PODCAST · religion
Almost Awakened
by Brittney Hartley & Bill Reel
Awake Enough To Question, Grounded Enough To Grow
Episodes
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Mormonism: A Narcissistic System: Why It’s Never Enough
What if the reason you felt like you were never enough… wasn’t you? In this episode, Teresa explores the striking parallels between narcissistic relationship dynamics and high-demand religious systems, specifically within Mormonism. Through a compassionate but honest lens, she examines how...
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Reclaiming the Forbidden: Sex, Power, and the Life Force Religion Suppressed
You were never broken. You were disconnected. In this unforgettable episode of Almost Awakened, we sit down with Kimberly Bryant — also known as Miss Bliss — a dominatrix and intimacy coach who helps people leaving high-demand religion reclaim the parts of themselves that were labeled…
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Hive Mind or Human Freedom? The Ethics of Pluribus
What if humanity suddenly shared one mind? In this episode, Bill Reel and Britt Hartley dive into the provocative sci-fi film Pluribus and unpack the ethical, psychological, and existential questions it raises. Would you join a collective consciousness if it promised peace, belonging, and an end…
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Stealing from Religion Without Losing Your Soul
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.…
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Reason & Religion: Austin DiValentino
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,...
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Rainn Wilson – Soul Boom
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…
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The Hardest Part of Leaving Religion: On Loss of Community
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…
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I’m Not Ok Unless You’re Ok: Codependency & Mormonism
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…
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Navigating Mixed-Faith Holidays Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Family)
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…
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Exploring The Edges with Bill Reel & Britt Hartley
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…
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Purity Culture & Sexual Shame
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...
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Shame as Control Unmasking the Manipulation
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…
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Fragilization: What Happens When We Over-Identify with Our Wounds
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…
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Holy Boundaries or Holy Control? Learning What Safety Really Feels Like
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...
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Holy Manipulation: Gaslighting in High-Demand Faiths
What happens when your church convinces you that your own memories, questions, and feelings can’t be trusted? In this episode of Almost Awakened, Bill Reel and Teresa Hobbs unpack the dark art of religious gaslighting — how high-demand faiths twist reality, dismiss legitimate concerns, and make...
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Opposing Viewpoints: Religious Apologists V. Critics
The Almost Awakened Podcast is planning out a “Opposing Viewpoints” series and in this first episode of our new Opposing Viewpoints series, Bill shares a recent confrontation he had with a Mormon apologist—an exchange where both sides walked away feeling the other had acted in bad faith.…
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Why You Can’t Sit Still: Mindfulness, Trauma, and the Nervous System
In this episode of the Almost Awakened Podcast, Bill Reel and Teresa Hobbs explore why stillness can feel so uncomfortable, especially for those recovering from religious trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Teresa shares a powerful moment between them as a couple when a…
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From Obedience to Integrity [Part 2]
In this episode of Almost Awakened, Bill and Teresa explore the transformative shift from external obedience to internal integrity. What happens when we stop living by someone else’s rules and start listening to our own inner voice? The conversation dives into the psychology of control, the cost…
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From Obedience to Integrity: Rebuilding Identity from the Inside Out PART 1
[Almost Awakened Ep: 191] What happens when obedience no longer defines you? In this episode, we explore the tender, disorienting, and ultimately liberating journey of shifting from a life shaped by external authority to one grounded in inner truth. We unpack how high-demand systems condition us…
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What Healthy Relationships Do Differently !
Why do some relationships thrive after conflict while others crumble? What if conflict wasn’t the problem in your relationships—but the key to deeper connection? In this powerful episode of the Almost Awakened Podcast, Bill Reel and Terresa Hobbs dive into the vital but often misunderstood cycle…
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The Mind & Body’s Connection to Religious Trauma
In this powerful episode, we explore the fascinating—and at times unsettling—truth that your body can carry pain, anxiety, and illness long after the danger is gone. Through bizarre medical stories and neuroscience-backed insights, we expose how the brain can misfire protective signals, trapping…
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Your Body Isn’t Broken: Teresa Hobbs Shares Her Personal Healing Journey [Almost Awakened 188]
In this powerful and vulnerable episode, Teresa Hobbs opens up about her personal journey through years of chronic illness, unexplained symptoms, and deep emotional and physical collapse — and what it took to slowly find her way back to life. From early signs of nervous system dysregulation to...
