On the morning of June 13, 1980, in the quiet suburb of Wylie, Texas, Candy Montgomery went to her friend Betty Gore’s house to pick up a child’s swimsuit. By the end of that visit, Betty was dead — struck forty-one times with an axe by a woman who had once been her closest ally.

In this episode, we unpack one of the most disturbing and psychologically complex true-crime cases of the 1980s, recently re-imagined in Love and Death (HBO) and Candy (Hulu). But beyond the headlines and dramatizations, this story is really about emotional repression, gendered expectations, and what happens when a “perfect” life becomes a pressure cooker.

We explore the world that shaped these women — a tightly knit Methodist church community where politeness, conformity, and appearances mattered more than emotional honesty. Candy Montgomery was everything this world rewarded: organized, cheerful, socially fluent, and endlessly accommodating. Betty Gore, by contrast, was isolated, newly postpartum, struggling, and quietly unraveling while her husband carried on an affair with Candy.

As we trace how a carefully planned affair spiraled into betrayal, jealousy, and finally violence, we examine the psychological forces at play: dissociation, suppressed rage, high sensation-seeking, and the breaking point of a woman who had spent a lifetime being “good.”

We also dig into the controversial trial that followed — including the use of hypnosis, the dissociation defense, and how Candy’s presentation as a soft-spoken, respectable white woman shaped the jury’s decision to acquit her. What does it mean when the justice system believes someone who looks safe? And what happens when empathy and accountability collide?

This is not just a story about murder — it’s a story about motherhood, repression, desire, and the dark things that can grow inside a life that looks perfect from the outside.

Content Warning: graphic violence, homicide, infidelity

In this episode, we take a thoughtful, grounded journey into the world of psychedelics — not as a trend or a cure-all, but as a powerful lens for understanding consciousness, mental health, and the stories we tell about ourselves.

We explore psychedelics through history, culture, and neuroscience, asking why humans across time have been drawn to altered states — from Indigenous spiritual practices to modern clinical research. We unpack what it means to be a psychonaut, tracing the evolution of psychedelic exploration from the 1960s counterculture to today’s renewed interest in therapeutic and medical settings.

Along the way, we discuss influential figures like Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Ken Kesey, and Michael Pollan, and examine how psychedelics moved from laboratories to living rooms, from taboo to treatment, and back into serious scientific inquiry.

From a mental health perspective, we break down how psychedelics interact with the brain — particularly the Default Mode Network — and why quieting the mind’s inner narrator can lead to profound shifts in perspective, reduced rumination, increased emotional flexibility, and new pathways for healing trauma, depression, and addiction. We also explore concepts like ego dissolution, neuroplasticity, and why the “afterglow” phase is such a powerful window for change and integration.

Finally, we walk through the anatomy of a psychedelic experience — set and setting, the phases of a trip, emotional intensity, meaning-making, and integration — with an emphasis on respect, preparation, and psychological safety.

This episode isn’t about encouraging use — it’s about understanding why these experiences can be so impactful, how they work in the brain, and what they reveal about the human need for connection, healing, and expanded awareness.

Whether you’re curious, cautious, or deeply interested in the science of the mind, this episode invites you to explore what happens when the usual stories loosen — and something new becomes possible.

Content Warning: discussion of substance use and mental health

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. We are not providing medical or therapeutic advice. Psychedelic experiences are highly individual and may not be safe or appropriate for everyone. Always consult qualified medical or mental health professionals.

In this episode, we dive into the disturbing, complicated, and often misrepresented case of Mary Kay Letourneau — the Washington teacher who groomed and sexually abused her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau. Decades later, the story is still warped by media sensationalism, “tabloid romance” narratives, and cultural double standards around female perpetrators. We’re stripping away the myth to explore what actually happened, what was missed, and the lifelong impact on Vili.

We start by unpacking Mary Kay’s background: her rigid Catholic upbringing, political family steeped in hypocrisy, early signs of emotional instability, and the deep manipulation and performance she showed in interviews. Then we shift to Vili — a vulnerable, artistic kid navigating financial instability, craving connection, and completely unequipped for the adult dynamics Mary forced onto him.

From the illegal relationship itself to the 1997 arrest, plea deals, pregnancies, and the famous no-contact order violation, we detail the case through a mental-health and trauma-informed lens. We look at diagnoses like severe bipolar disorder, narcissistic traits, and emotional dysregulation.

Finally, we explore the long-term impact: the complicated marriage, the media’s warped portrayal, the trauma bond, their eventual separation, and the nuanced, heartbreaking interviews Vili gave after Mary Kay’s death. This episode is about abuse, delusion, coercive control, and the danger of romanticized narratives that ignore harm.

Content Warning: sexual abuse of a minor, grooming, exploitation, mental illness, and legal consequences.

