Adverse Effects of Meditation
Even though there is a demonstrated correlation between meditation and wellbeing (Basso et al., 2018; Jamil et al., 2023), meditation can also have adverse effects (Binda et al. 2022; Epstein & Lieff, 1981; Farias et al., 2020). In case you experience negative side effects, we recommend speaking to a psychologist or doctor. Also, meditation is not a replacement for psychotherapy and our volunteers are not trained to treat psychological conditions.
Webpage:
Making mindfulness meditation more helpful starts with understanding how it can be harmful. Brown University. URL: https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-05-18/adverse-effects
Literature:
Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Jan 1;356:208-220. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023. Epub 2018 Aug 25. PMID: 30153464.
Binda DD, Greco CM, Morone NE. What Are Adverse Events in Mindfulness Meditation? Glob Adv Health Med. 2022 Apr 19;11:2164957X221096640. doi: 10.1177/2164957X221096640. PMID: 35464906; PMCID: PMC9024164.
Epstein, M. D., & Lieff, J. D. (1981). Psychiatric complications of meditation practice. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 13(2), 137–147.
Farias M, Maraldi E, Wallenkampf KC, Lucchetti G. Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation-based therapies: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2020 Nov;142(5):374-393. doi: 10.1111/acps.13225. Epub 2020 Aug 21. PMID: 32820538.
Jamil A, Gutlapalli SD, Ali M, Oble MJP, Sonia SN, George S, Shahi SR, Ali Z, Abaza A, Mohammed L. Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023. Cureus. 2023 Jun 19;15(6):e40650. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40650. PMID: 37476142; PMCID: PMC10355843.
