While mindfulness meditation is widely considered beneficial, it can also exacerbate mental health issues and cause adverse effects, which are often overlooked.
Practicing meditation is often used to relieve stress, depression, and anxiety. According to NHS guidelines, it is considered as effective as antidepressants. However, according to research, it can sometimes exacerbate mental health issues or lead to feelings of detachment, altered states of consciousness, or a sense of disembodiment.
Its potential adverse effects are rarely discussed by coaches, resources, or advocates, some of whom believe it can transform individuals and society. Key figures like Jon Kabat-Zinn have admitted that 90% of studies on positive effects are not reliable.
People who have suffered adverse effects from meditation are often not believed by their teachers and are encouraged to continue meditating despite the problems.
Some experts have warned about the potential psychiatric risks of indiscriminate meditation use since the 1970s.
Mindfulness has become a lucrative industry in the West. While Media coverage of the trend has been wide, limited attention was given to research on potential adverse effects.
Research on safe meditation practices and understanding the unusual states of consciousness induced by meditation is still ongoing.
Sources: Yahoo News, Postimees, Gorge News Center, Hipertextual, Mirage News, inews.co.uk
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
