Leaving Vipassana Meditation

This chapter examines the disaffiliation narratives of former members of Goenka's Vipassana meditation. It adopts a linguistic approach to conversion/deconversion and presents the findings in light of the linguistic and institutional features of the movement. It considers "self-doubt," in one's ability to progress towards enlightenment, as a common theme in all disaffiliation narratives and explores two disaffiliation trajectories based on how former members resolved their doubts, plotted their narratives, and articulated their current self-concepts: (1) "drifters in samsara," and (2) "pursuers of the gateless gate." Finally, the chapter examines deconversion as a relatively rare pattern of exit from this movement.