Tom Poops The Bucket, Bert Shit The Bed | 2 Bears, 1 Cave

Bert Kreischer opens up about his journey with sobriety, how it has changed his approach to relationships and career, and the contradictions and self-reflection that have marked his experience.

Establishing Boundaries and Rejecting People-Pleasing Behavior

Sobriety allows Bert to assert boundaries and gain professional respect. He reflects on how, when drinking, people didn’t take him seriously and expected him to be easygoing and compliant. Now sober, he notices himself refusing to be treated dismissively and is more aware of how people interact with him. Bert gives the example of being asked to come in for last-minute camera tests on the day of a major arena show. He describes how the old version of himself might have agreed in exchange for drinks, but now he simply says "no" without justifying it, even when pressed.

Bert views this increased assertiveness as pent-up reaction to years of being spoken to in a condescending manner, and he admires Tom Segura’s ability to set and keep boundaries, referencing Tom’s decision to leave a social event early as something he wishes to emulate. Tom assures Bert that maintaining standards and saying no isn’t a display of nastiness or toxicity, but an essential form of asserting boundaries. They agree that standing up for oneself and not always being a people-pleaser is healthy and necessary.

Contradiction Between Sobriety Benefits and Returning To Drinking

Despite experiencing many benefits while sober—including better health, sleep, fitness, self-awareness, and emotional insight—Bert confesses his plan to resume drinking. Tom confronts him directly, pointing out that every aspect of Bert’s life has improved due to sobriety, yet Bert is eager to “sprint back to the old me.” Bert admits to being aware of his own self-sabotaging tendencies. His wife, Leanne, encourages him to do the personal work needed before returning to alcohol, warning that unless he addresses his deeper issues, his drinking will revert to familiar, destructive patterns. Even knowing that sobriety improves his wellbeing in every measurable way, Bert remains determined to drink again, exemplifying the difficult contradictions many face when dealing with addiction and personal growth.

Critiquing the Monetization of Sobriety Culture

Bert critiques influencers who promote sobriety through fitness plans, diets, and sponsorships, arguing that many never truly address their underlying issues. He identifies with these individuals, acknowledging that while they may have stopped drinking, t ...

Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura discuss their personal experiences with psychedelic substances, the psychological impact of such experiences, plans for future explorations, and compare effects with other recreational drugs.

Dmt Use and Visual Alterations

Tom Has Tried dmt Five Times, Once With Cannabis in Arizona

Tom Segura has tried DMT five times, mentioning his first real experience took place in Arizona, where DMT was mixed with cannabis. He describes this combination, noting that while it altered his perception, it was different than taking DMT by itself.

Most Intense Dmt Experience

During his most intense DMT experience, Tom reports an immediate and complete change in vision: everything around him transformed into black and white sketches, as if the entire world became a sketchbook. The effect was so vivid and separating from reality that he briefly believed it could be permanent, provoking real fear. He recounts trying to relax but being unable to shake the terror, even closing his eyes to escape but finding the sensation still present when he reopened them.

Dmt Experience Felt Longer but Only Lasted 15 Minutes; Normal Vision Fully Returned

Although the DMT "trip" became overwhelming and felt significantly prolonged, Tom notes it lasted just around 15 minutes. Once over, his normal vision completely returned, highlighting the temporary and ephemeral nature of the experience despite its intensity.

Psychological Benefits of Psychedelic Self-Examination

Tom Found Value In dmt, Confronting Shelved Thoughts, Unprocessed Emotions, and Contemplating Life Purpose After His Father's Death

Tom emphasizes the introspective and therapeutic benefits of his DMT trips. After navigating the intense visual phase, he describes a shift toward internal self-examination. This stage brought forward "shelved" thoughts—unprocessed emotions, unresolved issues, and important topics he’d avoided, such as the meaning of life, mortality, and the grief over his father's passing. He notes that confronting these thoughts, rather than the substance’s effects, was the rewarding part of the experience.

Psychedelics Compel Examination of Avoided or Suppressed Difficult Topics, Making Temporary Discomfort Worthwhile for Emotional Processing

According to Tom, psychedelics like DMT force users to face aspects of their lives they might otherwise avoid. He believes the temporary discomfort is worthwhile, as it ultimately encourages emotional processing and personal growth. By being compelled to confront hard emotions, he found a deeper sense of reward from the experience.

Tom Highlights Reward From Confronting Hard Emotions, Not the Drug

Tom is clear that the true value comes from engaging with difficult emotions and thoughts rather than the drug itself. The forced confrontation can uncover meaningful insight, making the experience valuable beyond the immediate psychedelic effects.

Future Plans for Guided Psychedelic Exploration

Bert and Tom Suggest a Two Bears, One Cave Episode on Psilocybin Consumption With a Shaman

Looking to future experiences, Bert suggests doing a psilocybin mushroom episode for their podcast, “Two Bears, One Cave,” with a shaman guiding them—a proposal Tom fully supports.

Bert Plans a Moderate Mushroom Trip By Doubling a Microdose

Bert considers taking a moderate dose for this future trip, planning to double a typical microdose and then "ride it out" to see what happens, aiming for more than just a mild effect but not venturing into excessively strong territory.

Hosts Excited For Psychedelic Experience; Tom Is "one Thousand Percent Down" for Mushr ...