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Why We’re So Divided: Trauma, Bias, and the Human Brain [Almost Awakened 187]
Why does the world feel so divided—and why is it so hard to stay curious when we disagree? In this episode of Almost Awakened, we unpack the hidden forces driving today’s polarization. From ancient survival wiring to cognitive biases to trauma-shaped perception, we explore how our brains are...
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Healing from Religious & Spiritual Trauma [Almost Awakened 186]
What happens when the very thing that was supposed to save you ends up breaking you? In this deeply personal episode of Almost Awakened, Bill and Teresa dive into the hidden wounds left by high-demand religions and spiritual systems. From shame-laced teachings to fear-based obedience, they unpack...
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Unmasking Trauma: What It Really Is and How We Heal [Almost Awakened 185]
You’ve heard the word ‘trauma’—but do you really know what it means? In this powerful and eye-opening episode, we break down the truth about trauma: not just the dramatic events, but the subtle, often invisible wounds that live in our bodies, shape our behavior, and distort how we see the world.…
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Healing Starts Here: Understanding the Nervous System & Trauma [Almost Awakened 184]
Ep. 184 | Almost Awakened In this episode we explore how nervous system dysregulation affects your health, relationships, emotions, and identity—and how understanding this system can radically change the way you live and heal. Welcome to the reboot of the Almost Awakened Podcast—where big...
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Catching Up With Britt Hartley [Almost Awakened 183]
Britt Hartley returns to engage Bill on several questions that will create a fantastic awakened conversation and to reconnect on where being almost awakened has led them.
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Creating A Fulfilling Romantic Relationship [Almost Awakened 182]
In this episode of Almost Awakened, Bill shares his two month dive into relationship research. From John & Julie Gottman to Jordan Peterson RESOURCES: https://youtu.be/mS3bfCt0K88?si=qi-wdEVuZVHDJ0_p https://youtu.be/E5swtIjpxxA?si=jpBWf28DfDMZbjtb https://youtu.be/PQo8hFqfe9A?si=46f4K_7rRlvVfgXi...
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The Gender Dysphoria & Transgender Debate: A Foundation Conversation [Almost Awakened: 181]
Join Bill Reel and Jon Streeter in a thought-provoking conversation that delves deep into the complexities of the Gender Dysphoria & Transgender Debate. In this YouTube video, these two articulate voices engage in a nuanced exploration that transcends the surface-level discourse often seen in...
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Britt Hartley: No Nonsense Spirituality [Almost Awakened: 180]
In “No Nonsense Spirituality,” author, philosopher, and friend Britt Hartley offers a groundbreaking exploration that marries the rigor of rational inquiry with the depths of human spirituality. Best of all? No faith in the unbelievable is required. Drawing from the wellsprings of science,...
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Dan McClellan: Discerning Between Data and Dogma [Almost Awakened: 179]
Join hosts Bill Reel & Britt Hartley on this thought-provoking episode of Almost Awakened as they engage in a profound conversation with Dr. Dan McClellan. With a rich background in Ancient Near Eastern studies and a doctorate in the cognitive science of religion, Dr. McClellan brings a unique...
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Natasha Helfer & Post Religious Sexuality [Almost Awakened: 178]
In this thought-provoking episode, host Bill Reel engages in a candid and enlightening conversation with the incredible Natasha Helfer—a Mental Health & Sex Therapist. Join us as we dive deep into the realms of vulnerability, authenticity, and a topic bubbling to the surface for many: Post...
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Awakened Perspectives – Manda [Almost Awakened: 177]
“Awakened Perspectives” is a transformative podcast series that invites listeners on a profound journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. In each episode, your host Bill Reel sits down with a remarkable individual who embodies a wealth of grounded life experiences and wisdom. These guests have...
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Awakened Perspectives – Michael Foley [Almost Awakened: 175]
“Awakened Perspectives” is a transformative podcast series that invites listeners on a profound journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. In each episode, your host Bill Reel sits down with a remarkable individual who embodies a wealth of grounded life experiences and wisdom. These guests have...
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Awakened Perspectives – Ammon Arave: AA: 174
“Awakened Perspectives” is a transformative podcast series that invites listeners on a profound journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. In each episode, your host Bill Reel sits down with a remarkable individual who embodies a wealth of grounded life experiences and wisdom. These guests have...
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Awakened Perspectives – Phil McLemore: AA: 173
“Awakened Perspectives” is a transformative podcast series that invites listeners on a profound journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. In each episode, your host Bill Reel sits down with a remarkable individual who embodies a wealth of grounded life experiences and wisdom. These guests have...
