This is the type of podcast I love…something interesting, different, with personal stories and a twist that makes you think about a new topic. Why wasn’t I suggested this podcast earlier when the apps keep suggesting podcasts over and over that I’ve already listened to? Should you listen? Yes!

I happened upon this podcast while searching for general True Crime podcasts. The first episode captivated me! Well written and performed. Enjoyable and educational listen.

I couldn’t stop listening. Amazingly done podcast on a very interesting topic. I hope that Caroline comes back with a season 2 on this topic.

I’m not sure if I’m just not liking it due to bias, or if the people they are interviewing just aren’t legit? On ep.4, the lady she’s speaking with is very quick to make her opinion of the audience known… that’s odd. But she never seems to mention where she’s getting her facts or specifics about her studies, just simply using “I’m studying this right now” as her evidence to give weight to the things that she is stated as facts… and tbh, she’s not even answering any sort of question. Or enlightening us or any better information about these cases specifically… she’s just talking, and talking about her opinions far more than any scholar or journalist should, IMO. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Ugh. Just tell me the facts…? And btw- if a lady backs out of your podcast, you shouldn’t legit cry about it on the episode…? You should’ve just left it out entirely if that was her final wish… just kinda bad form on your end? :/ I wanted to like this so bad, but at every turn, it made me feel gross for continuing because the only reason I listen to true crime is typically if it ends up helping on some greater scale: a wrongfully convicted gets exonerated, a bill/law is passed to protect kids in some better newer way than before, to learn more about the justice system… not just to gawk, as I feel like this podcast is making me feel by listening. So I’ve stopped. :/

I really enjoyed the first 6 episodes. Then we get to that absolute moron Charlie. What an idiot. Stupid people should not go to India. Case closed. That moron would most likely get into the same trouble in Topeka. FYI I’ve personally been to every place and town mentioned in this podcast. I was in Rishikesh in 2012 when Johnathans family members were handing out “missing” flyers. This Charlie guy is just so dramatically stupid it undermines your entire podcast. White rich idiots please stay home. The best part of his story is the locals beat him down. He deserved it for spreading his stupidity in a foreign country. I hope Charlie stays home and plays video games in the future. What a complete loser. OH WAIT!! This clown wants to be a psychologist?!!’ The moron can’t even hack one single trip to India! And he thinks he qualified to help other people!!? Please!! Hilarity ensures!!

This podcast is very well done. It’s impossible to turn away despite the disgusting imagery because we have to keep learning, right? Not exactly a tourism brochure for India, however.

My aunt turned this on while we were on a road trip. Everyone was so tuned in. This was great. I wish there was more! :(

Fascinating topic. People seek exotic locations for different experiences and sadly not all travels turn out well. There are many more stories to tell of those who went abroad and never came back. Please tell their stories!

This podcast had me addicted from the very first episode. Great production all around. I hope they continue creating captivating content.

The host embarrassingly asserted that Siddartha was a book by Herman Hesse—with no acknowledgement that the story of the Buddha exists beyond a German’s novelization. This is one of many strange misunderstandings.

Edit: I did end up listening to all the episodes and still stand by my review written in 4/2021. Not trying to be “woke” as some have insinuated, just an informed and educated woman of color who also happens to be a clinical psychologist👍🏽 I also thought this podcast would dive into the cultural appropriation that is prominent within Western society and various Southeast Asian beliefs, traditions, and practices as others have already noted. However, the podcast actually does the opposite, validating that the cultural appropriation occurring is okay and pushes that notion that White foreigners are the victims while not addressing the racial issues against the local Indian communities that are at play. Disappointed and unsubscribing. Tried to give it a chance.

A podcast wholly centered on India that is is 90% the voices of people not from India, especially the host, who does her best to pivot the story to be about her and her “ethical dilemma” that she should have experienced before even releasing this show. The first episode disproves the thesis of the show's title and then they roll into the 2nd episode talking about the same case that disproved it to make extra sure it’s not about some imaginary syndrome. Save yourself several hours and a massive headache.

I love podcasts about India. I wish there was more! This was very interesting and well done.

White ppl talking about spiritual and meditative practices in a jokingly insulting way

We absolutely love the podcast, even if we find the delivery a little sensational. We have never listened to every episode of a podcast before and so anticipated the next episode!!! Please don’t stop! Keep going!!! There is so much to explore and it’s just starting to get interesting!!! I didn’t know Sikhs believed in white magic, black magic and the occult?! The crusaders became seekers in Jerusalem and the Knights Templar morphed into the Freemasons transmitting occult wisdom (of course mostly fraudulent) from India via the Silk Road. You can go so much further. Instead of Astray let’s change the name to Seekers!!!

Interesting podcast. I'd never heard of these various "syndromes." To the narrator/writer: "Phenomena" is a plural noun, by the way. The singular is "phenomenon."

Enlightenment is a magical idea surrounded by awe and intrigue. Astray shines a light on the reality for some who's spiritual journeys unfortunately did end in the magical idea of spiritual enlightenment.

I really enjoyed this podcast. I traveled through India about 2 years ago for a wedding and it was amazing. Since I was only there for a wedding and did all the touristy things, I didn’t see any “Baba’s” or anything like that. On my trip I went to 5 different cities (New Delhi, Agra, Palampur, Mumbai, Dharmashala). If it wasn’t for the overview of “India Syndrome” I probably would not have listened to this podcast but having listened to the whole thing, I think that “Seeker Syndrome” would be a better description of what people are experiencing. We see people all over the world that travel to places searching for some kind of clarity or fulfillment in life. Yes, in India there are a lot of westerners there looking for things that may or may not exist, but who cares! Let them live their best life! My main takeaway from this podcast is that India is a beautiful country and I would love to travel back there. And, people are “seeking” in all parts of the world, which makes them susceptible to really anything. Vulnerable people will inherently be taken advantage too. If you all do another podcast, it would be cool if you researched “seeker syndrome” in other countries, as I am personally “seeking” information about other cultures and lives lived.

I wish that they had brought in the race and socioeconomic status of the seekers like how they brought up the gender of victims in true crime stories. Regardless, I felt that they handled most issues with care and I binged this podcast in two days. The stories made me think of my aunt who had moved to India in the 1970s, married a local, and stayed there for decades until she died. I had never thought of her being a “seeker” before. I assume she lived a perfectly content life there, but I guess (naively) I had never entertained the thought of what a seeker’s journey could be like when things go wrong.

In Episode 9 Suzy Singh speaks about people dying from ayahuasca as she understandably tries to relabel India syndrome to seeker syndrome. This misinformation that host Caroline allows to be perpetuated makes me question what else in this podcast has been false information and feel that I’ve wasted my time listening. Disappointed.

She actually said that America has no spiritual tradition. Apparently Native Americans don’t count.

What a great podcast. Detailed research, beautifully narrated, and a truly intensely gripping thrill ride. I’m sad it’s over and hope for a season 2 about something else. A masterpiece of podcasting.

I’ve listened to this pod from the very beginning and kept an open mind about the discussion around religion & spirituality. But what I got from all nine episodes is this pod needs to be renamed for what it really is, “Colonizer’s Syndrome”. Every single person mentioned in the show including the host, but excluding Ankita (the producer) , is a gullible white man/woman with no innate spiritual grounding. They’re all well off with their needs laid at their feet. But the moment when they’re forced to experience a minor inconvenience in their seemly okay lives they can’t hack it. There is an apparent sense that no one has ever experienced real hardship, or real poverty, especially in the same way that Indian & other people of color have. Thus, in the “seeker’s”minds, it’s perfectly okay to leave their problems & good lives behind, travel to India , and appropriate the Indian culture’s most sacred cornerstone... religion. And all for the sake of making themselves feel better. The intention is solely built on selfish purposes, & because these seekers have never had to fear much of anything in their lives due to their whiteness,they fall for just about anything. It never occurs to them that they are first and foremost, tourist, and second, tourists in a third world country where the possibility of danger is very real. They don’t go to the country to make it better, but instead take what they can and leave. And to add insult to injury, once seekers go missing from their misjudgments all of a sudden it’s now the country, the people, and the religion’s fault. I am sympathetic to those who have lost their lives, but my sympathies go only so far. Religion and culture is not something you can just slip on and off like a garment, it is not a plaything . And I truly left the pod feeling that people who’ve shared their experience missed that very important detail. The disconnect is overt & if anything this was a cringe worthy experience.

Anyone know why last episode hasn’t been posted in weeks?

Very interesting pod. Been waiting for new episodes...is it over? Did I miss something?

I loved listening to this podcast. It is true crime meets “seeker”. I found myself binging this podcast every chance that I had. I disagree with the comments stating that the podcast is not culturally appropriate. If you really took the time to listen to the podcast, you would quickly learn that the host of this podcast is unbiased, educated, and has no ill intention against India or it’s culture. One of the co-producers is even from India! Listen to the podcast before rating it.

All the negative comments about racism is ridiculous. A French doctor came up with “India Syndrome,” not the podcasters. They present all the facts, theories and really interesting stories, best podcast I’ve come across in a long time!

Completely irresponsible and cheap of the producers of this show to refer to whatever this is as India Syndrome. Are you so desperate for listeners that you have to repeatedly use this inflammatory term that clearly associates something sinister with a country and people ? Pathetic.

Loving this podcast. Glad I decided to stop taking Lariam during my India trip!!

I thought this was articulately explained for a complex story, I’ve been to India 2x so I really get the compelling spirit of India, I think this is a fascinating podcast🧐

Really enjoying this podcast.

Bipolar is a lie 99% of the time. Sadly Charlie is still on the wrong path. Only a drugless therapy is true healing. Herbs sure, those are healing. People fear what others will think of them if they take the one true way. Deep down he knows that's why the 777 in his email.👍🙏🏻

While many stories go unanswered, this creator tries her best to do with what she has. She works hard and even tries to remain open. This is true crime meets seeker. I honestly like the podcast, and I feel that to be vulnerable is to be brilliant. If you cannot handle being open and digging deep in the playing fields, don't comment.

I feel as if the folks who are writing reviews saying it’s racist didn’t actually listen to the podcast or just listened to part of an episode. the host reiterates over and over again how much she lives India, how she herself is a seeker, and has someone on her team who is Indian weigh in on the discussion as well. It makes me think that someone on the internet asked their followers to come here and rate the podcast badly, bc the bad reviews are all saying the same thing and they’re quite honestly not true. This podcast is very interesting and super fascinating. There is nothing wrong with being interested in this strange and legitimate phenomenon that just so happens to take place in a country where people aren’t white. Just because the host so white doesn’t make this podcast racist.

This is a fascinating podcast and truly worth every minute I invest to listen. I love how Caroline shares the stories with very little bias and no clear intent to sway an opinion. She simply presents the facts and invites her listeners to think about it both in a broader context (and what is driving “seekers”) while at the same time exploring the microcosm of a few stories which appear as true crime. I like how broad your focus has been. Thank you.

Astray has been a really interesting ride-delving into the west’s fascination with eastern spiritual practices, and how our general ignorance can play out in tragedy in certain instances, rather than enlightenment. I have seen some of the reviews for this show and I feel like it deserves more credit than it’s getting. This may seem like a novel idea for some, but it’s really pretty relevant to the world we live in now, where spiritual beliefs have been used and combined with conspiracy theories, which has led to groups like Qanon gaining prominence. Undoubtedly there is a reason that eastern beliefs seem fascinating as an outsider, and that’s because they are. I don’t think anyone is indicating otherwise, the problem, which exists across spiritual beliefs around the world, is that they can can easily be used by grifters as a stepping stone into something destructive. At least that is how I have been interpreting this podcast. All in all, this has been a very compelling and interesting series, and it’s very well produced and narrated. I look forward to seeing where this podcast series goes-amazing work!

It’s not a bad story...it’s just too much for me. Maybe I just need to be high to listen-lol Oh geez someone just said this is cultural appropriation-just stop-just no. Her cohost and co-producer is an actual RESident Of India-so GTF outta here with that. I was not a huge fan but def not appropriation. Just someone wantin to use a “woke” word

Ugh, having a little snowflake meltdown and asking “am I a bad person?”. The woman with THE VOICE in episode 5. Literally made blood come out of my ears listening to her speak. And agreement with most the other stuff people have said negatively about this podcast. It could have been something much better but it seems to be something I imagine as truly insulting to Indian people.

Don’t waste your time with this one. As someone who has spent a few years in India, there is no way that this host will ever scratch the surface of nuance that exists inside the beautiful life and communities in India... Why does this host only interview white people on these topics ? Why does this host only focus on the negative ? Why does this host only exist as a talking head and an absolute racist ? Not sure why this podcast is actually a thing-it seems very out of touch and not fully conceptualized.

They advertised a ton on other podcasts and I listened to the trailer but then when I went to subscribe and actually play the episodes, they have been “temporarily unavailable” for days now. Don’t heavily advertise and then make the episodes unavailable.

There’s a lot of “othering” happening here -- at every turn India & Indians are made to sound incomprehensible, weird, inept, or even monstrous. I too expected to learn about the negative mindsets that western travelers bring, or how the sky-high expectations of privileged travelers can sour. Instead, there’s just a lot of bad stories presented in a way where the locals are always wrong.

The creators of this show are not being honest on a number of levels. There is little fact here and a bunch of gut level thoughts and reactions, which is odd for a show that seems to think of itself as above that lower level behavior. There is more than a tinge of racism throughout this show as well. Ignorance and half-searched research leaves this listener with no new knowledge or conclusions. Mostly voyeristic. This is the first review I have written. The creators of this show are not honest with themselves.

Im really over the Stanford grad and her condescending affectation. Sounds like a bad Drew Barrymore impression. Also... this podcast started well, then the episodes meandered into... I dont know what. Meh. Ill finish it, but I’m not frothing at the mouth for new episodes.

I thought this podcast would be a critique on how privileged white people appropriate other cultures and instead it turned into a celebration of just that. And why is every “expert” on India not Indian? The lady with the high voice who left grad school is extremely embarrassing and should not be showcased.

The level of racism and xenophobia is disgusting. This podcast is dangerous and so unnecessary. Of course majority of the “sources” are white and the one credible source disagrees with everyone while sounding exhausted and annoyed. The “enlightened” rich white girl explaining gurus and etc is so cringe and patronizing. My condolences to the families and victims who were exploited.

Don’t waste your time with this podcast. Feels lazy and poorly researched. This narrator doesn’t sound like a journalist, more like someone who just wants to be heard.

There is something here for everyone. It’s thought provoking because it demonstrates the shadier side of spiritualism, or more so the disastrous side effects of desperation to seek the ultimate enlightenment. This could be found in many religions or cultures. Many of the most devoted people often do pay a price for their devotion. In another way, I believe that this podcast illuminates mysterious disappearances, which as a true crime fan , I appreciate. Additionally, I think the sheer insight into India’s wide ranging society is also thought provoking. I look forward to each episode, the first time I’ve found myself counting down the days to the next episode of a podcast. Edit: I see a lot of people commenting that this is a racist podcast. I can’t speak for these individuals - and it wouldn’t be right for me to tell others - especially those of Indian heritage - how to feel. However, I think the host is very quick to insert that the idea of Indian syndrome is just an unproven theory or buzzword.Each episode she has her producer in India there to reflect on statements and accuracy and she is very quick to assert non- India syndrome theory related aspects. So far we have learned -one person killed themselves possibly due to confronting difficult emotions brought up by deep meditation, a malaria drug that causes mental instability and loss of awareness was given to one of the missing people , another person may have been the victim of a fraudster holy man (something that can happen anywhere and in any religion) , and that another just vanished -possibly because of inexperience in hiking or possibly for shady reasons or just totally unknown. All of these things can occur anywhere , and the host and her producers say this every episode. I will say that the man hunter source is a questionable guest because he has a shady right wing- oriented subpar website, but even he was pretty compassionate and full of appreciation to the different practicing sects of Hindus. The episode involving possible cannibalism is sensationalized , but you can independently research Varanasi and see beautifully written pieces of the practitioners in this region and their late night religious practices . I think people may just be making quick judgements or having knee jerk reactions without fully listening or allowing themselves to listen without their defenses automatically up. Lastly, the host does come down on westernized yoga studios and seekers from the west for appropriating snippets of Indian culture and leading many people down this path of “enlightenment “ without actual research or understanding . Hope those who feel hurt by this podcast can understand that this listener has not felt any nasty or negative feelings towards India, or an increased fear of the country or its people because of this podcast.

Why is the main source a white American man who bashes India and its people on every episode? His descriptions of holy cities are full of insane exaggerations and straight up falsehoods that make him sound like a Qanon follower who watched Slumdog Millionaire and is now an expert on the entire country! It’s pretty insulting. They found one Indian woman to help them produce the show remotely from Mumbai and she has to be the expert on everything because they don’t bother to bring in any other Indian sources!

Intriguing topics for sure, but the host likes to ask too many rhetorical questions and constantly forecasts what she’s about to cover, and then says “but first”, which gets annoying. The guests she interviews have fascinating insights, but the host too often reveals her naïveté and flippancy in perhaps an effort to be cool.

Omg the voice of this interviewee It would have been better for the narrator to have just told the interviewee story. I feel like such an a-hole but I cannot get this idea of this woman as an annoying trust fund baby. I had to stop listening. It was excruciating