Untold: The Retreat

Jaqui’s Story

Jaqui was 22 when she signed up to a 10-day Goenka retreat. It was the last known thing she did before she died. This is Jaqui’s story. For support or more information about adverse meditation experiences, take a look at the <a href="https://www.cheetahhouse.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheetah House</a> website.If you are in need of urgent mental health support, please contact your local emergency services or reach out to a mental health helpline, such as the <a href="https://988lifeline.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline</a> in the US or <a href="https://www.samaritans.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Samaritans</a> in the UK. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/0fe0773b-e347-49b3-a7c5-65020b261fbf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Untold is a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. On Untold: The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24. Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.