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Awakened Perspectives – Miles Hunsaker: AA: 172
This is the second in series of Conversations where I sit down with people to delve into the deeper conversations of humanity. People I know and respect and sense they have wisdom and experience that will benefit us all. Today that is life coach Miles Hunsaker . Miles was a gay man who grew up in…
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Awakened Perspectives – The Fresh King Benjamin: AA: 171
Today begins a new chapter in the Almost Awakened Podcast. A series of Conversations where I sit down with people to delve into the deeper conversations of humanity. People I know and respect and sense they have wisdom and experience that will benefit us all. Today that is Comedian and Friend…
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Looking Back & Looking Forward: AA: 170
Britt and Bill sit down to look back at the work they have done and to discuss the future of Britt, of Bill, and of the Podcast.
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The Future Of The Almost Awakened Podcast: AA: 169
The Almost Awakened Podcast has some news to share and we wanted to tell our audience that news and how it will affect the show. And we have a short discussion on Trauma
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Baring it All With The Naked Pastor: Almost Awakened: 168
In this enlightening episode, we delve deep into the life and philosophy of the Naked Pastor, a remarkable figure whose journey from the pulpit to the canvas has captivated hearts worldwide. Known for his candid approach to faith and art, the Naked Pastor offers a raw and authentic perspective on...
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Christ, Krishna, & the Buddha – A Mystical Approach W/ Bob Peck: AA: 167
Christ, Krishna, and the Buddha with Bob Peck, Mystic Author Almost Awakened: 167 “Christ, Krishna, and the Buddha” is a exploration of the lives and teachings of three iconic spiritual figures who have left an indelible mark on the world. We sit down with mystic author Bob Peck delving into each...
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Barbie & the Heroine’s Journey: Almost Awakened: 166
Barbie & the Heroines Journey Bill and Britt outline the heroines journey and how it differs from the hero’s journey. RESOURCES: https://heroinejourneys.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/victoria-schmid.jpg Weird Barbie – https://creations.mattel.com/products/weird-barbie-barbie-the-movie-hyb84...
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Vulnerability With The Other: Almost Awakened: 165
Brene Brown has said that, “practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.” She defines spirituality in terms of connection to others and to a power greater than ourselves. For some, they call a greater power God. For others, they call it nature, or...
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Celtic Spirituality: Almost Awakened: 164
Celtic Spirituality is not a church. It was never formed into a unified institution. So what is it? And how can learning about it help people dispossessed of their early religious formation continue to explore their spirituality? How does this tradition of “Insular Christianity” originating in…
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Mysticism & Esoterica: Almost Awakened: 163
Delve into the intricate relationship between mysticism, religion, societal control, and progress in this thought-provoking podcast episode. Explore how mysticism, the pursuit of direct spiritual experience, weaves through diverse religious traditions, fostering inner transformation and unity…
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Values, Perspectives, & Taking The Tie: AA: 162
In this podcast, we present six beautifully crafted parables, each designed to illuminate the significance of values and perspectives in resolving conflicts. Through these timeless tales, we celebrate the art of taking a tie – whether through compromise, agreeing to disagree, or fostering room…
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Controversial Conversations: Almost Awakened: 161
In this thought-provoking episode of The Almost Awakened Podcast, we courageously delve into the heart of some of the most contentious and divisive topics of our time. Guided by a commitment to open-mindedness, empathy, and enlightenment, we embark on a journey to explore the complexities of…
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) – Unveiling the Layers of the Self: AA: 160
Internal Family Systems (IFS) – Unveiling the Layers of the Self: AA: 160 In this follow-up episode, we delve back into the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, a groundbreaking modality that seeks to understand and heal the multiple facets of our inner selves. Jana ( and Bill are rejoined by...
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An Introduction To Integral theory: AA: 159
In this Episode of Almost Awakened we take a look at Integral theory also known as Spiral Dynamics, a cognivitive development model made famous by Ken Wilber. We take a look a Introductory Look at this the through the lens of its facets of stages, states, lines of development, Types, and…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Awake Enough To Question, Grounded Enough To Grow
HOSTED BY
Brittney Hartley & Bill Reel
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Almost Awakened have?
Almost Awakened currently has 205 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Almost Awakened about?
Awake Enough To Question, Grounded Enough To Grow
How often does Almost Awakened release new episodes?
Almost Awakened publishes regularly with 205 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Almost Awakened?
You can listen to Almost Awakened on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Almost Awakened?
Almost Awakened is created and hosted by Brittney Hartley & Bill Reel.
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