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?!
WTF is on my Mind?!
The Rage of the 'Empaths'
The Dangers of Intolerance: Culty Behavior in Today's World
In this episode, I delve into the unsettling parallels between cult behavior and the current climate of intolerance we see online and in society. Drawing from my experiences as a whistleblower against NXIVM and my understanding of manipulative dynamics, I explore how rigid ideologies and "thought policing" mirror the very patterns of control used by cults.
Key Points Discussed:
Cults and Boundaries: How cult leaders establish unspoken rules and boundaries, making members fearful of stepping outside them.
Ethics Police: The role of "ethics police" in cults and how similar behaviors are emerging in the digital age, with individuals scrutinizing who others follow or what they say online.
Toxic Empathy: The concept of "toxic empathy," where well-meaning individuals abandon true empathy in favor of aggressively enforcing their ideological beliefs.
Labeling and Censorship: How modern-day label makers and censorship reflect cult-like mechanisms to control thought and silence dissent.
The Importance of Curiosity: Encouraging open-mindedness and empathy as antidotes to the growing societal tendency to shut down differing perspectives.
Join me as I unpack these crucial issues and encourage a more thoughtful and open approach to navigating complexity.
01:00 Recognizing the Patterns of Abuse in Cults
03:58 The Power of Label Makers in Shaping Public Opinion
09:10 The Importance of Curiosity, Open-Mindedness, and Empathy
14:49 The Dangers of Censorship and Silencing Opposing Viewpoints
19:39 Embracing Diversity of Thought
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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