Tom's Digestive Unpredictability and Testing Initiative

Tom Segura describes his digestive health as unpredictable, sharing that he can eat bland foods like chicken, rice, and bananas but still experience severe digestive reactions, while sometimes eating a cheeseburger results in normal digestion. Concerned about the erratic nature of his digestion, Tom decides to investigate further by collecting stool samples for laboratory analysis. He explains the process: collecting samples in a bucket, dividing them into vials, and storing them at different temperatures before submitting them for testing. A gastroenterologist requests samples specifically to identify underlying conditions contributing to his symptoms, emphasizing the importance of testing both during a "bad" episode and not waiting for a "good" stool.

Bert's Theory Linking Ancestry To Dietary Needs

Bert Kreischer proposes a theory that our digestive systems retain a "memory" of ancestral diets, suggesting that people should eat traditional foods for optimal digestive health. He suggests that Tom, being half Peruvian, would benefit from a diet closely aligned with traditional Peruvian foods rather than the diverse modern American diet. Bert believes Tom's digestive issues stem from straying from his genetic dietary roots, using other examples, such as people of Scottish descent struggling with spicy foods, or individuals from Japan potentially having trouble digesting certain foreign foods.

Bert elaborates that because the U.S. is a melting pot, people are now eating a wide variety of foods from different cultures, but their digestive systems have not adapted genetically to this diversity. He argues that his own Irish-German heritage predisposes him to digest foods like potatoes, bread, and bratwurst, while someone of Mediterranean ancestry is best suited for a Mediterranean diet. Bert describes traditional Peruvian diets as high in potatoes (a crop native to Peru), rice, legumes, various proteins like chicken, beef, pork, fresh fish, giant corn, and quinoa, and predicts Tom would feel better if he returned to these staples. According to Bert, cultural dietary needs and adaptations should guide modern eating habits for better health.

Lactose Intolerance and Genetic Expression

Tom and Bert discuss how genetic background influences dietary tolerance, especially through the example of lactose intolerance. Tom cites that 70–80% of Black people experience lactose non-persistence, meaning their bodies produce lower levels of lactase, the enzyme necessary for digesting dairy. Bert notes that this results from ancestral dietary patterns—most African populations historically didn't consume dairy, so their descendants often lack the enzyme needed to break down lactose. The conversation highlights how ancestral lack of exposure to a certain food group can impact present-day digestion.

Multicultu ...

Unexpected Viral Reception Among Black Audiences

Tom Segura is surprised and thrilled by the unexpected viral success of "Bad Thoughts" Season 2 among Black audiences. Despite not specifically targeting this demographic, the show trended in the Top 10 within Black social media spaces. Tom notes that many viewers posting about the show online don't recognize him by name, often referring to his on-screen persona as "this crazy white dude." These grassroots reactions—which include viewers sharing video clips while laughing and encouraging others to watch—are especially meaningful to Tom. He finds the organic, word-of-mouth enthusiasm more rewarding than traditional success metrics because it comes from genuine audience discovery rather than targeted marketing or pre-existing fanbases.

Unprecedented Production Speed and Quality Outcomes

Season 2 of "Bad Thoughts" was produced on a compressed schedule compared to the previous season. While Season 1 was shot in October into early November and debuted in May, allowing about six months of post-production, Season 2 was filmed from February into early March and still premiered in May, leaving only two months for post-production. With less preparation time and a smaller staff, the second season nevertheless performed better than the first, which Tom and Bert Kreischer note is rare in the television industry. Tom attributes this success to the exceptional work of his post-production team, directors, and producers, emphasizing that it was a team effort and not solely due to his own contributions.

Comedian Validation as a Meaningful Success Metric

For Tom, ...

Changing Norms Around Male Nudity in Shared Spaces

Bert Kreischer observes a striking shift between younger men’s comfort with male nudity and the attitudes of his own generation. He notes that his assistants, Kyle and Peter, are uncomfortable with male nudity, even in situations as mild as encountering someone in their underwear. Bert contrasts this discomfort with his own upbringing, where male nudity was entirely normalized. In his youth, it was common to see men naked in locker rooms, and he frequently saw his own father and other men without clothes. He describes experiences in high school where group showers with dozens of boys and male seniors were the norm, recalling the anxiety about body image such situations could provoke.

Bert elaborates that communal toilets without doors and open defecation among peers were also accepted as standard behavior. He remembers visiting friends’ homes where it was normal for boys and men to use the bathroom with the door wide open. The expectation was that such openness was “what life is,” and no one questioned if it made anyone uncomfortable.

Among his peers, discomfort with nudity was stigmatized and ridiculed. If a young man objected or expressed unease, others would accuse him of being gay, which was used as an accusation or taunt meant to pressure conformity and assure others of their heterosexuality. Bert recalls the expectation that, to fit in, one had to comfortably look at others’ bodies, as showing discomfort could prompt mocking or even more pointed derision.

Traumatic Hazing and Sexual Violations Normalized As Humor

Bert recounts explicit examples of sexual violations normalized as humor and rites of passage during his high school and college years. He recalls a hazing incident in ninth grade where, while showering with older boys, seniors urinated on him as a joke, all while the group laughed. He describes this kind of behavior as something that would continue through to his early twenties, including incidents at fraternity houses where witnessing someone masturbating in front of others as a joke was not out of the ordinary. For him, the last time he saw this “joke jerking off” among peers was at age 24.

This pattern of sexual pranks—such as public urination or simulated masturbation—was played for humor. Jokes about sexual violation often doubled as ...