Interesting but shallow so far, melodramatic, and one-sided
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“You’ve gone into this investigation with your mind already made up, I think. In my opinion these people had underlying issues that were triggered by meditation and then accentuated by exhaustion from lack of sleep. Anyone with sleep deprivation will start getting unpleasant side effects, I suppose. Hope you cut out the dramatic music and interview some people who benefited from the Goenka retreats. I’ve done two - a ten day course in India, and a short one in Oxfordshire. They were tough in some ways, but definitely beneficial. It’s called insight meditation and you do get some insights. They method is basically trying to focus your attention on your breath, then on your body sensations. For me, by doing this, I realised I was very rarely present - my thoughts kept going to old memories, or thoughts, maybe anxieties, about the future. Then i would realise I was sidetracked and try to focus on my breath again. That’s probably the starting point, or it was for me. From there I started to realise how my mind was like an energetic monkey, jumping between things, and hardly ever really in the moment. This was linked to desire and aversion. So, anyway, you start to get these sort of insights. I guess other participants had similar experiences. Obviously this is going to trigger major issues for some people. Maybe these issues could have been handled better, maybe they would have happened anyway. It does not mean the whole thing is a dangerous cult, as you seem to imply.
Edit: having listened to the end of episode 3 now, I see where you’re coming from. No, the volunteers are not trained to cope with mental health issues, and they should be. That’s clear negligence. I think they are well meaning: they are people who have found the technique helpful, but might believe the method is a universal panacea. However the practice will clearly prompt mental health issues for some people. The organization needs to take measures and get the advice of qualified mental health professional to create a training program on how to deal with people who have emotional reactions induced by the technique. Because that is definitely going to happen; just by being alone with your own thoughts for ten days issues you have will inevitable surface. Some people will always have these problems if they do this practice and the staff are simply not equipped to deal with them. All they can say is: keep practising.
I think a lot of yoga is similar. In my opinion, to teach yoga you should have training equal to that of a qualified physiotherapist: three or four years at a university with in depth knowledge of anatomy. People shouldn’t be teaching yoga after doing a short training course. So I agree with the implications here: these things need to be regulated.
Anyway, I’ve raised my rating to four stars. Not 5, because the music is too melodramatic! Good stuff though.”
AlistairCandlin via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
02/10/24
More reviews of Untold: The Retreat
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“Was intrigued by this. As disclosure I do some mediation myself but not lots.
Negatives: I normally like the FT for what seems like impartially and weighing up the facts. Good journalism in other words. However, like other reviewers, this comes across as sensationalism. Spooky UFO style music...”Read full review »
L D'Silva via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/31/24
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“So interesting so far but I do note that prior to attending the retreat she displays some minor symptoms of worsening mental health that are not picked up on and treated so I can’t clearly link the two. Did the retreats damage mental health or was the damage done when a burgeoning mental health...”Read full review »
Zucchini0987 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/31/24
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“Having done a Visspassana retreat in France thirty years ago and greatly benefited from it ever since, (I even am considering going back for a refresher) I was pretty upset to hear this tale and wondering where it could possibly lead. I came away from my retreat with the advise to meditate once...”Read full review »
Bec Taylor via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/24/24
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