All Episodes

June 3, 2025 62 mins

Comedian and creator Brent Pella (@brentpella) joins Richard and Joseph for a hilarious, unfiltered, and thoughtful conversation about satire, spiritual charlatans, and the surprising power of breathwork. Brent offers a rare blend of humor and heart while opening up about his creative process, psychedelic journeys, and why he believes we can store joy in our cells just like trauma.

Topics

– Satire, censorship & comedy’s role in an outraged world

– From ketamine to ayahuasca: Brent’s psychedelic path

– Conscious Connected Breathwork vs. plant medicine

– The charlatan problem in the healing space

– The neuroscience of joy, trauma, and creativity

– Biohacking water, BPA receipts, and microplastics

– Brent’s secret Bernie Sanders impression

Timestamps

00:02:45 – Learning to suck at something again: Brent on picking up piano and why challenge equals joy

00:05:52 – Storing joy in your cells: Can our bodies hold more than just trauma?

00:12:15 – SNL, Daily Show, and political bias in comedy

00:19:30 – Satirizing the psychedelic scene: Manipulation, ego, and false prophets

00:25:10 – Psychedelics & creativity: Brent’s journey from microdosing to macro insights

00:33:01 – Why Brent won’t do ayahuasca (yet)

00:39:45 – The wine glass metaphor for trauma healing

00:45:00 – Punching down vs. satire with integrity

00:52:20 – Leah Thomas joke: Finding the line without crossing it

00:55:42 – Pella or Propaganda: Brent plays the parody vs. real news game

01:03:00 – Deep breathwork & energy surges: Brent’s experience with CCB

01:09:30 – From Venice Beach smog to Austin skies: Nervous system reset

01:14:58 – Water hacks, raw milk mafias & BPA paranoia

01:21:45 – Receipts, Lululemon, and slow-drip toxicity

01:26:30 – Mercury in retrograde & the astrology placebo

01:32:20 – The burden of manifesting everything vs. surrendering to chaos

01:35:10 – Brent on legacy: Why joy matters more than justice

STAY CONNECTED

Brent’s Instagram

Brent’s Website & Tour Dates

Liability Note

Psychedelics discussed in this episode are illegal in many jurisdictions and are not suitable for everyone. Conscious Connected Breathwork can induce intense physiological and emotional responses and may be contraindicated for those with epilepsy, cardiovascular issues, or during pregnancy. Always consult a healthcare provider before participating in altered state practices.

Support the show

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Ruthie's Table 4

Ruthie's Table 4

For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.