Wild Wise and Worthy with Kellie Rhea

Kellie Rhea
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Wild, Wise & Worthy A Podcast for Truth Seekers, Paradigm Shifters & Conscious Explorers Welcome to Wild, Wise & Worthy This is not your average podcast. Wild, Wise & Worthy is a raw, unfiltered space where we dismantle conventional thinking, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs, and step into our full, authentic selves. Hosted by Kellie Rhea, a forward-thinking paradigm shifter, trauma-informed coach, and wellness practitioner, this podcast is designed to inspire, educate, and ignite transformation. Each episode dives deep into the real, raw, and sometimes radical conversations that mainstream narratives often avoid. Here, we explore the intersection of trauma healing, psychedelic integration, ethical leadership, human and animal behavior, and conscious entrepreneurship all with a mission to unlock and unleash your highest, most aligned self. Meet Your Host: Kellie Rhea Kellie does all things wellness on her own terms. A relentless truth seeker, she has spent over 35 years studying human behavior, trauma integration, high-control groups, and holistic healing. She brings a wealth of lived experience, professional expertise, and unconventional wisdom to the table. Her background in horsemanship has given her profound insight into power dynamics, trust, and authentic leadership lessons that translate directly into how we navigate relationships, business, and personal transformation. She goes deep, she can be intense, and she holds space for raw, meaningful conversations that challenge the status quo. Expect to be stretched, expanded, and awakened. What You’ll Get From This Podcast ✔ Unfiltered Conversations – No fluff, no surface-level talk—just deep dives into the topics that truly matter. ✔ Insights from Experts & Thought Leaders – Guests who are pushing boundaries in health, spirituality, business, and personal growth. ✔ Practical Tools for Transformation – Real-world strategies to help you heal, expand, and step into your power. ✔ Breaking Free from Manipulative Frameworks – Understanding high-control groups, narcissistic abuse, and reclaiming autonomy. ✔ Lessons from Nature & Animals – What horses and the natural world can teach us about leadership, trust, and intuition.

Episodes

  1. 12/02/2025

    The Dopamine Trap with Dr John Hunter

    The Dopamine Trap: Why Breakthrough Culture Hooks the Nervous System Episode Summary:This conversation explores the neuroscience and psychology behind high-intensity personal development environments and why certain seminars create powerful emotional states. Dr John Hunter shares research on the dopamine dynamics involved in stress, sleep disruption, and sudden goal attainment, and how these conditions shape experiences that are often interpreted as breakthroughs or spiritual insight.We discuss how these cycles influence motivation, identity, decision making and emotional regulation, along with the psychological mechanisms that make these states feel transcendent. The episode offers a grounded, psychoeducational look at why these experiences are so compelling and how the nervous system responds during periods of high arousal and rapid change. Key Takeaways • Experiential learning plays a central role in high-intensity personal development settings.• Transformation often arises from emotional and physiological shifts rather than cognitive insight alone.• Stress, disrupted sleep and rapid goal attainment are known triggers for intense emotional states.• Seminars can evoke euphoria, empowerment and heightened confidence.• A significant percentage of participants report breakthrough-like experiences.• These experiences can increase motivation, energy and a sense of clarity.• Changes in perception and identity often emerge quickly.• Understanding the underlying physiological processes provides context for these experiences.• Personal growth is influenced by both emotional learning and neurochemical responses.• Recognising the conditions that create these states supports informed participation in high-demand environments. Connect With the Guests Dr John Hunter, PhD Here is a refined, accurate and respectful bio for your show notes, drawn directly from what appears on the back of his book. It stays fully within legal-safe boundaries and simply presents his credentials and research focus. Dr John Hunter, PhDDr John Hunter is a South African lecturer and researcher whose work focuses on psychological suffering, social reward, and elevated affective states. His research provides vital insights into the international personal development industry and the mechanisms that shape intense emotional and transcendent experiences.He has testified as an expert witness in a United States federal court on cases involving abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry, and his work bridges neuroscience, psychology, and affective science to explain how heightened emotional states arise and why they are often interpreted as breakthroughs or spiritual experiences. Dr Hunter’s book, Manufacturing Mania: The Dopamine Hypothesis of Religious Experience, brings together evidence from neuroscience, psychopathology, and pharmacology to examine how particular emotional states can be induced, amplified, or misinterpreted. The book explores how naturally occurring brain processes, when combined with specific forms of priming and context, can produce experiences that feel transcendent, spiritual, or revelatory. For more information on Dr Hunter’s work:www.johnhunterphd.com Author of Manufacturing Mania: The Dopamine Hypothesis of Religious ExperienceBook link: https://www.amazon.com/ Dave HompesInstagram: @davehompes

