

Untold: Opus Dei
Financial Times
Financial Times reporter Antonia Cundy uncovers how a little-known group within the Catholic Church has come to wield outsized cultural and political influence in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. In this series, Antonia hears stories from insiders who describe how boundaries within Opus Dei are often blurred: how guidance becomes control, how privacy becomes secrecy and how spiritual belief becomes political ideology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

5 snips
Jan 31, 2024 • 44min
The Retreat, Ep. 2: Ten Long Days
Exploring the negative experiences and potential harm of going on Goenka retreats, including anxiety, fear, and breakdowns. Highlighting the correlation between negative experiences and multiple retreats. Delving into Sarah's transformative retreat experience resembling a sober psychedelic trip. Discussing the potential negative effects of meditation, including addiction-like cycles and dissociation. Raising questions about the consequences of intensive meditation practices and the lack of support systems on retreats.

25 snips
Jan 24, 2024 • 42min
The Retreat, Ep. 1: Dear Madison
Madison Marriage receives an email from a desperate father named Stephen whose twin daughters have changed drastically over the years due to intensive meditation retreats. The podcast explores the negative effects of meditation on mental health, shares Emily's journey to peace through meditation, and investigates Sarah's hallucinations and their impact on her relationship.

Dec 21, 2023 • 2min
Introducing Untold: The Retreat
The podcast discusses the challenging experiences people have at Goenka meditation retreats, including physical discomfort and suffering. It teases the upcoming investigative podcast series called Untold.


