out my other podcast, "Remember Your Greatness"
https://www.youtube.com/@UCHUIodar-kbyUr0rmst2j1g

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The 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/MarkVicente
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In this episode of WTF is on My Mind?!, I sit down with Dr. Peter Salerno — a retired psychotherapist and author who has spent decades studying personality disorders, psychopathy, and complex trauma.

Our conversation dives straight into one of the most heated debates in psychology: are narcissists shaped by trauma and upbringing, or are some people simply born with traits that evolve into full-blown disorders? Dr. Salerno challenges the conventional belief that all narcissism stems from childhood wounds, pointing to research in genetics and neuroscience that shows a far more complicated picture.

We also unpack his concept of “traumatic cognitive dissonance” — the paralyzing confusion survivors experience when an abuser deliberately installs contradictory realities in their minds. It’s not just internal conflict; it’s an engineered state of disorientation that keeps people stuck in toxic relationships and systems of control.

From there, the discussion widens: we explore how support groups can restore a shattered sense of reality, why some people lose touch with their identity after abuse, and what it really takes to rebuild a self when you were never given the space to form one in the first place. We also look at narcissistic emptiness, the myth of the “hidden shame,” and why grandiosity — not insecurity — may actually be the engine driving narcissistic behavior.

The conversation doesn’t stay confined to therapy rooms. We talk about the ways these dynamics show up in society at large — from political polarization to media manipulation — and how it all echoes the same psychological warfare found in abusive relationships.

This was a fascinating and unsettling deep dive into human psychology, which left me with a whole new lens on abuse, personality, and power.

Dr. Peter Salerno’s website: https://drpetersalerno.com
Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dr.-Peter-Salerno/author/B09NCBTPML
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCYlLHe7DyXJiOWO7kceUAHA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpetersalerno/

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The 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/MarkVicente
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