It’s complicated. They could very well just be seeking the benefits written on the tin. But they may not be aware that the artificially intense retreats that pass for Buddha Dhamma these days could pose any danger. There is a real lack of awareness across the board that retreats can be damaging.
I’m surprised I haven’t seen this shared in any Buddhist forums yet:
As podcasts go it’s well done. I learned nothing about the Goenka system/experience that I didn’t know already, but I’m sure that for many people it will be eye opening. And certainly for anyone not in the “industry”. I think they did a good job of making the distinction that the retreats are not “Buddhism” as the Goenkists are so keen to point out. And it’s clearly focused on the problems in that organization that lead to such damage.
If you don’t want to listen to all of it, you could probably just listen to the last one. By that episode listeners have come forward and the Goenka org finally responds to the podcast producers questions.
I’m super interested in either listening to those pod casts or even reading the transcripts, …. but unless I’m missing something, it looks like $349 to subscribe
Thanks for sharing. I’ve been thinking about signing up for a Goenka retreat recently but this is making me rethink it. I don’t suffer from any mental health issues but the retreats do seem kind of intense. Most people I know that have been to one talk about the mental and physical suffering moreso than any other effects which is a little odd for the Buddhist middle way.
Thank you, Snowbird, for the link to this podcast. I’m going to listen to it today.
I’ve been to two Goenka retreats and have had 15 years to unpack them. I have a friend who, I believe, could benefit greatly from the Dhamma. But I also think that if she went to a Goenka retreat with nobody to guide her, she could very well end up institutionalized. I’m dead serious. I have another friend who went to a Doug Kraft retreat and Doug told him that he reached the 4th Jhana. Unbelievable.
Meditation can lead people to some dark places, triggering trauma or leaving people feeling disoriented, according to Dr. Willoughby Britton, who has studied the adverse effects of contemplative practices for more than a decade. In May 2017, she and her research partner and husband, Dr. Jared Lindahl, released a study that identified 59 different kinds of negative meditation experiences. Their research has also shown that these distressing experiences are not limited to people who have a history of mental illness.
Now, she has teamed up with trauma specialist Dr. David Treleaven to help people work with these challenges. Their three-day First Do No Harm training program is aimed at meditation teachers and providers of mindfulness-based interventions—therapeutic techniques rooted in mindfulness practices—but the lessons are helpful for anyone who meditates.
