What happens after you leave religion — but still feel a deep pull toward meaning, ritual, spirituality, or transcendence? In this conversation, Bill Reel and Britt Hartley sit down with religious ethicist and author Liz Bucar to explore what fills the vacuum when traditional faith falls away. From modern wellness culture and yoga to psychedelics, embodiment, and moral pressure, we ask hard questions about where people turn next — and whether those new spaces truly free us or quietly recreate the same dynamics we thought we escaped. Liz shares insights from her work and her book Beyond Wellness, examining how even “spiritual but not religious” communities can reproduce shame, hierarchy, and invisible expectations — often without realizing it.

Together, we explore:

• Why wellness culture increasingly functions like religion
• How moral pressure sneaks into spiritual spaces
• What it means to “steal from religion” ethically
• Why humans still crave ritual and transcendence
• How authority, identity, and meaning-making persist after deconstruction
• What secular communities often miss emotionally
• How embodiment, yoga, and psychedelics can be approached with care rather than dogma

This is an honest, thoughtful, and deeply human conversation for anyone navigating life after faith — especially those who are intellectually out but still feel emotionally or culturally tethered to their religious past. If you’ve ever wondered why leaving belief didn’t automatically bring peace… this episode helps explain why

00:02:41 – Who is Liz Bucar and how she became a religious ethicist
00:04:13 – Why Liz wrote Beyond Wellness
00:07:01 – What modern wellness culture gets wrong
00:12:22 – When spirituality becomes moral pressure
00:16:45 – Stealing from religion ethically
00:22:38 – What secular people often miss after deconstruction
00:30:14 – Yoga, embodiment, and deeper spiritual practice
00:38:52 – Psychedelics, meaning-making, and ethical use
00:49:41 – Authority, experience, and who gets to decide truth
01:00:27 – Why humans still crave ritual and transcendence
01:10:36 – Advice for those intellectually out but emotionally tethered
01:17:39 – Reflections on Beyond Wellness and modern spirituality
01:19:26 – Britt & Bill reflect on Liz’s insights

What happens when reason starts questioning itself? In this episode of Almost Awakened, Britt Hartley and Bill Reel sit down with Austin DiValentino, creator of the rapidly growing platform Reason & Religion (@austindivalentino). Austin has built a large following by exploring philosophy, belief, atheism, morality, and meaning—often asking the questions most people quietly avoid. While he has identified as an atheist, his thinking continues to evolve, and this conversation dives straight into the tension between certainty, doubt, and what it actually costs to pursue truth.

Together, we explore:

• What led Austin to begin creating content around religion, philosophy, and critical thinking
• When belief or disbelief stops being theoretical and becomes deeply personal
• Whether reason and religion are truly opposed—or falsely framed as enemies
• Why modern humans vastly overestimate how rational we actually are
• Where reason genuinely helps us—and where it completely breaks down

We also wrestle with some of the biggest existential questions people face after faith shifts:

• Can morality exist without God or a transcendent framework?
• Is losing belief in God harder—or losing belief that the universe “cares”?
• Is it always good to know what’s true, even if truth destabilizes hope and meaning?
• Should everyone be exposed to ideas that may unsettle mental health—or should some stories be handled with care?

Austin also reflects on:

• The emotional cost of studying philosophy deeply
• Whether there are ideas that feel beautiful even if they may not be true
• What modern people most avoid asking because the answers might change them
• What he ultimately hopes people take away from his work beyond simply “being right”

This is an honest, human conversation about meaning after certainty—about what remains when belief loosens, and how we learn to live anyway. If you’re navigating belief, disbelief, or somewhere painfully in between, this episode is for you.

Follow Austin DiValentino
— Reason & Religion Instagram: @austindivalentino

Support Almost Awakened https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2

If anyone needs support dealing with spiritual trauma, 1-on-1 coaching and support groups are available at: https://awakenandthrive.org/