    1h 22m

  2. 10/22/2025

    Confronting the Line on Transformation and Exploitation with Anne Peterson

    Disclaimer The following conversation is shared for educational and awareness purposes only. The views expressed by the host and guest reflect their personal experiences and perspectives. Nothing discussed in this episode constitutes legal, psychological, or medical advice.This discussion does not endorse, align with, or represent any group, organisation, or individual named or implied. Listeners are encouraged to use discernment, seek qualified professional guidance when needed, and approach all personal development environments with critical thinking and self-care. Episode Title: Confronting the Line on Transformation and Exploitation with Anne Peterson Episode Summary Anne Peterson’s story begins in a difficult marriage that led her to seek change through the personal development world. Her search for meaning brought her to Landmark, one of the most well-known large group awareness trainings promising empowerment and transformation. Anne quickly became immersed in its leadership programs, dedicating long hours while her health and family life began to erode. She eventually helped organise a comeback tour for Werner Erhard, the founder of Landmark, and during that experience, she witnessed coercive practices and abusive behaviour within the organisation. In this episode, Anne and Kellie examine how the idea of “transformation” can become a mechanism of control when it is used to override intuition and conscience. Together, they unpack the subtle ways that self-help systems can exploit human sincerity, including: The social pressure within group environments that leads to conformity.Language manipulation and confusing “word salad” that distort reality.The illusion of instant enlightenment as a distraction from authentic growth.The weaponisation of victimhood and the silencing of genuine distress.The absence of informed consent and mental health awareness in these spaces.Anne speaks candidly about the psychological cost of chasing transformation and the importance of recognising red flags early. She highlights that authentic change requires time, grounded community, and the capacity to feel and process emotions, not suppress them. This conversation calls attention to the need for industry regulation, ethical screening, and consumer protection laws within the self-help sector. It also encourages practitioners to understand the potential dangers of their work and the responsibility they hold toward participants who may be vulnerable. Anne’s message is ultimately one of empowerment: trust your inner sense of truth, question authority presented as enlightenment and remember that real transformation honours the whole human experience rather than bypassing it. About Anne Peterson Anne Peterson is a writer, speaker, and advocate for ethics and safety within the human potential and self-help industries. Drawing from her lived experience inside Landmark and her recovery from its effects, she works to bring awareness to coercive influence, psychological manipulation, and the need for reform in unregulated transformational programs. Website: www.ilumn8.lifeBook: Is This a Cult? – available on Amazon_______________________________________________________________ ·      Seek Safely – seeksafely.org ·      Kellie Rhea - @iamkellierhea

    1h 23m

  3. 10/04/2025

    Unpacking the hidden costs of self-development, part 1, with Dave Hompes

    In this episode of the Wild and Worthy podcast, Kellie Rhea interviews Dave Hompes, who shares his journey from a sports scientist to a functional medicine practitioner. They discuss the awakening to the mind-body connection, the pitfalls of self-development programs, and some of the psychological and neurological implications of being involved in such organizations. The conversation delves into the nature of self, the influence of cult dynamics, cognitive dissonance, and the role of the immune system in self-identity. They emphasize the importance of understanding the self from a psychological and neuroscientific perspective, and the dangers of being trapped in a singular worldview.   Dave Hompes @davehompes Davehompes.com   Kellie Rhea @iamkellierhea       The mind and body are interconnected and influence each other significantly. Self-development programs may sometimes lead to negative psychological effects. Understanding the self requires insights from psychology and neuroscience. Cognitive dissonance can occur when individuals realize the limitations of self-help methods. Cult dynamics can distort personal development and create dependency on specific methodologies. The immune system may react to psychological conflicts within one's identity. Language and thought patterns can shape our perception of reality. Emotional health is crucial for making effective decisions and maintaining relationships. The body should not be viewed as separate from the mind in personal development. Awareness of the self is essential for authentic personal growth.           Chapters   00:00 Introduction and Background 05:22 Awakening to the Mind-Body Connection 10:19 Exploring the Self-Development Movement 15:02 Understanding the Concept of Self 21:18 The Dangers of Self-Development Organizations 31:07 The Emotional Flattening Effect 43:29 Dissonance Between True Self and Cult Self 44:14 The Journey into Self-Improvement 45:28 The Psychological Impact of Cults 49:10 The Structure of Cults and Their Methods 50:49 The Social Dynamics of Cult Involvement 52:46 The Dissonance Between Cult Beliefs and Reality 55:25 The Immune System and Psychological Health 59:04 The Nature of Truth and Perception 01:02:35 The Neuroscience of Self and Identity 01:04:11 The Dangers of Cognitive Dissonance in Cults 01:21:25 The Importance of Informed Consent in Self-Help

