You’ve probably heard meditation described as this magical cure-all. Sit quietly, breathe deeply, and watch your stress melt away. Simple, right?
Not always.
A growing body of research suggests that meditation isn’t the risk-free practice we’ve been sold. In fact, studies show that roughly 60% of meditators experience at least one adverse effect. Some of these are mild - others? Not so much.
The Research Nobody Talks About
In 2022, researchers at Brown University and the University of California published findings that caught many wellness enthusiasts off guard. Their study of over 1,000 meditators found that 65% reported experiencing unwanted effects during or after practice. We’re talking about anxiety, panic attacks, dissociation, and even psychotic episodes in rare cases.
These weren’t beginners who didn’t know what they were doing. Many were experienced practitioners with years of daily practice under their belts.
Dr. Willoughby Britton, who leads the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Brown, has been documenting these experiences for over a decade. Her “Dark Night Project” has collected hundreds of accounts from meditators who experienced significant distress.
So why haven’t you heard about this?
Partly because meditation has become a $2 billion industry in the US alone. Partly because the benefits are real and well-documented. And partly because nobody wants to be the person who criticizes something as wholesome as sitting quietly and breathing.
What Side Effects Actually Look Like
Let me be clear: most meditation side effects are temporary and manageable. But knowing what might happen can help you respond appropriately if it does.
Anxiety and panic attacks top the list. This seems backwards, right? You start meditating to reduce anxiety, and suddenly you’re having panic attacks. Here’s why: meditation strips away your usual mental distractions. When those defenses come down, buried emotions and unprocessed trauma can surface rapidly.
Dissociation and depersonalization affect roughly 20% of meditators at some point. You might feel detached from your body, like you’re watching yourself from outside. Or reality starts feeling unreal, dreamlike. For most people this passes quickly. For some, it persists for weeks or months.
Emotional flooding happens when suppressed feelings come up all at once. Grief you thought you’d processed years ago. Anger at someone who wronged you in childhood. Joy so intense it’s overwhelming. These emotional waves can be destabilizing when you’re not expecting them.
Sleep disturbances are surprisingly common - some meditators report insomnia. Others experience hypersomnia-sleeping way more than usual. Dreams can become unusually vivid or disturbing.
Physical sensations range from uncomfortable to alarming. Involuntary muscle movements - pressure in the head. Feelings of heat or cold - heart palpitations. Most of these are harmless, but they can be frightening if nobody warned you they might happen.
Who’s Most at Risk?
Not everyone has the same likelihood of experiencing adverse effects. Research points to several risk factors:
People with trauma histories face higher risks. Meditation can reactivate traumatic memories that protective mechanisms have kept buried. Without proper support, this reactivation can be retraumatizing rather than healing.
Those with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders should approach meditation cautiously. Intensive practice has been linked to triggering psychotic episodes in susceptible individuals. This doesn’t mean meditation is off-limits-it means guidance matters.
Longer retreats and more intensive practice correlate with more adverse effects. A 10-minute daily session has a different risk profile than a 10-day silent retreat where you’re meditating 10+ hours daily.
Solo practice without teacher guidance increases risks. An experienced teacher can recognize when someone is struggling and adjust the practice accordingly.
Making Meditation Safer
None of this means you should avoid meditation. The benefits-reduced stress, improved focus, better emotional regulation-are backed by solid science. But treating meditation like it’s completely harmless isn’t accurate either.
Here’s how to practice more safely:
**Start slowly. ** Five or ten minutes daily is plenty when you’re beginning. Those apps pushing 30-day challenges with escalating session lengths? They’re not designed with your wellbeing as the primary concern.
**Find qualified instruction. ** A good teacher has training in recognizing adverse effects and knows how to modify practices for different individuals. They’ll ask about your mental health history before recommending specific techniques.
**Know your limits. ** If you have significant trauma or a history of dissociation, body-based practices or mantra meditation might be safer starting points than intensive breath focus or visualization techniques.
**Have support available. ** This is especially important for retreats or intensive practice. Know who you can talk to if difficult experiences arise.
**Trust your instincts. ** If a particular practice consistently makes you feel worse, that’s information. Not every technique works for every person. Finding what works for you matters more than pushing through discomfort.
When to Stop (At Least Temporarily)
Pause your practice and seek support if you experience:
- Panic attacks during or after meditation
- Dissociation that doesn’t resolve within an hour
- Suicidal thoughts or self-harm urges
- Psychotic symptoms like hearing voices or paranoid thoughts
- Severe depression or emotional numbness lasting days
- Inability to function normally in daily life
These aren’t signs of failure. They’re signals that you need different support than solo meditation provides.
The Bigger Picture
Meditation has genuinely helped millions of people. The research supporting its benefits for stress reduction, focus, and emotional wellbeing is extensive and compelling.
But we’ve overcorrected from “meditation is weird Eastern stuff” to “meditation is perfect for everyone always. " Neither extreme serves people well.
The most honest take - meditation is a powerful practice. Like other powerful practices-therapy, exercise, fasting-it carries both potential benefits and potential risks. Knowing both helps you practice wisely.
That 60% statistic doesn’t mean meditation is dangerous. Most adverse effects are mild and temporary. What it means is that meditation deserves the same informed approach we’d give any other intervention that affects our minds and bodies.
You wouldn’t start a new medication without knowing the possible side effects. You’d want to know what to watch for and when to seek help. Meditation deserves that same respect.
Because the goal is more than to meditate. It’s to actually feel better. And sometimes feeling better requires adjusting our approach based on how our individual minds and bodies respond.