Hey there briefing listeners I want to share with you a new investigative

podcast from the Financial Times. It's called Untold the Retreat. Over four

episodes host Madison Marriage delves into the dark side of meditation,

in particular one network of 10 day silent meditation retreats.

Now most people who go on these retreats they rave about them,

but some who go suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror or a break with reality,

and afterwards they're just not themselves anymore. This is the first episode. You can listen to the rest of the series if you just search for

untold The Retreat, wherever you get your podcasts.

This series discusses suicide and mental health.

Please take care while listening and seek support if you need it.

In January of 2023, I was sitting at my desk at the Financial Times, when an email popped into my inbox.

The subject line immediately caught my eye.

It read,

Meditation Cults and mental health.

My name is Madison Marriage and over a year ago I took on a new role running a special

investigations unit for the Financial Times.

Our goal is to expose abuse of power, institutional failings in any field, business, education, politics, you

name it.

Our publication normally covers financial journalism, so meditation cults are not the kind of thing I usually write about.

But there was something about the author's tone

that made me sit up and pay attention.

Dear Madison, he started.

...