Almost Awakened

Getting together with family during the holidays can be beautiful… or it can feel like stepping into a spiritual escape room you never signed up for. In this episode of Almost Awakened, Teresa and I dive into the real-life challenges that mixed-faith families face this time of year — from surprise prayers to passive-aggressive testimony moments to the subtle pressure to play your old role in the family system. In this episode of the Almost Awakened Podcast, We’ll walk through 10 practical, human, and emotionally intelligent tools that help you stay regulated, connected, and true to yourself when the room is full of different beliefs and a whole lot of history. If you’re navigating a faith transition, supporting someone who is, or just trying to get through Thanksgiving without a meltdown or a debate about Kolob, this one’s for you. What you’ll get in this episode: • Tools to stay grounded when old patterns show up • Ways to create internal boundaries that actually work • Scripts for redirecting tricky conversations • Tips for mixed-faith families who want peace (not pressure) • How to choose connection over correction • Why you don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to • And yes… how to sneak outside for a 2-minute nervous-system reset We’re here to make your holidays less stressful, more connected, and a whole lot more human. Join us at our NEW CHANNEL:  @almostawakenedpodcast  Join the conversation. Like, share, and subscribe to support this work. Donate to Almost Awakened: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2 Join our Support Group – https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle Learn more about coaching at https://awakenandthrive.org

Britt Hartley from No Nonsense Spirituality and Bill Reel from the Almost Awakened Podcast are teaming up again for a brand-new series built around honest, wide-open conversations on spirituality, atheism, psychology, consciousness, and whatever else grabs our curiosity in the moment. In this first episode, we jump from one fascinating question to the next. What is the nature of reality? Are we living in a simulation? What does an AI revolution mean for human meaning and purpose? And would you pull your kids out of a religion you know is false… even if staying in it meant they’d live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life? No scripts, no guardrails, just two friends following the most interesting threads wherever they lead. If you enjoy deep questions, sharp insights, and conversations that blend intellect with real-life stakes, this new series is for you. Support Almost Awakened: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2 Spiritual Trauma Support: If anyone needs support dealing with spiritual trauma, 1-on-1 coaching and support groups are available at https://awakenandthrive.org/ Britt Hartley’s work can be found * https://nononsensespirituality.com/ * https://www.audible.com/pd/No-Nonsense-Spirituality-Audiobook/B0F25P5DV2 * https://www.youtube.com/@nononsensespirituality RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE: DMT and the Mapping of Other Dimensions * https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2016.00211/full * https://newrepublic.com/article/169525/psychonauts-training-psychedelics-dmt-extended-state* https://www.dmtx.org/resources-1 * https://psychedelicspotlight.com/researchers-are-mapping-out-new-dimensions-through-dmtx-technology/ Donald Hoffman and What is Reality * https://sites.socsci.uci.edu/~ddhoff/ * https://www.mindscienceacademy.org/en/do-we-see-reality-as-it-is-donald-hoffman/ * https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-evolutionary-argument-against-reality-20160421 * https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/consciousness-self-organization-and-neuroscience/201912/what-is-reality-interview-donald * https://tim.blog/2022/04/13/donald-hoffman The Argument That We Are Living In A Simulation * https://simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf * https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-we-living-in-a-computer-simulation/

Purity culture didn’t begin with religion, it began with control. In this episode, Teresa and Bill explore how ancient systems of ownership and inheritance evolved into moral laws that still shape our relationship to the body, desire, and worth today. Even after leaving high-control faiths, the conditioning remains embodied, showing up as shame, numbness, fear of pleasure, self-policing, and confusion about intimacy. From a trauma-informed and nervous-system lens, Teresa unpacks how sexual shame becomes a learned state of dysregulation, where the body equates arousal with danger. Together, they trace the historical roots of purity codes, examine how they persist in secular culture through double standards and body judgment, and invite listeners to begin reclaiming trust in their own desire and sensual aliveness. This episode explores: The anthropological origins of purity culture and why it once served social survival. How shame becomes wired into the nervous system. The psychological and somatic effects of sexual repression. How purity messages impact women, men, and queer people differently. The process of deconstructing purity conditioning and rebuilding embodied safety, curiosity, and pleasure. Healing isn’t rebellion, it’s integration and remembering who you were before shame told you your body was the problem. Join the conversation. Like, share, and subscribe to support this work. Donate to Almost Awakened: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2 Join our Support Group – https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle Learn more about coaching at https://awakenandthrive.org Referenced Resources: Pleasure Activism – Adrienne Maree Brown Come As You Are – Emily Nagoski Pure – Linda Kay Klein Shameless – Nadia Bolz-Weber Beyond Shame – Matthias Roberts

In this episode of Almost Awakened, we dig into the emotional weapon that too many of us have been shaped by—shame. Bill and Teresa break down how unhealthy systems—religious, familial, and relational—use shame to keep people small, obedient, and disconnected from their true selves. We explore the difference between guilt and shame, unpack the mechanics of control, and call out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways shame is embedded in Mormonism and beyond. Topics covered: How shame hijacks our sense of worth and belonging Lesser-known examples of shame-based control in high-demand religions The psychological damage caused by chronic shame Why not all shame is bad (and how it can serve society) A quick overview of Brené Brown’s Shame Resilience Method How to build awareness, speak shame, and reclaim your inner authority Whether you’re fresh out of Mormonism or years into your healing journey, this episode offers insights to help you recognize shame for what it is—and reclaim your right to live free from it. Join us for a conversation that’s raw, real, and liberating. You’re not bad. You’re awakening. Join us at our NEW CHANNEL: @almostawakenedpodcast3619 Join the conversation. Like, share, and subscribe to support this work. Donate to Almost Awakened: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2 Join our Support Group – https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle Learn more about coaching at https://awakenandthrive.org

What happens when trauma awareness turns into over-protection, and healing gets stuck in the identity of what harmed us? In this episode of Almost Awakened, Teresa Hobbs and Bill Reel unpack the concept of fragilization; the process by which individuals and cultures become organized around avoiding discomfort in the name of safety. Drawing from their work supporting people through religious trauma, deconstruction, and nervous system healing, Teresa and Bill explore how the instinct to protect ourselves can sometimes keep us trapped in patterns of helplessness. They discuss how to honor pain without becoming fused with it, how validation can restore dignity without reinforcing dependency, and why resilience requires learning to tolerate life’s inevitable discomforts. They also explore: How “trauma bonding” can become a comfort zone The difference between co-regulation and dependence Why denial breeds fragility How true strength comes from integration, not suppression The cultural consequences of fragilization: polarization and loss of resilience This conversation invites nuance, compassion, and empowerment, recognizing that honoring the wound is essential, but staying in it can keep us small. For those healing from high-demand religions or systems of control, it’s a reminder that real freedom isn’t the absence of pain, it’s the ability to hold both safety and strength as we grow. Join us at our NEW CHANNEL:  @almostawakenedpodcast3619  Join the conversation. Like, share, and subscribe to support this work. Donate to Almost Awakened: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2 Join our Support Group – https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle Learn more about coaching at https://awakenandthrive.org Books Mentioned:“The Expectation Effect” by David Robson – https://a.co/d/aRCk3wy“The Coddling of the American Mind” by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt – https://www.thecoddling.com/buy