Untold: The Retreat

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In the first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana.

In January 2023, Madison received an email from a desperate father named Stephen. He said his twin daughters had changed drastically. They were once promising young women with exciting plans for their futures but then spiralled into despair and were struggling to lead normal lives. Stephen believed the root of his daughters’ problems was a particular network of meditation retreats.

Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year to learn Vipassana meditation. High-flying tech moguls in Silicon Valley rave about it. Getting a place on one is like getting Glastonbury tickets: they’re coveted. But some who go to these retreats suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality — and afterwards, they’re not themselves anymore.

The Retreat is a four-part series, publishing every Wednesday from January 24.

Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

You are seeing a snapshot of an interactive graphic. This is most likely due to being offline or JavaScript being disabled in your browser.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

You are seeing a snapshot of an interactive graphic. This is most likely due to being offline or JavaScript being disabled in your browser.

Madison Marriage is the FT’s special investigations editor. She leads a team of reporters investigating misconduct and abuse of power across business, politics, housing, education and beyond.

Since joining the FT 12 years ago she has held a number of correspondent positions covering asset management, tax and accounting. She joined the investigations desk in 2019 after delivering two award-winning investigations into sexual harassment at the elite Presidents Club charity dinner and the defenestration of advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell.