My name is Mark Vesente. I'm a director, producer, writer, and troublemaker. I'm most known as the director of the film What the Bleep Do We Know, and as one of the next-team whistleblowers featured in the HBO series, Aval. Let's just say, I know a thing or two about cults. I don't consider myself a cult expert, but I'm definitely an expert in being screwed over, waking up, and

knowing how to spot them.

And let me tell you, they're everywhere.

My mission is to help people see patterns of abuse across multiple contexts.

From personal to family, to group, to societal.

It's all the same pattern at every scale.

As you'll hear, I have a pretty salty approach to most things.

So there might be some blasphemy.

One or two sacred cows might get knocked over, and there'll likely be some foul language.

You never quite know what you're going to get, because it really does depend on what the

fuck is on my mind.

Well, top of the morning to you.

Actually, I don't know if you guys listen to this in the morning.

I generally release the podcast on Sunday mornings.

On the Sundays, I do release it.

But I have no idea if you guys listen to it in the morning and when you listen to it.

I am curious.

Let me know in the YouTube comments or on Instagram if you're just an audio listener.

Today I, well, not today. Something has been on my mind and today is the day that I want to express it.

Years ago, 2004, when we released What the Bleep Do We Know,

I got a lot of people reaching out to me, a lot of organizations.

And what they wanted was they wanted me to make a film about their organization, their guru, their psychology, their movement, their whatever.

...