Dennis Rader seemed like the last person you’d suspect: a church council president, a devoted father, a Boy Scout leader, and the neighborhood rule-enforcer who always waved hello. But behind the clean-cut façade lived one of America’s most methodical and narcissistic serial killers — the man who called himself BTK: Bind. Torture. Kill.

In this episode, Jess G and Lex break down the chilling duality that allowed Rader to hide in plain sight for over 30 years. We trace his early emotional deprivation, the development of an escalating fantasy life, and the compulsive need for control that shaped his violent “projects” — all while he maintained the image of a stable suburban family man.

We walk through the timeline of BTK’s murders, the letters that built his persona, and the long silences where he lived quietly among the very community he terrorized. We also unpack the psychological mechanisms behind his double life — compartmentalization, narcissism, ritualization — and how these ultimately paved the way for his downfall in one of the most bizarre arrests in true crime history: a floppy disk, a metadata blunder, and a killer convinced of his own invincibility.

Finally, we explore the family’s perspective, the generational impact of discovering your father is a serial murderer, and the complex grief and betrayal that followed.

Join us as we step into the unsettling world of BTK — a case that forces us to confront the monstrousness that can hide beneath everyday normalcy, and the terrifying power of a well-maintained mask.

Content Warning: homicide, torture, sexual deviance, psychological manipulation, familial trauma, deception

In 1957, the world met Ed Gein — a quiet farmer from Wisconsin whose crimes would forever change the landscape of horror. Though often mislabeled as a “serial killer,” Gein’s story sits at the eerie crossroads of delusion, grief, and obsession. His farmhouse was found filled with human remains repurposed into furniture, clothing, and masks — the product of a shattered psyche and a lifetime of religious abuse and isolation.

In this episode, we dive into the psychological underpinnings of Ed’s crimes, exploring his relationship with his domineering mother, his descent into psychosis, and how trauma and religious fanaticism shaped his distorted sense of morality. We also discuss the blurred line between delusion and evil intent — and how Gein’s story inspired some of America’s most iconic horror films, including Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.

Join us as we untangle the dark psychology behind one of true crime’s most infamous cases — and ask what our fascination with stories like Ed’s reveals about us.

Content Warning: severe mental illness, trauma, ghoulish violence, homicide

In one of the most disturbing cases of parental abuse and spiritual coercion in recent years, 8 Passengers momfluencer Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt—founder of the “life coaching” group Connexions—were arrested after Ruby’s 12-year-old son escaped their home emaciated and bound with duct tape. What began as family vlogging and “tough love” parenting spiraled into a high-control, cult-like system of punishment justified as spiritual correction.

In this episode, we unpack how a culture obsessed with moral purity and family image helped enable the abuse—and how Jodi’s radicalized “truth vs. distortion” teachings turned ordinary discipline into psychological warfare. We explore the intersection of religious perfectionism, influencer culture, and manipulation, asking: how did a mother who claimed to be protecting her children end up harming them in the name of love?

Along the way, we look at Utah’s unique vulnerability to high-control groups, Jodi’s transformation from Mormon therapist to self-styled prophet, Ruby’s descent from suburban mom to co-abuser, and the courtroom statements that blurred the line between remorse and self-delusion.

It’s a chilling reminder of what happens when spiritual authority, shame, and control collide—and how the language of “truth” can be weaponized to justify unthinkable harm.

Content Warning: child abuse, brainwashing, spiritual manipulation

In 2021, the disappearance of 22-year-old Gabby Petito and the subsequent death of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, captured national attention. But beyond the headlines and nonstop media coverage lies a deeper story of coercive control, red flags that went unnoticed, and the devastating consequences of domestic violence.

In this episode, we revisit Gabby and Brian’s relationship, from the excitement of their van-life journey to the disturbing dynamics revealed in police encounters, text messages, and Brian’s final writings. We’ll explore how family dynamics, manipulation, and missed opportunities for intervention shaped this tragedy—and what has changed in the wake of Gabby’s death.

Join us as we dig into the tender and twisted truths behind one of the most publicized cases of the decade.

Content Warning: domestic violence, manipulation, suicide

Twin flames or toxic flames? In this episode, we dig into Twin Flames Universe — the high-control online group led by Jeff and Shaleia Divine. Marketed as a path to love and spiritual ascension, TFU has instead been accused of manipulation, financial exploitation, and disturbing gender ideology.

We’ll unpack where the idea of “twin flames” came from, how Jeff and Shaleia built their empire, and the harmful practices that keep members hooked — from the so-called “Mirror Exercise,” to high-cost coaching packages, to redefining people’s identities for control. Along the way, we’ll look at the human vulnerabilities that cult-like groups prey on: heartbreak, loneliness, the longing to belong.

Join us as we explore the tender and the twisted sides of love, devotion, and power.

Content Warning: emotional abuse, coercion, high-control group, forced gender ideology