    1h 24m

  4. 09/19/2025

    "Inside Cult Minds"—Mark Vincente

    Inside Cult Minds In this episode of Inside Cult Minds, Kellie Rhea sits down with filmmaker and whistleblower Mark Vicente (What the Bleep Do We Know?!, The Vow) to explore the inner mechanics of high-control groups, coercive systems, and the psychological patterns that keep people trapped. Together they discuss love bombing, data mining, infantilization, self-sealing belief systems, and the difficult road of recovery. Mark also shares insights from his upcoming documentary The Narcissist’s Playbook, which investigates narcissistic abuse through the voices of survivors, clinicians, neuroscientists, and self-confessed narcissists. Disclaimer This conversation is based on our personal experiences and perspectives. We talk about high-control groups and coercive systems in general terms, and nothing here should be taken as a statement of fact about any named individual or organisation. Nothing in this episode should be considered legal, medical, or psychological advice. Connect with Mark Website: markvicente.comInstagram: @markvicenteConnect with Kellie Instagram: @iamkellierheaPodcast Instagram: @wildandworthypodListener Note When seeking personal development or any form of mental health care, please ask many questions. Informed choice and careful discernment are vital. For additional guidance, visit Seek Safely.

    54 min

  5. 09/04/2025

    3 things that self-help groups collapse conscience

    What if the method that promised transformation was actually burying your conscience, leaving you emotionally flat?? In this powerful conversation with Martin Lass, we explore the hidden costs of spiritual methods that bypass feeling, silence conscience, and strip away agency. A raw look at conscience, creation, and what it means to truly transform.

    1 min

  6. 09/01/2025

    The Collapse of Conscience - Martin Lass

    In this episode of Wild & Worthy, I sit down with Martin Lass, a professional musician, longtime student of the esoteric, and former certified trainer of the Demartini Method. Martin spent fifteen years inside John Demartini’s Concourse of Wisdom before returning to the Gurdjieff Work, which he has studied and taught for nearly forty years.Our conversation dives into the core mechanics of the collapse process taught within the Demartini Institute. Together we examine what really happens when emotional charge is forced into collapse, and the consequences this has on conscience, empathy, and creativity. Martin explains how collapsing charge can lead to temporary flashes of insight that quickly decay, leaving behind a strengthened ego, emotional flatness, and spiritual stagnation.We also explore the dangers of bypassing real feeling. Conscience, Martin suggests, lives in the body and in our innate capacity to sense what is becoming or unbecoming of human behavior. When that compass is dulled or buried under ideology, the result is a distortion of empathy and a dangerous compliance with harmful ideas. From the teaching that “emotions are lies” to the claim that even acts of violence can be reframed as love, we unpack how moral agency and creative life can be eroded inside such systems.Martin brings depth and clarity to these questions, drawing on his background in music, mysticism, and nearly four decades of spiritual study. This conversation is an invitation to reflect on the difference between collapsing emotional charge and truly transforming it, and why tension, conscience, and feeling are essential to authentic growth. Martins contat Details : martinlass@icloud.com Disclaimer This conversation is based on our personal experiences and perspectives. We talk about high-control groups and coercive systems in general terms, and nothing here should be taken as a statement of fact about any named individual or organisation. Nothing in this episode should be considered legal, medical, or psychological advice. and you can find me Kellie Rhea @iamkellierhea on instagram

    47 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Wild, Wise & Worthy A Podcast for Truth Seekers, Paradigm Shifters & Conscious Explorers Welcome to Wild, Wise & Worthy This is not your average podcast. Wild, Wise & Worthy is a raw, unfiltered space where we dismantle conventional thinking, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs, and step into our full, authentic selves. Hosted by Kellie Rhea, a forward-thinking paradigm shifter, trauma-informed coach, and wellness practitioner, this podcast is designed to inspire, educate, and ignite transformation. Each episode dives deep into the real, raw, and sometimes radical conversations that mainstream narratives often avoid. Here, we explore the intersection of trauma healing, psychedelic integration, ethical leadership, human and animal behavior, and conscious entrepreneurship all with a mission to unlock and unleash your highest, most aligned self. Meet Your Host: Kellie Rhea Kellie does all things wellness on her own terms. A relentless truth seeker, she has spent over 35 years studying human behavior, trauma integration, high-control groups, and holistic healing. She brings a wealth of lived experience, professional expertise, and unconventional wisdom to the table. Her background in horsemanship has given her profound insight into power dynamics, trust, and authentic leadership lessons that translate directly into how we navigate relationships, business, and personal transformation. She goes deep, she can be intense, and she holds space for raw, meaningful conversations that challenge the status quo. Expect to be stretched, expanded, and awakened. What You’ll Get From This Podcast ✔ Unfiltered Conversations – No fluff, no surface-level talk—just deep dives into the topics that truly matter. ✔ Insights from Experts & Thought Leaders – Guests who are pushing boundaries in health, spirituality, business, and personal growth. ✔ Practical Tools for Transformation – Real-world strategies to help you heal, expand, and step into your power. ✔ Breaking Free from Manipulative Frameworks – Understanding high-control groups, narcissistic abuse, and reclaiming autonomy. ✔ Lessons from Nature & Animals – What horses and the natural world can teach us about leadership, trust, and intuition.

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