In this episode of Almost Awakened, we sit down with Rainn Wilson, best known to many as Dwight Schrute from The Office, for a wide-ranging conversation on spirituality, meaning, and the search for depth in a modern world. Rainn Wilson has spent the years since moving beyond sitcom fame to explore some of life’s biggest questions. Through his podcast Soul Boom, Rainn brings together voices from across belief systems to wrestle with spirituality, purpose, and how humans make sense of existence in an age of disconnection, certainty loss, and cultural fragmentation. This conversation explores: What spirituality can look like outside rigid religious frameworks Why meaning, wonder, and transcendence still matter—even in a skeptical age How storytelling, community, and curiosity shape spiritual growth The role Soul Boom plays in creating conversations that unite rather than divide Rather than preaching answers, this episode leans into thoughtful exploration—asking how we live well, stay grounded, and remain open when traditional narratives no longer hold the same power. Rainn is joined by hosts Britt Hartley of No Nonsense Spirituality and Bill Reel of The Almost Awakened Podcast for a conversation that is curious, grounded, and refreshingly human. Whether you’re familiar with Rainn Wilson from his acting career, his work on Soul Boom, or you’re simply interested in thoughtful conversations about spirituality without dogma, this episode invites you to explore the edges with us.

0:00 Intro
2:15 Why Rainn Wrote Soul Boom
6:40 The Workbook and Creative Spirituality 10:22 Mental Health and Faith 14:48 The Baha’i Path 19:50 Wrestling with God and Morality 24:30 Spiritual Bypassing and Recovery 28:55 A New Kind of Religion?
33:10 Atheism, Truth, and Meaning
37:50 Science, Mystery, and Humility
42:20 How Words Like “God” Divide Us
47:10 The Future of Faith
52:05 Spirituality and Privilege
56:40 The Purpose of Religion Today
1:00:25 Finding Awe in the Modern World
1:05:10 Unlocking the Heart
1:09:30 Final Reflections

RESOURCES:
NEW Soul Boom Workbook https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Boom-Workbook-Spiritual-Modern/dp/1538775549
Original Soul Boom Book – https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Boom-Need-Spiritual-Revolution/dp/B0BCCGD7WP
Soul Boom Podcast – https://www.youtube.com/@SoulBoom

The Hardest Part of Leaving Religion: On Loss of Community Leaving religion often comes with a sense of relief, clarity, and freedom, but for many people, the hardest part isn’t the loss of belief. It’s the loss of community. In this episode, Teresa talks about the quiet grief that often follows a faith transition: losing built-in belonging, shared language, familiar rhythms, and the sense of social safety that religion once provided. I explore why rebuilding connection outside of organized religion can feel so difficult, especially in a post-pandemic world where many of us are already feeling more isolated and disconnected than before. This episode isn’t about fixing yourself or rushing the process. It’s about understanding what you’re actually grieving, normalizing why this phase feels so hard, and gently reminding you that meaningful connection is still possible, even if it looks different than it did before.

Join us at our NEW CHANNEL:  @almostawakenedpodcast 

Resources mentioned: Bill Reel and Teresa Hobbs facilitate a Faith Transition & Deconstruction Support Group, a trauma-informed, bi-weekly space for people navigating life after religion. The next group begins January 20, 2026, and a few spots are still available. Sign up here: https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle

Join the conversation.
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Join our Support Group – https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle
Learn more about coaching at https://awakenandthrive.org

In this solo episode of the Almost Awakened Podcast, Teresa Hobbs explores codependency through a nervous-system and systems lens, with a specific focus on why high-demand religious environments, especially Mormonism, are fertile ground for codependent patterns. Rather than framing codependency as a flaw or character issue, this episode reframes it as a survival adaptation that develops when safety, belonging, and worth are tied to external approval, emotional harmony, or compliance. If you grew up: Monitoring other people’s moods Scanning the room before checking in with yourself Feeling responsible for others’ emotions Struggling to identify your own needs, feelings, or limits …this conversation is for you. Interested in the Upcoming Religious Deconstruction Support Group starting in January?

Go here to sign up: https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle

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 

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.

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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.

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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

In this episode of Almost Awakened, Bill and Teresa explore one of the most misunderstood aspects of emotional health, boundaries. We unpack what safe and unsafe boundaries look like, how trauma and conditioning shape the ways we draw our lines, and why some “boundaries” are really just walls disguised as self-protection. You’ll learn how to identify when a boundary is rooted in fear versus self-respect, and how to create space for connection without sacrificing your safety or authenticity. If you’ve ever felt guilty for setting boundaries, or confused when someone else’s “boundary” felt more like a punishment, this conversation will help you untangle what’s actually going on beneath the surface.

Join the conversation. Like, share, and subscribe to support this work.

Join our Support Group – https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/circle

Learn more about coaching at https://awakenandthrive.org/

Donate to Almost Awakened: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2