Wait, what? Meditation, a mindfulness practice that is supposed to calm the mind and melt away stress, has side effects! Meditation has long been hailed as a mental health elixir. However, this practice is now drawing scrutiny from scientific circles after a new study suggested that it may have a more complicated side.A new study led by Nicholas Van Dam, a psychologist at the University of Melbourne, suggests that meditation may also have a downside. The findings of the research are published in Clinical Psychological Science.
Meditation can sometimes backfire
Meditation is often considered a cure-all for stress, anxiety, and burnout. But when a practice like meditation is used in medical or therapeutic contexts, some important scientific questions arise. How much practice is needed to produce benefits? Are there any risks or unwanted side effects associated with it? Van Dam asked the same question.“This is the kind of research that is done at the very beginning of developing any new treatment intervention programme. And for various complex reasons, with mindfulness-based programmes in particular, that just didn’t happen,” Van Dam said in a statement.Over the years, researchers have observed that while meditation may prove beneficial for many, a section of practitioners experience side effects. These can include panic attacks, re-experiencing disturbing memories of a traumatic event (related to post-traumatic stress disorder) or, at the more extreme end of the spectrum, depersonalisation and dissociation. But the rates at which these effects appear were inconsistent in the scientific literature. While some studies concluded that only 1% of meditators experience side effects (Wong et al., 2018), others show it’s closer to two-thirds (Britton et al., 2021).To iron out the discrepancies, Van Dam conducted a study to understand how often meditators experience side effects. The researchers also asked: are there factors that make a person more at risk for these effects?
What they found
Van Dam and his team studied nearly 900 US adults. Using CDC data, they ensured their sample reflected the country’s overall population of meditators. The participants ranged from beginners to advanced practitioners, based on skill levels, “such that we could kind of get a sense of the full sample of people who engage in meditation within the US,” Van Dam said.How does one characterise the adverse effects? “The devil is in the details,” Van Dam said. The researchers chose to use a 30-item checklist to assess the side effects of meditation.The study showed that nearly 60% of US meditators experienced at least one side effect on the provided checklist (i.e. feeling anxious, feeling disembodied, etc.). Roughly 30% reported effects that were challenging or distressing, and 9% reported an effect that caused functional impairment. The researchers also found that people who had mental health symptoms or emotional distress within 30 days before meditating were more likely to experience side effects. They also found that people who participated in residential meditation retreats, which are often long and intense experiences, were more likely to have at least one side effect that caused functional impairment.
Should you quit meditation?
A longitudinal study is required to understand the connection, the researchers said, emphasising that the current study should not discourage one from continuing the practice. “Our conclusions are not that people should be terrified, or people should not try meditation. It’s really that we think that we should do a better job of providing informed consent,” Van Dam said.In other treatments, such as medical surgery or exposure therapy, people have an understanding of any potential risks and choose to consent to the treatment and their potential experience of it. Meditation, however, lacks that. “We have to find a way to have that conversation and navigate that space,” Van Dam said.“These practices are not for everyone. If they’re not working, it’s not necessarily because the person is doing something wrong. It might be because it’s just not a good match,” he added.Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment, or before changing your diet or supplement regimen.