Who would have thought that meditation could be harmful and have side effects? A 2022 study found that meditation can cause side effects that have significant negative effects on your daily life for at least one month.
The first records supporting this were found in India and date back over 1,500 years. The Dharmatrata meditation scriptures, written by a Buddhist community, describe a variety of practices and include reports of symptoms of depression and anxiety that may occur after meditation. Indeed, 10% of the 953 people experienced anxiety or mental health issues.
Cognitive abnormalities associated with psychotic and dissociative episodes have also been detailed. These studies indicate that side effects are not uncommon.
The most common side effects are anxiety and depression, according to a review of over 40 years of research published in 2020. The study also found that side effects can occur even in people with no prior mental health issues or who have only moderate experience with meditation, and can lead to long-term symptoms.
While there’s evidence that mindfulness is beneficial for people’s well-being, business professor and Buddhist teacher Ronald Purser wrote in his 2023 book “McMindfulness” that mindfulness has become a kind of “capitalist spirituality.”
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