Meditation Health Benefits: Researchers Warn Meditation Actually Has Some Dangerous Side Effects
Many swear by the positive impact of meditation on their well-being, but a new research says otherwise.
According to a study made by the Department of Psychiatry at Brown University and published at the PLOS One journal, meditation can cause numerous side effects that may have negative impacts in one's life.
The researchers talked to 100 people who teach and practice meditation and noted that while some were able to relax during meditation, others had difficulty going back to normal life.
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Among the negative things one may experience after meditating are anxiety, insomnia and at times even hypersensitivity to light and sound, reported The Daily Mail.
They discovered that those who spend a lot of time with their eyes closed in a quiet environment had difficulties adjusting back to light and noise from daily life.
Others experienced anxiety after they meditated.
"There is a phenomenon called 'relaxation-induced panic,' where some people have increased anxiety or panic when they relax," said Brown University Assistant Professor and study co-author Willoughby Britton. "This is one possible mechanism for why meditation could lead to increased anxiety, but very little is known about how it works, or why it happens to some people and not others."
The study said 82 percent of those interviewed experienced panic, fear or paranoia while 42 percent had a more severe side effect that included hallucinations or illusions.
Meanwhile, 28 percent of those questioned became very sensitive to lights and sound after meditation.
Professor and lead author Jared Lindahl explained that as meditation required people to put their focus on one specific object, it could cause "hypersensitivity to light and visual hallucinations."
On the other hand, because meditation causes the "frontal region of the brain" to be provoked, it can also lead to insomnia in some.
Lindahl told TODAY that their research was not aimed at "scaring people away from meditation" as there is also scientific data that it benefits many people.
"Sometimes experiences were ostensibly desirable, such as feelings of unity of oneness with others," said Lindahl. "But some meditators reported them going too far, lasting too long or feeling violated, exposed or disoriented."
Insight Meditation Society teacher Sharon Salzberg said while meditation may lead to different results to different people, those who want to meditate should not be too negative on its effects.
"The quality of instructor, the nature of the community, and the ongoing support system make a difference in how we handle the feelings that arise," said Salzberg.
