Independent news reporting and media coverage of meditation retreats, safety discussions, and related incidents for readers researching public information.
Untold: The Retreat — an investigative podcast into the perils of meditation
Untold: The Retreat is a four-part podcast from the Financial Times’ special investigations team, hosted by Madison Marriage.
The series examines the Goenka network, which runs intensive Vipassana meditation retreats. Thousands of people attend these retreats each year, including high-profile figures, and many describe positive experiences.
The podcast explores reports from some participants who felt distress, disorientation, or lasting changes after the retreats. The series presents these accounts without judgment, aiming to investigate and document a range of experiences within the network.