Introducing Untold, a brand new podcast from the particular investigations workforce on the Monetary Occasions. Within the first sequence, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka community, which promotes a kind of intensive meditation referred to as Vipassana.
In January 2023, Madison obtained an e-mail from a determined father named Stephen. He stated his twin daughters had modified drastically. They have been as soon as promising younger girls with thrilling plans for his or her futures however then spiralled into despair and have been struggling to guide regular lives. Stephen believed the foundation of his daughters’ issues was a selected community of meditation retreats.
1000’s of individuals go on Goenka retreats yearly to study Vipassana meditation. Excessive-flying tech moguls in Silicon Valley rave about it. Getting a spot on one is like getting Glastonbury tickets: they’re coveted. However some who go to those retreats endure. They may really feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with actuality — and afterwards, they’re not themselves anymore.
The Retreat is a four-part sequence, publishing each Wednesday from January 24.
Subscribe and hear on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you take heed to podcasts.
Episode 1: Expensive Madison
Learn a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Take heed to the trailer:
Madison Marriage is the FT’s particular investigations editor. She leads a workforce of reporters investigating misconduct and abuse of energy throughout enterprise, politics, housing, schooling and past.
Since becoming a member of the FT 12 years in the past she has held a variety of correspondent positions masking asset administration, tax and accounting. She joined the investigations desk in 2019 after delivering two award-winning investigations into sexual harassment on the elite Presidents Membership charity dinner and the defenestration of promoting mogul Sir Martin Sorrell.
