Speaker 1: It's two thousand six and Emily, a twenty one year
Speaker 1: old American, is that a retreat center in India, immersed
Speaker 1: in a week long silent meditation. She climbs up to
Speaker 1: the roof of the retreat center. It's at four in
Speaker 1: the morning or so, and wraps a scarf under her
Speaker 1: face and jumps off the building to her death. I
Speaker 1: was shocked and confused when I heard this story. How
Speaker 1: can a spiritual practice like meditation make you do that?
Speaker 1: Some would argue that through this meditation, Emily reached some
Speaker 1: sort of enlightenment. But if that's the case, then what's
Speaker 1: the cost of enlightenment death. I'm Caroline Slaughter, the host
Speaker 1: of a new podcast called Astray, and I'm also a seeker.
Speaker 1: It's just about living in the light, meaning the truth
Speaker 1: of who you are. A lot of people that will
Speaker 1: hear this podcast will be seekers. But don't go to
Speaker 1: India because this is a venus fly trap for your vulnerability.
Speaker 1: After Emily's tragic death, the media linked her to a
Speaker 1: phenomenon called India syndrome, a psychosis that befalls Westerners in
Speaker 1: India on a spiritual quest. She's not alone in this diagnosis.
Speaker 1: In the podcast, I investigate the disappearances and deaths of
Speaker 1: other Westerners who have gone astray and what's been called
Speaker 1: the spiritual Bermuda triangle. You don't know whether it's a
Speaker 1: permanent loss or part time loss, or whether you've lost
Speaker 1: them forever or you haven't, or you know it's just
Speaker 1: or what is the loss? There's no evidence of the loss.
Speaker 1: If we got a call today, he's not gonna be
Speaker 1: the same person that left, So like, what does that
Speaker 1: journey even look like? And to be honest, maybe maybe
Speaker 1: it's better off you get the cool In my own
Speaker 1: quest to investigate their disappearances has led me to some
Speaker 1: unexpected places, identifying drowned bodies in the Holy River Ganges,
Speaker 1: befriending a cannibal hunter, and re examining my own relationship
Speaker 1: to this idea of enlightenment. Were you offended by it
Speaker 1: at all? I am a little annoyed by it by
Speaker 1: the term in death syndrome. To believe that that is
Speaker 1: a general definition of a place I feel is reckless
Speaker 1: and irresponsible. Astray examines the cost of a spiritual awakening
Speaker 1: and asks how far would you go for enlightenment. Astray
Speaker 1: is a production of school of Humans and I heart
Speaker 1: Radio Listen to Astray launching a Marks three on the
Speaker 1: I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get
Speaker 1: your podcasts.